A cold and potentially fatal marriage, an imperial court embroiled in assassination and conflict, a hidden conspiracy that could shatter not just a four-century-long peace but the empire itself. In the midst of it all, a girl whose struggle to survi...
The girl, that girl, and her brother sit nervously across from me. Between us is a table piled with snacks and sweets, cakes cut in the shape of flowers, so-called dragon's beard candy, and numerous other desserts originating from hundreds of miles away. All of it sits untouched.
The silence is deafening. The girl's eyes dart around erratically, refusing to make contact with mine. She is out of her element and unsure of my intentions. A bit like me. Her brother, on the other hand, is fixated on the mountain of food on the table, eyes gleaming. The girl holds him close, however, restraining him out of caution no doubt. My guards did simply drag her here after all, much to my chagrin. To be honest, I can't blame them. Why would I want a girl and boy from the slums other than for unsavory purposes? I sigh mentally, these men were part of the Shahzadi Soraya's personal guards and thus accustomed to the... inclinations... of their liege; just what kind of person is the actual princess? No use fretting over what's already happened. I bow. "My apologies about the behavior of my soldiers."
The girl springs into action, instantly reciprocating my bow by prostrating herself on the floor in a kowtow. At the same time, she grabs her brother's head and pushes it down to the floor so that he kowtows as well. "Please don't apologize to this insect, Venerable Lady." She doesn't know who I am yet, so she chooses a sufficiently reverent but noncommittal way of address. Smart. "Please get up, it behooves me to see the person who saved my life bow to me." The girl rises slowly, still avoiding eye contact.
"Do you and your brother have a name?" She nods.
"This one is called Xiaoyue. This one's brother is called Zhangxiu. This one humbly asks how your ladyship should be addressed."
Fatima, who has been kneeling behind me to my right this entire time, interjects, "Princess Soraya should be addressed as Your Highness." The girl's eyes go wide, and she kowtows again. Voice quivering, she replies, "This slave did not know Your Highness was someone of such importance. This slave begs forgiveness for any insults unintentionally rendered." Strange, she's completely different from when I met her in the slums.
"Please do not be worried Xiaoyue. I've brought you here for a good reason. But first," I gesture at the table. The pair are still hesitant to move. Thus, I take a dried apricot, lift my çarsef slightly, and pop it into my mouth, chewing with relish. This seems to do the trick as Xiaoyue lets Zhangxiu dig in.
As the pair dig in, I speak, "Xiaoyue," she looks up, quickly putting down the almond in her hand. "Allow me to be frank, I'm looking for another handmaiden. Given the fact you saved me and considering your politeness, I would like you to join me. If you are under my employ, I will ensure that you and Zhangxiu will never want for anything in your lives again."
"I cannot Your Highness."
Dragon's beard candy: Good stuff. Try it. I shall say no more.
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Xiaoyue & Zhangxiu: You may have noticed neither Xiaoyue nor Zhangxiu have surnames. In The Foreign Empress, only those with enough wealth may adopt a family surname; to some degree, I believe this was also true historically. Xiaoyue (小玥) means Little Pearl while Zhangxiu (嶂鸺) means Cavern Owl.
