this came about because of this.

Seated down on the chair, Luhan faced a stranger in the mirror. How laughable was it that she couldn’t recognise herself in the mirror?

Who was this woman who had her make up done beautifully and her hair styled artfully? Dressed in expensive red silk, she was without a doubt, beautiful. However, if you looked closely enough, you could see that her eyes were dull. Eyes that didn’t have any emotions as she allowed herself to be dressed like a doll.

This was the morning of her wedding, she was going to get married to someone who she didn’t have any feelings for. This was her duty and this was her only purpose in life, a fact which was drilled into her since young by her mother. 

She might be a princess, she was able to enjoy endless wealth and admiration from everyone but there was a cost to all these. She was to be used as a pawn, a political pawn to ensure that her country would flourish year after year. Her entire life was up to someone's decision, not hers. 

Keeping her anger, reining in her tears, Luhan stood up with her back straight. Called it pride, called it determination or maybe she just stopped fighting against her fate, she walked out of her room.

His wedding night was filled with drinking and well wishes but only God knows how many were sincere. Sehun didn’t mind it at all, he had gotten used to it. He was taught from young that this was the sort of place he was going to live in.

Therefore, he had to be more alert than anyone else. There was no trust between him and the officials in the court. He didn’t know when they will turn around and stab him in the back and to prevent that from happening, he had to be ahead of everyone else. Better that someone else was dead than him, this was what his mother told him on her deathbed. 

But as time passed, Sehun was getting tired of all these. He didn’t want to do it anymore but he was the crown Prince of this country. Even if he didn’t want this position, even if he was to give it up to his other brothers, they were going to spare him, much less allowing him to live. 

His mother was a prime example, she was killed by one of his father’s concubines despite the fact that she had made it clear, she wasn’t going to involved herself in these politics anymore. No one listened, no one cared because as long as she was still alive, she was a threat.

“Your highness, it is time.” One of his attendants told him and Sehun placed the wine cup in his hand down on the table.

Her palms were sweating and that was the only sign that she was nervous. Otherwise, there was no telling from her expression. Dread filled her as she imagined what her future hold. She was in a place she wasn’t familiar with, she had no one to count on. No one was going to stand up for her if she did something wrong, no one was going to fight for her. 

All she had was her princess’s title, her pride and herself. But that was how she had been living her life all these while, it was always her against the world. However, when the night come and she was all alone, Luhan realised that her shoulders felt heavy.

No, there was no backing out of this. Even if no one cared that she was the one who sacrificed herself for the peace that her country had, even if no one bothered about her well-being because she was easily replaceable, Luhan had to do this.

She heard the door opening and her heart stopped beating for a second. She held her breath when she heard the sound of someone walking closer to her. From underneath her veil, she saw a pair of black boots.

With no warning, her veil was taken off and the light assaulted her eyes, making her close it in defense. Slowly, she opened her eyes and blinked a few times to allow her eyes to get used to the light. In front of her stood a man, her husband from now on.

For better or for worse, her life is going to be closely entwined with him.

She was beautiful but cold. Her eyes showed nothing, resembling a lifeless doll and Sehun suddenly felt a pang to his heart. He didn’t like the resignation in her eyes, it felt wrong. He could only imagine what she had been through to be able to completely void everything that she was feeling.

Environment made a person and wasn’t this how Sehun was brought up as well? Reaching out, he touched her cheek gingerly. There was just the slightest second when she flinched before she covered it up.

The barest smile touched Sehun’s lips. “What’s your name?”

“Luhan,” she replied.

“It is a nice name,” he told her. “Fitting for someone like you. For good or for bad, both of us are pawns in this game of power that our fathers were playing. I am not going to make use of you.”

Promise that were given so lightly despite the meaning behind it and Luhan just gave him a polite smile. After all, promises were meant to be broken and this was just one of the many that this man in front of her was going to break.

“You don’t trust me?” Sehun narrowed his eyes as he asked her.

“I don’t trust anyone except for myself,” Luhan told him honestly. “I didn’t mean to offend you, your highness.”

“Shixun,” he told her. “In front of you, I am just your husband. Not the Prince so there isn’t a need to use my formal title.”

“Your highness, it is getting late.” Luhan disregarded what he had said. Even if he could put his position aside, Luhan couldn’t. She needed to be constantly reminded of who she was if not, it won’t be long before she fall into someone else’s scheme. “Do you want to take a bath first or do you want to eat first?”

Pushing her down, there was evident anger in his eyes. “Are you going to disregard everything I said – “

“I lost the ability to trust a long time ago,” she said in a voice so soft that Sehun almost didn’t catch it. It was so heart-breaking to see the resignation in her eyes, to see her being beaten down by life again and again. No one how hard she tried to stand up to life, no one gave her a helping hand. 

“Let my actions prove you wrong then,” Sehun said before bending down to kiss her on her lips. “Luhan, you are my wife now.”

Closing her eyes, Luhan willed the tears back. How long had it been since someone was this gentle with her? Even if Sehun did betray her and make use of her at the end, at least, this moment were real.

That’s enough. 

*an: because of the comments of how the last chapter should be slightly happier. I decided to do this for you guys. well, at least this is happier than the previous chapter? and this is really going to be the last chapter.