Lonely Star Accompanying the Full Moon - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

At daybreak, I put on my wedding robes, covered my head with the red bridal veil, and, with Chuyi supporting me, climbed into the sedan chair prepared for me.

But when my sedan chair entered through a side gate of the Eastern Palace, I finally realized that the date, the eighth day of the eighth month, had not been chosen for me.

“Today is the wedding of the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess. Everyone has gone over to the Crown Princess’s side.”

I heard the faint, fragmented whispers drift in from outside the sedan.

The apple in my hand split cleanly in two.

Chuyi had stuffed it into my hand when I got into the sedan chair. She said it was for good luck.

There was nothing lucky about it.

I had no idea how much longer my sedan chair traveled before it finally stopped. Someone said from up ahead, “We have arrived at Yongle Hall.”

Someone lowered the sedan and lifted the curtain. I hid the crushed apple inside my sleeve and, with Chuyi supporting me, stepped down.

Then I entered the hall.

I had originally thought that, as a secondary consort, there would be no ceremony. It was one thing not to bow to Heaven and Earth.

I had not expected that even Song Guxing would not be there.

He would not be coming tonight.

Chuyi stood beside me and said softly, “Princess, shall this servant help you eat something? You have not had a meal all day.”

I said nothing.

“Then shall this servant help you to bed?”

My fingertips dug into the apple that had been split in two.

The red veil was still over my head. I lowered my gaze to the battered, ruined apple, and only then did my heart calm a little. “Chuyi, do you think he is doing this so I understand the status of a secondary consort?”

Chuyi knelt beside my legs, her hands closing over the apple in mine. “Princess…”

It was all right. Whatever I wanted would be mine in the end.

I sat on the bed for the entire night.

And I still did not wait long enough for Song Guxing to come lift my veil.

When the managing momo came in, she must have been somewhat surprised. After a brief silence, she said, “Greetings, Your Highness. This old servant has come to escort Your Highness to pay respects and serve tea to His Highness the Crown Prince and Her Highness the Crown Princess.”

Chuyi rose from beside me.

Before she could speak, I said, “Please go and ask His Highness the Crown Prince to come lift my wedding veil.”

“This…” The managing momo stood there without moving.

Even if I was only the Crown Prince’s secondary consort, I was still a princess of the Lin Kingdom.

Even if she did not want to go, she would not openly refuse me to my face.

“Just go, momo. If His Highness the Crown Prince lays blame, I will bear it.” I softened my voice.

With that assurance from me, the managing momo answered, “Yes,” and withdrew.

Only after the time it took to drink a cup of tea did I hear someone outside announce loudly, “His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived.”

Chuyi knelt down beside me again and bowed to the person entering the room. “Peace to Your Highness.”

Song Guxing’s footsteps came closer and closer. He said to Chuyi, “Rise,” and then came to stand before me.

I thought he might say something to me, but then I saw the ceremonial rod slip in beneath the veil.

In an instant, the scene inside the hall fell into my view. I raised my head slightly and saw Song Guxing standing before me.

After all these years, the youthful pride of those days was gone from his features.

Yet he was still the same as the figure who appeared in my dreams every night.

“Is the princess satisfied now?” His voice was as indifferent as the expression on his face.

I gripped the ceremonial rod in his hand, met his gaze, and gave a soft laugh.

“Very satisfied.”

As though he had not expected me to do such a thing, Song Guxing gave the ceremonial rod a light tug.

I could not help pitching forward. The wedding veil on my head was like a red butterfly beating its wings, fluttering twice through the air before falling into his hand.

“As long as the princess is satisfied.” Song Guxing looked at me, his eyes a pool of still water.

Since the veil had already been lifted, I had no reason not to get up.

But I had not known that sitting for too long could make one’s legs go numb.

I had indeed considered throwing myself into Song Guxing’s arms, but I had not expected to fall against him in front of everyone the very first time we met.

His body went stiff for a moment before he asked, “Has the princess hugged enough?”

In all my sixteen years, I had never been as humiliated as I was at that moment.

But in the end, I simply lifted my arms and wrapped them around his waist, rested my chin on his shoulder, and smiled at him.

“No.”