My name is Yue, and my life has been a never-ending struggle since the day I was born. I am the illegitimate daughter of the emperor, and this fact alone has caused me nothing but misery and hardship. People rarely say my name kindly, and I've learned to accept this as a part of my life.
My mother, a former palace maid, is a distant and faint memory from my early childhood. However, the stories I've heard about her say that she was a beautiful woman who captured the emperor's heart. They were deeply in love, but their relationship ended tragically when the empress discovered their affair and ordered my mother's execution I was left behind as a constant reminder of their forbidden affair.
As a child, I was raised in the shadows of the palace, hidden away from everyone. My existence was a secret, known only to a select few, to the outside world, I was a servant girl, invisible and insignificant.
But in the palace, I was a continuous reminder of my father's affair, the living proof of his betrayal of the empress and their marriage. My siblings, given birth to by the empress, treated me with disdain and contempt, their words hurt like daggers.
"Look, it's the emperor's bastard,", "Nothing but a mistake" they would sneer, their laughter echoing through the halls of the palace. "What right do you have to call yourself one of us?"
And so, I learned to navigate the palace life with a mask of indifference, hiding my true feelings. But inside, the insults made by my family and the palace staff hurt me a lot and made me lose all my self-worth and sense of belonging.
Living in a kingdom where magical ability and bloodline determine one's worth, I am an outcast. As an illegitimate child with no magical powers, I am scorned and bullied by the emperor's legitimate heirs. Even the servants treat me without any hint of respect, refusing to acknowledge me as a member of the royal family.
My life has been full of misery, and there has been nothing good about it, no tiny silver lining, until I met Zhang, the son of the emperor of a neighbouring kingdom. Despite our different social status, Zhang is the one person who has shown me kindness and respect. He sees me as a person, not just as a result of an affair.
However, the echoes of my mother still haunts me, reminding me constantly that happiness is almost impossible for someone like me in a world that values bloodline and magical ability above all else. Despite everything that I have gone through, I will remain hopeful and resilient. I refuse to let my circumstances define me, I will continue to fight against the unfairness of the world with everything I've got.
As the sun set higher in the sky, bathing the garden in a glow, a sense of tranquility settled over us. The soft rustling of the leaves and the gentle fragrance of the cherry blossoms seemed to cocoon us in a world of our own.
I turned to Zhang, a question on the tip of my tongue. "Zhang," I began, Zhang turned to me, his eyes filled with warmth. "What is it, Yue?" he asked, his voice gentle.
I hesitated for a moment, searching for the right words. "It's nothing important, really," I said. "I was just wondering how you've been finding life lately. It can't be easy, being the son of an emperor."
Zhang chuckled softly, a hint of wistfulness in his smile. "It is definitely challenging," he admitted. "But I try to focus on the good parts. Like our friendship, and these moments where we meet to talk. You are the only one I can really talk comfortably with". He smiled warmly.
His words caught me off guard, sending a flutter of warmth through my chest. I shifted uncomfortably, suddenly aware of the intensity of his gaze on me. "Th-thank you, Zhang," I stammered, feeling my cheeks flush with embarrassment. "I... I feel the same way. You've always been a source of comfort and understanding for me." As I met his eyes, the softness in his gaze made my heart race. At that moment, I realized just how much he meant to me, and how much I relied on his presence to navigate the complexities of palace life. "You've always had a way of finding the silver lining in even the darkest of clouds."
Zhang smiled at my words, and he gently squeezed my hand. "And what about you, Yue?" he asked, his gaze searching mine. "How have you been finding life in the palace?"
I sighed, feeling the weight of my burdens pressing down upon me once more. "It's been... challenging, to be honest," I admitted. "But I'm managing. Somehow."
Zhang's expression softened, his eyes filled with sympathy. "You don't have to face it alone, you know," he said softly, his voice a reassuring presence in the darkness. "I'm here for you, Yue. Always."
I felt a rush of gratitude towards him, grateful for his unwavering support. "Thank you, Zhang," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "That means more to me than you know."
Zhang smiled, a flicker of warmth in his eyes. "Anytime, Yue," he said, his voice filled with sincerity. "I'll always be here for you, no matter what."
And as we sat beneath the cherry blossom tree, bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight, I knew that no matter what the future held, as long as Zhang was by my side, I would never have to face it alone.
But just as I began to relax into the peaceful silence, Zhang's next words shattered the tranquility of the night, sending a chill down my spine.
"There's something I need to tell you, Yue," he said, his voice grave. "Something important."