Hi again! This is chapter 10! So...please read on! :)
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Jade's POV:
My eyes are definitely not lying. Though I might have met her only once, during the banquet for General Wales, I have certainly remembered her face that upholds the aura of the imperial family, yet at the same time veils up sorrow. In the face of someone belonging to the imperial family, sorrow....shouldn't have existed. Why does it still exist then?
In her eyes, feat are deeply-rooted, as it gleams with wetness. Behind her, her lady-in-waiting grits her teeth, both are trembling uncontrollably. This is a sin worthy of death, or at least house arrest, just like Crown Prince. I know, for once, that she risks everything, just to come to the memorial. But, what for?
Then it strikes me, that she is the official wife of the late Emperor. No doubt, she comes for him.
"You! What are you doing there?!" Another servant rises her voice at me, her voice clearly carries annoyance.
"No, nothing. I just, feel a little dizzy. Today is hot."
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Author'a POV:
"You say.... That was Crown Prince's new servant? Jade?" She whispers, while gripping her silk shawl so tight that wrinkles are starting to form.
"Yes, Your Highness."
Empress Dowager is well aware of the two factions formed within the harem and court. One sides with the Empress, struggling to make Crown Prince the next Emperor while the other sides with Consort Shine, eager to witness the downfall of Crown Prince and the rise of Third Prince. The days she's spent praying for the peace of the imperial family in her palace's altar could have been all in vain. However, she knew, ironically, that she's the main cause of the factionalised harem.
Consort Shine is born of the Shine noble family, a family that's served the imperial family for generations ever since the founding of the dynasty and has gained way too much power for the empire's good. Empress was born of the Harv family, a noble family much more inferior to the Shines. Having a powerhouse in the empire would pose a great threat to the possibilities of scandals to overthrow the Emperor. Thus she introduced Milea Harv and coronated her to be the Empress, limiting the Shines' power, though in the end it results in the harem now being in much more chaos.
"Ava, find her. I need to talk to her."
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Jade's POV:
"Greetings, Your Highness Empress Dowager." My heart has been racing uncontrollably. There's no reason why the Empress Dowager would ask for me...unless she wants to discuss about me witnessing her violating the palace rules of Emperors' memorial.
"You may rise, my child." My child, she said.
"Have a seat." The politeness from a woman with highest status under the heaven has me put on my guard. Again, she smiles, as if reassuring me that no danger would befall me. Though with much hesitation, I give in and sit uncomfortably on the wooden chair, keeping my head down.
"You may be asking yourself as to why, I called you. Perhaps, it is best if I tell you first. I want to confide in you." Confide in me? An Empress Dowager, wants to confide in me, this little lowly servant? I must be dreaming.
"I could've been put under house arrest, or worse, executed if you made a scene when you saw me at the Late Emperor's memorial." I choose to remain silent, for I find no need to reply to this.
"I have a request to make to you."
"...." Again, I could only peek at her, like a kitten before a lion.
"I need you, to side with the Crown Prince and the Empress." When she notices the confusion on my expression, she further elaborates.
"It does take time for you to understand. When you do, you will know what I am trying to say."
"Why?" I find myself asking unknowingly, nervously gripping my dress. I look at her sighing for the countless times.
"I have indirectly meddled with the court, once. Everything turned into silent disorder. Now, I need to bring back order to the imperial family before I leave this world for good. Only the current Crown Prince can be the next Emperor. No one else should. And with that, I need your help."
"Why...me?"
"You will understand it one day too."
"..."
"Of course, you will be rewarded. With anything reasonable and anything you want. No matter how much. Land, house, money. Or even... Nobility." She emphasises on her last word, but I know I'm not interested in nobility. I can't defend myself against the society and life full of scheming of nobles.
"I just...want to stay alive until I am released from the palace. Then, I want a house decent enough at the East Mountain, alone."
"Are you sure? You could be the wife of the son of any rich man, under a noble name."
"I am truly sorry and...pardon my rudeness. I want a serene and peaceful life, not a life where I constantly worry about everything." The life in the palace has already seemed too dramatic for me to handle.
"....Very well. You may go now. But remember what I told you, stay beside the Empress and Crown Prince." I muster up enough courage to look at her in the eyes, defying the palace rules. Then I lower my body into a curtsy, before leaving the room that's been filled with fragrant smell of incense.
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Author's POV:
"She is just like me many years ago, Ava. Me too, I only wished for survival and nothing else when I was forced by my deceased father to participate in the concubine selection. However, when I wished for nothing, I seemed to obtain everything others wanted to possess. I am just hoping that she does not end up like me." After finishing that sentence, she painstakingly pushes herself up from her seat and slowly strolls towards her palace' altar, to pray for the imperial family. It's all she's ever done. She's never prayed for her own health, despite herself knowing how much time she has left. She's warned all imperial physicians to keep silent about her deteriorating health. Any human being would definitely want to live much longer, but not for the Empress Dowager. She's grown tired of her life in the palace and she wants to leave soon, to the side of the Late Emperor, although she knows that he might never have even waited for her up there.
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Author's POV:
The fluffy clouds are swirling, decorating the clear blue sky as the sun generously smiles on earth with its light. In the field, many soldiers dressed in armours could be seen in their positions, practising their swordsmanship. Standing before the army of shoulders is a man of bigger build, with silver shining armour wrapped around his body that's accompanied him to countless battles, all ending in victories.
"Raise up your swords higher! Thrust with power! How can you cut the enemy up with such a weak swing?!" His voice seems to miraculously echo in the open field, though perhaps it's all just some imaginations.
Their training is proceeding considerably smoothly today, until a soldier at the front row with scars all over his body, probably the mark of his many victories, puts down his sword all of sudden and kneels instantly. Everyone's eyes are turned towards him, then to the direction he's kneeling to.
"Greetings, Your Highness Empress!" Everyone reflexivelt kneels before her. That man makes sure to keep his eyes away from hers. One reason, is that because she's the Empress, and he's the general of the empire. Another reason is....because he finds her unforgivable.
"All of you may rise." Her gentle words surprise him no more. He reluctantly lifts his weight up, his eyes still remain on the dust on the ground. He nods his head and excuses himself, swiftly turning his body around and swings his arm to gather the attention of all soldiers.
"Today's practice ends here! All of you may return!" The rows of soldiers soon disassemble into a messy crowd that seems like ants crowding around sugar. All of them pick their swords, sheathe them back in their sheaths and hurriedly walk back to their barracks located nearby.
"May I know why Your Highness come here today?" With his usual stoic expression, he asks calmly, as if he does not care at all. The Empress eyes her lady-in-waiting from the corner of her eyes and lifts her arm up slightly. Comprehending her master's signals, Lis instantly gathers all of the Empress' servants and guards and leaves her alone with General Wales.
"There is no longer any need for formalities, now that we are alone. However, I do not blame you if you insist on it." She faces him, yet her gaze falls far behind him, into the horizon which separates the bright green fields from the beautiful blue sky. The two are so harmonious, yet they could never be together, because of the existence of the line that separates the two, that is the horizon. That horizon too, exists between her and him, for she is the sky, high up on the social caste, while he is the ground, a mere pawn of the empire.
When he chooses to remain silent, she sighs, and decides to confess her troubles first.
"I need more support from the Wales family to maintain Crown Prince's position. I hope that you would be willing to talk to Commander Wales. I believe he would be willing to help me. No matter what, he is still my godfather." She chooses her words carefully, expecting a reply. When moments have passed, and she seems to give up on receiving a word from him and decides to speak up again, all to be interrupted by his words, which are undoubtedly rare.
"But I do not admit him being your godfather." His words take her aback, yet she chuckles, for she knows the truth already.
"I know. You never have, ever since her death. You even blame me for her demise. How could you even bear to hear me calling your biological father, godfather?" He turns his back on her, not wanting to hear anymore. Deep inside, he knows he can't do that.
"It still surprises me though, that you are finally willing to talk to me, at least. If you are unwilling to help me talk to Commander Wales, fine. I will do it myself." He pretends to hear of nothing.
"Her death anniversary is coming up soon. Every year, even when you where still at the North, you always go and never forget to place her favourite pink lotus on her grave. I know of everything. This year too...I am sure you would go as well."
"I wonder if Your Highness come here today to talk about Crown Prince or your younger sister. I will, however, be interested in talking about only the former, not the latter."
"Your words have always been full of lies, have they not? How could you be not interested in talking about Miya. She has always been your love, even when twenty years have passed."
"..."
"It has been more than twenty years too, since the last time we have ever talked properly, like how we used to be." The Empress walks up, positioning herself right beside him. She can feel his shadow towering over her. How she misses the protective feelings she used to feel when she was with him.
"If Your Highness do regret it this much, why Your Highness did not save her?"
"How many times must I tell you?! The Imperial Physicians were all dispatched to help with my delivery of the Crown Prince! I know nothing about the mishap that befell her!" Her frustration rises as her eyes begin to turn glassy. He knows that she will be crying soon, for they have known each other, perhaps even before they were born.
"Yes Your Highness do know. You fail as a sister, for Your Highness grew jealous of her." He diverts his gaze, down at her. For a moment, they are just staring into each other's eyes, saying nothing.
"Fine. But you do know too, the reason for my jealousy. Who is to be blamed then?" Her words which are full of honesty have him stoned for a second.
"Your Highness, please do not forget your position." Again, he purposely diverts his eyes away from her, on the ground. He knows who she is referring to, but he has never looked at her that way, as he only loves her sister.
"Yes, I have never forgotten it. You, however, seem to have forgotten that I was not the Empress until Crown Prince was born. Therefore during my delivery of the Crown Prince, I was just a mere consort! I had no power to send any imperial physicians to save Miya!"
"At least, attend her funeral! She is your...sister.... Of the same father and mother!" Disbelief is distinctly existent in his tone.
"I just gave birth to Crown Prince! Palace rules forbid me from attending a funeral when I just had an auspicious occasion!"
"Your Highness could attend, if Your Highness were willing to risk your Empress status. But no, Your Highness could not, for you love your status more than your sister's life."
"Why are you just not willing to believe me?"
"For you are too selfish. I cannot forgive Your Highness, who became an Empress with her hands stained with her own sister's blood." It is the most heated argument they ever have in their whole lives, and sadly too, their longest conversation ever since Miya's death. General Wales just does not know how much more stress he is putting on the Empress. No matter what, an Empress is still a fragile woman, a woman younger than him. The word Empress being labelled on her have people to indiscriminatingly think that she is emotionally extremely strong, close to immortal. It is just a stigma that exists in the harem, that causes many to want to crush her to obtain her seat. This is the price she has to pay, to be an Empress.
"If I knew being born a Harv would cause me so much misery, I would rather be born a commoner."
When he hears her of saying that, he knows that he has gone overboard. He has pressured her too much, that the Empress of the empire even breaks down so low. His words are just worsening their already-shattered relationship.
"I do not wish to talk any further." He says. She wipes off her tears and turns around too, facing the direction she came from.
"Then, I will just talk to Commander Wales myself." And she leaves him deep in thought, alone as he stands there, motionless.
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Phew this is a very dramatic chapter!
And I just can't believe that LOVE IN THE PALACE hit 5k READS and 200 VOTES! I love you guys!
Translation!
Miya: Mêi Yún
Many of you would be wondering why the Empress is forbidden from attending Miya's funeral when she had just given birth to the Crown Prince. Funerals are considered as a bad occasion(sad, and so on) and the birth of a Crown Prince is a joyous one. If the Empress visited the funeral, many were afraid that she might pass the bad lucks she had caught on to the Crown Prince(they were just being superstitious). That is why!
Thank you for reading! Hope to see you again in the next chapter!