Jade Fire Gold(25)

It feels like I’m in a dream, except my dreams have never been so extravagant. Tears sting my eyes. If only Ama could see this, if only she could rest her old bones on that opulent bed. Get a grip, I chide myself. You’re not staying for long. You’re only here because some politician thinks you’re useful.

Two handmaidens appear, ready to assist, but Linxi dismisses them with a wave of her hand. Like her, the two girls are dressed in white robes since the forty-nine-day royal mourning period of Emperor Gao Long isn’t over. But the embroidery on theirs is less intricate and their hairstyles and enamel pins are simply designed. Linxi must be a higher ranked lady-in-waiting or favored by someone important in the palace. I wonder if she was born on palace grounds or brought here.

“This place is lovely,” I remark.

“I am glad it pleases you, Lady Ah—”

“Please, just Ahn.”

Linxi hesitates for a moment before flashing a conspiratorial smile that endears her to me. “All right, but only when we’re alone.” She ushers me into the bathroom, continuing, “You may be a guest of the premier, but he is a military man and lives sparsely. The Empress Dowager Zhenxi specifically assigned these chambers to you. I will let Her Majesty know that you are satisfied.”

“The empress herself!” I half screech, flustered by the attention. “I’m more than satisfied, it’s an honor. Why would she even do this?”

“We were told you’re an esteemed guest.” Linxi’s eyes are big with anticipation. She expects me to tell her who I am.

I open my mouth and then close it immediately. It’s better not to say anything about how I was captured by the priests or why I was captured. I don’t want to scare Linxi away.

“That gentleman I was with—do you know who he is?” I ask.

“That was Young Master Xima Leiye, the youngest son of the Marquis of Qin Province.”

Xima Leiye. So, he is a nobleman. And a priest, too?

“He was very kind to have escorted me to the palace. Does he work with the premier?”

“I attend to the concubines in the western wing of the Inner Court. I don’t know much about the politicians in the palace, I’m sorry.” Turning her head away from me, Linxi scatters some rose petals into the bathwater, and the heady scent fills the air.

I’m disappointed by her answer, but I guess she’s only here on Empress Zhenxi’s orders. I convince her that I’m more than able to bathe myself, and after she leaves, I sink into the tub of warm water, relishing this rare luxury.

Soon, I’m dressed in white silk robes that caress my skin like clouds. I watch quietly as Linxi transforms my hair into a complicated swirl. Then, she lifts my chin and taps a light dusting of rouge onto my cheeks deftly.

“There.” She’s pleased with her handiwork.

Heart beating fast, I examine myself in the bronzed mirror. Dressed in these beautiful clothes, the poor girl-thief from the desert is nowhere to be found. I don’t recognize myself. Somehow, it feels like I’ve lost something.

I blanch at the two-inch heel of the shoes Linxi places in front of me.

“I’m afraid I can’t wear those. I got hurt on the way here.” I show her the bandages around my leg.

“What happened to your leg? Shall I send for the physician?”

“No, it’s all right. I’m fine. I fell off the horse,” I say, unsure of how much to reveal to her. Even though I feel like I can trust her, she’s still a stranger. And my fate here has not been decided.

Linxi frowns and looks around the room, a finger tapping her cheek thoughtfully. “Oh!” She pulls out a pair of silk slippers and helps me with them. “This will do.”

I breathe a sigh of relief. “Thank you. I’ve never worn heels before.”

She’s polite enough to hide her surprise. We leave the room and she leads me through long corridors and across a large garden. Soon, a clearing opens and a serene blue-green lake unfurls. A pavilion unlike any I’ve ever seen stands near the shore. Its roof is domed, not curved up. And instead of columns for support, the entire structure is wrapped by a ringed wall, made from stone glimmering a muted white in the sun. Through the polygonal latticed openings carved into the stone, I spy a figure inside. My ears pick up another sound amidst the warbling birds.

Music.

The melody is beautiful and melancholic, like an intimate whisper of secrets.

“Who is that—”

“We must not keep the premier waiting,” interrupts Linxi, a look of caution on her face as she gestures subtly ahead.

Two guards are marching toward us. Our escort.

We follow the guards to the next building. They click their heels smartly and station themselves at the entrance. Linxi points me to a large parlor room where I am to wait for the premier.

“I must take my leave now, Lady Ahn.”

“Will you wait with me, please?” I clasp her hands in mine, suddenly nervous. My fate is to be decided in a few minutes in this room.

“I’m sorry, but there are palace rules. The premier will not want a servant of the empress to be in a private meeting.”

Private? I’ve already spotted three attendants in the corners of this room, doing their best to blend into their surroundings. A thought strikes me. “Before you go, tell me what’s the most important rule in the palace?”