3 year past.
My breath clouded as it left my lips. Even my thick coat couldn't protect me from W city winter. Snow crunched under my boots as I followed mother along the pavement toward the brick building, which harboured the most luxurious wedding store in the town.
As Martial Zhen trailed closely behind, my constant shadow. Another of my father's soldiers made up the rear, behind my sisters.
Revolving brass doors let us into the brightly lit inside of the store and the owner and her two assistants immediately greeted us.
"Happy birthday, Young Lady Su," she said in her lilting voice.
I forced a smile as my 18 birthday coming was supposed to be a day for celebration.
Instead it only meant I was another step closer to marrying the Great Young Master Fu.
So I hadn't seen him since that night he'd cut off my cousin finger. He'd sent me expensive jewellery for my birthdays, new years, and the anniversary of our engagement but that was the extent of our contact in the last few year.
And I'd seen photos of him with other women on the internet, but even that would stop today when our engagement would be leaked to the press.
At least in public, he wouldn't flaunt his mistress anymore.
I didn't kid myself into thinking he wasn't still sleeping with them and I didn't care. As long as he had other women to screw, he'd hopefully not think about me in that way.
"Only half a year until your wedding if I'm correctly informed?" the shop owner piped.
She was the only person who looked excited.
No surprise really, she would make a lot of money today.
My wedding that marked the final union of the White Clan's and the Black clan's in history.
This was supposed to be a splendid affair. Money was irrelevant. I inclined my head until I had to exchange one golden cage with another.
Qina gave me a look that made it clear what she thought of the matter, but she kept her mouth shut. At 15 year old and a half, she had finally learned to reign in her outbursts, mostly.
The shop owner led us into the fitting room.
While Martial Zhen and the other man stayed outside the drawn curtains. Qina and Qinli plopped down on the plush velvet white couch while Mother began browsing the wedding gowns on display.
As I only stood in the middle of the room. The sight of all the white tulle, silk, lace, brocade and what it stood for, corded up my throat.
So I'd be a married woman soon. Quotes about love decorated the walls of the fitting room, they felt like a taunt considering the harsh reality that was my life.
What was love but a silly dream?
I could feel the eyes of the shop owner and her assistants on me, and squared my shoulders before I joined my mother.
Nobody could know that I wasn't the happy bride-to-be but a pawn in a game of power.
Eventually, the shop owner approached us and showed us her most expensive gowns.
"What kind of gown would your future husband prefer?" she asked pleasantly.
"The naked kind," Qina said, and my mother shot her a glare.
I flushed, but the shop owner laughed as if it was all too delightful.
"There's time for that on the wedding night, don't you think?" She winked.