The Emperor's Concubine

Chapter Eight

I spend my days hiding in the library.
The fear of meeting someone new, let alone the entire harem of his highness seems far too scary, so socializing doesn't seem like an option for now.
Hiding in my own small world of books, I catch a glimpse of a few ladies walking outside.

"Would they be nice to me?" I whisper.
A brief image comes to mind of the royal guard I ran into a few nights prior.
Startled, I shake my head to rid my thoughts, but can only ponder about the encounter.
"He wasn't mean." I mumble to myself.

He wasn't mean or scary like every other knight I've had to be near. He was still intimidating, but he had an approachable air to him.
"If he was kind, maybe they'll be kind too..." I whisper, watching the two ladies laugh with each other.
They enter the golden palace and I stare at the doors for a moment.

"Lady Luna, I've prepared some tea for you!" Magnolia enters the library carrying a tray of snacks, a teapot and teacup.
"Thank you, Maggie."
I sip the tea feeling fatigued.
Unable to sleep at night due to nightmares, I've resorted to reading all night and taking a short nap early morning when the sun begins to hit the horizon.

I sigh feeling my head ache.
"My lady, are you feeling alright?" Magnolia asks, worried.
"I'm fine, don't worry. You may go to sleep now, I'll stay up late again tonight."
"Yes, my lady. Is it okay to neglect sleep this much?"
"Don't worry about me, you should go on and rest. Thank you for your help today, Maggie."
"Thank you, I hope you're able to sleep well tonight..." Magnolia reluctantly leaves the library, bowing.
I begin to spend hours reading.

Glancing at the clock, I see it's 2:34am.
I sigh, rubbing my eyes lightly. Marking the page in my book, I set it down and grab my hooded cloak.

I leave the library going on a short walk. Walking in the forest, I can't help but admire the scent of the trees.
I take a deep breath, stretching my arms and back.

"Show yourself."

A deep clear voice calls out.
The voice instantly sending shivers down my spine.
I turn around quickly, my hood flying off my head as I see the same guard from a few nights ago.

"Oh, we meet again... I-I'm Luna from the golden palace..." I call out.
I walk closer to see his eyes—a bright red hue—change to a golden tone.
"You again? I've warned you of trespassing."
"Ah well, I thought because this was so far from the palace, it wasn't intruding on his property."
"Don't be careless. Every inch of land in the empire is his."

There's a small silence as he walks past me, heading back to the direction of the palace.
I slightly turn my head, following his back with my eyes.
Running to catch up with him, I tilt my head to peak at his face.
"You know, I'm part of his harem." I speak walking beside him.
He glares down at me.
"Since every inch of land is his, does this mean I'm not allowed in the golden palace?" He looks at me scowling, I can't help but smile from attempting to banter.
"I wouldn't go on his own palace grounds of course, but even if I stepped into the forest it shouldn't be that big of an issue. Should it?"
The guard rolls his eyes, refusing to reply.
I sigh and nod slightly.
"Ah, I'm bothering you. I apologize, I only meant it as a joke. I didn't mean to disturb you..." I curtsy to him, beginning to walk in the direction of the library.

I slow my tracks.
My head pounds vigorously with a loud ringing, echoing in my head. My legs buckle, causing me to stumble. My body collapses to the ground as I suddenly lose my consciousness.

I open my eyes slowly.
My eyes focus to the surroundings moving by. I look up and realize the guard is carrying me.
I quickly grow flustered by his body so close to mine.

"Y-You can put me down, I'm just going back to the library-" I stammer, surprised by his actions.
"You've collapsed. The dark circles under your eyes and considering how the library lights were on the past few nights, lead me to believe you haven't slept. I shall bring you to your bedroom-"
"No! Please!" I shout, petrified.
He looks at me, taken aback.
"If you're uncomfortable with a man in your chambers, I was only going to escort you to your door-"
"N-No, please! I-I don't want to be in that room..." I wiggle out of his arms.
My heart beating quickly as I think about my room.
I take a deep breath, my hands uncontrollably trembling.
The guard only stares at me, bewildered.
"T-Thank you for your help, but I have more books to read. If you'll excuse me..." I curtsy before running to the library.

Reaching the library doors, I quickly enter, slamming the doors behind me.
Leaning against the closed doors, the image of Queen Leveanne chasing after me plays in my mind.
My legs tremble as I slowly make my way to sit in my chair. I take a deep breath comforted by the plush cushion and the warm library lights.

I pick up my book, flipping to the page I left off at.
My eyes begin to water as I stare blankly at the words on the pages. I wipe my wet eyes, taking a deep breath to keep from crying. Focusing on reading, I ignore the unsettling feeling in my chest.

"Good morning, Lady Luna." Lance calls out, entering the library with a tray of tea and snacks.
Magnolia enters the library, following behind him. I look down to them from the top floor of the library.
"Oh good morning, what time is it?" I ask.
"It's 7:23am, my lady. Do you mind coming down to talk?"

I nod, sliding down the ladders. Fixing my hair and dress as I walk to the table.
"What's the matter?" I ask.
I sit down as Magnolia serves the tea.
"My lady, I hope you understand but Magnolia is still new. Though she's a very diligent worker, she's still new on how to handle certain situations, especially when it comes to the lady she's serving..."
I look at Magnolia and Lance who seem conflicted.
"Please be honest. I apologize if I did something to upset you both, but you may speak freely with me." I softly smile, seeing them both act awkward.
Lance nods and continues.
"Magnolia cannot control your schedule. She only needs to serve you, advise you if need be, but your health is important and there's been some concerns regarding it, which is why I'm here. She's informed me you've been ignoring your sleep schedule the past month, which is destructive to your already weakened health. Why is it that you're not sleeping?"
I smile and nod.
"I've been having trouble sleeping. I didn't mean to cause any worry, but I promise my health is fine."
"I was notified from a guard you collapsed a few days ago. I cannot ignore a situation, especially when you're apart of his highness' harem, I can't allow your health to deteriorate. Tonight we will serve you a sleeping tea. We can't force you to drink it, but I hope you understand the severity of our concerns and so, I sincerely hope you'll drink it voluntarily."
"I understand... I'm sorry for worrying you, I'll drink the tea tonight." I smile lightly.
The fear grows as I think about the nightmares returning, and what I'll have to experience tonight.

The day quickly passes.
I sit in my room, growing anxious as the sun sets drastically. A book opened on my lap, I'm unable to read as I see traces of the sun begin to vanish.
A knock on the door only causes my anxiousness to grow.

"Lady Luna, I've brought the sleeping tea." Magnolia walks in holding a tray.
She places the tea in front of me.
I sigh staring at it.
"Lady Luna... I'm sorry I told Mr. Lance. I was just worried..."
"Don't fret. It's okay, but in the future don't hesitate to talk to me. I feel like we've gotten close, so I hope you'll feel comfortable discussing anything with me in the future." I smile, sipping the tea.
"Yes, my lady." Magnolia smiles, a look of relief in her eyes.


After finishing the tea, my body grows heavy.
Changed into my nightgown, I lay under the covers. Keeping a light lit, I take a deep breath and close my eyes as I succumb to the effects of the tea.

Cold darkness surrounds me, that's all I can see no matter where I look.
The chills rush down my spine as I hear the repeated sounds of hitting. The screaming, the cries, and the pain returns. My body aches as if reliving the haunting past.

I open my eyes abruptly, unable to move—all I can do is look around in my paralysis.
My body breaks out in a cold sweat once I lay my eyes on the shadow in the corner of my room. It begins to move, slowly creeping closer towards the bed.
Unable to move, to scream, or make a sound—the figure draws near.
Queen Leveanne slowly steps out of the shadows, her face illuminated by the subtle light as she walks to the bed, accompanied by a loud thump with every step. Out of the shadow beside her, appears King Weslium's crystal ball staff.

The fear overtakes my body as tears drip from my eyes. The staffs thumping slowly grows closer.
I stare at the shining crystal ball on the staff as it stops at the foot of my bed.
Queen Leveanne nowhere in sight, the staff remains still.
My eyes flit to the ceiling, Queen Leveanne above me.
Her hand reaches out quickly, her face lit by the moonlight seeping in. I look at her crazed manic expression as she grabs my neck, choking me with the same intensity she always did before.
The air gets sucked from my lungs as I gasp and choke. Just before I lose consciousness, my body awakens from the paralysis.

I open my eyes, quickly sitting up. I look around to see the empty room.
The pain lingers on my throat, the air thick and hard to breathe, tears begin to fall down my cheeks.
Afraid to stay for another moment longer, I run out of my bedroom, leaving the golden palace as quick as I can.