My lips trembled against his mouth.
Oh no.
My first kiss, if it could even be called that. His eyes bored into me, even as he pulled back.
Their message was clear.
"Now! You are mine."
Not quite. But I would be tonight.
A shudder passed through me, and his eyes narrowed briefly before his face broke into a tight smile as we faced the applauding guests.
Fu Shao could change his expression in a heartbeat. I had to learn it too if I wanted to stand any chance in this marriage.
Fu Shao and I walked down the aisle past the standing and clapping guests, and left the pavilion.
Outside, dozens of waiters were waiting with glasses of wine and small plates with cakes. It was now our turn to accept the blessings and congratulations of every guest before we could move on to the tables and sit down for dinner.
He took two glasses of Champagne and handed one to me. Then he grabbed my hand again and it didn't appear as if he had any attention to let go any time soon. He bent down, lips brushing my ear and whispered.
"Smile. You are the happy bride, remember?"
I stiffened, but I forced my brightest smile onto my face as the first guests piled out of the pavilion and lined up to talk to us.
My legs began to hurt as we'd made it through half of our guests. The words directed at us were always the same.
Praise for me on my beauty and congrats to Fu Shao for having such a beautiful wife, as if that was an achievement and it would always followed by not so hidden hints about the wedding night.
So I wasn't sure if my face remained as bright through all of them. He kept glancing at me as if to make sure I kept up the charade.
As Zuli and her husband were next. He was small, fat and bald. When he shake with my hand, I had to stop myself from shuddering.
After a few mandatory words of congrats, Zuli gripped my arms and pulled me toward her body to whisper into my ear.
"Make him be good to you. Make him love you if you can. It's the only way to get through this."
She let go of me and her husband wrapped his arm around her waist, meaty hand on her hip, then they were gone.
"What did she say?" Fu Shao asked.
"Nothing," I said quickly, glad for the next well-wishers that prevented him from asking more questions.
I nodded and smiled, but my mind whirred around what Zuli had said.
So I wasn't sure if anyone could make him do anything he didn't want to do.
Could I make him want to be good to me?
Could I make him want to love me?
Was he even capable to have of such an emotion?
I risked a glance up at him as he talked to a soldier of his country.
Fu Shao was smiling. Feeling my eyes on him, he turned and for a moment our gazes locked.
There was darkness and a burning possessiveness in his eyes that sent a shiver of fear down my back. I doubted there was a flicker of gentleness or love in his black heart.
"Congrats, Young master Fu," a high female voice said.