Crocodile Tears

Crocodile Tears,

Born a curse, she was cast away from the royal family. But when the kingdom needed an alliance, she was the one called upon to marry.

As the second son, he had no right to become heir. Yet in the face of war and politics, he was always the first commanded to fight for the country.

“Whoever is wedded to the princess is destined to become emperor.” Somehow, fate brought them together, and the course of the empire thus changed forever.

She became known as the most shameful seductress, purposefully tempting six emperors in a wild bid to maintain her lavish lifestyle. She once dreamt of becoming the century’s best medic; yet after a lifetime in the palace, she couldn’t save her own children from slaughter.

He turned into the worst tyrant in Chinese history, knowingly sending millions to their graves in a blind attempt to pursue his frivolous dreams. He initially wanted to live a simple life; but under the pressure of power, he instead found himself using all those he loved as mere pawns.

She thought she was fighting against destiny, but it turned out to be the ones she most trusted.

He believed he was the one pulling on the strings, but in reality, he was unknowingly playing his own part in the script.

They were unwilling puppets, each trying to break free from the invisible strings of fate. Only when the stage finally fell, it was to chaos. At the end of it all, she no longer knew if her tears were for him or the irony of it all.

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Excerpt from Chapter 18:

He finally stopped in front of me.

“Can I trust you?”

Subconsciously, something inside me willed me to nod. Perhaps it was the knowledge that I was to be bound to him until death. Or maybe it was the awareness of how this marriage was much more than a simple union between two people.

He moved slowly, waiting for another nod of my approval before closing the gap further.

“You’re a smart one, somehow seeing through most of my guises.” He reached out and gently c.a.r.e.s.sed my cheeks. “True love doesn’t exist in the royal family, but it seems as if we are the perfect match for partnership.”

He leaned in as if to kiss me, instead stopping short at eye level.

“Help me put on my act.”