The court of Tiān Míng is a garden in winter.  
Beautiful. Carefully pruned. And every root beneath the soil is strangling another.

The cherry blossoms.  
A scholar. Ink on his hands and a vow in his chest.  
Raised to serve an empire with law and memorials.  
He did not know the empire had blood on his name.

The willow.
A girl the palace calls frail. The streets know another face. The war knows another still.  
She bends. She hides. And when the wind turns cold, she does not break.

Parallel paths crossed and the forest flourished.

Winter learned the shape of spring. 

When the throne goes quiet and the borders bleed, secrets rise like frost.  
A daughter who does not belong.  
A scholar whose name was never his to carry.  
A demand delivered on silk and steel: return what is ours.  
A choice that will cost an empire, or a life.

Now the board is set.  
A scholar with nothing but strategy.  
A princess with three names and a blade she cannot remember.  
And in the shadows, a prince who moves for them both.

To save the empire, one must betray it.  
To save her, one must damn it.  
And in a kingdom where love is treason,  
the softest petal and the most pliant branch 
may be the only things sharp enough to survive.

Some loves grow in enemy soil. Some truths drown in blood.

Apologies. As this is my first time writing an intricate story on something I haven't tried before. This story is purely frictional and partly historical. Set in China.


I am immensely grateful to hear meaningful critics, ideas and thoughts during this journey. Please don't shy away from correcting me in places that might be overstepped, overlooked or underwritten as I am still learning.


Those native to place, your advice are welcome.


Though, I researched but that's barely enough. The last thing I want to do is create a story that falls short. And I love Chinese literature.


Author's message.