Noble Consort Hua picked out a very soft pink hanfu. Gold embroidered flowers decorated the entire outfit, and crystal-like beads covered the whole dress. It was even more elaborate than the hanfu I wore to dinner last night.

I wanted to wear my water lily hair hairpin. However, Noble Consort Hua insisted that I wear an elaborate headpiece consisted of dozens of gold ornaments. I agreed only because I knew I couldn't win, she is, after all, a much higher rank in the harem then me. Although she didn't command my compliance, I knew she wasn't going to give in.

The headpiece is very, very heavy. I have never supported this much weight on my head. "I feel like I might dislocate my neck," I joke.

She giggles and grins. "Ah, the pain we go through for beauty. You'll get used to it."

"Why pain at all? I feel I would be much more comfortable wearing my hairpin," I inquire, knowing that I was stepping close to my boundaries.

She gives me a pointed and unimpressed look. Her lips purse into a frown. "I will give older sister some advice." She pauses and looks around, making sure no one is listening. "Imperial Noble Consort Li, though she seems charming, is a very fierce and intelligent woman. You do not want to be in her bad graces as her scheming can be your downfall. Consort Qin... she is rather bitter, and she is not afraid to show it. Although her scheming tactics are not on par with Imperial Noble Consort Li, do not underestimate her. She is very willful; if she holds a dislike for someone, she will act on it."

I look at her, confused. How did we go from talking about a hairpin to talking about the other consorts? And so openly too!

She sighs and stares at me seriously, silently telling me that her words need should be carefully paid attention to. "Unlucky for you, you are already in their bad graces."

"I have not met them yet?"

She shakes her head. "Do not forget who you are. You are the Phoenix, the destined mother of the country, the fated Empress. You may only be an Imperial Concubine now, but you are a dangerous threat to them. They both want the throne, and they cannot claim it with you in the harem. If you were anyone else, yes, I would tell you to wear that hairpin, in fear that you would offend the other consorts for dressing higher than your rank. But in their eyes, you are already an enemy; you will never be a friend. So show your worth, wear a headpiece fit for an Empress. Show them that you will put up a fight for the throne. Show them that you will not be touched."

I study her for a moment. Why would she help me become Empress? No one helps someone without expecting something back in return.

"And you? Noble Consort Hua?"

Her lips purse in confusion. "What about me?"

"Do you not want the throne?" I question.

The corners of her lips curl up, and she shakes her head. "No. I have no desire to be Empress. Be at ease Imperial Concubine Zhao; I am not a threat to you. I do not wish for more power nor influence. I want to lead a simple and peaceful life; I am happy where I am. I know that you are an intelligent person, and I know you are a good judge of character, so you should already know my intentions." She sighs. "Though, life in the palace will be difficult for me if any of the two consorts become Empress. They, however, see me as a threat and won't hesitate to get rid of me if they come into power.

I carefully stand up and walk over to the vanity. With my back turned to her, I pick up a hairbrush. "Ah, so you want to use me?" I question, smiling to myself. I have stepped over the boundaries of an Imperial Concubine who is talking to her superior. However, I am not afraid as I now knew that she wouldn't dare to hurt me. She needed me, after all.

I hear her chuckle. "You would make a wonderful Empress."

I put down the hairbrush and turn towards her.

She smiles. "We are in the Emperor's harem; no one does anything that doesn't benefit them," she admits, in response to my question.

I shake my head slightly. "What makes you think I wouldn't get rid of you if I came into power?"

"Because you are kind. Too kind actually. I am a good judge of character as well. You do not harbor any bad intentions towards me, and you would not hurt a fly. You had many chances to harm me, and you did not. Plus, I can tell that you believe my intentions are the truth. You know that I am not a threat and that you have to reason to harm me."

I nod slowly and sit back down in the seat next to her. "There's only one question you haven't asked me," I say, staring at the hairbrush resting on the vanity surface.

"Oh?"

I turn to look at her. "If I want to be Empress."

Surprise reaches her eyes as she immediately turns to look at me. "You do not? But you never said so when I was talking about the possibility..."

"I needed to know your motives and your impression of me before I said anything," I reply.

"Smart."

"Like you, I have no desire to become Empress. I never wanted to be in the harem in the first place. But I have no choice, do I?" I question, more so to myself.

Since I found out that I was the Phoenix, I knew that the other consorts would most likely attempt to harm me. I was cautious of Noble Consort Hua at first. However, I now believe that she has no ulterior motives. But from what she has warned me about Imperial Noble Consort Li and Consort Qin, I cannot risk them taking the throne. I have my own life to think about.

"I am your ally, Imperial Concubine Zhao. In the future, I will assist you in the harem," she states.

She was pledging alliance towards me. If she broke it, it would surely be disgraceful.

I nod in response. "You should know that I will not sabotage anyone for my own benefit, nor will I scheme to help raise my rank as I still have no desire to become Empress. I, however, will uncover and reveal their schemes, as that is a moral thing to do. This should also lower their chances of rising to power. I trust you, Noble Consort Hua, and I would like to be able to rely on you to do the same."

She nods and smiles. "Of course, I trust you. You are my friend."

I take off the extravagant headpiece and carefully hand it back to her. "I will not be wearing it to the gathering," I tell her.

I want them to know that I come from a poor background; I want them to underestimate my capabilities. If they believe that I am simply a naive peasant girl, they will be less cautious with their actions. They will make me out to be someone who doesn't know what she's doing. And that is what I want.

I put on my hairpin with the water lily pendant at the end. "Better."

Noble Consort Hua doesn't question my decision, which tells me that she genuinely does trust me. She trusts me enough to make my own judgments, despite not knowing if it's best for me.

"I think we should arrive separately," she says.

"I agree."

"We gather at Imperial Noble Consort Li's residence, Endless Fortune Palace. When you arrive, greet Imperial Noble Consort Li and sit down at the empty seat. It will be to the left of Consort Qin." And with those words, she left.

-

I was late (again).

Though this time, it was on purpose.

After waiting for a few minutes after Noble Consort Hua's departure, I stand up from my seat and begin to walk out of the palace. I have just descended the palace steps when I hear someone call my name.

"Imperial Concubine Zhao! Wait for me!"

I veer back around to find Huiqing scampering towards me. "Nian nian, I must accompany you!"

"It is alright, Huiqing; I can find my way there myself. I do not need to bother you when it's unnecessary." I turn back around and begin to walk away.

However, Huiqing quickly catches up to me and begins to walk next to me. "But it is palace etiquette for nubi to accompany her master. And I am already here; it is no bother."

Sighing, I nod my head. "Do you know the way to Endless Fortune Palace?"

"Yes." And with that, we walk out of the palace courtyard.

"Huiqing, how long have you been in the palace?" I decide to make a conversation as we walk. We were now strolling on a flat wooden bridge above a rather large pond. I smile to myself as I watch the water lilies float peacefully on the calm water.

"Three years. I first started as a palace seamstress. Empress Dowager promoted me to this job after she received a hanfu I sewed for her birthday festivity. I suppose she liked the creation?" she says, with a hint of pride in her tone.

"You must be very talented then," I exclaim. I look down at my hanfu. "Wait. Did you make the hanfu I am wearing too?! I could see why the Empress Dowager loved your creation. They are stunning!" I laugh as I begin to twirl around on the bridge, showing off the dress. For some reason, at this moment, I felt free and without any restraints. Dancing made me feel this way, which I why I loved it. It has been a while since I've let loose and simply danced to my heart's content.

"Xiulan! Be careful!" I hear Huiqing shout.

At her words, I slip on a turn, and suddenly, I find my self falling. Instinctively, I close my eyes shut and brace for the impact.

But before I even reach the cold water below me, I feel a large and rough hand on the small of my back, preventing me from plunging any deeper. At the contact, tiny sparks shoot through my spine like firecrackers; its vigorous heat warming up my whole body as a result.

I immediately open my eyes, and I am met with a pair of blood-red ones staring at me intensely, seeming to pierce into my soul. They almost look... look identical to the emerald dragons eyes. The same dark and twisted eyes of oblivion. It couldn't be, though; it was a dragon from my dreams.

I quickly look away to the side as his dark gaze was much too intense for me. I attempt to squirm my way out of his grasp, but to no avail. It is impossible for me to move without risking a fall into the water. I look back at the man above me, and it is only at this moment that I realize who he is... the man from the bathhouse. "You?..." I utter, just barely a whisper.

His dark eyes reflect trivial amusement for my clumsiness, and the left corner of his mouth lifts up into a half tilted smirk. His sharp eyes roam my face, studying me for a moment.

I got a better look at him this time as our faces are only inches apart. A tight knot has long formed in my chest, rendering my breathing uneven, and sensations of relentless fluttering in my abdomen ignite something deep in my gut. Is this what they call... butterflies? It is no secret that he is extremely attractive. He has a remarkably chiseled and defined jaw with a large and long scar running down on the side. The wound seems relatively old as the edges of the injury have already come together neatly, forming as a line only a shade lighter than his tan skin tone. He has protruding cheekbones that help heighten his other masculine features. His face shape is also quite broad, though not so in a chubby sense, more so that it gives him a dominant and rather angry impression. And his low, thick eyebrows only intensified the fierce demeanor. It almost felt like... the hands of a god sculpted him, he was so perfect. The most striking feature, though, was his eyes. They were so very captivating and beautiful, but the more I stared into them, the more dark and twisted they became.

I watch the movement of his eyes as they glance down to look at my hand that unknown to me, is softly resting on his chest. My eyes widen in atrocity at the realization and I quickly pull my hand away. However, I am stopped by his own hand as he grabs my wrist.

I freeze at the contact, and just like before, tiny sparks ignite from my wrist and spread throughout my body. My heart begins beating rapidly, and the butterflies in my stomach seem to intensify, fluttering hastily against my gut. I feel my cheeks heat up, and I could only guess the bright shade of pink they are. What is wrong with me?

The amusement reappears in his eyes, and a devilish smirk graces his lips once more. It is silent and still for a moment as he stares into my eyes, daring me to do something. I, however, stood.. well laid against his hand frozen.

I barely catch the mischievous glint in his eyes when suddenly, he swiftly pulls me up into a standing position using the hand that grabbed my wrist. I stumble forward slightly partly due to surprise and partly due to the amount of strength he had used. To not fall forward, I brace my hands on his broad shoulders until I am steady. But in doing so, I unintentionally fall into his chest. I tried not to focus on the building hard muscle I was flushed against.

Realizing the position I am in, I hastily step back and lower my head instantly. Though I didn't need to bow too low as he towered over my small figure, I purse my lips, unable to get my words out.

"F-forgive me, sir, for stumbling. I should have been more careful with my steps. I-"

Just as I am about to continue, I notice a relatively lean man stomp towards us, with a furious demeanor written on his face and shown by his movements. A sword is strung on the side of his waist, and assortments of daggers are equipped on the same belt. The fact that he has the means to kill me now frightened me. However, I knew that wasn't what he was here for as the man with bloody eyes made no move to block him, despite hearing his movements.

The man reaches us, and stands right beside the man with the bloody eyes. "You will bow down much lower and address him as his maje-" the angry man starts to growl out towards me, but before he could say more, the blood eyes man raises his right hand, a signal commanding the him to stop speaking.

The angry man promptly lowers his head and retreats a few steps.

Such power and command. Who exactly is this man in front of me?