The news

*Chapter in female lead's POV*

"Ms. Su!" a voice woke me up from my sleep. I blinked several times before adjusting to the light. "Ms. Su wake up!"

I got up from my bed and sat up against the headboard, "What do you want Xue?" I asked as I placed my feet on the marble floors.

"Master is demanding your presence," she declared sitting besides me.

"I'll be fine Xue," I assured her "let me get ready I'll be there in a moment. Let uncle know I'm on my way."

"I'll be on my way then." Xue said dropping all formality from her voice.

"You worry too much Xue Xue," I ruffled her hair, pushing her out of my room. I walked over to the bathroom and found that the bath was already prepared. Quickly rinsing my body with hibiscus scented soap, I wore a white dress that ended on my calves with a red cotton jersey.

Walking down the stairs, I could hear the voices of my uncle and aunt, arguing in faint whispers. Once I reached the bottom, I tip toed towards Uncle Zhen's study, my back sliding down the wall and my ear pressed to it.

"I will not agree to this!" aunt Wang hissed.

"We have no choice..." uncle Zhen said, " She will not go against us and we can use her to--"

"How do you know he will choose her?" she cut him off, "Out of all the girls in the kingdom, why her? I do not want to waste anything on that whore's daughter!"

"Because..." Uncle Zhen drawled seemingly hesitant.

"Because of what Tianming!"

"She has the mark!" he shouted, and then started making aunt Wang to relax and keep quiet.

•••

Su Wan sat against the wall as if she was stuck to it as she calmed her breathing trying to figure out what was going on. She rubbed her stomach on the spot where her mark was located, an inky tattoo was etched to her skin like an old memory. Every year, the mark would change, it seemed to be ageing but the color seemed to be tainted. A once pure white mark was tainted with black as she grew older, now it was as dark as the midnight sky.

The face on her abdomen worried her, who was this man tattooed to her skin, she had watched him age but now, the face had remained the same. What confused her was the connection between her mark and everything that her Uncle was talking about.

Standing up, she brought her fist to the door and knocked on the door. From the other end, uncle Zhen let out a stiff "Come in,"

After a moment Su Wang entered the room, standing by the door after she closed it. Aunty Wang was collapsed in one of the armchairs as she gulped down wine from her glass.

"Su Wang," Her uncle called "Sit."

Like an obedient dog, Sure Wang walked over and sat from across her uncle and aunt.

"I have called you here to discuss something important," he started and Su Wang nodded slowly trying to fathom the situation and link all the dots. "Tommorow a grand ball is being held at the palace and the prince will be there to choose a wife for himself, a queen."

"And you want me to go," Su Wang laughed, this was very different from what her uncle had told her from a young age.

'You're worthless' he would say.

'No man could ever want you!'

He would beat her up and say, 'All these scars are a contribution to that ugly mark you have you pig!'

"Yes," he answered without a doubt, "We want you to become the next queen and you are going to be just that, if you will not be successful, no one will be able to save you from our wrath. And you know what happens when you disobey."

"What are you planning!" she asked dumbfounded.

'Stupid little bitch,' Aunt Wang would say every time she whipped her with a leather strap. 'You are just like your mother, a whore!'

"We will discuss that once you complete your task." minister Zhen said leaving no room for argument, "Now go to your room to prepare, tommorow is a big day."

Su Wang nodded stiffly running to her room, she payed on the cold wooden floor of the library above her uncle's office and placed her ear on the small hole she drilled only to eavesdrop. She had discovered a lot of her uncle's secrets this way.

"What are you planning?" she could hear her aunt's muffled voice.

"To take over the kingdom." he said, "That pig Su Wang is just a pawn in my arms, a brush I'm using to paint the bigger picture."

"What about minister Li?" aunt Wang asked worriedly, "Isn't this the same as double crossing him?"

"No, I'm simply just putting out my niece as a Candi for the next queen, the prince clearly said all unwed, unbetrothed and unengaged young women could attend, anyone can get chosen."

"But the mark?" Aunt Wang asked.

"It's just my good luck charm." Uncle Zhen simply said. Su Wang got up from the floor as the rest of the conversation proved to be useless. Over the years she had read books to clearly understand her mark but all the books in their library were useless to her, the all repeated what was talked about in the previous books just in a different format. She took the courtesy to read all the books on magic in the entire library. Unfortunately she could not get her hands on the scrolls as they were locked away in uncle Zhen's study.

Sighing in defeat, Su Wang went back to her room to prepare herself for the ball taking place the following day.