Elder Sister

When my little brother was born, our mother died from complications of childbirth. The times were hard, and Lin Chuanying could only hold him while hurriedly fleeing the pursuit of rebel soldiers.

He was wrapped in swaddling clothes, neither crying nor fussing, his dark eyes fixed straight on Lin Chuanying.

It was the nineteenth year of Chengping. The old dynasty fell, and a new one rose.

Their father ascended the throne and became the supreme ruler of the land. Lin Chuanying and her little brother were found and brought back to the palace. By then, the imperial harem had three thousand consorts, and a new empress had already been installed.

Over the following years, princes continued to be born. Their father had long since forgotten the deep affection he'd once shared with his first wife, and forgotten the two children he'd had before becoming emperor.

Thus, the children of the former empress became targets for everyone.

The deep palace was full of intrigue and hidden undercurrents. So many days and nights were fraught with danger.

Yet the clearest image in Lin Funan's memory wasn't any of those upheavals. It was his slender older sister, walking toward him with an umbrella on a cold, rainy night.

A slender waist, narrow shoulders, pale lips, cool eyes.

Pale yellow bodhi leaves blanketed the ground behind her, their faintly bitter scent spreading through the air.

She had crossed blades and trudged through the mud for years, calmly and composedly making a place of safety for them both in this palace of lies and deceit.

Later, as the palace's power dynamics shifted in an instant, Lin Chuanying wanted to marry a man born into a noble family.

The young man leaned against the wall and smiled at Lin Chuanying with an air of guileless innocence. "Wouldn't it be better if you married me, Sister?"

Lin Chuanying didn't argue with him about ethics or propriety. She patted Lin Funan's cheek, her expression gentle. "You think you're worthy?"

Beneath the green shade of the trees, the young man obediently bent down, letting his older sister lay her hand on his face.

With his cold, shadowed eyes and ghostly pale skin, this prince, who struck fear into everyone's hearts, was as docile beneath his sister's hand as a dog bound by a leash. He rubbed his face against the hand resting on it, his eyes narrowing with satisfaction.

Notes:

1. The excerpt explores possessiveness within a sibling relationship. Romantic feelings only develop after their true identities are revealed.

2. There will be palace intrigue.

3. Two crazed characters. Their personalities are as described in the blurb, though I haven't figured out how to put it into words yet.

Theme: Relationships between people need sincerity to endure