Shian's musings were interrupted by a sudden stir in the crowd. The chatter died down and the servants made way, gathering at the walls to be as unobtrusive as possible.
With a sudden wave of panic Shian noticed that she still didn't know where to sit and until now she had just been standing around, useless and out of place.

Without even thinking she got in line with her former peers, trying to blend in with them. Her gown made her stand out like a butterfly in a group of sparrows but through all her years as a maid she moved in unison with them. Soon she found herself leaning against a beam, fingers digging into the palms of her hands and her face pale under her makeup.

On the other side of the hall, Koubun Ka had taken up position next to the only wall that wasn't taken up by either servants or musicians.
It struck Shian as odd until she realized something that had escaped her before. The wall behind the throne wasn't exactly a wall – it was a door. The papery screen was in fact able to slide to the side and as it did, it revealed the seven people standing behind.
Shian only recognized Kougyoku by name – she never had contact with the other six princesses beyond bringing them meals every once in a while.
They were all dressed elaborately and the only thing that stood out to Shian was the fact that Kou's signature red was missing – this color was reserved for the happy couple today.
While Shian had been pondering about their dresses Koubun Ka had announced them all by name while the musicians played a rather pompous flourish in the backgrounds.
Heads held high the seven girls sat down on the left seven chairs, confirming Shian's suspicion.

Right on cue Kouen, Koumei and Kouha appeared in the doorframe, waiting to be similarly introduced as their sisters. Kouen's towering aura made the room hush for a moment and Shian studied her lover next to him.
Koumei didn't look as comfortable as his brothers did but he had a feel of dignity around him. She was sure he was not aware of the effect he could have but then again, Shian wasn't the most unbiased spectator.

When they entered after being announced by Koubun Ka Koumei's eyes wandered over to the two empty seats on the right and Shian could swear he looked confused for a split second. The moment was over quickly though and the three of them sat down.

The music crescendoed and the whole room got up and bowed deeply in unison. Due to her bent back Shian couldn't see; but rather orotundly Koubun Ka announced the Kou Empire's second Emperor Koutoku Ren. Koumei's father.
She had never really laid eyes on the man, his presence always enough to put fear into the bones of all servants present. In the rare case that he did pass, her eyes had been glued to the floor and she had been careful not to draw any attention to herself.

This time though she dared to peek up through her bangs.
Koutoku Ren was a man of medium height, with a long black beard and wrinkles all over the visible part of his face. His eyes were the same light color as his sons' but there was no kindness in them, not even the stern fairness Kouen often displayed.
Even though his robes were covered in fancy embroidery and the crown on his head spoke of his royal standing, Shian had to admit that she thought he looked quite ugly.
The cruel line around his mouth made him unsympathetic and she searched for Koumei's intelligence or Kouha's generosity in vain.

When the Emperor sat down on his throne and raised a hand to sign that he acknowledged his subjects' deference life returned to the room. The guests sat back down and the servants returned to the tasks at hand, leaving Shian behind.
She felt rather lost, still leaning against the wall, and she had no idea what to do now.

Like a rescuing angel Mai swooped in.
Carrying a silver tray filled with amuse-gueule she suddenly appeared next to Shian, startling her a bit.
"What are you doing here!? Sit down, people will wonder what's up with you."
Her words felt like ice-cold water in Shian's bones and all of the sudden it seemed as if every person in the room pierced her with their judging gaze. Hastily she shook her head to get rid of the feeling.

"I…don't really know where to sit. Lord Koumei forgot to tell me", she mumbled meekly, incredibly relieved that her friend had shown up.
Her statement earned her a confused look from Mai.
"Look around, Shian. Where do you see an empty seat?"

Mai watched in amusement as the pieces fell into place and Shian's eyes wandered over next to Koumei. To the empty space only a few feet away from the Emperor.
Instantly Shian turned as white as a sheet of paper.

"Mai!" she breathed exasperatedly. "You can't be serious! I am a servant! I can't sit right in the middle of the royal family."
"Chuu'un is just a servant too", Mai answered overly innocent.
"I didn't make the seating chart, Hadi did. And I guarantee you some high up person approved it."
Shian did have a very good guess who that high up person might have been. She sat closer to the Emperor than even his niece and nephew!

In an attempt to calm herself she took a deep breath. And then another. No use, her throat was still as dry as sandpaper and her palms were sweaty.
Mai gave her a sympathetic smile.
"I am sure Lord Koumei had his reasons. And why would the Emperor want to pay attention to an – in his opinion – unimportant scribbler anyway? You'll be fine."
She squeezed her hand reassuringly and then went off again, finally delivering those appetizers on her tray.

Catching her breath one last time Shian straightened her back.
She had no choice.

Deliberately avoiding the left side of the room, where the bride and groom sat, Shian walked behind the tables and nobles, desperately trying to look as if she didn't want to flee right this second. She was grateful for the servants bustling around – her colleagues didn't pay her much mind but they made for a great cover, giving Shian the option to navigate to the back of the hall.

After passing the throne while conveniently walking behind two men carrying a giant steamed salmon between them Shian finally slipped into her chair.
There she exhaled and her shoulders slumped down, the anxiety a bit relieved by the fact that she finally reached her destination. Staring down at the table in front of her Shian didn't even notice as Koumei turned to her, his smile dying on his lips as he saw how tense his partner was.
A distant part of him cursed himself, it had been his idea after all to drag Shian to this event. Besides him there was no one she could really talk to as Kouha sat on the other side of his father and they would all be awfully formal on top of that.
The other, more rational part of his brain instead reached out.

The table was adorned with a cream-colored table cloth and it did a wonderful job in hiding anything that might be happening under it. Careful he laid his hand on her knee, causing Shian to jerk out of her trance and turning to him with a sharp motion.
Trying a reassuring smile he squeezed her leg a bit, relieved to see how the initial shock subsided.

"How come you only arrived now? Did you have any problems?"
He spoke quietly but even if he had screamed he probably wouldn't have drawn any attention. The general chatter in the room paired with the music and the bustling servants drowned out most sound.

Looking almost guilty Shian nodded.
"I didn't know where to sit, I forgot to ask. Mai told me." She paused for a moment.
"Not that I am not very happy to be sitting with you but…why here? So close to- well, you know. I am far too unimportant for this seating arrangement."

Just rank-wise Koumei had to agree. But in the end he really wanted Shian to be able to sit with him and so he gently persuaded the head maid to put her with him. While not common at all, Koumei had the perfect excuse – Shian was his assistant after all. Hadi hadn't batted an eye when he had told her that he wanted to be able to discuss work with her.
His reputation of always working no matter the circumstances had been helpful indeed.

The multitude of nobles didn't care anyway, they didn't know Shian and probably just thought she was his consort or another distant princess. The only people who might raise some eyebrows at his decision were his brothers and his father – but they were busy talking strategy and didn't even look over. Thank goodness.

"I just wanted to" Koumei finally answered. "No one cares, we're all only here in an obligatory manner anyway. And not only do I enjoy your company, I wanted to make this as easy for you as I could. Also" and he winked, "I still need you to dance with me."

His carefree attitude towards the whole deal made Shian relax and shyly she returned his smile. If no one cared about her seat then why should she? And indeed, the prospect of finally dancing a real dance with her lover made her all giggly and excited.

"So…now what do we do the whole time?"
"…Talk, mostly. And eat. I presume that dinner will start soon and sometime after that the couple will open the dancefloor. I do think they hired some entertainers for after everyone settled down again and it's dark outside."

Shian nodded and her gaze followed the countless servants hurrying about. She knew all too well how it would go, she had tended to the nobles more than enough times. All the maids had learned to be hyper attentive – a nod or even just a look could be the sign that someone wanted a refill. She really couldn't imagine herself treating her former colleagues like that though. Maybe she would have to rely on Koumei for that.

A quiet rumble in her stomach reminded Shian that she hadn't eaten in a good while; Mai's task of getting her event-ready had taken forever after all.
Her body's reaction made Shian blush ever so slightly but thankfully only Koumei had noticed.
"How soon is soon, approximately?"

The question made him chuckle and then he shrugged.
"No idea, really. But I don't think it will be all that long."

As if on cue the bright clang of a small gong sounded through the room, signaling everyone to quiet down. On the other side of the hall the groom stood up and, after deeply bowing in the direction of the emperor, cleared his throat.
Shian had kind of forgotten about the fact that at least one person had to give a speech and Koumei's not that long turned into very long and boring indeed. About halfway through her brain just shut itself off and her mind started to wander.

By now almost half a year had passed since she first stumbled into Koumei's office in the middle of the night. So much had changed since then and she still couldn't believe it in the slightest.
She had been a girl who had lost everything, even the right to her own body, and now? The third most powerful man in the country loved her. Not that it mattered to Shian, she would be happy if Koumei had been a fisher down by the docks.
Absentmindedly her gaze had slipped from the still talking groom and to Koumei, who seemed to diligently listen to the waterfall of words. Her expression softened and a small, fond smile crept on her lips.
Immersed in her enamored thoughts Shian didn't realize that someone stared at her with cold, pale eyes.

Finally the groom finished his surely heartfelt talk and sat back down, snapping Shian out of her daze as the room suddenly erupted in polite applause from the attendees.
The emperor gave a small nod and with that, it was time to eat.

The room had been relatively quiet before as everyone listened and now it practically exploded with the sound of all the servants grabbing their various trays and plates and started dashing around the room to supply each and every noble.
Shian's worry that she would have to be mean to her former pears had been unfounded – she didn't have to do anything in fact, as someone she didn't know placed a plate in front of her with a polite bow.

The fact that she didn't recognize his face surprised her, after all she was still eating in the servants' kitchen almost every day. Her musing were cut short by the delicious smell that reached her nose from the plate. She had been quite hungry before and the seemingly endless speech of the now-husband hadn't helped either.
She had to admit, she was quite a bit excited. Countless times had she helped prepare elaborate dishes for formal events but never once had she gotten the honor of eating them.
The meal consisted of a slightly steaming piece of fish, meticulously cleaned of each and every bone. It looked so tender that Shian almost expected it to fall apart under her gaze and the duchess potatoes that seamed the edge of the plate were browned to perfection.

An amused chuckle to her left made her tear her eyes away from the appetizing sight and towards her lover. Koumei had already begun eating his equally good looking smoked squid and was now delighted by the entranced look Shian gave her own food.
"You're not going to satisfy your hunger by just staring at it."
"Yeah, yeah" Shian mumbled and finally dug in.
Heaven.

Four times had the unknown servant replaced her plate with something newly delicious and by the end of the three-hour course Shian felt as plump as the palace pigeons. No way was she going to dance in that condition!
The loud and energetic chatter of the crowd had died down, everyone experiencing the same kind of fatigue after the hearty meal. The candles and lamps cast golden light over the whole scenery and everything felt content and sleepy.

"I think I won't have to eat for the next three weeks" Shian joked, her voice kept low.
"I'll remind you tomorrow for breakfast" Koumei grinned before laughing at Shian's desperate expression.
"We don't really have to get up that early tomorrow morning, do we!?"
"Of course we do, we didn't get anything done today after all. The office is bursting at the seams with undealt documents, I am sure it could explode every second."

He had talked in an exaggerated, stern tone, making it clear that he was just joking around. Shian huffed and rolled her eyes in amusement.
"I am sure it will. And then the Empire will fall and we will never have to do paperwork again. Sounds kind of nice if you ask me!"

"Good thing no one is asking you then."
The voice that answered her was harsh and like a blade, cutting into Shian's good mood like a hot knife into butter.
"It is quite concerning that someone tasked with something so important would talk so laxly about it. I wonder if my son didn't make a mistake in choosing you after all."

Koutoku Ren had apparently listened in on their informal conversation, having turned around to look down on the two of them from his elevated position.

Shian's heart dropped multiple stories into the ground, in turn propelling her anxiety through the roof to the stars. A scolding from the Emperor himself was not something she ever wanted to experience and yet, here she was.
Turning in her seat Shian bowed as deeply as she could without getting up, her forehead almost touching her knees and her joints complaining under the strain.

"I apologize, Your Highness, please forgive me speaking out of turn. I assure you that I perform my work with the utmost care and I would never do anything willingly that would hurt the Empire or its people."
Her only answer was a dissatisfied sneer and when Koumei opened his mouth to defend his assistant, his father raised a hand to signal him to keep quiet.
"We will see."

With that he turned away again, snapping his fingers at one of the waiters to go get him more wine.
As soon as his gaze turned away Shian felt as if a physical weight had lifted off her back – she had remained in her bent position, not daring to look up again. Somewhere in the back of her mind she felt another panic attack coming in and she fought to keep it down.

"Sit back up" Koumei told her in a hushed whisper, not wanting his father to insert himself back into their conversation.
Way too fast Shian shot back up, eager to follow his order, and promptly hit her shoulder on the backrest of her chair. A little yelp escaped her and hastily she bit down on her lower lip.
"Are you okay?" Koumei asked, smiling helplessly as Shian rubbed her shoulder with a pained expression on her face.
After a short moment of hesitation she shook her head, not wanting to lie to him about it.
"Come, we'll go for a breath of fresh air."

Before she could object – the last thing she wanted was walk past all the guests – Koumei had gotten up and took her hand.
The contact lasted only a brief moment before he let go of her again as if he had burned himself on her skin. As much as he wanted to reassure her with his touch, with his father's watchful eye on them it wouldn't be smart.
Instead he just turned around, leading the way. Much to Shian's relief they didn't head for the side through which she had entered. Instead Koumei continued to the sliding door behind them – the fact that there was an exit there had already slipped Shian's mind.
Only opening them a bit Koumei slid through, closely followed by Shian. As she closed the door again behind her she let out a shaky breath.
The hallway in front of them was silent and completely empty. Through the thin wall the light of the hall illuminated a few meters in front of them before the rest of the corridor vanished into darkness.

Finally Koumei extended his hand towards Shian, giving her a gentle smile. Relieved she returned it, still on edge but calmer again.
Entangling her fingers with his tethered her to reality and the two of them dove into the dark.

After a few turns Koumei arrived at another exit and as soon as he opened it, the two of them were enveloped in the warm evening air. It was not quite dark yet as it was the middle of summer but the sky had already entered the deep blue of twilight.

Without too much hesitation Koumei pulled Shian outside with him; before gently but firmly pressing her against the palace wall with his own body. Even though he was not experienced with relationships at all he had a good feeling what would help his girlfriend right now and sure enough, Shian noticeably relaxed under him.
She dug her fingers into his garment and hid her face on his chest, not caring about her appearance anymore. The way she felt his body press against hers grounded her and the warmth he gave off was more than welcome.

"Thank you" she finally mumbled against the fabric.
"Anytime, my Love."
The pet name caused Shian to smile and she emerged from her hiding place. As soon as she remembered the reason for her mood though the smile faded again, making way for a deep sigh.
"I was really careless to just talk like that, wasn't I?"
"Maybe a bit…" Koumei admitted. "But I think father overreacted horribly. Obviously you were just teasing and your words were not serious at all. I don't know why he was so harsh, he hasn't even met you until now."
"Yeah well…maybe that's the reason…"
She trailed off.

"It doesn't matter anyway. You won't have to meet him again and I know how wonderful the work you're doing is."
The compliment put the smile back on Shian's lips and she noticed with glee that her inner turmoil had subsided. Koumei was right. The Emperor hadn't cared to check on her until now and there were no complaints from her superior about her doings.

"I think I'm fine now; we can head back inside."
Koumei nodded, giving her one last squeeze before stepping back again.
"I really have to have a talk with your friend about her choice of makeup."
The comment came from nowhere, making Shian blink slightly insulted.
"Up till now you liked my appearance, didn't you?"
"Of course I did." He winked.
"But with this outrageous shade of red on your lips I can't kiss you properly."

After a second of stunned silence Shian laughed, hitting him lightly against his upper arm.
"When did you become such a smooth talker?!"
"Oh, you pick up things when you live with Kouha in the same building."

Thusly bickering the couple headed back inside, not daring to stay away from the festivities for much longer. Before they entered back through the papery door Shian stopped Koumei to check him for make-up stains or something similar – they didn't want anyone getting suspicious.
"I'm sorry to say this my dear but I think we need to keep it down the rest of the night. Or else we might have trouble explaining ourselves."
"I know, I know" Shian sighed. "But the dance!"
"No worries, I wouldn't want to miss it for anything. Just the dance should be fine though, after all I am not allowed to move my hand from your shoulder blade."

The jab at their first dancing lesson caused Shian to chuckle and she nodded.
"Alright then. Into battle!"