Mai hated that she was always the one sent to summon the young lord when he was visiting his harem. None of the older servants would go, pulling rank to send her instead. It wasn't that she didn't like the prince, or that it was any trouble to find her way to the harem. No, she hated going because she never knew what to expect when she arrived. Resigning herself to her fate, she lowered her eyes and slid the door open partway. Then she looked up. Did she have the wrong room?
She didn't know what she was looking at at first, but after the initial shock wore off, she realized that yes she did indeed have the correct room. There on the floor knelt the prince on all fours. He was hard to recognize what with the silk robes hiked up over his back. He turned his head to look over his shoulder and smiled in a way that seemed entirely too innocent for someone dressed as a woman - hair tied up in elaborate plaits with jeweled clips and all - with a foreign object shoved halfway into his bottom. She did not look closely enough to try and guess what it was.
"What is it?" the consort asked.
Mai stuttered. "Prince Ling has been summoned to the meeting hall for a discussion regarding tomorrow's banquet." She found the floor tiles extremely interesting.
"Thank you, I will be along shortly." Ling said sweetly.
Without looking up at all, Mai bowed and back out of the room, sliding the door shut.
"You'll get there when I'm done with you," the woman said from the other side of the door.
"But Yin, if I'm not there my grandfather - ah!"
Mai practically flew back to the washroom.