《CONCUBINE》


 Vol 1. Prologue.

    The rattling of a carriage, musty suffocating stench of sweaty, muddy and sand covered skin side by side, lips sucked in by the drought forced upon them. Their sun-faded clothes were ripped from the seams and unwashed as many days as they had been without water themselves. Their heavy, already emotionless silence in contrast with the loud cackling lively conversations by those outside, steering the horses, acting as if they weren''t delivering gifted fresh meat for the Emperor to do as he pleased.


    Amongst them a nameless young woman with long, black straight hair typical for those born in Ming, falling down leaving gaps for the eyes with her head leaning against the wooden wall of the carriage, those light blue lifeless eyes fixated on the bright full moon above. Oh how she wondered, if she dared, to pray from the Moon Goddess for her quick end once they reached their destination¡ª Spare me by taking my life, i beg of you.


    Let me rest.


    The two Emperors tried, they truly did, to stay civil as much as humanly possible. Keeping the peace between two blood hungry nations wasn¡¯t easy. Even the smallest act of kindness came with a not-so-hidden stab of an insult one way or another. This time, Emperor Ming of the Eastern Empire had sent a token of appreciation as it was their custom to exchange gifts each beginning of a new year. This years git being labor. People to do all the hard work no one else wanted. But in all honesty, he sent away those without a home. Those on the side of the markets like a sore thumb ruining the perfect illusion of a well off nation. Beggars. Orphans. Abandoned. Emperor Moon of The Western Empire might¡¯ve mistaken the act as generous¡ªbut eventually he¡¯d have to realize just how wrong he had been.


    All the woman could see of the large town were the beautiful arching tips and edges of the roofs and the walls of the palace higher far behind. They were taken inside the sacred walls only those carefully selected could walk through, heavily guarded, and straight beneath the ground in a hellish prison dungeon with no holes for windows nor lights seeping through. Only cold walls build by stone and endless cages with heavy locks.


    She knew, surely, once Emperor Moon would step inside the prison and look their way for the shortest second if even that, he¡¯d realize how Emperor Ming had made him into a fool¡ªa way to dispose those unwanted, sickly frail souls barely holding on. And get rid of them once and for all. Make them into his secret enemy¡¯s problem instead.


    In the corner of the dungeon, on the cold stone floor filled with dust, sand and what other filth, she hugged her knees close to chest trying to adjust into the terrible switch in temperature. She avoided looking around and those miserable faces. And everyone else did the very same. An old man with grey sparse hair due to malnourishment and many deep wrinkles over worn-out skin, all those years under unprotected sunlight, began to cough uncontrollably.


    They¡¯ll burn our bodies she thought. A cold, mundane thought passed through as if it was the thought of what to have for dinner. If only. All she had to eat were a bowl of half eaten rise every other day¡ªor so she had calculated.


    She had no idea of how many mornings had come, how many nights had passed, while men did come and go only to gather those diseased. A day in darkness beneath the ground felt like a week, she knew, estimating at least a couple of months had gone by¡ª when suddenly a set of different footsteps could be heard approaching through the corridor, hidden from the sight. Dark dribbles of water hit the ground through the ceiling in the same pace, until three men stepped into the dim light of merely two flickering flames. She felt unbothered at first, hiding her face beneath the greasy long black hair, but ultimately the curiosity barely took its win and she turned the gaze up from her bare feet.


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    The men were wearing the traditional long robes with wide sleeves, the color hard to make notes of in the darkness. Two of the men wore long robes tied by a string on the side of the waist, shaped like a box by style, their hair tied up on tight buns with a scarf around the forehead signaling their status as palace employees. The man in the middle, however, had his long brown hair falling down silky, his long smooth robe tied more fitted with a wide belt around the waist. Men and women both grew their hair long, hair symbolizing status, but only those high enough on the pedestal were allowed to leave their hair falling down freely combed¡ªEmperor, for example being one of them.


    But this one was too young to be an Emperor, although she had never seen The Emperor of The West before. Of course, as it seemed, the ruler of a nation would not bring himself to a place like this, nor would he be as kind as to choose their fate personally. He must''ve known then¡ª of Emperor Ming''s mockery.


    ¡¯¡¯She must be the one.¡¯¡¯ The noble man kept his hands crossed and hidden inside the sleeves of his robe, an equally long detailed jacket resting on his shoulders, ¡¯¡¯Everyone else is either a child or elderly.¡¯¡¯


    ¡¯¡¯Yes, yes¡ªSecond Prince. Of course. Your eyes are as acute as ever.¡¯¡¯ One of the male employees basked, ¡¯¡¯Many of them died by now, too weak, but she was the only woman thrown¡ªno¡ªgifted to The Emperor.¡± He spoke gently and bowed down slightly as long as he spoke.


    ¡¯¡¯I see.¡¯¡¯ She couldn''t read the expression on The Second Prince''s face. Was it disgust? Disappointment? Whatever she was needed for, she only wished they''d get on with it quick so there would be an end to it sooner, ¡¯¡¯Well, we cannot discard Emperor Ming¡¯s well intended intentions, can we now. We shouldn¡¯t be rude.¡¯¡¯ The Second Prince sighed as the two men bowed deeply and began to fiddled with the large keys for the lock, the clattering against each other in the larger hoop of metal far too familiar to her by now. They opened the dungeon door and came straight to her, hissing at those who remained not to more or else, tucked underneath her bony armpits on each side and began to drag her out. While the other man began to hastily close the dungeon door, a precaution as if those tired worn-out limps of the prisoners could carry enough to run let alone get up on their own.


    As the man was about to finish locking the dungeon, twisting the key inside with a loud clank, her legs began to lose the last sense left to them, feeling the dark chilly walls beginning to spin she began to fall forward, the palace employee holding on to her too slow to react she surely expected to clash with the floor, but instead, she felt a strong arm reach beneath her, wrapping around her sides.


    ¡¯¡¯Oh dear¡ª Second Prince!¡¯¡¯ The palace employee shrieked in horror as the color on his skin disappeared into oblivion, ¡¯¡¯You wicked¡ª¡¯¡¯ He was about to scold and yank the woman back and off their Prince, everyone knew touching a Royal family member was strictly forbidden and led to a conviction worse than death¡ª although her thoughts were as calm as ever. If it wasn''t her time to go in the dungeon like many of those she had arrived with, at least she got to step outside the small space before succumbing to her death.


    However, she found herself supported instead of being yanked away. A small, gentle tug ensuring she wouldn¡¯t fall. She smelled a scent of possibly the finest perfume carefully crafted. A fragrance of forest after refreshing rain in midsummer. And as she opened her tired eyes, facing the ceiling with her hair falling all the way down on the floor and its filth, her cold icy blue gaze met with a set of warmth. Soothing dark brown eyes both wide and narrow.


    The Second Prince''s eyelashes flickered as soon as his iris''s landed on her own. Her smooth skin underneath the dirt. The beautiful shape of her chapped lips. He wondered how they''d look with a smile¡ª and like an arrow pointed towards his chest as a warning, he snapped out of it.


    For she is not for me.


    ©¤?~???~?©¤

 Vol 1. Ch 1.

    In The Eastern Empire she lived her days constantly letting go of yesterday, receiving nothing from the present, and laying her arms open for tomorrow. She had no fond memories of her past, nothing that belonged solely to her¡ªnot even her own name. The earliest memory she had as a small child was the lifeless body of an elderly man in an old, nearly falling apart house which most likely was her childhood home. Or so she liked to imagine in those childish fantasies, the mind her only escape from reality until too far gone to even dream. She liked to try and remember what the walls looked like, if there were a low table in the middle of the room filled with supper, enjoyed together with a large bubbly family. Did she have a bed? Was she ever hugged and cared for through the darkened nights? No matter how much the nameless woman tried when growing up, no memories would surface from those efforts. Non other than the pitiless reality. Although she did remember the men from the village coming to take the body away, how she sat beside it almost knowing they¡¯d come¡ªand from then on she became truly alone.


    Learning to survive in the streets was a task which never eased. Perhaps that is exactly what gave her enough strength to pull through each rising sun. That day, when the carriage was being loaded with people loitering by the sides of the streets at the market, she had finally become too weakened to go on. One¡¯s mind is a powerful force. You can keep running without rest in true desperation, or feel the knees give in if stripped away of the will to live. And the body will listen. She had grown exhausted by the relentless obstacles which needed to be crossed in order to reach the beautiful hue of orange and pink and yellow after nightfall. A halo through the roofs of the houses build closely side by side. Her only remedy. Those without a home camped in the cramped thin alleyways, avoiding getting in trouble for resting in the way of others¡ªor coming across someone with rather ill intentions. It was better to stay in the shadows. At least that way those terrible enough would have to go through the trouble of a game of hide and seek first.


    That day, once she had decided to lean against the wall in her own dark alleyway hidden and given the privacy to finally let go, two men in fine deep wine red robes tied with a belt which held the distinctive weapons of golden swords, twirling details of fiery dragons carved through the black sword sheaths, stepped in front of her as if manifested from thin air. They looked down at her. And finally spoke.


    ¡¯¡¯She looks perfect for the task, don¡¯t you think?¡¯¡¯ One said. She wasn¡¯t sure of his demeanor, given her slumped shoulders and neck which could barely lift the head up.


    ¡¯¡¯Too bad, what a waste.¡¯¡¯ The other one answered with a slight sneer almost malicious, ¡¯¡¯Now now, do not go unconscious on us. You are needed, after all.¡¯¡¯


    Needed, me? She had wondered. Those words had never been directed towards her, and almost unwillingly, those very same simple letters combined gave the boost needed to keep the heart bounding. A silly little thing inside her chest. She told herself that she did not care. They could take her to a brothel and she''d deliberately do such a terrible job her client would end her with their very own hands. She could be taken to the seamstress to stomp on linen in a burning hot bowls of water from dawn till dusk nonstop. No one knew what would happen once The Emperors soldiers took those poor souls off the streets, no one ever came back to tell the end of the story. Whether this or that¡ªa known fact was that those people were never seen again.


    ¡¯¡¯How shameless! Outrageous! How shall we punish her, Your Highness?¡¯¡¯ The fuming palace employees voice echoed through the dark grey walls enough to startle The Prince himself, forcing him to break the eye contact with the woman still supported by his firm arm.


    ¡¯¡¯Torture?!¡¯¡¯ The other man added.


    Moon Kian, the second born son of Emperor Moon, instead of dropping her down and kicking her filthy back in disgust as many nobles would if touched by those worse than dirty commoners, helped her on her own two feet and did not let go of the slim arms until made sure she found a steady balance. How he dared to touch her with his bare hands beyond incomprehensible, ¡¯¡¯Shameless? Torture? Excessive don''t you think.¡¯¡¯ He smiled down towards her, the woman taken aback by it for why on earth would he offer such useless kindness, ¡¯¡¯Yes, she is the one. Take her by the washroom and ask them to dress her. She should not kneel in front of His Majesty The Emperor looking like this.¡¯¡¯


    ¡¯¡¯Certainly, Your Highness.¡¯¡¯ The two employees answered and bowed both in perfect rehearsed unison. Most certainly a result of relentless training. They trapped her arms yet again in a tight hold on both sides and began to drag her away, the numb bare feet not keeping up and dragging behind.


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    After a while of the feet dragging on the harsh surface of the bumpy rocky floors, hitting the one hundred stairs going up, the nameless woman could feel the bruises and wounds forming after each collide. Truly, the two men weren¡¯t very pleasant. They kept spitting out vulgar insults after another as if her mere existence was an inconvenience to them.


    ¡¯¡¯Well?¡¯¡¯ The other man yanked her harder not even earning a small squeal out of her, ¡¯¡¯What do you have to say for yourself?¡¯¡¯ His tone worse than milk left sitting under the sun for days on end.


    ¡¯¡¯Ying, i do not think she can hear us.¡¯¡¯ The other man raised his upper lip with a puckered forehead, ¡¯¡¯She might not even be able to speak. Let¡¯s check if she has her tongue still intact. Maybe she used to be a convicted slave, we never know.¡¯¡¯


    ¡¯¡¯That is true, well thought my friend. We shouldn¡¯t trust anyone sent from The Eastern Empire, right? She could be a spy, even.¡¯¡¯ The men stopped and let go resulting into her falling on her knees while the two men crouched down beside her. One took a hold of her slim jaw with an unnecessary force, while the other pinched her nose and forced the mouth open, ripping the already chapped lips which began to bleed from the driest parts.


    ¡¯¡¯Huh, a tongue still intact. So not a convicted criminal it seems.¡¯¡¯ The man sounded almost disappointed not getting his desired drama.


    The other palace employee clicked his tongue, bored of what she had to offer, and out of nowhere leaned closer to scream inside her ear so loud it created a ringing tinnitus through and inside the other ear as well. However, not much of a response came from that either.


    ¡¯¡¯So, looks like she cannot hear.¡¯¡¯ The man shrugged with his voice now sacrificed hoarse for the sake of the experiment, ¡¯¡¯Well, might be for the best. A woman who cannot hear is a woman who will not speak.¡¯¡¯


    Their sardonic laughter carried through the sheltered space.


    The echo of it worse than any scream possible.


    Repulsive.


    After she had been dropped by the women¡¯s washroom, shoved through the sliding doors in a steamy chamber intended for those working lower class mundane jobs such as cleaning and kitchen duty. Three women scrubbed her fragile naked body clean with harsh cloths nearly breaking the skin from the friction with lukewarm water running cold, added loads of cheap powders in the scalp of her head to get rid of the grease and smell as there would be no time to wash such thick and long hair and let it dry, already running late. Another female employee gathered a basic outfit which each of them wore, a light grey robe with thinner sleeves so they could be rolled up when needed, and a creamy light underdress that peeked from beneath the robe. After washing her body from all the dirt in a round deep barrel, they helped her get dressed as if playing with a doll, tied the string of the wrapped robe on the side of her waist and combed her hair ready to be made into a long braid and then twisted into a neat large round bun at the back of her neck, held up by a cheap undecorated wooden hair stick pushed through. But the most distracting matter out of anything done in that moment of haste, were the shoes which slipped on effortlessly. She hadn¡¯t wore a pair in ages, and did not even know if she could walk in them. Luckily, they did not have a heel and the bottom was thin, thus they did not feel much different from a bare feet if the uncomfortable tight feeling around the toes did not count.


    Not given a time to do as much as breath, the nameless woman was once again rushed and dragged along like a children¡¯s rag doll. Through the corridors with thin sliding doors decorated with faint painted mountains, forests and mythical creatures on her left and wide ceiling high open windows on her right¡ªshe got a glimpse of one of the inner yard of the palace, a beautiful stream running through and a round arching wooden bridge in the middle.


    Whilst her mind had been distracted by the fleeting ever before seen beauty, the rushing came to an end and only then did she notice the tall dark double doors with round metal rings as handles. One of the women knocked the handle too large in her hand twice, the hard sound against the door rumbling through. With that, the door opened while the women straightened their postures and positioned themselves standing behind her. Letting her take the front of the stage. And as the doors were slowly pulled aside due to their heavy weight, a wide well lit hall opened in front of them. Many deep and vivid colors of deep blue, gold, silver and blood red showing the royal wealth and pillars carved into magnificent water dragons rising up as if climbing towards the ceiling. Men in their respective uniforms as advisers and counsellors kneeling on each side of a path left in the middle. And by the end of it, a throne sitting higher than anyone else. And a man with dark brown beard with strands of grey and long smooth hair brushed behind his ears sat relaxed, many layers of loose thin robes falling off his shoulders, one knee high up and an arm resting on top of it.


    Bored.


    Stepping in front of The Emperor of The Western Empire did not make her feel a single thing, nor did kneeling down whilst everyone had their eyes piercing through every inch of her body hardly made her nervous.


    She only wanted to hear the verdict.


    After all, a dead woman walking should not waste time on foolish unnecessary emotions.


    ©¤?~???~?©¤

 Vol 1. Ch 2.

    ¡¯¡¯Go on. Enlighten me.¡¯¡¯ Emperor Moon broke the heavy looming silence since no one else should. He remained at ease on the high silver throne, leaning two fingers against the temple on the side of his forehead. Staring down at the pitiful her kneeling on the floor with not much of an expression on his old features, their eyes not meeting.


    ¡¯¡¯The Second Prince, Your Majesty.¡¯¡¯ One of the members from the highest counseling answered, ¡¯¡¯The letter sent by Emperor Ming stated he would generously send a gift meant as His Highness¡¯s concubine, but as you see, it was only implied. Pointed as a mere suggestion of her possible service.¡¯¡¯ He continued.


    Moon Kian, The Second Prince, kneeled over a velvet carpet on the side, representing The Emperor¡¯s lineage in such gatherings. This time alone. His eyes drifted towards her now changed appearance, and although she wore what those of kitchen workers did¡ªalthough her hair was up like every other lower class employee hidden from sight deep inside the palace¡ªhe still could not help but steal a risky second glance in admiration of how she managed to stood out more than any maiden garnished in their most expensive attire.


    ¡¯¡¯Ah, i see.¡¯¡¯ The Emperor huffed out through his nose with a knowing subtle smirk, ¡¯¡¯And he thought this gift of his was worthy becoming a concubine of my very flesh and blood, did he now? Tell me, from which family of The Eastern Empire is she?¡¯¡¯ His continued with a tone laced with the threatening power over everyone inside and outside the extravagant great hall.


    ¡¯¡¯Her name and family relations were left empty on the form of those in the carriage, Your Majesty.¡¯¡¯ The counsellor answered with a grave tone while going through the very ink on paper, orbetter the lack of it.


    ¡¯¡¯Hmh¡ª Of course it was.¡¯¡¯ The Emperor could not contain the bitter sarcasm for the life of him, ¡¯¡¯No social status, wearing those un-jeweled fabrics of our servants. She has been awfully quiet, at least.¡¯¡¯ He added, as if she could¡¯ve talked without having her head severed the moment she dared to do so. A person with nothing might not have been very experienced in the presence of those from the noble society, yet even she knew better to read the room. Someone who had always looked over their shoulders learned to notice the small details by nature.


    ¡¯¡¯As I have been informed, she does not speak. Nor does she respond to sudden sounds, either, Your Majesty.¡¯¡¯ Another counsellor answered with a much more shaky voice, fists crushing against the thighs. He must¡¯ve been new to the task, not knowing for sure when it was fine to chime in and address The Emperor.


    ¡¯¡¯A perfect match it is, indeed.¡¯¡¯ Emperor Moon scoffed while rubbing the long beard clearly scheming something, not even trying to hide his distaste, ¡¯¡¯He wanted to gift our Prince a concubine? Well then, we shall show The Eastern Empire their well deserved gratitude for such benevolent gift¡ª that is, their women barely good enough for The Third Prince. Emperor Ming''s humor sure is refreshing. Send him a letter. Thank him. And kindly suggest to perhaps higher their standards. They must allow anyone from the streets to become their son¡¯s concubine, what a shame.¡¯¡¯ He swished his disregarding hand once, and in that very instant the woman felt a hand forcefully grab the back of her head, shoving her over the thighs in a deep bow before being pulled up and handled once again.


    ¡¯¡¯Poor young woman.¡¯¡¯


    ¡¯¡¯Yes, she mustn¡¯t understand what has become of her.¡¯¡¯


    ¡¯¡¯She does not hear, they said.¡¯¡¯


    ¡¯¡¯Oh, poor thing. It cannot be she simply doesn¡¯t understand either, right? The Eastern Empire share our language, although their accent and poems does differ.¡¯¡¯


    ¡¯¡¯My my¡ª she hasn¡¯t been given a name. That¡¯ll be a hassle.¡¯¡¯


    ¡¯¡¯Should we not address her as The Third Prince¡¯s concubine?¡¯¡¯


    ¡¯¡¯That is very long, what a bother. But i assume we have no other choice.¡¯¡¯


    The nameless woman could once again feel all the eyes upon her in the middle of the dusty crowded space as everyone got ready to end the day. She had been brought in a chamber shared with many other women among with those very same lower class workers who had washed her and dressed her prior. The chamber had all the walls covered with large thick dressers filled with clean sheets and linen taking up most of the space, the room most likely meant to be a storage room first and an accommodation second. She hugger the newly acquired blanket and a pillow over the thin mattress made out of bamboo, the best spots of the room being the corners already occupied by those quicker with their daily tasks. Not that she cared¡ªthose women wouldn¡¯t be able to even begin to believe what a luxury simply having a roof on top of her head had been, let alone a pillow.


    She settled down on her back in the midst of the others, shoulders almost touching with a stranger on both sides, pulled the blanket all the way up to chin as the exhausted eyelids began to close on their own.


    ¡¯¡¯But we are sharing a room with a concubine¡ª of a Prince whether acknowledged as one or not. They usually have their very own chamber in a separate building, not even sharing a room with each other. And we are supposed to feel comfortable with this?¡¯¡¯


    ¡¯¡¯She is only the concubine of The Third Prince. She¡¯ll hardly be of any use, just like him.¡¯¡¯


    ¡¯¡¯Oh my, keep your voice down you ought to get us in trouble!¡¯¡¯


    ¡¯¡¯The Imperial family thinks so too, there is no harm in profound truth.¡¯¡¯


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    As the conversation went on and on¡ª she fell asleep unsure of what tomorrow would bring, yet still laid those tenuous arms wide open for the sunrise to come once again.


    A sudden attack of a leg startled her awake, landing heavy over her own thighs. She moved her arm from over the eyes while laying on her back, just enough to see the hue of sunlight blessing the high ceiling. The golden light made the small dust in the air hover softly, and the others stayed soundly in their deep slumber. Oddly enough, she felt warm and comfortable, which was all so very new. A feeling she had little to no faith would stay and linger, thus she wouldn¡¯t hold on to its warm embrace. Still, this definitely wasn¡¯t the dungeon and it¡¯s cold wet floors, nor the streets beneath the sky of The Eastern Empire. This time, morning came as if in a blink of an eye and offered the most magnificent hibernation in her whole entire life. She could already feel the slight difference in her body which only a good night¡¯s sleep could offer. The most efficient medicine out there.


    Not too long after, she found herself once again being pulled towards each direction, scrubbed and dressed in all white which was typical for funerals and days of misfortune¡ªyet again another stab of an insult directed towards her already pitiful existence, although a golden ornament with tangling emerald jades now decorated over her head, half of the black hair left draping down, lips painted with the deepest shade of red made out of oils to cure the chapped skin and vermillion powder to give its color¡ªsometimes containing blood of an animal which was an uncomfortable thought.


    She stood in front of a mirror, all finished when one of the maids slapped her back with a closed fan and sharply told her to straighten the posture. She was told to walk gracefully with gentle hands held hovering over the empty stomach while letting the long, thin silky scarf drape down from the crooks of the elbows. The longest walk so far forced the nameless woman to question how far exactly were they headed inside the palace grounds. Through many corridors with painted paper walls as if telling a story along the way, wide window openings and the green vegetation carefully planted, pathways made of flat smooth rocks and light grey gravel, not a single rock out of place. Eventually, they reached a building connected by the same raised pavilions, far on the side of the third quadrangular courtyard away from the center where The Emperor had his many lavish chambers.


    And in front of the wide sliding doors awaited The Second Prince accompanied by his trusted eunuch, whose job was to follow his assigned Prince where ever he desired to go. Their eyes locked as soon as she came from behind the left side corner and into the opening of the wide and empty corridor, oddly uncared for by the lack of decor. Moon Kian had been leaning against one of the red pillars but carried himself high in an instant as he noticed the nameless woman escorted by five maids in their light peachy robes and eunuchs in baby blue. Seeing how Moon Kian wasn¡¯t surrounded by a dozen eunuchs compared to her own escorts made little to no sense.


    Perhaps it was a trust issue.


    The nameless woman followed the lead of the others as they stopped an appropriate distance away from The Prince and bowed respectfully. As she raised her gaze up towards him, she was met with a sight unexpected. Where as The Emperor¡¯s deep brown eyes scrutinized with expected deep knife-like cuts, his on the other hand left her confused. A curious, stunning yet barely noticeable smile on The Second Prince¡¯s lips perhaps more evident by the way his dark wide eyes curved from the lower eyelid. He surely was rather pleasant for the eyes¡ª at least that is what the maids would not once forget to mention between each opportunity they had. She, however, found no interest in the beauty of another.


    ¡¯¡¯I spoke with His Majesty¡ª¡¯¡¯ Kian held the chin high up quite cheeky and brought his shoulders behind, ¡¯¡¯No woman inside this palace should remain without a name. It would bring only unnecessary scandals upon The Imperial family.¡¯¡¯ He added, as if expecting her eyes to sparkle, to anticipate. Anything. Yet they left him with nothing.


    Instead, she kept those serene cold blue eyes, almost translucent, steadily on his own. Suddenly reminding Kian of the five coy fish in the pond outside his room. Glaring back at him just as uninterested. The comparison was not an insult¡ªheavens no¡ªfor fish and other creatures from the depths of the waters were greatly appreciated in The Western Empire. Many seen as holy and untouchable.


    A Goddess with the crystal gaze, indeed.


    ¡¯¡¯I did well when convincing him¡ª¡¯¡¯ Kian cleared his throat behind a closed fist, ¡¯¡¯I have been personally given the task of gifting you with a name. I gave it my most devoted night.¡¯¡¯ He took a step closer, two of the maids stepping away with their heads held down. For a moment one could¡¯ve sworn his eyelids fell heavy as he turned around, the long smooth hair fanning through the air until settling behind and against the dark blue robe, detailed with handmade finest embroidery of a silver scenery. Everything seemed to tell a story. The nameless woman found herself feeling overwhelmed by all around her. The smallest things seemed to create an element of surprise. Although no one would be able to see through the clouded invisible veil covering her true emotions deep inside. A shell of a human being.


    And now she was going to be given a name? And by non other than a Prince himself?


    Something she hadn¡¯t even thought for herself. Never needing one before.


    ¡¯¡¯Suyi.¡¯¡¯ Kian¡¯s voice became merely a whisper once the nightly devotion slipped through his lips, ¡¯¡¯Fair Suyi, the first concubine of¡ª The Third Prince.¡¯¡¯


    Above anything, Suyi¡ªas her name should be from then on¡ªfelt on guard. She had been taken far away from the main buildings, to the edge of all where it was hard to imagine a Prince would live, when even lowly she herself slept closer to The Emperor than his own son it seemed.


    However, Suyi felt no anxiety. Behind those wide, scenery decorated doors awaited The Third Prince. A man looked down upon even by the kitchen workers who freely spoke ill about him. A man who had not received respect from even those dirtying their hands on the fields. A Prince shrouded away, not once seen by the public eye.


    Was he truly that terrifying? What made him deserve such disrespect?


    Kian watched as Suyi positioned herself in front of the sliding doors, two of the maids stepping forward and gently tugging the doors with the tips of their fingers. As the crack between began to widen, the first thing Suyi saw was the wide open windows opposite the entrance, bright from the golden time of the day, and outside them the vivid pomegranate trees with their deep green leaves and round red delicious berries ripe for the taking, tenderly swaying from the thin branches as small chirping birds jumped joyfully on their loveliest playground.


    While her gaze was set on the sight unveiled, Kian noticed a slight change in those eyes of a Goddess fish. A glow, albeit fleeting, disappeared as soon as it had arrived.


    Blinking a few times, avoiding getting distracted upon meeting her new Master, Suyi came across the white sheets of paper scattered all over the floors, covering the finest carpets entirely. Each filled with skillful strokes of black ink. A new painting one after another. Her gaze followed the trail until set on a man sitting on the floor around the large hardwood table, his upper body tenderly swaying from right to left in a crosslegged position.


    Completely spellbound in his own precious world.


    ©¤?~???~?©¤

 Vol 1 Ch 3.

    ¡¯¡¯Moon Dae. My dear younger brother.¡¯¡¯ Kian said as he entered carefully, walking the side of the wall along with all the maids and eunuchs whom also entered the room just as cautious with their steps, ¡¯¡¯You have a visitor. Her name is Suyi, from The Eastern Empire. She shall become your concubine from this day on, and will be accompanying you each day.¡¯¡¯


    And thus she had been announced.


    Suyi bowed by the entrance and began to take steps inside. There weren¡¯t many empty spots on the floor to step on but she carefully did her best to avoid tarnishing the paintings. The brushwork on each were meticulously artistic, but one thing Suyi noticed was the fact that each and every scenery had something to do with the existing surroundings. Realistic with no added imagination. As if he hadn¡¯t stepped outside in days, perhaps months, judging by the amount of paintings scattered around. There laid a painting about the corner of the chamber, the pomegranate trees¡¯ outside the open windows, the mountains far behind the protective walls of the palace.


    Reaching her leg towards the next small gap on the floor while holding up the hem of the robe, Suyi happened to stumble a bit, the corner of her feet landing on top of one of the paintings she so earnestly tried to avoid. A chill went through the tips of the toes and all the way up to her lower back before finally reaching the back of her neck when Moon Dae let out a frustrated, rather offended groan. She had made a mistake, already. On her very first day above all.


    Finally, after many slow and steady steps, Suyi managed to find her way beside the table on Moon Dae¡¯s right side. She had been instructed to never sit on the left side of a Royal, since the left should always stay reserved for the bride of a Prince.


    Suyi could not kneel around the table as she should¡¯ve done, to show respect and lower herself down on his level. There were simply no room for her to do so. Thus, she gladly opted to stand instead. Moon Dae kept busy absorbed in his work, half way done with the new painting of the scenery outside. He had painted it a million times already, each time with a slight change, apparently depending on the days weather as well. Suyi felt them being watched, and finally understood the reason why. An experiment. To see how The Third Prince would react to her attendance. The answer was simple.


    Not much.


    Moon Dae continued as if she had never entered the room, if not taken into the count the slight mishap of a clumsy feet. Suyi wondered if she had greatly offended him by accidentally stepping on one of his impressive art and thus was treated with the silent treatment, but that couldn¡¯t be the case. Moon Dae did not react to his own older brother, either. He did not acknowledge anyone equally.


    And so, Suyi had no idea of what her new life as a concubine inside the Imperial palace would bring, what it meant or what her days would look like from then on¡ª but if it meant she could stay in the peaceful company, watching this young talented Prince paint till the sun had shifted towards the west, she could perhaps even come to enjoy her stay. But of course, it seemed almost too good to be true. There were many obligations for concubines inside The Imperial palace. Standing there doing nothing only one of those.


    For the whole entire day, Suyi stood beside the table with no interaction with the man whatsoever. Barely moving an inch. No eye contact, no words spoken. Only steady and carefully crafted strokes of an ink brush, and her eyes which kept softly following each result. Oddly enough, Suyi did not feel bored at all. Standing there only watching him work, his routine mannerisms and the silence of the chamber made her feel calm. It was more interesting than staring at the wet cold wall of the dungeon, that¡¯s for sure.


    Occasionally, the faint sound of someone on the side trying to hide their yawn could be heard. The maids and eunuchs stood side by side inspecting the two and did their best to defeat the boredom in the presence of The Second Prince who did not seem as desperate¡ª a somewhat content expression on his mellow gaze for the task he had. His dark brown orbs a mirror for her. Content, until the gaze had lowered down on Suyi¡¯s bruised and wounded feet although hidden with the hem of her taunted white dress and robe. The muscle jerked on the inner corner of the eyebrows containing the disapproval, watching her endlessly stand there without the smallest movement.


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    All that power supposedly held in his position inside The Imperial family, yet nothing he could do to ease her discomfort.


    Just like that, each passing day went on with the same exact routine. Suyi would wake up early, become a rag doll for others to do as they pleased, then walked the endless pavilion paths to stay beside Moon Dae.


    All the sunny days standing towards the windows kissed Suyi¡¯s pale cheeks.


    Cloudy days made her resemble a porcelain doll.


    Rainy days soothed with the sound of pleasant pitter and delightful patter.


    For many days already unable to count, Suyi had stood beside him from the peeking sun to its divine farewell. The maids and eunuchs no longer came to stay with them at all times, and neither did Moon Kian.


    Although Moon Dae never spoke, as time went on, Suyi learned many small things about The Third Prince through diligent observation.


    He never created the same exact work of art twice.


    One painting took many days to finish.


    He never made mistakes.


    And lastly, he had two meals a day. Always at the same exact time consisting the same ingredients and side dishes. Never going astray from his usual preferences.


    Suyi couldn¡¯t help but feel the growing respect toward Moon Dae. Everyone knew The Empire valued descendants who could be fit into a mold of strong leaders. Relentless and ready to face a battlefield as The First Prince had been doing for many years now, preparing to claim his throne one day. The Empire valued intelligent minds who could learn the book of ancient history by heart and cite chapter from the exact page to prove a point in conversation¡ªas The Second Prince had been known to do.


    Yet still, Suyi saw the overall worthy Prince right there. Under everyone¡¯s eyes if they only cared enough to look. A Prince also deserving of all the praise and all the acknowledgment. What a pity it was, for those magnificent pieces of work sprawled all around as if they weren¡¯t meant to be appreciated by many marveling admirations. Adored by his people, for as much as The Emperor was respected¡ªso deserved he.


    In her humble opinion, that is.


    ¡¯¡¯I do not see what they meant¡ª¡¯¡¯ Suyi whispered quietly, spoken words forming for the first time in many silent months. For the smallest minuscule moment the ink brush in Moon Dae''s hand ceased its effortless slide, his calm swaying motion halted with a slight twitch, ¡¯¡¯I do not see what they meant, by us two being a perfect match for I have no talent as magnificent. But one could only wish they were as brilliant as Your Highness, so I shall take it as an unworthy compliment instead.¡¯¡¯


    As expected, Moon Dae did not gift an answer for the sudden compliment nor did he acknowledge her being there. Yet non of it mattered. Because Suyi knew he listened. She knew he heard her whispers loud and clear. Those which even she had forgotten the sound of. Her voice soft and tender, not chipper and what some enjoyed as cute, but low and lulling like a lullaby.


    And what she said truly came from a place of heart. Suyi did however understand what The Emperor tried to convey with his contaminated sarcastic remarks of her being only good enough for The Third Prince¡ªhow the two were a perfect match. The Emperor responded to a stab with a knife of his own. Emperor Ming had disrespected him by sending a beggar to become his son¡¯s concubine, thus he indeed made her one, but for a man who had no respect in their society just as he said¡ª their woman only good enough for the man who¡¯d never be truly acknowledged as part of The Imperial family.


    Two rejected outcasts. One thrown away and sold by her home land¡ªand one hidden away to be forgotten by his own. Two unwanted peas in a pot.


    But immediately upon meeting him, Suyi knew there was nothing wrong with The Third Prince. Nothing at all. His only flaw was one bestowed upon by the expectations of others. A cruel world he lived in. Although despite all, Moon Dae seemed content with how things were.


    And what came to her own situation, Suyi never claimed to have any issues hearing¡ªthey all simply assumed due to her body being far too exhausted to respond with as much as a startled flinch once having her eardrums pierced with a rude scream of a moron. Never did she make an effort to deceive others and make them believe she could not understand them nor couldn¡¯t speak. They simply never spoke directly to her. Well, not taking in count The Second Prince naming her¡ªbut what could someone respond to such a strange situation. Besides, it would¡¯ve ruined her intentions far too early.


    To Suyi, silence was a powerful weapon beyond compare. Whilst the others were too busy running their mouths, they failed to stop and worry about her presence. They¡¯d talk, spill all the dirty rumors and filthy secrets concealed inside the palace walls. All for her to benefit from if ever needed.


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 Vol 1. Ch 4.

    That night, after Suyi had spoken for the first time since entering The Western Empire, while laying on her side and facing the dresser of the so-called chamber, a sudden creeping emotion began to steadily wrap its fingers around her throat. As if slowly coming from behind. A nightmare where she wouldn¡¯t be allowed to move a muscle, paralyzed after bitten by a poisonous snake. The tightening feeling one received when the body tried to send a warning. It barged in like an unwanted guest, leaving a foot between the doorway and forcing its way in. Suyi had forgotten how it felt to feel so severely. Happy or sad¡ªfearful or brave.


    Wary should do just fine to describe. Wary is what she felt, above anything else. For a brief moment Suyi had felt safe enough to reveal her most well kept secret in front of Moon Dae. Perhaps it was the way she¡¯d come to feel quite comfortable in his company, enough to lower her shield just enough to let those words slip out. All those weeks of silently staying beside him felt as if she had gained a new friend¡ªalthough one-sided. The way those paintings were created became more and more fascinating to her.


    Which led to Suyi now chewing the inside of her cheek, the wariness turning into fear. Had she actually come to accept her new purpose as it did not require the traditional obligations of a concubine? No, not possible. One matter remained certain, however, which was that she¡¯d never let those guarded shields down again. Not by accident and not for anyone. There would be no reality where she could ever refer to Moon Dae as a friend. The thought itself childish. And she would never be one of those people who could afford such simpleminded hopes and wishes. Perhaps she had been blindsided because of the peaceful days for a moment, as useless as that would be.


    Suyi tightened her fists against the chest to calm down, wondering what would happen to her now if The Third Prince decided to tell on her. Even if Moon Dae spoke to no one, who¡¯s to say he wasn¡¯t keeping a secret or two of his own. Besides, it wasn¡¯t like she planned on keeping silent forever. It had to come out one way or another. Even though she hadn¡¯t learned nearly enough to excuse her from the accusations of being labeled as deceptive¡ªtreacherous¡ªsneaky and disloyal.


    After all, she would always be nothing more than disposable goods to all of them, as her attentive observations had revealed, there were those inside the palace who hoped for her quick fall, thinking she was a disgrace on the entirety of The Western Empire, although their identities stayed unmasked.


    And thus came the next day. Suyi had hardly slept through the night with dark circles forming beneath the swollen eyes as proof. She stood behind the sliding doors as usual and took in a deep breath as her escorts slid them open. Ready to face the consequences of her actions.


    However, something had changed. A small, yet drastic difference in Moon Dae''s never changing chamber¡ª a clear path created from the entrance straight on the right side of the hardwood table, as if meant solely for her. Suyi''s eyebrows raised in sheer unexpected surprise before she stiffly bowed and entered, this time without a worry of tarnishing nor needing to hop like playing a game of avoiding traps.


    Suyi even managed to kneel down comfortably, finally on the same level with Moon Dae, as odd as it felt. He looked different from that point of view. Somewhat soft features, no hard edges on his face. Him and Moon Kian shared some features such as their long silky dark hair and the cat-like sharp line extending on the outer corner of their wide eyes, but where Kian¡¯s features were more mature, Dae¡¯s were boyish. A gentle soul. Once again Suyi had to question why would anyone dare to say a bad word about him. She couldn¡¯t fathom.


    Before meeting him with only rumors to go off of, Suyi had expected to come face to face with a complete tyrant who¡¯d boss the servants around through each day, inconveniencing them to the point of annoyance¡ªwhen in reality he wouldn¡¯t talk to any of them. Never demanded a single thing nor made their day harder throwing tantrums over pointless matters. In fact, The Third Prince Moon Dae must¡¯ve probably been the easiest Royalty to serve, as the servants skipped many steps in customs which they¡¯d never think of daring to do with anyone else. Moon Dae made their job easier, if anything.


    He simply did nothing except paint, which anyone could see he enjoyed the most.


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    Thus Suyi slowly began to despise those who spoke ill of him. And it was the first time she had ever met someone worth caring for in that wretched and flawed world they lived in.


    Being escorted back to their shared chamber by two maids along the raised wooden walkways, the roof of the houses extending over and gifting shelter, Suyi enjoyed the mist of the heavy rain pouring down from those darkened clouds foretelling the possible thunderstorm approaching. She did not notice The Second Prince, Moon Kian, beneath a garden pavilion in the middle of the carefully kept courtyard. Sitting on a chair with a game of Go now interrupted, leaving the opponent waiting for The Second Prince¡¯s response to what he thought could¡¯ve finally sealed a killer move, oblivious to the fact that he¡¯d already been losing for the fourth time in a row.


    It had been two weeks since Moon Kian last was able to steal a glance of the forbidden Goddess fish. A fleeting moment. Whenever her presence graced his own from a distance no matter how far, he¡¯d drop everything and let the moment linger as long as it preserved.


    What an odd day it truly had been, when the letter sent from The Eastern Empire had reached them. Moon Kian heard the contents of the letter as Emperor Moon¡¯s adviser read it out loud, shocked beyond but not as much as his father who flipped the tables and all their contents over, fuming from anger and shouting spitting insults like an animal in rabies. In that moment, Kian became certain of the fact that each and every person being transported through the two lands were going to die once reaching their palace¡ª even the unfortunate woman who¡¯d been sent there to serve as his concubine, originally.


    At first, Emperor Moon had ordered the sold souls to be kept in the prison dungeon, tortured, letting them slowly fade away on their own until reminded of them a couple of months later. The ruthless man had gone as far as to forget their whole entire existence. Moon Kian heard many of those people died during, and each time he tried to bring the conversation to his father, he¡¯d lash out in rage with no limits. Known to be hot-tempered and uncontrollable if pushed over the very, very thin line. And by the time a higher member of the counseling brought those poor people up in a conversation, Kian assumed they had all passed away by that point.


    Emperor Moon ordered the woman to be retrieved, assuming a corpse to be presented, pleased with the thought that he could then simply respond to Emperor Ming''s letter with the unfortunate news of his little gift not making it through the harsh conditions of a long travel. A minor convenient white lie. Not expecting her to still be alive.


    However, The Second Prince took it upon himself to retrieve the woman, not trusting any employee alone neither letting his father know he had accompanied the servants beneath the grounds. He forced the two palace employees to take an oath on their own life not to tattle¡ª or else.


    Finding out the woman had survived the harsh conditions, the first emotion he felt was a sense of relief, although it wouldn''t change the outcome. Upon reaching an arm to catch the woman from falling, her long black hair sliding behind and revealing herself for The Second Prince to witness, he knew.


    Moon Kian hated the thought that an innocent person was sent there with him in mind only to then face The Emperor¡¯s wrath. He had to think of something. Anything.


    He felt the need to risk being punished¡ªfor even The Emperor¡¯s own family would not be safe from his brutal ways. Knowing the woman¡¯s future wasn¡¯t secured and she''d soon be killed either way.


    As soon as their eyes met, he knew. Yet equally as much Kian knew she was not meant for him¡ª for he would now have to watch her die right in front of him after brought to his father. Powerless as The Emperor would lash out his anger. All Moon Kian could do was kneel on that velvet carpet in the grand hall and watch as she had been forcefully shoved to kneel in front of The Emperor.


    Waiting for his father¡¯s words of awaiting execution.


    Yet instead, The Emperor decided to use her as a petty message.


    The outcome surprised Kian, as an understatement. A rush of relief gushed through his entire body, washing over.


    Despite the fact she still wouldn¡¯t belong to him.


    Not to be kept as possession. She wasn¡¯t an object, nor a pawn in a decades long quarrel. From the very moment he held her, Kian felt an overwhelming need to keep her safe. Prolonging the meeting with his father, ordering her to be bathed and dressed, meanwhile trying to come up with anything he could do. It was those eyes which were a mirror to a soul that had endured the entirety for far too long. And if her being alive meant she must become The Third Prince¡¯s concubine instead, Kian couldn¡¯t think of a safer spot inside the palace since not many cared to bother much with the outcast.


    Thus, at the very least, Moon Kian could spend his days admiring from afar. After all, beside him she would''ve suffered greatly.


    It was better this way.


    He could make sure she had everything he could ever offer in secret.


    Make sure she had it all.


    Starting from a name of her own.


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