Love In The Palace

Torn

So, she secretly has been praying every night for her baby to be a girl, a princess.

---

"Prince's Consort! Prince's Consort!" From the dark wood doors which have been opened wide since the sun rises from the east, steps in a servant dressed in white with simple sky blue embroideries at the edges, her steps loud enough to irritate her master.

"What?!" She slams the wooden roll of book onto her wooden table, accidentally toppling over the plate of grapes placed on a wooden platfrom, the fruits rolling all over the place on the floor, slowly coming to a stop.

"This... Prince's Consort...." Her servant timidly digs out a cloth doll from her sleeves, with needles poked onto it and a name written on it; Jade.

"What have you done?!" Prince's Consort suppresses her voice so as to not attract anyone's attention, her eyes are squinted at the sight of that doll, disgusted.

"No! This is not your servant's doing, Prince's Consort! Your servant found this under Autumn's mattress."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Your Highness! Your servant dares not lie to you."

"Perfect! My months of waiting and provoking her have finally fruited!" Her smile cannot be hidden, she is beyond delighted, as though her humanity has been completely erased. How can such a beautiful woman be so merciless in her actions at her golden young age?

No one should blame her for it, as she personally witnessed her father's mistress scheming to kill her mother while making everything look like an accident. Back then, she was barely ten years old, she knew that no one would trust a child's words. She knew that her father's mistress would not let her live if she were to spill the truth.

All she could do was weep bitterly as she swallowed the truth, while holding onto her five years old brother. Justice could not be done to her father's mistress, for her father would protect her, she was sure of it. Thus, she learned everything from the mistress, who throughout the years had managed to eliminate other mistresses and their children. One day, the mistress was found floating in the pond, dead, the same way her mother died.

There was fear within her when she watched that mistress struggling to her last breath, but it slowly subsided as her evil had taken over. To her, that was justice, that was karma.

Ever since then, she became the indisputable ruler of women in the Yang household, at a young age, with the support of Minister Yang's eldest son, her own brother. No mistress dared to offend her.

Cruel as she may be, but she has been forced to morph into such a monster, by the humans' greed.

Yes, no one should blame her. After all, she lost her mother at the age when she is most vulnerable, with no one to guide her, with no one to tell her the right from wrong. After all, we all humans are born an angel. And the hardest stains to clean ever, are the stains on our pure white hearts.

"Invite Crown Princess and Mistress Leanne in three more days to enjoy the opera at the...Autumn's Leaves Stage." And she snickers, together with her servant.

For that particular palace's stage is located just next to a big koi pond.

---

The three young women, Shana, Jade and Chisa sits on their own cushions, with their own tables and snacks and cups of tea. The pavilion is located at the edge of the pond, facing a big and wide stage built majestically for a large group of opera dancers to perform on.

The three are chit-chatting comfortably as though there is no apparent grudge between their husbands, like they are simply friends.

"Mistress Leanne must be tired from all the talking. Should we enjoy another opera? This time, you will be the one choosing what you want to watch, since you are pregnant." Chisa places an emphasise on the word pregnant while taking a secret glance at Shana, another of her trick to turn the tables against Jade. She smiles her prettiest, to present her innocent looks which hide thousands of cunning schemes.