Of Forgotten Dreams (Book 1) [NANOWRIMO 2022]

Chapter 18

Daring herself to lift her head further, she saw that there was a pavilion situated at the opposite end of the gardens. She could see several ladies inside, and guessed that they were the consorts that needed servant maidens.

They crossed the paths, and slowly, they wound up in front of the pavilion. Eunuch Liu waved his horsetail whisk and bowed, while Yun and the other maid servants knelt down on both knees.

"Your Highnesses, these are the new maidens."

"You've done a good job in taking care of them." One of the consorts started, praising the eunuch. The others followed, nodding and saying words of praise as well. But Yun noticed that one of them kept quiet throughout the whole exchange.

"You, what's your name?" She suddenly asked, lifting a finger towards Yun.

"My name is Shu." Yun replied, lowering her head. As if irritated again, she felt the uneasy sensation course through her stomach. Gripped her fingers tightly, she willed the light to dim. Why is it acting up?

"Shu." The sultry voice repeated the word again. "Shu Yun, perhaps?"

It was followed by a knowing laughter that sounded spellbinding, and Yun suddenly found herself having to fight the urge to look up at the owner of the voice.

"My name is Shu only, Your Highness. I do not go by Yun." She said, bowing deeper forwards, her strands of hair brushing against the ground. The thudding of her heart was enough to fill in the silence that followed, and something fit into place.

The owner of this voice, she was the one that Eunuch Liu was talking about.

"My, my. What an attitude. I think I would enjoy having you around my side."

Yun's blood ran cold. Her mind immediately struggled to think of a way out of this situation, but there was no way to turn a consort down without infuriating her. And that was the last thing that she would want to do.

"Lift your head up, young girl. I want to be acquainted with you so that you will know me for your days to come."

Yun straightened her back, but kept her eyes on the ground, allowing the breeze to tug on her hair so that it obscured her features.

"Lift your head, you insolent thing." Eunuch Liu yelled at her as he walked over.

Taking a deep breath, Yun steeled herself for what was to come, and she lifted her gaze. Another pair of eyes made contact with hers, and Yun found herself falling, and falling into the depths of the pair of warm brown eyes. Mesmerized by the flecks of green in them, Yun thought that she could look at them all day, before they blinked. Whatever spell that Yun was under was immediately broken, and her knees became weak as they slumped.

"She could use some training."

Yun lifted her eyes again, and this time, took the lady in completely. She was slim, yet curvaceous and wore a stunning robe of blue with gold threading. Her hair was tucked with gold pins, the errant curls loose doing nothing to lessen her beauty. Her lips were lined with a deep red, however, the most striking feature she had was still her eyes. Although the green in them had somehow disappeared, the brown still stood out.

"Sisters, if you don't mind, I would like her to be my handmaiden."

The other ladies shook their heads almost immediately, murmuring their consent to the decision.

Yun found the world crashing down on her in that moment, unable to do anything to prevent it. I'm never going to leave. She thought, horrified. But in the few moments that her mind blanked out, footsteps suddenly echoed in her ears.

She turned around, and her mouth dropped open as she registered the presence of the girl walking up to them. It was Ying, the girl that she had seen before outside the palace. A gold pin was in her hair, catching the sunlight as her brown locks bounced with each step she took towards them.

"Well, if it isn't the precious student of the palace." Although the consort chuckled, her voice sounded cold, and somewhat hostile.

"Imperial Consort Hua." Ying curtsied, the yellow fabric gathering around her ankles. "I'm afraid I must object."

The smile immediately disappeared from the former's face. "I do not recall that your teacher can meddle with the affairs of the Imperial Harem."

"Lord Xu Heng still does not have the ability to do so. However, under such circumstances which this maiden is already her student, he does have the power to object your request."

Ying turned over towards Yun and with both hands, lifted her up to her feet as if she weighted nothing.

"And how would you support this claim?"

"Yun already has the same hairpin as I have, hence, putting us at equal status."

The air grew silent as the both of them stared at each other, neither one of them letting up. Yun just remained silent at the turn of events, but she had however, pulled out the hairpin from the folds of her robes. The gold caught the sun, and Imperial Consort Hua immediately focused on it, her lips down turning.

"Very well, then. Tell your master that I will remember this." She let up, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"I will. Have a good day, Imperial Consort Hua."