I was almost at the edge of my seat now, my neck craned to see her when I remembered Princess Rowena. Too late I realized that she had followed my gaze.
The look on her face when she turned back to me was one I’d seen on her grandmother’s face too often not to recognize. It was cold, calculating hate.
I clenched my hands into fists and cursed myself for a fool. How could I have been so careless? How could I have forgotten her penchant for watching my every move when she’s around?
I looked down at the platter of fruit in front of me pretending interest in it though I couldn’t tell you what was there. That cold stare left me feeling uneasy and I hoped that she really hadn’t noticed exactly where I was looking.
When I chanced another look in her direction I knew that I was wrong. She was now staring directly at the beauty and I felt cold fingers of dread crawl up my spine.
When I saw Princess Rowena leave her place and make her way over to beauty fear made me lift up from my seat. I almost forgot myself and called out a warning, but caught myself just in time.
She might be no more than fifteen, but already her reputation as a sniping viper was whispered about in certain circles. Namely among the servants of the palace.
I watched her lead her away, talking gaily as they went and started to leave my seat to go after them. My mother’s glare had me retaking my seat with a sigh of frustration.
I was tempted, so tempted to disobey that imperial command, but years of ingrained etiquette and a son’s love and respect kept me there. There was something I could do though, all was not lost.
I summoned eunuch Van to my side and whispered hasty instructions in his ear. As usual he did not question my unusual request but set off instead after the two girls who had all but disappeared from view.
Please don’t let her hurt her. I was this close to defying my mother, something I had never done before. But the thought of her being too long in Princess Rowena’s poisonous presence alone made me nervous.
I convinced myself after five minutes went by and they had not returned that all was well. After all, all I’d done was look. Hopefully eunuch Van had caught up with them and she was safe.
It was the only way I could stay seated there helplessly, by telling myself that all was well. Fate couldn’t be that cruel as to bring harm to her just when I’d found her.
I didn’t breathe easy again until I saw them return and I knew from Princess Rowena’s sour face that whatever she’d intended had been foiled.
Eunuch Van came back to my side and whispered in my ear that all was fine and a little bit more that had a smile breaking out across my face.
‘Mia’ I whispered the name in my head and formed it with my lips as I suddenly felt lighter. Sweet, beautiful Mia. Her name was almost as beautiful as she. She still had yet to look toward the dais but no matter. I will find her again I was sure of it.
Mia
Earlier That Same Day
“Mia, this is your first time visiting the palace, stay close to me and don’t go wandering off by yourself young lady.”
“Yes mother, I remember. You told me a thousand times already.”
I’m pretty sure that mother knew better but for propriety’s sake we both pretended that I was actually going to listen this time.
It’s not that I’m a disrespectful or disobedient child, I just have a bit of wanderlust. I’ve long wanted to see the palace in all its splendor and now was my chance. We both knew that there was no way I could sit still for some boring dinner.
I’d spent the past two days cooped up in the carriage instead of on the back of my favorite steed because mother claimed it was more fitting for a young lady. Since when I ask you?
I didn’t see what all the fuss was about. I’m used to riding and it wasn’t like I wasn’t already wearing the cumbersome dress and underthings she’d forced on me instead of my usual braes. Though I have to admit that to wear them into the capital may have been going a bit too far.
I’d been made to sit in the carriage with mother and listen to her endless lectures on court etiquette in between reading, which was the only thing I liked about the trip. The reading that is!
I’ve always loved getting lost in books, especially those about the history of our kingdom and others. But at home there was always a constant struggle between reading and training.
At least in those two days there was nothing to divide my attention from my second favorite pastime. Except mother’s constant reminders each time she remembered something that she’d forgotten to teach me.
We’d barely made it to the old family home in the capital before I was being poked and prodded. I was scrubbed raw until I was afraid they would draw blood, and then pampered to within an inch of my life. I hated every second of it.
I’d been too tired to fight off the attention of the servants and had gone to bed early only to awaken this morning to pretty much more of the same.
My hair, which was usually brushed and pulled back with a ribbon was now styled in some intricate concoction that felt like it weighed a ton on top of my head.
If not for mother’s sure displeasure I would’ve pulled every pin and ornament out of my hair,
even though a look in the mirror had not been too
displeasing.
The new dress was soft and feminine beneath my hands and even my shoes were dainty. Fit for a young lady of means.
I wasn’t sure what all of this meant, father hadn’t said much. Only that he had been ordered back to court. Since we weren’t accompanied by his army of men I took that to mean that there was no danger, but I told myself to stay alert nonetheless.
I hadn’t had time to speak to father this morning as he was nowhere to be found, but mother seemed to be more jovial than usual which eased my worry some.
Of course that changed when the pins and jewels in my hair began to irritate my head to the point that I started pulling at them. Mother and I came to a compromise.
If she’d let me remove the nuisances, then I’d accompany her to the palace. In other words, I wasn’t stepping one foot outside unless she gave in. At least we’d gone two whole days without a tussle.
Now we were headed to the palace and I felt butterflies of panic take flight in my stomach. The closer we got to the immense structure the more uneasy I became.
Had father walked into a trap?
He’d gone ahead of us to the palace after being gone all morning with my eldest brother.
Knowing the history between my father and the Crown Prince and Emperor, I had every reason to feel distrust. But once again mother’s smile set me at ease.
Now all I have to do is remember my manners and not bring shame to my family as mother has been warning me of for the past two days and a
half.
The palace lived up to my expectations and then some and it was impossible not to feel a growing sense of elation as we exited the palanquin just outside the gates.
Even the guards who stood at attention were smartly dressed in their matching uniforms and stern expressions that were almost as frightening as the swords they carried at their sides.
I looked around in amazement at the many people who were arriving as well. All the prettily dressed women and girls, and the noblemen in their robes of silk in varying colors.
At home I was accustomed to the rough clothing of the women who spent their days working hard on the land to keep food on the table. Or the even rougher clothing of the men who trained from sun up to sun down.
All the men worked hard to become part of the elite group of men my father and brothers hired to carry out whatever missions were required of them by the nobles who hired them to do the jobs they themselves were too cowardly to handle.
My fascination lasted for all of ten minutes before I grew bored and restless. Mother’s attention was drawn by a group of old friends that she hadn’t seen in the last fifteen years or so and there was nothing for me to do.
The guests had not yet taken thei
r places at the tables and were mostly just standing around greeting one another, which left me pretty much to my own devices.
I hadn’t planned on wandering away, mother’s words were still fresh in my mind after all. But then my attention was caught by the bluebird that came flying around my head as if trying to get my attention.
“Hello pretty bird, where did you come from?” I expected the bird to take flight at the sound of my voice so near, but strangely it just hung suspended in the air before my eyes.
Even when I lifted my hand as if to capture it, it didn’t fly off. But instead moved a slight distance away before coming back to me again.
It did this a few more times until I found myself following its movements, my attention captured by the bird’s antics. It seemed almost as if it waited for me each time before flitting away again.
Before long the voices of the others grew more and more distant as I followed the bird. I didn’t pay attention to where I was going, my only thoughts centered on the bird and why it was behaving so out of character.
Whenever I would lag behind it seemed that the bird would come back and chirp away at me as if scolding me to keep up. I couldn’t help laughing at the strange phenomenon. It was as though we were playing a game Mr. Bluebird and I.
Each time I got close enough to reach out and touch it, it would fly away as if teasing me. That is how I ended up almost running into the ladder someone had placed against the wall.
I was shocked into stopping my forward movements when I looked up and saw him. He was staring back at me, neither of us uttering a sound.
It was so unexpected to find someone here hanging, from a ladder, and when I looked around I realized I’d wandered quite far from the others. Drats, mother is sure to have a fit when she finds me gone.
I couldn’t worry about that now though. Of more import was the noble son who was sneaking over the palace wall. I didn’t know the soft sole sons of the city’s nobility were that adventurous.
I took him in in one glance and wasn’t at all pleased with the way my pulse raced. It was the look in his eyes. Though I’ve been the recipient of many an appreciative glance from the many young men who sought to gain my favor. None had ever moved me.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say I was moved now exactly, but his gaze made me feel warm and…unsure of myself. Something I never am.
When we did speak we both spoke at the same time, uttering the same words. It wasn’t hard to assess the situation at first glance. He was obviously a thief, proven by the sack on his back and the ladder he was using to escape.
But he wore the clothing of the nobles I’d just seen in front of the steps of the palace waiting for the banquet to begin.
The more we spoke the more I doubted my first impression, but I was still too unsettled by his presence to think clearly. What other reason could he have for his behavior anyway?
I lectured him on his behavior out of nervousness and a wish not to give myself away. Though I kept myself braced for anything should he try something untoward, I was still jittery inside.
He seemed to want to keep me there and because I too wanted to stay, all the more reason I had to go. My feelings were confusing and a tad bit scary truth be told.
And when he grabbed my arm to stop me, the feeling that ran up that arm to my chest and down to the pit of my tummy was one I’d never felt before.
I finally made my escape on unsteady legs and once out of his line of sight hurried my pace back to the banquet. My heart took a while to calm down and I kept looking back over my shoulder as if expecting him to appear any second.
I didn’t stop my hurried pace until I was back where I started. Thankfully mother had been too preoccupied to miss me and was still catching up with her old friends.
I didn’t see him among the guests, which was both curious and relieving. I’m not sure about these unusual feelings he seems to invoke in me and would need time to take them out later for a thorough examination.
It seems I’d returned just in the nick of time because mother chose that moment to turn to me with a smile. I’m sure my lips moved though I couldn’t feel them.
We were soon seated at one of the long banquet tables before the dais and I was glad for it as I was still feeling a bit unnerved by the meeting with the young master.
I gulped down my goblet of watered down wine too fast, in an effort to quench the persistent heat in my body, to no avail. Although I tried not to, my eyes constantly scanned the other guests in hopes of finding him.
Had he returned here or had he gone ahead and climbed over the wall after I’d left? I’m not sure which of the two I preferred. Then I became annoyed with myself. Why should I care if he’s here or not?
I’ve never had any interest in a suitor or given much thought to a future marriage, though it was customary for girls my age to become betrothed.
Father has been very good at allowing me to make my own decisions when it comes to that. And besides, my brothers and my best friend were pretty good at keeping all interested parties away. If it was up to them I’m afraid I’d never wed whether I wanted to or not.
Speaking of which. I turned to mother when she took a break from conversing with the person on the other side of her. “I don’t understand why Des couldn’t stay with us.”
“The rules of the palace are quite different from at home. As part of your father’s retinue he must stay with the others.”
She patted my hand comfortingly. It was rare for Des and I to be apart. It had been that way for as long as I can remember.
He was more brother than friend and saw it as his duty to protect me, even though I was now almost as good as he in martial arts and sword fighting. I snickered to myself as I looked at the other young girls my age seated around the tables.
With their finery and dainty manners I was sure none of them enjoyed the same pastimes as I. Maybe their fathers weren’t as doting as mine and wasn’t as easily led by their female offspring as mine tends to be.
“Where is father?”
“He’s still meeting with the Emperor remember.” Mother got a worried look on her face but it didn’t last long.
“Knowing your father he’s regaling the poor emperor with one of his long winded tales.” Although I knew she said it only to ease my worry, I laughed nonetheless.
Mia
As her attention was caught once again by someone else, I felt a slight tug on my arm and turned to see a very prettily dressed girl about my age standing next to me.
“Yes?” I smiled up at her kindly as she looked uncertain.
“I was wondering if you would be so kind as to accompany me to the privy chamber?”
She whispered the words in my ear and though I found them strange I saw no reason not to comply. Maybe like me, this was her first time here. Of course I didn’t know where they were either, but I understood her need not to want to go it alone.
I gave mother a quick explanation and accepted her nod of approval before allowing myself to be led away.
“I’m sorry to drag you away like that. But you’re the only one who seems close to my age and I didn’t want to bother one of the others to accompany me.”
“It’s quite alright.” I waited for her to introduce herself at least while wondering if this sort of thing was normal here. Where were her attendants?
I’m sure the pampered children of the nobility never went anywhere unless accompanied by at least one maidservant at their side to wipe their nose.
And here in the space of one day I’d met two who seemed to be unattended. Strange indeed. But since I’m not one to be encumbered by maids and servants myself, I couldn’t find fault.
I have no uses for such things and had long relegated the personal maid mother had tried sticking me with to doing something else.
Poor mother had given up trying to make me into something I’m not and had allowed me to be as I am. Except here! Here she had put her foot down and father had sided with her this time. Drats!
/> At least I’d won the battle over my hair and though the dress was different, I had escaped the dreaded attendants by promising to stick close to mother’s side while we were in the capital.
I think she was genuinely afraid that I might offend one of the noble snobs with my unfavorable behavior.
It’s not that I lack all class and composure, far from it. I dare say I can hold my own with any of the others here and then some.
But as I grow older I’ve come to accept that I much prefer the freedom of being wild and unhindered by the many restrictions set upon young women of any class.
The young lady was all but dragging me along behind her now and I had to pull my arm away when her nails seemed to dig unnecessarily hard into my flesh. Maybe she was afraid since it was beginning to go dark.
“Oh I’m sorry, did I hurt you?” I rubbed the sting from my arm and assured her that it was okay, no harm done. She must be very timid to be this afraid though she didn’t seem like it.
We found the privy with no problem and I waited outside while she went in, finding it odd that we hadn’t exchanged any form of conversation on the way here.
As I looked around at the darkening night I wondered at my stupidity in allowing myself to be drawn away by a stranger.
It didn’t matter that she was not much older than I; I’m not in the habit of being this careless. Twice in one day I’d let my guard down. I’ll have to be more careful.
It also occurred to me that she’d found the privy with no problem as if she knew all along where it was. Then why the pretense? Or maybe it was just for the company?
She returned not long after with a winning smile on her face and I scolded myself for being so suspicious. I guess it was going to take me a while to get over my distrust of the capital after my family’s past history here.
Flower In The Palace Page 4
