Xiao Zhi was practically dragging her feet as she forced herself down the long corridor toward the grand hall. Kabil had insisted that, to show goodwill, she must tell the Khan herself that she was willing to go through with the bride parade.
Between Kabil's terrified eyes and the angry red mark blooming on his cheek, she couldn't bring herself to say no. It made sense. After all, he was just as much a victim of the Khan as she was.
So she gathered her courage and went. But the closer she got to the grand hall, the more that courage began to leak away. By the time she reached the massive doors, all what's left was regret.
She was about to stop and turn around when she heard the Dowager's calm voice echo from inside the hall.
"...The Khan's marriage will be addressed after Prince Kabil's wedding. The details will be announced in due time."
Xiao Zhi stopped.
So he would marry after all.
She stood there for a moment, a quiet thought crossing her mind.
I wonder who the unlucky noble lady will be.
She felt lucky it was Kabil whom she had to marry, the kind and gentle prince. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to marry the Khan instead. She shivered at the idea.
With a slow breath, Xiao Zhi straightened her back and decided to step forward. Maybe getting married will finally put the Khan in a better mood.
She stated her purpose to the guards standing before the tall doors. After a brief pause, her arrival was announced.
When she entered the hall, all eyes turned toward her.
"Princess Lian Zhi," the Khan's voice rang out, causing her heart to skip a beat. "State your purpose."
Does he have an amplifier hidden in that mask? she wondered. His voice was so deep and echoed, it made her chest shake. She wondered if the mask made him sound that way, or if he was just that angry all the time.
She hesitated for a moment before taking a deep breath. "I—" She cleared her tight throat and steadied herself. "... I am here to inform you that I am willing to go through the bride parade."
The words finally left her mouth, and the hall seemed to grow quieter.
"Willing?" the Khan repeated, but his voice sounded lower now. "Why?"
The question caught her unprepared. She hadn't expected him to ask why. For a heartbeat, she looked at the heavy doors behind her, but she was already too far into the room to turn back.
"If it will ease tensions and bring peace," she said, doing her best to keep her voice calm, "then I will do it."
Silence followed.
The Dowager's gaze slid toward the ministers, and Xiao Zhi caught the faintest movement of her hand. Around the hall, expressions softened into satisfaction, as if this outcome had already been expected.
Her eyes lifted to the Khan.
She expected approval or at least a hint of satisfaction. This had been his idea, after all.
But instead, she saw something else.
Even through the mask, she could feel the heat of his gaze. It wasn't the look of a man who had won. If anything, there was something close to disbelief, almost anger.
Before she could understand what it meant, the Dowager spoke.
"You are very brave, Princess Lian Zhi," she said smoothly, her voice warm but somehow sounding cold at the same time. "It is rare to see such willingness for the sake of peace. Hua has raised a wise and selfless daughter. Tughril will remember this kindness."
The ministers murmured their approval at once.
Xiao Zhi felt it then, as she read between the lines. The Dowager's praise was not meant for her. It was a net to trap the decision in place, so it could no longer be moved or questioned.
She looked back at the Khan.
Whatever he might have intended to say never came.
"Very well," he said, at last. "The parade will commence at dawn."
***
At dawn the next day, a maid greeted her in her room, carrying her the servant's clothes they prepared for her.
Xiao Zhi stared at the servant's clothes that she handed to her. They were thin and scratchy to the touch. "These… are really for me?"
The maid didn't answer. She only gave a small nod and left the room, leaving Xiao Zhi to change alone.
When she stepped out of the palace gate, the streets had overflowed with people. Thousands of eyes turned toward her at once.
Seeing her frozen in worry, Kabil approached her. He looked polished and calm, a sharp contrast to her dull rags. "It's only symbolic. Tradition. It won't be as bad as it sounds. I'll be beside you the whole time."
She didn't know why, but his reassurance only made her nervous.
She approached the carriage prepared for her and stopped.
Only that it wasn't a carriage, but a frame of wooden bars on wheels. There was no roof to shield her from the sun, no seat to rest on. It was a cage, plain and simple.
Realizing everyone in the city was going to see her like this, she started getting even more nervous.
"This... this can't be right."
"It's traditional," Kabil insisted. "Just climb in. I promise, you'll be fine."
Xiao Zhi looked back toward the palace, her eyes searching for someone. But he was not there. Instead, the Khan stood tall and unmovable. His masked gaze fixed on her. For a fleeting moment, she thought she saw something tighten in his posture, but it vanished just as quickly.
The attendant raised his voice as she was locked inside the cage.
"People of Tughril! The Hua bride presents herself! From today forward, she serves the empire! She is no longer a princess. She is our servant!"
Xiao Zhi's breath caught. She didn't expect the words to be that harsh and that degrading. But she told herself it was symbolic, just as Kabil said.
The first few steps were fine. People were just staring at her. Some whispered with disdain, but Xiao Zhi had anticipated this. She was the "enemy" after all. And this parade was meant to show her subjection.
Then those whispers became louder and more hurtful. But they were just words, Xiao Zhi convinced herself. They couldn't hurt her.
Until something struck her head.
A rotten cabbage.
It hurt.
Before she blinked, another hit her shoulder. Then another. And soon rotten vegetables were raining on her from all sides. Mixed with them, small stones. A few sharp enough to cut her skin.
The crowd jeered.
"Filthy Hua girl!"