The Emperor's Last Consort

Chapter 4

"The annual palace dance?" Rukia's eyes were wide. The young consort was sitting at the pavilion in the Palace of the Eastern Snow, overlooking the beautiful stream that snaked its way across the gardens. Rukia and her friends had taken to the pavilion on the lazy afternoon to enjoy lunch together, and the place was fast becoming one of Rukia's favourite locations in the palace.

Hinamori, her young maid who was seated opposite her, nodded. "It is one of the bigger events in the palace, to celebrate the new consorts that have been inducted into the palace. It is also an opportunity for the Emperor to see for himself the young beautiful women who have been selected into his harem."

Hiyori, who was leaning against one of the pillars of the pavilion also nodded. "It will be held in a month from now, and all consorts will have to take part."

"But beneath the surface, that is not the actual point of the dance." Shinji spoke up.

"Oh?" Rukia turned a questioning look on her good friend.

"The annual palace dance by the new consorts is something like a bidding market for the palace officials, where they will try to determine the potential of any new consorts to catch the Emperor's eye. If they see a potential consort, they will try to curry the favour of said consort in order to widen their influence into the Emperor's good books."

"That is terrible," Rukia commented.

"That is politics," Shinji corrected her. "The better you dance, the better favours you will get. All the officials are merely trying to strengthen their position in court." He smiled. "However, ever since Emperor Byakuya ascended the throne, the process has been rendered useless every single year. The Emperor has never shown any favour to any of the women." Shinji chuckled. "Nowadays, I only go there to watch the entertainment."

Hiyori laughed. "I do too." Hinamori smiled and nodded her head.

"But it will be a little different this year," Shinji announced as he clapped his hands together. "This year, we will be going to watch our consort dance."

"Me?" Rukia's eyes were wide. "I... I do not dance."

"Sure you do. We will train you." A dangerous glint was already making its way into the young eunuch's eyes. "Be prepared to work hard, really hard."

Rukia unconsciously gulped.

"After all, we have never had the chance to train any consort from our palace for the dance." Hiyori laughed. "They had all packed their bags and left before then."

The merry laughter erupted from the pavilion.
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But by afternoon the next day, Rukia did not feel like laughing at all. She had awoken this morning to an imperial edict at her doorstep, decreeing that all consorts be present at the Western Jade Hall for dance training, to be overseen by Lady Unohana.

Rukia had flown into a slight panic, she knew nothing about dancing. From what she had heard from Shinji, the art of dancing was something practiced by noble women since they were young girls, surely they would notice that she was not of noble blood! A very nervous Rukia had been reassured by Shinji, and then Hiyori and Hinamori had fitted her into a light purple kimono with a white sash. They swept her hair up behind her head, and added a few gold hairpins with dangling butterflies.

Now Rukia stood helplessly in the hall with the rest of the new consorts, her hands clasped together as she tried not to let the nervousness overwhelm her. She knew none of the fellow consorts, and all of them did not seem too friendly.

Rukia only wanted the whole thing to be done with, and return to her palace and friends.

"Oh!" Her violet eyes widened as she felt something knock her slightly in the back. Rukia was thrown off balance for while but she easily regained her footing without falling. She turned to look at who had banged into her, expecting a rude comment about being in the way.