Prologue

For 5 years prior, when I was curled up on the chaise longue in our library, reading, when a knock sounded. Su Qina head rested in my lap and she didn't even stir when the dark wooden door opened and our mother stepped in, her dark hair pulled back tightly and fasted in a bun at the back of her head with phoenix hairpin as her lady Su symbol.

My mother was pale, her face drawn with worry.

"Did something happen, Mother?" I asked.

She smiled, but I knew that was her fake smile.

"Shen Mi. Your father wants to talk to you in his office."

I carefully moved out from under Su Qina, the 2nd daughter of the Su head and put it down on the chaise. She drew her legs up against her body. She was small for an 13 year old, but I wasn't exactly tall either with five foot four.

None of the lady in our family were.

My mother avoided my eyes as I walked toward her.

"Am I in trouble?" I didn't know what I could have done wrong.

Usually Su Qina and I were the obedient ones as the sister, but Su Qinli was the one who always broke the rules and got punished because her mischievous one. She was the 3rd daughter and the youngest. So I'm the oldest daughter of the Su.

"Hurry. Don't let your Father wait," Mother said simply.

My stomach was in knots when I arrived in front of my Father's office. After a moment to stifle my nerves, I knocked.

"Come in."

I entered, forcing my face to be carefully guarded. My Father sat behind his mahogany desk in a wide black leather armchair and behind him rose the mahogany shelves filled with books that Father had never read, but they hide a secret entrance to the basement and a corridor leading off the premises.

He looked up from a pile of sheets, grey hair slicked back.

"Sit."

I sank down on one of the chairs across from his desk and folded my hands in my lap, trying not to gnaw on my lower lip because Father hated that.

As I waited for him to start talking. He had a strange expression on his face as he scrutinized me.

"The Mo clans and the Fo clan are trying to claim our territories. They are getting bolder by the day. But we're luckier than the Fu (White) Clans who also has to deal with the Fo Clans but we can't ignore the threat from the Armstrong and the Mongo Tribe poise any longer."

A confusion filled me as our Father never talked about business to me. As the lady in our family empire who didn't need to know about the finer details of the Su business. But I knew better than to interrupt him.

"We have to lay our feud with the Armstrong to rest and combine forces if we want to fight back the Mo Clans and the Fo Clans."

Father means a peace with the Fu Clans?

As I know that Father and every other member of the Su hated the Fu. As they had been killing each other for 2000 Year and only recently decided on ignoring each other in favour of killing off the members of other crime organizations, like the Mo clans and the Fo clans.

"There is no stronger bond than blood. At least the Fu got that right."

I frowned.

"Born in blood. Sworn in blood. That's their motto." Father said.

I nodded but my confusion only grew.

"I met with Black headmaster yesterday."

Father met with the Fu Wang the head of the Fu (Black Clans)?

A meeting between the headmaster of Su (White Clans) and Fu (Black Clans) hadn't taken place in for 2000 years after the feud started between them and the last time hadn't ended well as I learn in Su History book.

That was still referred to as the Bloody year for us in history.

"We agreed that for peace to be an option we had to become family."

Father's eyes bored into me and suddenly I feel like didn't want to hear what he going to say next.

"Fu Wang and I agreed that you would marry his oldest son Fu Shuo, for the new future Reunite of the Su (White Clans) and the Fu (Black Clans)."

My world collapse as I felt like I was falling from the Everest Mountain.

"Why me?"

"As Father and Fu Wang have been talking on the phone several times in the last few weeks, but adamant that he wanted the most beautiful girl for his eldest son. Of course, we couldn't give him the daughter of one of our men's. As your Uncle Su Yue doesn't have daughters, so he said that you were the most beautiful and the eldest daughter of the Su."

"There are so many beautiful girls in the Su right," I choked.

I couldn't breathe.

Father looked at me as if I was his most prized possession.

"You are our door into the eldest, Shen Mi. Both your sister were still younger," Father guffawed.

"But, Father, I'm only 16 years old who still attending high school, so I can't marry yet right?"

Father made a dismissive gesture.

"Shen Mi. You are the eldest daughter and you held a great duty since you were born into the Su. This is unavoidable for the Su peace and future, daughter."

My father said in his strict tone.

Thus I gripped the armrests so tightly, my knuckles were turning white, but I didn't feel pain. Numbness was working its way through my body.

"But I've told the Fu that the wedding would have to wait until you turn 18 year old, Shen Mi. Your mother was adamant you be of age and finish the high school, at least."

So my mother had told my father the wedding had to wait.