The lady haven

Prologue

Imperial China - 953 A.D. 

Yin dynasty - At the Concubine Court

He had summoned her. She watched the crescent moon in deep thoughts. Finally, this night had come. The servants had been spreading rumors about her in the court over months. He had sent many spies, trying to sneak through her quarters, just to try and catch a glimpse of her. See if her  beauty was as rumored. 

If she failed to prove herself tonight, he would lose interest in her forever. She could not disappoint.. Her family would be ashamed, and she would live her life out as an old maid hidden in the corners of the concubine court. 

No, she could not fail! She had worked all these months to pique his slightest interest. 

Hours of relentless dancing at night, up again before dawn to stretch her lean body. Making it more slender than it already was. Her body moved like a willow. It swayed like delicate flowers in the wind. Her hair was darker than the night and glistened with the rich oils his court had sent to her, along with the summon. She had lined her almond eyes with a fine, sharp line. She knew how to make her allure stand out. Yet, so did the other concubines in court, even better then her. How could she claim his sole attention out of the others? 

A knock came at the door. 'Come in', she whispered. 'Mistress,' her servant slid in the room on her knees, 'may I dress you?'  

Yao turned her head, closed her eyes. 'Yes', she said. 

Together they put on the layers of white silk. Her hair, combed and piled on top of her head, now adorned with jade combs. From her earlobes dangled the glistening green stones, catching every spark of light in the dark. She looked at herself, seeing the woman she was. Entrancing, mesmerizing.

But not a beauty like his Empress was. 

Yao took her decision. She knew what she would have to do to solidify her position at court. She sat down. 'Yu'er', she called. 'Yes, mistress?', her servant answered. 'Bring another two white cloths'.

She lifted her feet up, admired lastly their slender, elongated shape. 

Then, taking in a deep breath, she took her toes steadily in one hand and started bending. The bones crunched, snapping. The noise heart wrenching. Her heart clenched inside her. Tears threatened to come through, but she repeated inside relentlessly: 'Through pain comes beauty.' 'His admiration will be worth it.' 'It will be worth it.' 'It will be worth it.'

Her servant watched beside her, sobbing silently, as her mistress broke her feet and bound them into tiny lotus like shapes. Yu'er loved her mistress very much, yet she did nothing to stop her. For she knew, as every woman in court knew. That the emperor's love must be attained. 

two hours later - in the grand hall 

Yao walked down the hall, her tiny feet in little silk shoes, peeking through the slits of her clothes. She captured every attention, every guard, servant, man in the room followed her with their eyes. 

She reached the golden lotus inkling on the ground in front of his throne and stood still in the center. 

'Yao', his husky voice called. 'Emperor', she answered. 

'Look at me', he said. She tilted her head up, eyes closed, allowing him to finally see her face. 

Then she looked at him through her slitted eyelids. Once their eyes met, she knew. 

He was hers now. 

'Dance', Emperor Li Yu commanded. 

And so she did. Yao danced, she danced magnificently on her tiny lotus feet. That same night, Yao was asked to attend the emperor. Under the same moon, the breathless voices, now coming out form his chambers, attested to her beauty. He spoke of her beauty in every inch of her skin, admiring it for the whole night. 

The next, the story of Yao spread out. Like a fire, through the Forbidden City, through the whole of Beijing. And within a fortnight, throughout the whole empire of China. And by doing so, the fates of every girl in China for the coming centuries were sealed.