Chapter 58: Royal Descent
The decree was read at the palace gates, where the village woke in fragments of sound and movement.
Merchants were already laying out their wares, the soft chatter of the market place already carrying without restraint.
A royal herald stone on the wooden platform that had been constructed just hours before. He unfurled the scroll in his hand, his voice cutting cleanly through the morning air.
"By order of His Majesty—"
Everyone stopped, ears perking up as they listened. All of them were curious, it’d been a long time since they’d been addressed by the Emperor.
"The former daughters of the imperial line, having committed acts of treason against the throne—namely the falsification of imperial authority and the disruption of the court. They are hereby stripped of all titles and standing."
A ripple spread through the crowd.
First, there was confusion followed briefly by disbelief.
"All three of them are to be exiled beyond the borders of the kingdom, effective immediately."
Silence followed.
It wasn’t loud but it was heavy. People looked at one another, searching for uncertainty in unfamiliar faces.
"Who?"
"Does he mean the Wolves of Eastern palace?"
"There’s no way. The triplets?"
"Certainly, it cannot be them."
But there was no denial. Only the herald’s final words:
"Let this stand as a warning. Loyalty is rewarded but betrayal shall not be tolerated."
The scroll was rolled shut. And just like that the truth became whatever the throne declared it to be.
-
-
They were not given time to pack or allowed to take anything with them. There was no farewell, no preparations.
By the time the sun had risen fully, the palace gates were already open. The three of them stood at the threshold.
Bare.
Not truly, but enough.
Plain robes that were undyed and unadorned hung loosely from their shoulders. The fabric was coarse, unfamiliar against their smooth skin that had only known silk since birth.
There was no embroidery marked on it. No color that showed nobility.
That was the whole point.
Shen Lieyin’s hands trembled at her sides, fingers curling into the rough cloth as though she could anchor herself with it. Her frame was rigid, every line of her body tight with restraint.
Qingyue was still. Hadn’t spoken a word since they were declared guilty of treason in the courtroom.
It was only Yexue that let her emotions show on her face. Her head hung low on her shoulders, lips quivering like she was on the verge of tears.
Her eyes drifted through the crowd in front of them, the confusion they must feel. It wasn’t until she saw a familiar face that she paused.
Ru Yi.
They hadn’t seen each other since the trial.
Guards surrounded the triplets. They did not bow or show their respect like they usually would.
"Move," one of them said. His voice was not unkind, but there was no respect in it either. That, more than anything, made the difference clear.
The three of them stepped forward. Together.
Once they stepped through the gates, the entire world changed. The air felt different even though they’d lived there their whole lives. It felt like they were seeing it through a different lens.
The crowd had already begun to gather—drawn by the rumor, by curiosity, and the quiet pull of spectacle.
No one could’ve predicted this, but also they knew it was only a matter of time before the princesses got themselves into real trouble.
They parted as the three emerged. It wasn’t out of reverence, but to see them clearly.
Yexue’s eyes remained on Ru Yi until she blinked and the girl with dark hair was gone. Her lower lip twitched.
"Is that really the wolves?"
"They seem so ordinary now."
"It looks like they’ve been finally knocked down from their high horse."
The three of them looked different. Less human. The whispers from the crowd following them like shadows.
Yexue lowered her head instinctively, grateful when Qingyue reached out and took her hand. Silently reassuring her that they would get through this together.
It was Lieyin that met every gaze, sharp and unyielding, daring anyone to say the word aloud. Some did.
"Traitors."
The word landed soft but cut all the same.
Another voice followed, but quieter. "They were princesses..."
"Not anymore!"
Qingyue walked between them. Her steps were unhurried, unaffected, at least on the surface. She refused to show or accept defeat.
But her eyes moved, taking in everything. Everyone.
This was only temporary. Everyone knew that the throne, this kingdom, was truly hers. This was only a minor setback.
An official met them just before they crossed over to the village. He was holding a small wooden tray.
On it were three folded bundles.
"Provisions," he said with his eyes lowered. He couldn’t dare to look them in the face. "As permitted by His Majesty."
Yexue stepped forward, her movements hesitant. She unfolded one.
There was bread, dried meat and a small flask of water. It was just enough to survive for the day.
Lieyin let out a quiet, humorless breath. "How generous of the Emperor."
Qingyue took hers without a comment.
The official hesitated for a moment, like he had something else to say. Only to bow and step away before he could make up his mind.
There were no final words. Only the road ahead, stretching wide and indifferent beyond the palace gates.
It was Shen Yexue that glanced back even though she shouldn’t have.
The palace stood tall behind them, untouched, unmoved—its walls gleaming beneath the morning sun as though nothing within it had shifted.
Her chest tightened.
It was Qingyue that noticed. "Don’t cry," she said in a firm voice. "The moment you accept defeat in your mind it becomes your reality."
Then in a much softer voice she said, "Don’t be afraid, I’ll bring us all back and make them pay for what they did to us. All I want you to do is have faith in me. Now let’s go."
And so they did.
Three figures in plain robes, stripped of their name, their title, of the only place they’d ever called their home.
They were stepping into a world that did not know them, and no longer had a reason to care.
Behind them the aes began to close, slow and deliberate. Until the sound echoed, loud and final, through the space where they had once belonged.
Yet, the only thing that truly plagued Yexue’s mind was why Ru Yi hadn’t bothered to say goodbye.
