Chapter 14 — The Wedding of Shadows
The Shen estate shimmered in crimson and gold. Silk banners rippled from every rooftop, and red lanterns burned from dawn until dusk. Servants hurried across the courtyard with trays of perfumed candles and baskets of wedding gifts. To anyone looking in, the house radiated joy.
But Shen Yifan felt only the weight of noise.
She stood by the lotus pond, her reflection wavering on the water's surface. Around her, laughter echoed from the hall where the musicians rehearsed for her sister's wedding banquet. The sound scraped against her nerves.
"Little sister," a calm voice called.
She turned. Shen Jinhai approached, his scholar's robe brushed with gold thread, his dark hair tied neatly back. His expression held that familiar gentleness that belonged only to him.
"You've been standing here for hours. At least pretend to enjoy the celebration. Rou'er would be upset if she saw your face like that."
Yifan's lips curved faintly. "Would she?"
Jinhai sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Don't start. It's her wedding, not a war."
Yifan looked back at the pond. "Sometimes, brother, they feel the same."
Before he could reply, the family steward bowed deeply at the garden entrance. "Young Master, Second Miss. Madam requests your presence in the main hall. His Highness has arrived."
---
Inside, the Shen hall glowed with hundreds of candles. At the center, Shen Rou sat gracefully beside her mother, Madam Shen, every inch the perfect bride. Her crimson robe shimmered, and the gold pins in her hair glittered with every tilt of her head.
Their father, Lord Shen Yun, stood at the entrance greeting the royal guests. His smile was wide but strained; sweat gleamed at his temples despite the winter air. Beside him, Old Madam Shen, their grandmother, sat on a high chair, nodding approvingly at every compliment that drifted her way.
Yifan entered quietly and took her place behind her brother.
Moments later, a trumpet sounded outside.
Third Prince Rui Feng strode in with his entourage — tall, proud, his red-and-black robes embroidered with golden dragons. His smile was the kind that could charm a crowd and slice through a heart. Behind him came Crown Prince Li Wei, dressed in elegant silver.
Everyone bowed.
The two princes exchanged the expected greetings. Rui Feng's eyes soon found Shen Rou, softening in a display of affection for the audience. "My beloved looks even lovelier than yesterday."
Rou blushed prettily. "Your Highness flatters me."
Yifan watched the exchange in silence, her gaze unreadable.
Then, as though drawn by instinct, Rui Feng's attention shifted. "And there she is," he said suddenly, his tone sharp beneath the smile. "The famous second daughter of the Shen family — the one who refused a royal engagement."
The hall went still.
Yifan's hand tightened around her sleeve, but her face remained calm. "Your Highness must be mistaken," she said evenly. "It wasn't refusal. It was release. Both parties agreed, remember?"
Rui Feng laughed. "Ah, you speak boldly for someone who hides behind family walls. Tell me, Yifan, have you found anyone else willing to take on that temperament of yours?"
Rou gave a soft, innocent laugh, her voice honeyed. "Brother Feng, please. My sister is simply misunderstood." She turned to Yifan, eyes shimmering with false concern. "Yifan, His Highness only jokes. Don't take offense."
Yifan met her gaze coolly. "If it's a joke, then it lacks humor."
Lord Shen cleared his throat sharply. "Enough. This is not the place."
The Crown Prince spoke for the first time, voice smooth and detached. "Let's not mar the evening with old matters. A wedding deserves laughter, not bickering."
Rui Feng chuckled, bowing slightly to his brother. "Of course, Your Highness." Yet his eyes lingered on Yifan, gleaming with the satisfaction of a man who believed he'd won a small war.
Old Madam Shen raised her cup, forcing the mood lighter. "To harmony and new beginnings."
The hall exhaled. Servants began pouring wine again, music resumed, and conversation returned in careful tones.
---
As the night deepened, Yifan sat quietly beside her brother. Jinhai leaned closer. "You shouldn't have answered him."
She smiled faintly. "Would silence have pleased you more?"
"I just don't want you hurt again," he said softly.
Her gaze drifted to the far end of the hall where the royals dined. "You can't protect someone who already knows pain, Brother. But… thank you for trying."
---
Beyond the lantern-lit windows, Tariq stood among the outer guards. His armor bore the royal insignia, his expression unreadable. The sounds of laughter and music bled faintly through the walls.
He didn't need to see her to know she was there.
He could feel it — that faint pulse of energy, familiar as his own heartbeat.
So you live, Mira.
The dark mark beneath his glove throbbed once, whispering in a voice only he could hear.
You found her. The deal awaits.
Tariq closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, pushing the voice back into the void. "Not yet."
---
Inside, the banquet reached its peak. Servants carried in the wedding cakes; firecrackers popped outside. Shen Rou clung to Rui Feng's arm, laughing softly at his whispered words.
Old Madam Shen smiled proudly at her eldest granddaughter. "Our family rises again," she murmured to Lord Shen. "With one daughter a princess, who will dare look down on us?"
Lord Shen's smile faltered only slightly. "Yes, Mother."
Across the room, Madam Shen watched Yifan. "You should be happy for your sister," she said gently.
Yifan raised her cup. "I am. In my own way."
"Try harder," her mother whispered before turning away.
Yifan looked down into her wine. The liquid shimmered gold beneath the lantern light — beautiful, deceptive, hollow.
She lifted the cup to her lips but paused when one of the candles beside her flickered. The flame danced, then sputtered out completely.
No one else noticed.
She set the cup down slowly. A chill crawled along her spine, threading through the hum of laughter and clinking glass. Something unseen stirred, the faintest ripple of darkness that didn't belong in celebration.
Her fingers brushed the small charm hidden beneath her sleeve — a habit she no longer remembered forming.
A whisper, light as air, brushed against her mind.
The wheel turns again.
Yifan's eyes lifted to the grand hall, where red silk swayed and smiles glimmered. For a moment, everything looked perfect.
And yet, beneath the scent of jasmine and wine, she smelled the faint trace of blood.