Shards

Chapter 78 - A Disappointing Feast

"Happy Birthday Lady Shaung!"

"Congratulations Lord and Lady Zhai!"

"What a lovely bride! So beautiful!"

"Shun Xi is a lucky man. He is marrying up."

"Lady Shuang! The unmatched beauty makes the most beautiful bride!! No one compares!"

"Lord Yuan should be grateful to his wife indeed. Without her prestige, he would never elevate to such honor."

"It's not Lord Yuan anymore. Be more respectful to the Ruling House, it's Lord Zhai now," cautioned another noble.

"Yes, you're right. I'll remember to be more careful in the future."

"To the Ruling House! To House Zhai! Congratulations!!"

With each toast, Lord Zhai Shun Xi felt smaller and more invisible as guests belittled him and praised Shuang. Some simply ignored him altogether to fawn over the Ruling couple and their daughter bride. Humiliation washed over him fanning the embers of resentment. He sat red faced, seething, unable to retaliate. Those damn stone faced guards behind his new bride kept glancing at him while keeping their hands on the hilt of their swords. So he did the only thing he could, he kept his mouth shut and continued drinking House Zhai's expensive wine steadily. It was the least they could do, compensate him for his sorrows and lost dignity with their liquor.

Lady Shuang, on the other hand, had absolutely bloomed beside him. She sat up straighter with her head held high, cheeks flushing a rosy pink and eyes bright with her first tastes of real power. She was used to the attention her beauty brought her, but this, this new recognition and attentiveness towards her was intoxicating. It was ten times better then the admiration and adoration her physical beauty brought. The surge of validation stroked her ego igniting it in a burst of importance she had never felt before. She felt seen, acknowledged, accepted ... revered. She loved it. She reveled in it.

The beauty of Zinnu shone in the limelight, radiant in her youth and beauty. Indeed, the flower of House Zhai lived up to her name. She was gorgeous indeed, her lovely face lit with a sweet smile as she basked in the adoration and attention. But underneath it all, she reminded herself sternly that this was the start of her new life. It was not the fairy tale she had dreamed her married life would be when she was little, instead it was the beginning of a war, a war with the man she was forced to marry and loathed.

Earlier she had vowed to herself to make the best of the situation. She would never forget the painful lesson she had to learn; never believe sweet empty words from a man however charming he was. Never follow her heart when her brain told her otherwise.

Now she had lost Lord Zhang along with his prestige and wealth. She had lost power and a beautiful home by the sea. She had lost the only two bodyguards who had actually made her feel safe and human. And she had lost her dignity and freedom. She regretted condemning Ghost, she hoped he'd somehow survived. He would ... he must, she thought fiercely, not wanting to be the one directly responsible for his death.

Her folly, regret and being forced to take accountability for her choices and actions changed her. All the crying and strong emotions she experienced in the last few days awoken a part of her she had never knew existed until now. A determined and vengeful side. Father said with satisfaction that it was her Zhai lineage finally emerging, the one which fights justly or unjustly for what they wanted. All is fair in love and war, he said. No tactic or strategy was out of bounds however cruel or unfair.

Father had shown her what to do, now she would make Shun Xi pay a thousand fold for fooling her and humiliating her with his degrading bet. He and his whole House would regret the day he had come up with the disgusting scheme to marry her. Then she would reclaim her right to House Zhang. She would get Ghost and Key back too so that she would never have to fear anyone or anything again. Lord Zhang would love her and Ghost and Key would protect her.