Lis found the palace was smaller than she’d expected when she stepped inside. Smaller than the other palace they had stayed in, and much smaller than her home on the island. She bit back any comment. They stood in a small foyer with a narrow door directly before her and two larger doors to each side.
‘Welcome to the hidden princess’s palace,’ the maid said, giving an uncertain bow, then clasped her hands before her and looked down.
It was only when the empress coughed that she looked up, and Lis found herself eye to eye with the former hidden princess.
‘Thank you,’ Lis said, trying to keep the wobble from her voice.
‘This is your classroom.’ The empress indicated a door to the left, and the maid slid it open. Beyond was a simple room, cabinets with various sized drawers lined one wall. In the centre of the room, two desks sat facing each other, one with a map across its surface. Lis stepped forward and ran her fingers over the old parchment.
‘Do you recognise your Empire?’ the empress asked.
Lis nodded, looking over the five main islands and then tracing outward with her finger to find her little island home.
When she looked up, the empress was staring at her with hard eyes.
‘Yes, Your Eminence,’ she said softly. She looked back at the map and ran her hand over the palace. ‘This is the centre of the Rei-Een Empire, the Great Palace, also referred to as the Palace Isle. Second, Third, Fourth,’ she said slowly, running her finger along the beach line where she had waved at so many. ‘And Fifth.’
The empress selected a scroll from beside the map and unrolled it over the top. It was another map, a detailed one of the Great Palace. ‘This one you must learn first,’ she said.
Lis bent down over the paper and noticed it was newer than the other one, the ink brighter and the parchment not as brittle. ‘The main residence,’ she said, then looked up at the empress. ‘Such a glorious building. The golden roof in the sun was incredible.’
‘Yes,’ the empress said. ‘It sits at the centre of the island.’
Lis nodded and traced over the rivulets that moved through the grounds. ‘The bridge,’ she said, holding her finger where she hoped the bright red bridge was. ‘It was very beautiful. I could stand there all day and watch the fish.’
The empress nodded, and then her face darkened. ‘You will have much to learn. Three years is not enough time, not nearly enough,’ she added quietly, turning away from Lis and clapping her hands. The sharp sound filled the room.
Two men and a woman appeared from a doorway at the back of the room. Each wore the golden yellow colours of an advisor, but only one of them wore the little angled hat tied beneath his chin with black ribbon. Lis glanced back at the empress, who was waving her forward, then closed her mouth, stepped around the table and bowed to the group.
‘These are your tutors,’ the empress said. ‘They will watch over every aspect of your training. Although they will surely be tested.’
‘Three years,’ the eldest of the men muttered.
‘Yes, thank you, Tutor Jichun. I understand the issues, but traditions must be upheld.’
‘Of course, Your Highness,’ he said with a bow.
‘Tutor Jichun and Tutor Nizen will ensure that you know all you need of the Empire, and that you can read and write and know your numbers. They will advise what to read and ensure your understanding. They will teach the history of the Empire and its emperors so that you understand why we rule the world as we do.’
Both men bowed, and Lis chewed at her lip. The younger of the advisors glanced towards the maid, but she kept her eyes down.
‘Tutor Na,’ the empress said, indicating the older woman, ‘will ensure that you are a groomed and polished princess.’
Lis looked at her closely.
‘That you know how to behave,’ the empress snapped, and Lis nodded quickly. ‘Your dress, your hair and makeup, as well as your food and general needs shall be met by U’shi.’ The young maid looked up at her sharply. ‘She will be your sister.’
Lis smiled at the woman, but she scowled and looked back at the ground.
‘I thank you for your help,’ Lis said.
‘We start at dawn,’ Tutor Jichun said. He turned and bowed to the empress before turning for the door, and the younger man followed. Lis felt the fear grow again in her chest.
‘We shall start this afternoon,’ Tutor Na said, a little more friendly in her tone. ‘I think you should find a more appropriate dress and take the time to eat. I will join you here.’
Lis bowed her head and wondered what could be more appropriate to wear.
Left alone with the empress and the maid, Lis looked between them.
‘Tradition is very important,’ the empress said. ‘Life is what the gods determine, and they have determined that U’shi shall not be empress.’
U’shi sniffed, and Lis stepped forward but stopped short of her. ‘You are the hidden princess,’ Lis said softly.
‘No,’ the empress said sharply. ‘You are the hidden princess. U’shi is here to help you.’
‘Would she not want to return to her family?’
U’shi lifted angry eyes to Lis.
‘I’m sorry,’ Lis said quickly. ‘Would you?’
‘I cannot,’ she snapped.
Lis looked to the empress. ‘She knows the secrets of the palace and the family; she must remain here. And her family would be shamed by the loss of status.’
‘Surely you would like to see them again.’
‘My place is here,’ U’shi said, somewhat begrudgingly. ‘With you,’ she added through gritted teeth.
The empress smiled despite the heavy feeling in the air. ‘Good,’ she said. ‘the high priestess will see you once a month.’
Lis bowed her head, and the empress left them. U’shi stood for a moment, still looking at the floor.
‘Can you show me the rest of the house?’
‘Palace,’ U’shi corrected and, without looking at Lis, led her back through the entrance and a door opposite the class room to a large room—larger than her parents’—with a huge bed built against the far wall. The most exquisite pink silk curtains hung down over perfectly carved lattice work. The quilt had been folded back, and a step ran the length of the opening. The floor was covered with a large woven mat, deep red and gold thread marking out the outline of a dragon.
At the opposite end of the room sat a long and low table, larger than the one in the Kai Palace where Lis had stayed with her family. Cushions in the same silk that covered her bed ran down either side of the table. A kettle sat atop a burner at one end, one cup set out beside it. It struck Lis as strange that there was only one, because there were usually at least four in her father’s house at all times.
‘Do you not drink with me?’ she asked.
U’shi shook her head. ‘I have prepared your clothes. I shall bring your meal.’
Lis nodded, unsure whether to sit at the table or check the clothes.
‘Come,’ U’shi said, her voice harsh. She indicated the clothes and then waited as Lis stepped forward.
Lis was unsure what she was waiting for, but then the woman sighed, walked around behind her and started to untie her sash.
‘I think I can change,’ Lis said.
‘You are a princess now; there is no need for you to do such things for yourself. I am here to assist with all your needs.’
‘Do I not get any time to myself?’
‘There is time of an evening before you sleep. Why would you need time alone?’
‘Did you study of a night?’
When there was no answer, Lis turned.
‘I am not to talk of my time as the hidden princess. I am no longer in such a position, and the records will not hold my name.’
‘But you have given so much.’
‘Not enough to count.’ U’shi’s voice gave away her frustrations if her words didn’t. ‘The honour will be yours, if the gods are willing.’
Lis nodded slowly an
d turned back to allow U’shi to help her out of her clothes. ‘Should I wear white for the prince?’
‘This is what you wear for classes. You will only dress as your station dictates when you go to the temple.’
‘How often can I go to the temple?’
‘The empress told you,’ U’shi said with a sigh. ‘You would do well to listen.’
‘Once a month?’
‘Exactly.’
Lis looked over the grey tunic. Even the lavender of U’shi’s maid uniform was more appealing. The material was thick and stiff, and Lis shifted uncomfortably beneath it. ‘I don’t feel like a princess,’ she muttered.
‘You have a long way to go. I don’t think three years will be enough.’
Lis sucked in a large breath as U’shi continued to stare at her. Then she shook out her arms and walked quickly towards the table. ‘I’m ready,’ she said, sitting carefully and pouring water into the single cup.
U’shi nodded and left the room.
Lis rolled her neck and tried to dispel some of the tension building in her shoulders. It already felt like the longest day of her life, and the midday sun was barely above them. It would be hours before her family was home again, likely after dark, and she wondered if Peng would still be waiting on the jetty as he had promised. How would her father break the news?
U’shi re-entered the room with a tray of bowls of various sizes. She sat one with rice directly in front of Lis and then the others around her. She poured more water into her cup and stood back. Lis glanced at her before peering into each bowl. The food was not as special as the first night at the palace, but it was all different to what she would have eaten at home. She spent her time picking through the bowls and trying not focus on the woman watching her who occasionally coughed or cleared her throat. But Lis had been eating on her own for some time, and she didn’t dribble any of it down her chin. She pushed the empty bowl away from her and leaned to the side.
A bell rang in the distance, and U’shi was grinning when Lis looked up. The bell grew louder as U’shi poured more water.
‘Do you hear that?’ she asked.
And then it stopped. Maybe there was someone passing the wall. Then the door slid open to reveal a furious Tutor Na.
‘I know that you are new, Your Highness,’ she said sharply, ‘but you will need to put in some effort if you are to be the empress the Empire expects you to be.’
Confused, Lis looked from the tutor to the still grinning U’shi. She sat the cup down, stood slowly and bowed low to the tutor. ‘I beg your forgiveness for my tardiness,’ she said softly. ‘I have no excuse, but I do have a question.’
The old woman nodded once.
‘Who was the former hidden princess’s maid?’
‘Shigi,’ Tutor Na said softly.
‘Was she good to the hidden princess? Did she assist her?’
‘She was excellent in her position, Your Highness. Why do you ask?’
‘I fear that U’shi has had others direct her movements for so long that she finds it difficult in her new position. I do not want her to suffer further because of this. Perhaps another role would be more appropriate, and Shigi returns here to assist me? Three years is not long in the life of the Empire, and I must utilise all the time I have.’
‘U’shi knows well enough what the call of the bell means, and the requirements of you. She is best placed to assist you.’
‘Perhaps you can explain the bell to me, so I can be sure not to anger you again.’
The tutor looked at U’shi with an angry glare, and the woman hung her head.
‘The bell is for your training time. It is rung at the beginning of each lesson and at the end. Between the bells you will be in the classroom.’
Lis bowed again and walked past the woman through to the classroom. She sat at the desk and looked over the tea set in the centre of it. She sat her hands in her lap and waited for the tutor, who was only a few steps behind. As U’shi appeared in the doorway, Tutor Na slid the door closed, keeping her out.
‘She should have told you what would be expected,’ the tutor said softly, indicating that Lis stand with an upward motion of her hand. ‘Today you will show me what skills you have with tea.’
Lis bowed her head in acknowledgement.
‘There may be times you will have to serve your husband. Tea is an important skill.’
‘I have made tea for Peng and his parents,’ Lis said softly, then bit her lip.
‘I understand the hardship,’ the tutor offered. ‘It is difficult for you both,’ she said, looking back at the door. ‘But this is your life and we have much to cover. Whether you have the skills or not, you must learn to do it as an empress would.’
Lis nodded slowly.
‘Now, make tea.’
Lis stood at the desk and moved through the ceremony she had learnt from her mother, trying hard to maintain smooth arm movements and steady hands. She was careful and deliberate with her folding of the napkin, and despite her stiff sleeves she held them as though they were the softest, longest silk. She imagined the gown she had put away for her wedding day that would never come.
She swallowed back the sadness that was building in her chest. It would come, but not as she’d pictured it, and she would be wearing red for another, a gown far more elaborate than the one she would have worn for Peng.
When she finished and presented the tea, the tutor only said, ‘Hmm.’
‘How can I improve?’ Lis asked quickly.
‘I don’t know that you can,’ Tutor Na said, and Lis stood back with her hands clenched in front of her. ‘It was perfect.’
Lis smiled at the compliment. ‘Thank you.’
‘There is so much more.’
Lis nodded and looked back to the ground. ‘Is there no other way?’ she asked quickly. ‘Could U’shi not remain the hidden princess?’
‘Prince Remi chose you. Tradition dictates that the empress must be two years younger.’
‘Why?’ she asked, sitting on the floor beside the desk.
‘Traditions are the realm of Tutor Jichun.’
‘I am to spend the next three years trapped in this palace,’ she said softly.
‘You will travel to the temple regularly.’
Lis sighed. ‘Out, but not out,’ she said.
The tutor indicated she sit down and then clapped her hands. U’shi appeared, collected the tea things and then disappeared.
Tutor Na laid out a large sheet of paper and placed small, round weights at its edges. Then she opened a drawer and pulled out several round brushes. She laid them down on the desk just as U’shi reappeared with ink.
‘Now, show me your writing skills, and then we shall look at your painting. Prepare silk,’ she said to U’shi as she ushered her from the room. ‘I want to see your embroidery.’
Lis nodded slowly, wondering how she was going to make it through this first day without her magic.
‘The character for your name, please, Your Highness,’ she instructed, and Lis picked up a brush and dipped it into the ink.
Chapter 7
Remi looked out over the view of the world from his balcony and waited. He had asked for an audience with his father, but the call was yet to come. It had already been days, and his mother had been silent on every subject except his bride, wondering if they had made the right decision.
It was too late, for she was already installed within the palace and the others had been sent away. Remi didn’t think there was much of a choice; they were all very similar when he had first looked over the line. Lisabet had intrigued him with her bare feet, and she was beautiful. He had guessed by his mother’s questions that she was not entirely convinced Lisabet was the best choice, but when the girl had mentioned his brother as she had, Remi couldn’t remember any of the others.
His chest tightened at the memory of kneeling before her, and her look of horror rather than the excitement he had been expecting. His grandmother had fainted when she was chosen. He realise
d in that moment who she was and that she was in love with another.
But life wasn’t about fairness or equality, and love was not part of the agreement. If it were, he would have been given the chance to find his own bride during his travels. That hadn’t been allowed either, despite his being the second son.
His brother’s death was where his focus should be, the issue of magic and the Empire. For if they were to continue as they were, if his father was to continue as Emperor, all magic had to be destroyed.
‘He will see you,’ a voice said quietly behind Remi, and when he turned, the advisor was already on his way out the door.
Remi strode quickly behind him to catch him up and then slowed to a reasonable pace, trying to look like the prince his mother expected him to be. He nodded to several men he passed along the way, one of them a high-ranking soldier, and thought he would have liked to spend some more time with General Long. He wanted to learn from the great man what he had done during the magic war and how he had managed to be instrumental in stamping out the magic in the Empire.
But as they reached his father’s study, he thought of his brother’s burnt, twisted body and remembered that magic hadn’t been expelled from the Empire at all. That was exactly the point he needed his father to admit so they could find his killer.
The emperor beamed at Remi as he moved quickly into the room and dropped to his knees.
‘I trust you are content with your choice of bride,’ he said.
Remi looked up and nodded once.
‘She is very beautiful, and your mother tells me she sings like an angel.’
Remi nodded mutely, remembering the soft, sweet voice that had unexpectedly tugged at emotions he rarely showed.
‘Well, you only have three years to wait until she is ready to stand beside you, and then you can learn all you wish of her. Your brother had to wait so much longer, and I’m sure there were times he tried to sneak into the hidden princess’s palace just to remind himself what she looked like.’ He smiled wistfully.
‘I want to speak to you of Ta-Sho.’
The emperor sighed.
‘We cannot let his killer go free.’
‘I agree,’ he said, standing from behind the desk, ‘but we can make no announcements in regard to his death. We cannot publicly seek out one with magic.’
The Magics of Rei-Een Box Set Page 5
