Back off. She's mine.|| Zen Wistaria x Reader

Chapter 9||Dinner with the Wistaria's

Her tear-stained face was a mask of defiance. Red-rimmed eyes, raw and puffy from crying, glared with a simmering anger. He'd pay for this. Every life lost, every home burned, every scream of a dying child echoed in the hollowness of her chest. A week. A single, miserable week since the Sapphire Empire's crushing defeat. A war they never chose, a battle they never stood a chance of winning.

The once proud empire lay broken, its people scattered like fallen leaves. Her people. Imprisoned, paraded as trophies by the Wisteria, their captors reveling in a sick display of dominance. And the worst part? She was powerless, a prisoner herself, held back by foreign guards while the cries of her people haunted her dreams.

The maids bustled around her, their practiced smiles meaningless in the face of her grief. Sapphire silk, the color of a bruised sky, clung to her form, a gown of exquisite cruelty adorned with mocking beads and lace. Her hair, usually a cascade of dark waves, hung limply, the only adornment a delicate silver necklace that felt more like a chain, a symbol of her subjugation.

One last glance in the mirror, her reflection a stranger with eyes like polished steel. Tears welled again, a surge of hot anger pushing them back. Tonight, amidst the glittering Wisteria court, she would wear her suffering like armor, a silent testament to the resilience of her broken people. Sorrow, she realized, had forged a strength she never knew she possessed.

The clock chimed seven, a jarring note in the suffocating silence. With a heart hammering a frantic rhythm against her ribs, Princess Sakanoue walked towards the grand hall. Fairy lights twinkled overhead, casting an illusion of merriment that did nothing to mask the cloying scent of victory. Delicate harp music played, a mocking serenade to a conquered nation.

Of course they celebrated. Let the world know! "We crushed the Sapphire Empire and now their princess is our plaything!" she thought, her stomach churning with barely contained rage.

Her gaze collided with Prince Izana's at the entrance. The sight of him, smug and self-satisfied, sent a fresh wave of fury crashing over her. His eyes gleamed with the victor's delight, a man reveling in the spoils of war without a care for the lives shattered in its wake.

Taking a deep breath, she forced a smile, a cold, brittle thing that didn't reach her eyes. With a graceful curtsy, she acknowledged him, her voice a steady counterpoint to the storm raging inside. "Your Highness," she greeted, the words laced with ice. "I trust you're well this evening."

"Princess Sakanoue," he drawled, his voice smooth as polished marble, "you look exquisite. Delighted to see you here." He bowed, a mockery of courtesy. Every fiber of her being wanted to snatch a sword from a guard and run him through, but she knew better. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her break.

With each measured step, she straightened her spine, her suffering a shield against his tyranny. As she drew closer, a forced smile played on her lips, a weapon as sharp as any blade. "Thank you, Your Highness," she replied, her voice laced with an icy edge that cut through the air.

The heavy brass doors swung open, revealing a throng of Wisterian nobility. The guards gestured for her to enter, a show of false respect. "Oh, how very kind," she thought, her stomach clenching. Their touch would be better served cleaning the kennels back home.

Prince Izana's booming voice echoed through the hall, announcing her arrival. Fury surged through her again. The audacity! He addressed her by her first name, a familiarity she hadn't granted. It was a deliberate attempt to assert dominance, and she wouldn't let him win.

Clenching her fists at her sides, she met his gaze head-on, a silent challenge burning in her eyes. "I appreciate the welcome," she said, her voice betraying none of the turmoil within.

Her eyes scanned the room, searching for a familiar face, a flicker of hope. But there was none. She was utterly alone, a stranger in a gilded cage.

"Where are you going, Princess? Sit here, next to my brother, your future husband," Prince Izana bellowed, his words eliciting a wave of snickers and chuckles from the assembled crowd.

Except for Prince Zen. He sat slumped in his chair, head bowed, hands clenched into fists. As she approached, she noticed a single tear trace a glistening path down his cheek. It was a flicker of humanity in this sea of indifference, a shared grief that sparked a sliver of warmth within her. Here, perhaps, was someone who understood.

Taking a seat beside Prince Zen, Princess Sakanoue ignored the snickers and whispers that followed them. His tear was a silent testament to their shared pain, a stark contrast to the boisterous celebration around them. Though his head remained bowed, a flicker of surprise flickered across his face as she settled in next to him.

"We will get through this," she whispered, her voice barely audible above the clinking of glasses and murmured conversations.

Prince Zen flinched, his head snapping up to meet her gaze. Surprise battled with a deep-seated weariness in his dark eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but his words were cut short by the booming laughter of Prince Izana.

"Ah, what a touching reunion!" Prince Izana declared, raising his goblet. "I'm sure you two will have plenty of time to get acquainted after the wedding." He cast a triumphant glance around the room. "Tonight, we celebrate the unification of our two great empires!"

The assembled guests echoed his cheer, raising their goblets in a toast. Princess Sakanoue gripped her own goblet tightly, the cold metal a stark contrast to the burning fury within her. She wouldn't break. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing her despair.

Throughout the dinner, she played the part of the gracious guest flawlessly. She engaged in polite conversation, her smile never faltering even as her stomach churned with disgust at the celebratory atmosphere. Yet, beneath the facade, her mind was a whirlwind of activity.

She observed the Wisterian court with a hawk's eye, meticulously studying the dynamics between the guests, searching for weaknesses, for cracks in their seemingly impenetrable armour. Her keen observation noted the tension between Prince Izana and his brother, Zen. The way Zen subtly cringed at Izana's pronouncements, the way his gaze darted nervously around the room, spoke volumes. There was a story there, a vulnerability she could potentially exploit.

Later that evening, as a group of nobles gathered around Prince Izana, Princess Sakanoue excused herself and approached Prince Zen, who stood isolated on a balcony overlooking the opulent gardens. The air carried the sweet scent of blooming jasmine, a stark contrast to the bitterness in her heart.

"May I?" she asked softly, gesturing towards the space beside him.

He gave a curt nod, his expression guarded. "Go ahead," he replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

Leaning closer, she spoke again, her voice barely a murmur. "You seem troubled, Prince Zen."

His silence stretched for a moment, then he let out a defeated sigh. "This... alliance," he began, his voice heavy with disillusionment, "it feels wrong. My brother is blinded by ambition, by the promise of power."

"And you?" she pressed gently, her eyes searching his.

He met her gaze, a flicker of hope igniting in his dark eyes. "I believe in peace, Princess. In cooperation, not domination."

A hesitant smile touched her lips. "Then perhaps we have more in common than you think," she said, a spark of defiance igniting within her.

The night deepened, the stars emerging like scattered diamonds against the velvet sky. As they continued their conversation, a quiet understanding bloomed between them. Princess Sakanoue learned of Zen's disapproval of the war, of his yearning for a peaceful coexistence between the two empires. In turn, she revealed her simmering rebellion, her plan to resist the Wisterian rule from within, to sow discord and undermine their authority.

As the last embers of the golden sunset faded, a newfound resolve thickened within Princess Sakanoue. She wasn't alone. She had found an ally, a silent co-conspirator. Together, they could turn the tables on their captors.

"Say, what time is it?" A blonde male walked onto the balcony. His ruby eyes searching the place for a certain h/c girl with e/c eyes. 

"Daizou?!"