Chapter 1

from one caged garden to another

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Eyes fluttered open, revealing lavender hues. Long, dark brown tresses splayed across the bed behind her head that rested on the pillow.

She groaned inwardly, the sunlight that peeked through the gossamer curtains straining her already blurry vision.

She sighed deeply, struggling to hoist herself upward into a seated position. Rubbing sleep from her eyes, she looked around. The room she slept in was furnished and decorated quite splendidly, candle lanterns had been lit and blown out during the course of the night. The bed itself was quite sturdy, the mattress less springer than she thought, but it was nonetheless what she was sleeping on.

Except, this wasn't the room she was used to. Gathering her bearings, she realised that this was not her usual chamber from the brothel. In fact, this wasn't even the brothel.

The smell of tobacco, sex and oiled perfumes that clung onto the air didn't not sting her sense of smell. There wasn't any sound of laughter and clattering to be heard. The hustle and bustle that she was used to in the mornings, were not there.

In fact, it was quiet. Maybe a little too quiet for her liking. 

Frowning, she racked her brain for any memory of how she ended up here.

But she couldn't come up with anything.

There was something on her mind though. Voices, laughter, crying. Pools rippling as she walked through mirrors and rivers filled with memories. Memories that weren't her own.

'It must have been that dream that I had again. Why it keeps happening is still a mystery.'

Resigning herself to the inevitable truth that she may never know what was occuring inside her head whilst she slept at this point in time, she gingerly climbed out of bed and prepared to get ready, when a resounding knock startled her.

Turning to the door, she called out:

 "Come in." 

The door opened with a quiet creaking sound and a young woman walked in, her footsteps light. She was of average height, a little shorter than she was by at least 4 inches, and her black hair was styled in a simple bun with two loops, fastened with a plain hair clip made of copper. She wore what looked to be a maid servants' attire - long skirt, wide sleeves and a light pink undergarment, revealing her neck and collarbone. She wore a placid expression but her eyes sparked with kindness.

"Good morning my lady. How was your sleep?" The maidservant bowed with her arms stretched outward, yet folded in at the same time.

"Mmm, yes, it was pleasant. Pardon me for any ignorance, however, I'm not actually sure how I got here." 

The maidservant looked surprised, but opted to not show it openly. She lowered her arms and gave her a sweet smile.

"This is one of the chambers reserved for trainee concubines. You're here in the Inner Palace." The maidservant said.

These words shocked her. How on earth did she get into the Inner Palace?

The Inner Palace was essentially a garden of women, who were trained and educated to perfection and expected to produce the Emperor's heirs. The Emperor himself is a revered figurehead and his word was the word of the Heavens. Many noble women of marriageable age were sent to live in the Inner Palace as concubines, their whole purpose in life is to birth heirs and make good wives to others if the Emperor suddenly loses interest.

The garden of bountiful and stunning flowers?

More like twittering birds trapped in a gilded cage. 

She should know. She was a bird trapped once. She knew of the call of patrons who begged for some relief in between mouthfuls of ale and tea, tired from the music and dancing. Her many years growing up in the brothel, learning to dance, sing, play music and tempt wayward men with her beauty was all she had known. She supposed the young women that learned similar skills growing up had different ideas on where their future was to be: serving and devoting all their time and energy to their husbands. 

She, if she was lucky, may get to experience that. But she surmised that would never happen.

The young maidservant was still looking at her, almost expectantly. She felt self-conscious all of a sudden. 

Dressed in a simple white gown with long sleeves, it was hard to imagine that this beauty was once a well loved courtesan.

Now, it seemed, she was a concubine.

But that doesn't explain how she got to the Inner Palace.

"How did I get here?"

"You don't remember?" The maidservant asked, perplexed. There was an ounce of innocence to her voice. She shook her head. 

"You were chosen by the Matron of Imperial Relations to serve as the Emperor's potential bedmate. I understand that you are very confused, but the Matron herself personally visited all of the brothels in the pleasure district to increase the number of concubines. She believed that it would give the Emperor a wide variety of women to choose from. You were one of the 40 young courtesans from the pleasure district to be chosen."

Her mouth dropped open in shock. Clarity returned to her sleep-idled mind.

'So that's how!'

The maidservant approached with dainty steps, her face morphing into an expression of kindness.

"Well since you now know, it's time to get ready for the day. All of the consorts-in-training are meeting the Matron in one of the main courtyards." 

She pursed her lips together. Of course. That made more sense. If what she had heard about this woman was correct, it was that the Matron took her role of maintaining and preserving the delicacy of Imperial relationships very seriously. She was essentially the bridge between success and failure for concubines.

The chipper maidservant opened the wardrobe and pulled out a hanfu with long red-pink sleeves, a long flowing skirt of the same colour and a white upper garment with three blue water droplet patterns. An outer garment made of the same shade of pink would be worn over the hanfu for coverage. A similar-coloured pair of shoes were chosen as part of the outfit.

"I recommend wearing this. Light and airy, yet modest all the same. I'll look for some matching jewellery for you as well."

She took the hanfu from the maidservant and went behind an unfolded dressing screen for privacy. The maidservant had noticed and called out.

"Do you need any don't help with changing?" 

"No, not really. I can handle it. Thank you."

She emerged a few minutes later, wearing the outfit. The skirt whispered against her bare legs, the texture of the material akin to silk. The upper bodice of the hanfu was wrapped snugly around her chest and stomach and the long sleeves gave off a feeling of floating in the air.

She had also slipped on the shoes that had been given as well. The maidservant looked back, holding a simple gold necklace and a pair of rose earrings, and dropped her mouth open in shock.

"That….was quick. You look lovely my lady." the maid servant snapped out her initial shock very quickly.

She flushed. "Thank you." Her voice lilted a bit. The maidservant proceeded to put the jewellery on her, the necklace looping around her slender neck and the bejewelled stone coming to rest on her collarbone. She decided to put the earrings on herself.

"You're not exactly eager to allow someone to dress you, are you?" The maidservant observantly pointed out. She shook her head, her dark brown curls fluttering with each head movement.

"I'm a courtesan, so I'm not used to having someone dress me." 

"Ah, my apologies. I better get used to that." The maidservant bowed politely. She sighed and went over to the mirror to check her new appearance. Although her hair hadn't been styled, she looked quite nice in her outfit. Almost regal in a way. 

She did allow the maidservant (whose name she found out was Yingtao) to style her hair in a simple traditional swirled bun fixed in place with a lavender ribbon and a silver hair stick, which looked to have been carved from a solid block of silver (though she guessed it was a substitute metal since only the Imperial family were allowed to wear the most expensive jewellery and hair ornaments).

The maidservant proudly displayed her handiwork with a sunny beam of a smile.

"Tadaaaa! What do you think?" 

"It looks amazing. Thank you Yingtao." She blushed in marvel at Yingtao's skill. Yingtao flushed pink at the praise given.

"Aww, I'm glad you like it. Let me spray some perfume on you quickly, then we can get going. I'll show you to the main courtyard."

They both exited the bedchamber and out into the open air. The rear palace was abuzz with activity. Through her and Yingtao's little jaunt, she observed the palace laundry maids in their plain uniforms and long skirts, their hands wrapped around the handles of wicker-bamboo baskets filled with folded laundry. She saw men in dark blue uniforms diligently patrolling and working. Yingtao informed her that those men were eunuchs and were instructed to keep the peace within the feminine sanctuary. She also spotted a hubbub of lavishly dressed young ladies, decked out in silks and satins, their hair in elaborate styles, pinned with jewellery, and the strong scent of rich perfume masking whatever it was that those women found unappealing.

Yingtao was excited about the concubine trials, since she wasn't allowed to participate. 

"The trials themselves are quite difficult, since these trials determine who is most eligible for becoming a consort of His Majesty. His Majesty has really high standards for his consorts, they have to be the creme of the crop. So the Matron is in charge of testing young, unmarried women in these trials and those who pass, end up becoming consorts. I find it quite fascinating."

"These trials sound similar to the lessons that trainee courtesans take before they can work at the brothel." She said in a mild manner. Yingtao looked surprised by this.

"Really? Is the process for each brothel different?" There was a hint of curiosity in her voice. 

"I only ever worked in one, but the training process for each brothel is largely the same. It depends on who runs the brothel." came the answer from Yingtao's new mistress.

"Oooh. I get it now. Well, I think you'll ace these trials." Yingtao encouraged with a beaming smile.

"You sound awfully optimistic about these trials." She replied. Yingtao shrugged her shoulders. "I can tell that you have something in you that no one else has. Concubines and courtesans are not all that different, and since you must have trained diligently in order to be a well-known courtesan that others seek out for your services, these trials will be a walk in the park."

She frowned once more, dubious over the enthusiasm Yingtao was displaying. "I wouldn't become overconfident on my behalf. The Matron herself sounds like she's a notorious figurehead in court."

"That's because she is. The Matron is incredibly strict with her teaching and very rarely favours a concubine unless she sees great promise and potential in them."

"Then, it's settled."

"I'm afraid I don't follow." Yingtao was confused over her new mistress's sudden answer. 

"These trials won't be a walk in the park for me. However, I'll endeavour to do my best and overcome any obstacles."

Yingtao beamed. It seemed her enthusiasm had rubbed off onto her, albeit a little.

She sighed as Yingtao continued to talk, giving her some helpful insights into the layout and function of the Inner Palace.

'Seems I really have no choice in the matter. These trials and the Matron ...this won't be easy, however, I have gained a friend. So, I suppose fate is a little lenient sometimes.'

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