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 majesty—seems far too scary, so socializing doesn't seem like an option for now.
Hiding in my small world of books, I catch a glimpse of a few ladies walking outside.

"Would they be nice to me?" I whisper to myself.

A brief memory comes to mind of the royal guard I ran into a few nights prior. Startled, I shake my head to rid my thoughts, but the encounter relentlessly lingers in mind.

"He wasn't mean..." I mumble to myself.

He wasn't scary like every other knight I've had to be near. His gaze was scary, but didn't resemble the gaze that other knights have looked at me with. 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.

Watching as they enter the golden palace, I stare at the doors for a moment.

"Lady Luna, I've prepared some tea for you!" Magnolia happily enters the library, carrying a tray of snacks with a teapot and teacup.
"Thank you, Maggie." I smile, taking in the aroma of the warm tea.

I sip the drink feeling fatigued.
Unable to sleep at night due to the nightmares that began from seeing Queen Leveanne in my room, I've resorted to reading all night and taking a short nap early morning when the sun begins to hit the horizon. Yet the lack of sleep brought on a persistent-painful headache.

I sigh, rubbing the temples of my forehead.

"My lady, are you feeling alright?" Magnolia worriedly asks.
"I'm fine, don't worry. You can retire for the night, I'll stay up late again tonight."
"Yes, thank you, 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."
"If you insist... I hope you're able to sleep well tonight." Magnolia forces a small smile, reluctantly leaving the library. 

Spending a few hours to quietly read, I glance up at the clock that reads 2:34am.
I sigh, rubbing my eyes lightly as the headache brings a sharp pain in my brow. Marking the page in my book, I set it aside before grabbing my cloak.
Leaving the library to go on a short walk, I find myself walking in the forest—admiring the fresh scent of the trees.

I take a deep breath, stretching my arms as I listen to the gentle sound of the leaves sway. The crisp fresh air helping to alleviate my headache. 

"Show yourself." A deep clear voice calls out, taking me by surprise.

The voice instantly sends shivers down my spine. I turn around startled, 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 cautiously approach him, until catching a glimpse of his eyes glowing vibrantly—a bright red hue until suddenly appearing as a warm amber color.

"You again? I've warned you of trespassing at this hour." He scowls, releasing his grip from his sword.
"I-I thought because this was so far from the palace, it wasn't intruding on his majesty's property."
"Don't be careless. Every inch of land in the empire is his."

A small silence falls between us before he walks past me, heading back in the direction of the palace. I slightly turn my head, curiously 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 a part of his harem." I speak walking beside him.

He glares down at me, curious about my words but still appearing aloof.

"Since every inch of land is his, does this mean I'm not allowed in the golden palace?" I coyishly smile, unable to help but try to banter, "I wouldn't dare enter his palace grounds of course, but if I stepped into the forest at this hour, it shouldn't be a large issue. Should it?"

The guard rolls his eyes, refusing to reply as he scowls slightly.
Realizing I'm causing him annoyance, I sigh—feeling nervous as he refuses to respond.

"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.

Making my way out of the foliage, I step into the open garden of the golden palace. Suddenly, I stop in my tracks, quickly holding my head.
My head vigorously pounds as a loud ringing booms in my head. My legs buckle as I grow lightheaded—my consciousness fades away as I fall to the ground.