✦ 𝗧𝗔𝗚𝗦: Alternative Universe, Monarchical Society, Affairs, Resentment, Sexual Frustration, Age-Gap, Dubious Consent, Major Character Death(s).
✦ 𝗔𝗗𝗗𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦/𝗜𝗡𝗙𝗢. Explicit Sexual Content. Takes place in Yao Village Dazhai, Guangxi Province in China during the spring of 1915. Not inspired by real historical events. Mark & Jackson will be referred to as their Chinese names.
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
𝗜. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴
It is said that when someone is overcome with unfortunate events, in due time, they will find all of their fears and apprehensions have eventually subsided, leaving them to solemnly acquiesce to their losses and advance through life with graceful resilience.
It is also said that once you spend long enough encapsulated by an all-consuming darkness, the light eventually reaches them. But how long is long enough? Just how much time must one spend suffering to become reacquainted with the joys of life?
It felt like you had spent a lifetime praying and hoping for all that you lost. Days filled with tears and continuous waves of pain and sorrow constantly plagued you, yet you had much too little energy to save yourself.
But as long as you were the beloved Queen of Guangxi Province, you would so remain.
Because when your daily obligations are continuously nibbling at you from every angle, there is seldom enough time to worry about the lacking of your own mental preservation.
Your toes cling to the edge of your slippers as you advance past the front gates and into the three acres of land beyond it. The soil is damp, and the air is humid with the remains of a disastrous storm.
Still, you supposed it was nice to feel the open air graze your skin again.
But the twinkle of joy leaves you just as fast as it comes, and you soon found your face falling into a frown at the sight of dingy flowers and bothersome weeds.
Touching the limp buds and pricks, you realized that they, akin to your own discouraging union, had lost their glow to the harsh winds of the fierce winter months. The once vibrant plethora of colorful plants had become an array of bleak greys and mustards, all unsightly in appearance.
