A Royal Arrangement: The General's Daughter (Short Novel)

Chapter 3

A stubborn decision

It was an impulse.

Yuren did not intend to tell her father that she wanted to marry the fourth prince; she did it impulsively. Her desire to prove herself to her two cousins led her to choose a prince that no one knew about. She really was stubborn, and she wanted to hit herself with a wooden sword for it.

It had been weeks since she went to her parents' chambers and announced the prince she chose. There was no joy in their eyes, only confusion and doubt. For a second, Yuren did not hesitate and showed them desperation, but the morning she woke up, she realized how foolish she had been.

"Is Father home?" Yuren asked when Yu appeared.

She had ordered that all her maids and soldiers must be at least five meters away from her while she read in the forest and could only disturb her if the intent was to announce her father's return from the palace.

"Yes, Miss," Yu replied, prompting Yuren to pack her books immediately.

Her father had been away for almost two days. Another war must be approaching, and as a Major General, her father was increasingly busy.

"Where have you been, Yuren?" her father asked as soon as she stepped into the dining room. Both of her parents were almost done eating.

"Sorry to disturb your afternoon meal, Mother and Father," she said.

"You will not be allowed to do the same when you are a wife of a prince, Yuren," her mother remarked. Bitterness filled Yuren's mouth at her mother's comment.

As the wedding approached, which was in a month, Wu Lyn, her mother, had become stricter than ever about her etiquette and movements. She even took classes for it, although she could have easily taught herself through books and illustrations.

Yuren's eyes were on the floor as she approached her seat beside her father. The servant quickly placed lotus soup and barbecue buns in front of her.

"Father, will the Emperor send you away again?" Yuren asked, feeling hopeless.

"No, my child. I went to the palace because of some matters regarding the trainees and... your wedding," her father said. Yuren stared at him.

"I do not know how much has changed while I was away. First, you chose the fourth prince, which none of your cousins supported. Second, the fourth prince agreed to the arrangement," Yuren's eyes widened. His agreement didn't matter because it was the Emperor's order, but still... he agreed. The famous fourth prince, who lived farthest from the palace and had not taken a wife nor any concubines, agreed.

"These young ones are truly unpredictable," her father said.
...
### The Wedding Day

Yuren did not sleep the night before her wedding. She kept twisting and turning in her bed, admiring the unfamiliar yet sophisticated room given to her in the palace, and reassuring herself that everything would be fine.

For the past month, all she did was act like a wife and learn how to please her husband. She hadn't even held or seen a wooden stick used for sparring, only books and constant lessons from her teacher and her mother. She felt sad, knowing her mother would now be alone without her.

Yuren was a little late to the ceremony because she accidentally fell asleep while waiting. When she was woken up, she was shocked to see almost ten servants kneeling behind her chamber door, crying and begging for her to come out.

Why didn't they just come in and wake her up?

Her cheeks turned red with shame as she entered the hall for the ceremony, where everyone was ready, and she seemed like the last one to arrive. She avoided eye contact with her husband throughout the ceremony until they bowed to each other. A shiver ran down her spine when she looked into his black eyes, which seemed like endless darkness. His face and eyes showed nothing, yet they were still intimidating.

She hated feeling intimidated.

Yuren pretended to act calm and collected next to him, even after the ceremony ended and the feast began. They were the center of attention, or rather, she was. All the princes, princesses, their wives, and husbands looked at her like she was some kind of painting... invisibly observing her.

"This princess wishes a long and healthy life for the wife and fourth brother," a woman in a bright rose-colored dress approached her and handed her a red envelope. Yuren forced a smile and accepted the gift.

"Wu Yuren will treasure the gift from the princess," she said, expecting her to return to her seat, but the princess just looked at her and the gift in her hand.

After a moment, Yuren finally understood and opened the envelope. The princess squealed with happiness when Yuren revealed the gift: an amber bracelet with a flower pendant, similar to the one the prince had given her as dowry.

"This is one of a kind, Wu Yuren. It was made from a unique gemstone found in a much warmer land to the east," the princess remarked, then grabbed the bracelet and put it on her.

"Wu Yuren thanks the princess," she replied, receiving a hug from the princess. The princess continued talking until someone cleared his throat, interrupting her. The princess made a smug face and returned to her seat.

The fifth, sixth, and seventh princes approached, all smiling and holding their gifts.

"This fifth prince congratulates Yuren and the fourth brother," the fifth prince said. Yuren smiled at him. He seemed happier than the last time she saw him. She accepted a red box from him and thanked him.

"Congratulations to my favorite brother and his lovely wife," the sixth prince said. Yuren couldn't help but admire his face for a moment. The rumors were true; the sixth prince was very charismatic and seemed like a good person with his warm smile and unproblematic aura.

"Thank you," a brief statement was heard from Yuren's husband. This time, he was the one who received the gift.

Yuren couldn't help but look at her husband's face. He was serious, but his eyes seemed to smile at the sixth prince. It appeared that he was closest to the sixth prince.

When the fourth prince was about to look at her, she immediately withdrew her gaze and looked at the prince in front of them. The seventh prince... with that smirk on his lips again.

"So that's why you rejected me; you fancy the fourth brother," Yuren was shocked and felt a lump in her throat. She did not fancy any of the princes. She wanted to explain, but it was no use. She was the one who chose the fourth prince, so of course, they would assume that.

"Wu Yuren, you are truly one of a kind," he said, placing a small white box in her hand before leaving. She stared at the small white box in her hand. The seventh prince was one of a kind as well.

She slowly opened the white box, revealing a hairpin. A fiery red pin made with a red crystal. It was unusual because crystals were usually used as designs, but in this case, silver was the design.

She lifted it to take a closer look until she felt a gaze upon her. She looked at the fourth prince, who was gazing at her, his head supported by his hand leaning on the armchair. He was just looking at her with an indescribable emotion.

She cleared her throat and hid the pin inside its box, placing it with the other gifts.

"Do you fancy the seventh brother?" These were the first words, no, the very first sound he made since she met him. His voice was deep and very manly, adding an extra layer of intimidation.

She cleared her throat and said, "I do not."

"So it is true that you fancy me?" She kept her mouth shut at that remark. What was she supposed to say? How could she explain why she chose him and not his other brothers?

The feast ended with a brief speech from the Emperor. Joy was evident on his face, and he seemed genuinely happy that the fourth prince had finally taken a wife, according to his speech. Yuren immediately found her chamber and started to remove her hairpins and accessories alone. All the gifts were already inside her chamber, so she started looking at the white pin the seventh prince had given her.

She found the pin unusually beautiful and wanted to stare at it a little longer, but when she looked at all the gifts one by one, the white box was nowhere to be found.