The Emperor's Female Official (Slow Updates)

2

Merry Xmas & Happy Holidays.

4 days before the banquet

Tao couldn't stop the giggle that left his mouth as he watched a few of the children running around the West wing. Just says he couldn't help the bitter feeling that crapped into his chest as he thought about the night before. Spotting his good friend Shua alongside for daughter making their way over towards him.

Looking around the courtyard he couldn't help but to think that at least one good thing came from their mother which was her once and desire to make sure that any child that might bear any royal blood or the blood of any of the guards or other noblemen we're well taken care of even if they were hidden away from society until they were old enough to work themselves within the palace walls. I couldn't help but to think of the night he had met Shua. Had taken the blame for the death of his mother's advisor who had decided it would be a good idea for him to throw himself upon the barely 15-year-old girl. His assault forever immortalized by the daughter that she would one day birth yet the strength of his friend as she sat there and not only survived through the horror mentally given to her by that night of being taken and then having to take a life but also the love that she still showed for her daughter regardless of how her conception came to be. Something he knew his mother would never be strong enough to have ever done.

The third Prince Tao was known as his mother's greatest failure as far as her people that resigned in the palace were concerned. Even now after her death there was still so many of them who deemed him as nothing more than an arrogant prince. Most of them unaware or pretending to be of the atrocities that his mother had done to him. The many nights of him being isolated in the farthest reach of the palace left to fend for himself in some of the worst servant quarters that they don't even use anymore. How every time he dare to question her authority she would lash out at him.

How the only people who ever treated him like a person and showed him kindness for the women who were owned by the tea houses the brothwallsHow he would visit them not for carnal pleasures before companionship they would talk for hours they would teach him how the city truly worked how the noble men and women worked outside of their perfect facades that they created and played up within the palace walls.

He is no saint and of course he has had his lover here and there but none of them had ever been anything other than regular citizens of the city noblemen and woman who may or may not have been disowned by their families kindred spirits and never taken any of the women he would visit too bed with him.

Contrary to popular belief the reason why the women love him so much is because if they were being harassed by noble man or his wife he would take them on and make sure that everyone knew that they were under his protection the fact that they would be so simple-minded as to assume that meant they must be sleeping together too was not of his concern he was able to do what he had to do to protect them and then he would proceed to help them if they had someone that also had affections for them to find a way to get the two to Wed regardless of status. Or to help them find love and a life outside of the city walls where their previous employment would mean nothing.

They saw him as the guardian angel to protect. Many of them didn't even like the crown Prince but could not show this favor with him. And the meeting last night solidified that for him their brother was many things but fit to truly rule was not one of them.

Flashback to the night before

"What are you guys even doing what do you mean this is the first time you've met up? All this time I've had the burden of the empire on my back and you're telling me that you would have these little get togethers to do what gossip..."