Love In The Palace

Shadows

Okay so this is chapter 20.

---

Author's POV:

"Your Highness! Please be careful! Do not walk too quickly!" A young-looking woman with slightly darker skin, probably due to the many harsh woks she did under the sun, is lifting her skirts to take quick but light steps to chase up to her master who is almost running towards a pavilion.

"Stop asking so much!" Her master abruptly turns around, her eyebrows were furrowed as she is frowning due to the thousands of rules she has to follow with her pregnancy. Then she remembers about the importance of the life in her womb, and lifts her hand to gently rubs her own stomach that has not grown. This life inside her can save her from many harms, it is no wonder that so many women in the palace want to have the Emperor's child. Even the Empress must prioritise her, for she is pregnant with a dragon's child.

"When I give birth to a son, I can even be a Noble Consort!" She whispers excitedly to herself, though she seems to have forgotten something very important.

Even Consort Shine, who comes from the well-known Shine family, could not even make it to the Noble Consort position. Why would the Emperor make her-a concubine from the lowly Leanne family-a Noble Consort? Perhaps she needs more time in the palace to fully comprehend the cruel rules and merciless systems that have flowed continuously for hundreds of years.

---

Author's POV:

Usually, not many would dare to get near that second-biggest palace. It may be grand, it may be gorgeous, but the deadly auras it carries with it could easily suffocate people around it. However, today is a fine day, where little clouds can be seen floating on the sky, where the blueness of the sky is fascinating. Yet, there is an enclosed palanquin covered with translucent pale yellow cloth that writes out the silhouette of a woman sitting inside heading towards the palace. The guards carrying the palanquin parks it in front of the aforementioned palace, while a servant following beside the palanquin draws the cloth to the side and raises her hand.

The woman inside the palanquin lets out her seemingly-delicate hand and places it so slowly on the servant's coarse hand. She lowers her body as her feet touch the grounds, then she straightens her body as she gently touches her hairdo while her servant pulls her dresses neat.

Every other servants in her view are all kneeling in her direction, but she pays no attention to them. She raises her head, looking around at the grandeur of the palace, where the doors are carved with intricate peony designs, where pots of flowers are placed symmetrically, where its tranquility is probably only second to Emperor's palace.

She shakes her mind off, and paces her way slowly but surely towards the entrance of the palace. Admiring can be done later, when that entire palace would finally belong to her.

Inside the palace, her eyes enjoy the decorations of translucent yellow silk curtains embroidered with golden threads that hang from the ceilings and drape onto the floors. Those curtains somehow make the palace look almost like it is entirely made of gold. The carpet is bright red with golden embroideries at its edges. The incense burner is also made of gold, so does the corner caps of the long chair placed up on the stage. Even the cushions are all of yellow colours.

It explains how much the palace is suitable for an Empress, for its grandeur. There is even a massive screen embroidered with a golden phoenix placed at the side only for eye-pleasing purposes.

"You have come, Shana?" A figure appears from behind the pearl beads curtains, red ink in the shape of lotus is seen in between her eyebrows. Red pearl beads are dangling from both sides of her hairdo, from the two identical golden phoenix hairpins. Her lips are bright red, her cheeks have slight tint of pinkness. Her fingernails are painted red too, and Shana admires the luxurious life the Empress is having in the palace.