Prologue

Biting Memories

Wen Meishi had imagined Lotus Pier as a beautiful, sparkling garden with the perfume of flowers so thick her brother would choke on it. And she would tease him, and they would laugh, or more likely, just she would laugh.

The river would be covered in petals so thick no one would be able to see her if she snuck away to swim beneath the waters.

Meishi may have only been twelve, but she had perfected the art of sneaking away for whatever mischief she wasn't supposed to see or do. Perfected it so well that her eldest brother knew every trick to stop her, but she was with her youngest brother now, and her youngest brother didn't really pay attention enough to stop her.

But now, she thought sorrowfully, there were bodies in the streets that had been rumored to be lined with vendors selling trinkets she could steal and give to whomever would be most offended to receive a stolen object.

"Don't look, little Mei," whispered her brother's friend, Wang Lingjiao, as she helped Mei step off the boat she and a troupe of Wen soldiers had taken.

At this, of course Mei peeked at the blood and the bodies. She promptly hated this place.

"They were rebels," JiaoJaio said, noticing Mei's fear. She pointed to a bruise around her slender neck. "They hurt me."

Mei nodded, but inside she wondered, but didn't you hurt them back? Ladies aren't supposed to do that.

Or so her tutors said, when she listened, and she usually did. She just often swung her feet and hummed or drew simultaneously, and apparently people did not think she could do two things at once.

People, Mei thought, were very boring.

"Ha, Father saw fit to send a girl." Wen Chao was her second brother, and he perpetually found his sister annoying as hell.

Now that Mei thought about it, all these years later, he had probably feared she would sneak in on him and JiaoJiao during their naked romps. Unfortunately for him, she already had a month before, and fled immediately to pray.

"He said I could be as strong as you someday," Mei shot back. "That's why he sent me along."

Her brother sneered. "Did he, now. Well, I hope he expects you to care for yourself."

"I'm twelve!" Mei stomped her foot. "I can, and more!"

JiaoJiao giggled. "You're so spunky, Mei."

Had she meant it, Mei wondered now? Or had she merely meant to worm her way into another Wen's good graces? Either way, Mei's twelve-year-old heart had suddenly warmed to her brother's lady.

She was quickly swept towards the palace. A glance at the pillared façade showed flag with the red Wen sun flying above, shining in the real sun.

Mei touched the red sun on her sleeves and felt a stab of pity that the purple lotus wasn't there anymore. She often used to wish she were a Jiang, because their symbol was a flower and Mei liked flowers more than the hot sun, which was yellow and not red anyhow, so what were her ancestors thinking?

She had been slapped for voicing this to her tutors, but she had never meant for disrespect. She just felt certain that flowers were prettier than the sun.

But that night, Mei had eaten fresh peeled lotus seeds with Wen Chao and JiaoJiao and him, Wen Zhuliu, and so her heart warmed to Lotus Pier.

Wen Chao ordered her to bed, and she knew he would send a guard to check on her. So, not wanting to seem improper in front of Wen Zhuliu, she left the room and proceeded to arrange every bit of clothing she had under her blankets to deceive the coming guard.

She slipped out of her room and crept back to the main hall. She heard raucous laughter, and felt a pang of self-pity that she had been sent away before the fun.

She ducked behind a pillar, eager to watch the adults discuss what happened when you sacked a city. Divvying up spoils. Maybe Wen Chao would give some riches to JiaoJiao and they could marry. Mei would like that.

But something very different was about to occur.

There was a young man, she remembered that. He was thin and ragged, dressed in Jiang purple, and his eyes glowed with hate.

She remembered his eyes the most.

He was either Jiang Cheng or his servant Wei Wuxian, the traitors who had started this whole mess. Mei wasn't sure which, but either way, Wen Chao would be happy now, right?

A guard dragged him closer to her brother, who stood with his hand gripping JiaoJiao's ample chest.

She couldn't recall precisely, but Mei had probably experienced a moment of jealousy. Mei wanted to develop a figure like JiaoJiao. Maybe tomorrow she would ask her how.

The purple-clad man was chained around his neck like a dog, and, once shoved by the guard, stumbled and swayed.

Her hero, Wen Zhuliu, the one she dreamt of marrying if he would only just notice her once she came of age, stepped into her vision.

Mei felt JiaoJaio notice her. She smiled slightly, and Meishi only now realized JiaoJiao must have recognized Mei's childlike fantasies.

So JiaoJiao, probably thinking she was helping Mei, distracted Wen Chao.

"On your knees," sniped JiaoJiao, stepping in front of the pillar.

"You're in my house," said the man. He was trying to sound brave, but his voice broke.

Brother's face pinched. "Someone teach him a lesson."

Several guards surrounded the man, and began beating him. He spat out blood, and Mei worried because they didn't stop.

Wen Chao and JiaoJiao were laughing. Mei didn't find it very funny.

Wen Chao walked up and slapped the man, as if he were a woman.

Mei scoffed. She could punch better than her brother.

Brother made a comment about 'weak Jiang blood' before kneeing the man between his thighs.

Mei cringed as the man, almost certainly Jiang Cheng, finally doubled over, and the guards kicked him onto his knees.

"That's better," said Wen Chao. He sounded very proud.

And the young man's eyes burned hotter, and he shouted back.

Mei couldn't remember what he said, but she remembered thinking he sounded very angry for someone on his knees.

Wen Chao clapped his hands. "Apparently the deaths of your Mommy and Daddy weren't enough? Discipline this brat. Teach him the power of the Wen Clan."

A guard stepped forward, and Mei heard the crack of a discipline whip.

She'd snuck into the armory to touch one, once. She'd been curious what Father's favorite punishment for rebels actually entailed.

It was sprinkled with sharp metal, and too heavy for Mei to lift. That annoyed Mei, so she'd come back month after month and trained until she could lift it.

But now she actually saw it used. It slashed across Jiang Cheng's chest, and he failed to stifle a shout of pain.

He was now very bloody, and his clothes were torn. Mei hoped Wen Chao wouldn't make the guard hit Jiang Cheng again.

"Broken already? Just like your parents." Wen Chao loomed over his prisoner.

Jiang Cheng had pressed his hands against the floor. He looked like a wounded animal, shaking before her brother.

"My only regret is not having fun with your pretty mother," Wen Chao spat, and at that, Jiang Cheng leapt to his feet and swung at Wen Chao.

He missed. Probably too weak from the beating.

Wen Chao laughed again. And JiaoJiao winked at Mei, of all people, and whispered something in Brother's ear.

And then Wen Chao gave the order, the order Mei had always desired to see. Core melting.

Jiang Cheng stared in shock. His eyes – they changed.

All his hate had suddenly turned inward.

A chill rain down Mei's spine, from fear and also from excitement. Wen Zhiliu's hand glowed red.

She wanted to be so talented. Maybe someday she could be.

The young man tried in vain to lunge back. He fell onto his back and tried to drag himself away.

"Please."

Mei's stomach turned.

Her brother and JiaoJiao laughed loudly, but they couldn't cover up his sobs and screams. His scream was shrill, like the scream of the grey kitten Wen Chao had tortured in front of Mei last month, until Mei kicked him between his legs and hid it in her room until it was healthy again.

Three – or was it four – guards had locked the Jiang Cheng in position.

To Mei's shock, fat tears rolled down the Jiang man's cheeks.

She felt cold as he thrashed about. She was in awe of Wen Zhuliu, but she also felt sad for the Jiang man. He looked helpless as he collapsed with a ragged sob.

Was that it? Mei hoped so. She suddenly felt very scared.

"Not so brave now, are you?" Wen Chao kicked the man, and like ravenous dogs, the rest of the guards joined in, mocking and spitting on the coreless Jiang son. He had curled up in a ball, no longer resisting their attacks.

"Take him away. A shed should hold his useless husk after that." Those weren't Wen Chao's exact words, but they were close enough. And JiaoJiao laughed, and Mei didn't find it very funny.

He looked like the cat, whimpering as they dragged him away. His eyes met hers, but he was too disoriented to understand that an unruly child had spied on them.

His eyes were dead, and Mei wished she could drug him unconscious like she had the kitten.

She didn't remember returning to her room. She did remember crying about it to Wen Xu a few weeks hence, when she'd returned to the Nightless City. His hand patted her shoulder. Wen Xu said he would speak to Wen Chao about propriety, and tried to explain what propriety meant, and Mei told him she already knew. He gave her candy 'for being so smart,' and said that he'd think of his little sister on the battlefield.

And a week later, news came that Wen Xu's head was removed at Heijan and paraded about. And Mei was suddenly so angry she screamed like the Jiang man, and she was glad he had had his core melted and glad he had suffered and she hoped they all did!

Two months later, she had finally had her questions answered by Wen Zhuliu, but he died very soon after her first lessons, murdered alongside Wen Chao and JiaoJiao by the monstrous Yiling Patriarch.

And now, all these years later, the Yiling Patriach was no longer a pariah, the Jiangs were back in Lotus Pier, and the Wens no longer existed.

Everyone knew Wen Meishi as Tao Meishi, supposed daughter of a modest clan who'd been sympathetic enough to hide a fleeing child with nothing left but her name.

Today, should she have the strength to pry herself out of bed after a late night hunt, she was about to meet her future husband.

Jiang Cheng himself.