(Author's Note: While the Emperor initially regarded Maomao as a mere curiosity, not tempted by her body as she has "small flowers", he eventually comes to fetishise her. She's the only Sister from an Abbey the palace has acquired, and the thought that the national religion which she follows demands monogamy intrigues him. In essence, he's wondering if it's worth it to break her spirit and make her submit to him in his harem; to prove to himself that he actually can have any woman in Ostania that he wishes, regardless of where she's from or what she believes. It's a game to him essentially; he's not attracted to Maomao physically but he loves her pure mindset and the fact that she doesn't want to be in his harem, ironically. He wants her for his ego, in other words; to prove to himself that he CAN make any girl in the kingdom submit to his exact will. It's a power fantasy mixed with a fetish for female purity- a very bad combo indeed. Course just like Jinshi, the Emperor doesn't know who he's dealing with.
Btw, all centred words in italics is Jinshi's P.O.V. Enjoy!)
I was so bored; my life was endlessly dull. I was the second most powerful man in the palace, and it meant nothing. Life was a meaningless stream of nothing but frivolity and empty, lifeless pleasure. There was nothing else here for me- not really.
So maybe that's why she caught my interest immediately. Ever since that first night I saw her running to the temple… She's the only thing with a living soul around here, a flicker of light still glimmering in her eyes. She's akin to a candle, a lamp, a stove…. She's like the sun, brightening every space she enters. And like the sun, I still see her without looking…
Yes, I'm so desperately bored and am sick of it. But I had no idea how jaded I was truly was until she arrived. Why she of all people was able to wake me from the slumber I didn't know I was in, I have no idea, but it made me curious.
It made me want to spend more time with her, to see for myself what makes her so special.
"The bathhouse was designed in such a way that the Emperor could watch the ladies of his harem, choosing which he'd favour for the day," Lady Gyokuyou told me a few days later. Once I discreetly informed her about my suspicions of the white makeup powder, she wiped it all off and banished it from her quarters. In response, I felt comfortable letting her join us during meals and on our trips to the bathhouse.
Ever since that day when Lady Lihua pointed out the Emperor's exclusive viewing window, making him the only man who could view into the bath, I tried covering myself with a towel, only to be told by Gaoshun the next day that women in the bathhouse were to be fully nude as directed from "orders on high"- no names were given. The sickening swirl only growing in my stomach, I then used the bathhouse as little as possible, which realistically meant once a day since her ladyship and the little princess still had to recover. But with Lady Gyokuyou now joining us, I hoped that she and Lady Lihua would distract the Emperor's attention from me.
It didn't work.
Lady Gyokuyou was sitting up against a wall on the floor next to her slumbering daughter. She held onto her tiny hand, giving it a squeeze every once and a while. Lady Lihua was resting in her bed, drifting in and out of sleep; she was doing much better now, all things considered, but still needed to regain some vital strength. I'm sure the other lady in the more was more energetic and bubblier in the presence of others, but in this sacred place where it was just the four of us ladies usually, she felt secure enough to let her guard down and show just how scared and sad she was about her baby, which made perfect sense to me. I'd be the same I'd imagine, if it was my child…. While still staring down at the princess, Lady Gyokuyou's mouth slowly began to open and she spoke to me in a low, authentic voice while I was busy washing my hands and feet.
"You're from an Abbey, right apothecary?" "Hmmmmm? Oh! Oh, yes madame. From Redwall Abbey, by the sea," her question surprised me and I was wondering why she asked it, but it soon became clear to me. Her eyes lowered a tad in the corners. "You must have been so scared… Being dragged from your home, away from your loved ones and everything you ever knew, only to come to this massive city and Forbidden Palace…." I watched her curiously a moment before responding. This woman….. "It was scary," I said and she shut her eyes, sighing heavily.
"Tell me what your Abbey was like… What the ocean was like…." Lady Gyokuyou, my eyes widened a little in awe. "The Abbey's beautiful. Yellow stone that's unpolished and keeps the warmth in very well. There's stained-glass windows and tapestries lining the walls, and a lovely courtyard and pond outside. My favourite place was the library, where there's more books than you could ever count; I'd spent a good many hour in there with Father-Abbot…." I had to pause here and let my lip quiver from emotion. "And the sea… The sea is gorgeous. White shores made of the softest sand and little stone pebbles. Just beyond there's the greenest grass and a lush forest. And the smell is something I'll never forget; strong but cleansing. It was idealistic…. There was a time I couldn't imagine living anywhere else," I admitted and Lady Gyokuyou tenderly closed her depressed eyes again. "I wish I could have been a Sister….." That was the most honest thing she ever said to me, and I did and said nothing, but simply look at her.
The door slid open a few moments later, and our head spun to see Jinshi pop his head in; he wasn't hiding out of view anymore, deciding to interact directly now. I think Lady Gyokuyou being in here gave him some courage, though you wouldn't know it by the devilish grin on his face as he glanced down at us ponderingly.
"Now what's going on in here?" His tone was teasing, as per usual. I resisted rolling my eyes, continuing to clean my hands. "I was just telling her ladyship about the Abbey." His eyebrow raised. "You mean the Abbey you're from?" "Redwall Abbey, yes," Lady Gyokuyou sighed. He didn't resist rolling his eyes dramatically, huffing unimpressed. "I don't know why you're still thinking about that place. You live in the wealthiest, most opulent estate in the country, and there's a temple here for you to use. What more could an apothecary want?" And I immediately wanted to snap back with "my freedom" but held my lip. The lady seemed to understand my thinking though, merely exchanging a sad, silence glance in agreement with me. At least she knew my reasoning… But then, how could he possibly relate to how I feel? Master Jinshi is free, after all; he's here of his own volition, I imagine. He's not a slave like us or the other eunuchs…. How could he ever understand? It only made me dislike him more, gorgeous as he may be….
That's when princess Lingli, or Xiaoling as her mother affectionately called her, started to stir where she was laying on the floor. Lady Gyokuyou frowned, shooting Jinshi a punishing glare. "See what you did? You woke her up." "I most certainly did not. You ladies were busy conversing before I arrived. I had nothing to do with it," to my shock and horror, Jinshi actually came into the room, sitting himself down on the floor opposite of the lady, who was still glaring his way. Ignoring her harsh stare, the still-smiling Jinshi peered toward me, cocking his head in a playful manner. "You see that, apothecary? The princess is waking up; you should do something." I sighed, rolling my eyes with my back safely turned to him, and reached over to grab a towel and warm basin of water. But Lady Gyokuyou interrupted my actions by addressing me in a softer tone.
"Why don't you sing her a hymn?" "Huh?!" "A hymn. Sisters sing hymns in abbeys, right?" My lips sputtered a bit at this. "W-Well yes, in the morning or before we break our fasts… B-But it's not something we usually do outside of temple. It's a really sacred practice," I elucidated to her and Jinshi chuckled amused. "What's the problem? It's just singing." "It's not just singing! It's prayer THROUGH singing," I shot back at him quickly, unintentionally raising my voice a little. To my great astonishment, this only seemed to amuse him further, as he locked eyes with me, like this was some sort of challenge he was determined to win. His stare narrowed ever so slightly…..
"Lady Gyokuyou, YOUR superior, asked you to sing. Are you really going to deny her request? Do you think you're in a position to do that, apothecary?" My teeth grit together, my hands balled into fists. This jerk, this creep….. He knows he holds all the strings and just how to tug them. My face darkened a touch, but I didn't bother rebuffing him anymore, seeing as it was futile. Instead, I stood up to go light a candle, as we did before singing hymns in the Abbey. I covered my hair with a wrap which was NOT Jinshi's and carefully cradled the flame in my hand. Both Jinshi and the lady watched me go over to the baby princess, kneeling beside her. I placed the candle safely out of reach from her on the ground, and clasped my hands together, gently shutting my eyes.
What happened next was…. interesting to say the least. Their expressions went from perplexed, to amused, to…. intent as I continued to sing softly to the child. I don't know how long I had sung for, but neither of them interrupted me, letting me finish hymn after hymn. Their eyes gradually grew more tender and contemplative, like they'd never heard anything like it before. I doubt this was what Jinshi or even Lady Gyokuyou had in mind when I was asked to perform a hymn, but they definitely weren't complaining.
I finished and looked at them, and they looked at me, saying nothing right away. Eventually Lady Gyokuyou's mouth opened a sliver. "So that's what you do at the Abbey," she whispered more to herself than to us. Our serene scene was unexpectedly interrupted by the door slamming open, and we all flinched to see a huffing and heaving Gaoshun standing there with his mouth hanging open.
"There you are! You've got to stop disappearing on me like that," he addressed a stunned-looking Jinshi before he realised we were all in there. The look on his face instantly transformed to one of surprise and confusion. His back straightened up as he blinked at Lady Gyokuyou and me. "Wait…. What are you doing? It's almost time for dinner, your grace," I'm not sure who he was talking to just then, but it definitely wasn't me. Without a word, Jinshi and Lady Gyokuyou stood up before the latter grinned back my way. "Won't you be eating this evening, apothecary?" "I really shouldn't, madame. I'm fasting from sun-up to sun-down every day now," I retorted and Jinshi lowered his eyes onto me. Then he turned to face Gaoshun before making his exit. "Bring her a platter the moment the sun sets. If she's still too stubborn to eat it, come get me," he instructed and a flabbergasted Gaoshun bowed his head. "Yes, sire." Of course I frowned, unimpressed by the implications, but I won't lie….
My heart did start to beat a bit faster, the moment we wordlessly locked eyes one final time before he left.