The Emperor's Shadow

Chapter Two

My first day as the Emperor's Shadow made me grateful to be covered in heavy makeup. With all eyes on me the entire day, my cheeks never cooled.

Many seemed overjoyed to see a concubine following the Emperor, that is until they realized I was a foreigner. Walking the palace grounds was different now. I had always had to weave through people in order to get anywhere, but now there was only the Emperor in front of me. Everyone cleared the path when they caught a glimpse of imperial robes.

There was only a short walk from the Emperor's quarters to the throne room. Each step closer to the daunting chamber further twisted my stomach. I could almost feel the ostentatiousness from the front path. If I thought palace servants would be condescending, I dreaded to be in the presence of nobility who lived for nothing but the Emperor's favor and their own pockets.

I made sure to follow him within the given parameters. To me, the distance seemed both worlds apart and far too close altogether. Our proximity allowed his ridiculous build to act as a shield for me, however, every cell in my body was screeching at me that I shouldn't be there. The peering eyes of my former peers combined with my own basic survival instincts made staying in place the hardest task I'd ever been given.

The man holding my invisible leash, however, seemed unfazed. He didn't appear as stoic as he had when I had chanced a peek at him before. Instead, he seemed to move with lighter footsteps. His strides that had seemed so long and fast-paced yesterday were now leisurely and silent. I'm sure the fact that it was impossible for me to match his normal pace in such tight, heavy garments had something to do with it.

The courtyard leading to the throne room had never seemed so small. My first day here it felt like it took half the day to walk across, now it seemed as though I was at the gate then suddenly at the front steps in a single stride.

The doors opened with hardly a sound as we entered. All around us were men in official uniforms with long grey beards whose nose hairs were almost as long as their ear hairs. Each's back was respectfully bent at an angle I worried they would not manage to rise from in their old age. As soon as my freshly made slippers crossed the threshold, poorly concealed whispers darted around us like hissing vipers.

"A concubine!"

"His Majesty has finally found company in a partner!"

"He brought him here though? To a politics meeting? How... unprecedented..."

"Hush, fool! How many years have we- wait, he's a foreigner!"

Each crackling voice had a new revelation about my appearance and what my presence could mean. The beedy stares on me were expected but all the same unwelcome.

By the time we had crossed the space between the doors and the steps to the throne, I was panicking. Where should I stand? I haven't seen where a concubine should stand in here because there has never been one!

My frantic gaze met the Head Eunuch's who hurriedly attempted to usher me to a spot at the top of the stairs. It was a respectful distance from the throne that would keep me out of the conversation while giving situating me in a place that signified the status of the Emperor's companion.

"Little Shadow," a voice boomed, silencing the whispers around me and my heartbeat in the process, "Your measurement of two feet must have increased drastically since we stepped into the throne room." His voice was rigid and firm. It made every bone in my body wish it had been turned to dust rather than suffer the pressure of his scolding.

Immediately I bowed in the sharpest angle I had ever managed and promptly scurried back to his side. He had stopped his procession as soon as I tried to step a foot away, but he hadn't looked back once. Somehow, he could simply sense me. The Head Eunuch next to me nearly fainted in humiliation and glanced at me with eyes of remorse deeper than I had ever seen.