Premise: Bluebeard/Beauty and the Beast retelling set in Ancient China.

Genre: Action, Mystery, Historical Fiction, Romance, Suspense/Thriller

Relation to Story: Spinoff to General's Cause, takes place during/after it. Standalone companion/sequel story. Events in this story are affected by the other story, and characters from both stories are featured/play a role in both stories. It covers what happens between the Conqueror's sister and the Oriental Masked King mentioned in the other story as well as other happenings occurring at the same time.

First Chapter Preview:

Up ahead loomed an immense fortress lodged in the mountains; ample men scurried back-and-forth from the palace as they went on their way like it was any other day.

It would have been for her too, but it happened to be her wedding day.

To a man who had ridden ahead of her from the inner palace of the Conqueror's kingdom. Her brother, the Conqueror, had been cajoled by her to offer his own cherished sister as a means of procuring an alliance with the Oriental Masked King.

She could just imagine the grimace on his face now, knowing that his sister was in the hands of a unknown stranger who had never met her before, especially someone of his reputation.

However, if she was to honor her nation, then she must put duty above all and make this work.

Secretly, she wished the rumors circling about her betrothed were not true, but if they were...then she would do everything in her power to survive.

Synopsis:

Long ago in a faraway land, the Conqueror's sister is married off to a nefarious ruler called the Oriental Masked King.

Despite ruling his land with an iron fist, rumors still spread that all of his former concubines were led to a grisly fate. Determined nevertheless to honor her country and make this alliance work, the young Princess Consort soon finds herself struggling to adjust to a new foreign court where the Empress Dowager and the Fourth Prince's concubine, the Royal Concubine, conspire to make her life more miserable than it already is.

One upside to this situation seems to be that the Fourth Prince's caring demeanor along with companionship from the Kooky Princess, the Fourth Prince's sister, and a Palace Lady make her stay in the oriental palace more tolerable at least.

That is...until she catches the eye of a certain Masked King.

Random Dialogue Quotes:

1. "Do you believe what they say about me?"

"What cause have you given me to believe otherwise?"

2. "He's the cool, aloof one with sort-of mysterious vibe attached."

"Yet I still like you."

3. "You will never win. Know when your fight is in vain."

4. "Too bad her looks don't seem to be on the fairer side."

 "Not everyone can have their looks match their personality."