The female royal head guard

Commander Li-Chen had been a constant presence in the King's life for years. She had been born into a noble family but one that had fallen on hard times. Her parents were distant cousins of the King but they had never been close to the throne. 

From a young age, Li-Chen had been drawn to the military, fascinated by the discipline and structure it provided. She had garnered enough support from her family and enlisted in the army.

She trained tirelessly, honing her skills in combat and strategy and as she rose through the ranks, Li-Chen became known for her unwavering loyalty and dedication to the King. She was appointed as the King's royal head guard, a position that gave her unparallel access to the king. 

Commander Li-Chen had long harbored feelings for the King but she knew that her social status and position made her an unlikely candidate for his affections. Despite this, she refused to give up hope. She continued to serve the King with unwavering devotion, while nurturing the possibility that he might one day notice her in a different light. 

Although she knew the King had a string of mistresses, none of them made her feel threatened the way this princess did. The arrival of the princess had thrown her world into turmoil. 

She watched with growing unease as the newly wedded couple made their way through the crowd accepting congratulations and gifts from the nobles and dignitaries at the wedding reception. 

The resentment building within her, she directed squarely at the princess who she believed had come to take what rightfully belonged to her.

Subtle cracks had begun to appear in Li-Chen's professional demeanor and she vowed she would do everything humanly possible to frustrate the princess and send her packing.

Li-Chen was determined to claim the King's affections. The princess represented everything, she had been denied of and she was determined to take her down even if it meant certain death for the princess. 

Secretly she began to gather a group of allies she could trust; all of whom shared the same desire as her's to see the princess removed from the picture. They were three of them; Su-Yang, a skilled assassin with a talent for discretion, Lady-in-waiting Han-Feng and Lee, a charming courtier with a talent for manipulation. 

In a secluded chamber deep within the palace, Commander Li-Chen gathered her team of fellow conspirators to discuss their plans.

Su-Yang leaned against the wall, his beady eyes fixed on the Commander, Lady-in-waiting Han-Feng sat in a chair, her hands folded demurely in her lap while Lee, the courtier slowly paced back and forth as they all listened to the Commander speak.

Commander Li-Chen's eyes gleamed with expectation as she out-lined her plans. "The princess is a crafty vixen and so before she successfully tricks our King into falling in love with her, we have to act quickly, with caution and above all, with care" She said. 

Su-Yang nodded and said "I'll take care of the rumors. I have connections with some of the courtiers who would be happy to spread the word" 

Lady-in-waiting Han-Feng said "I'll make sure to drop some hints in the King's ear; before long, the King would start having doubts about her loyalty"

Lee smiled mirthlessly and said "And I'll make sure to keep the princess distracted. She'll be too busy trying to navigate the complexities of court life to notice what's going on" 

Commander Li-Chen smiled and nodded, a sense of satisfaction washing over her. Her plans would surely succeed, no doubt, after all the princess was no match for someone of her cunning and experience. 

As the meeting ended and they began to disperse, Commander Li-Chen's eyes happen to lock onto Jade, the handmaid who was watching silently from the shadows. 

Commander Li-Chen's eyes narrowed as she quietly and stealthily approached Jade, who thought no one had seen her and was still watching from the shadows. "What are you doing here, handmaid?" Commander Li-Chen demanded, her voice low and threatening. 

Jade was taken aback. She slowly stepped forward, a look of innocence and bewilderment on her face "I was just ...um... looking for a way to the kitchen; I must have missed my way. Commander, I'm sorry I didn't mean to intrude" she said. 

With eyebrows raised, Commander Li-Chen said "The kitchen? At this hour? I don't believe you!" 

Jade's eyes darted back and forth but the expression on her face remained innocent and she even began to tear up as if aggrieved "I swear, Commander, I wasn't snooping"

Commander Li-Chen's eyes bore into Jade's, searching for any kind of deception but Jade's face remained unchanged. 

Commander Li-Chen tried to read the handmaid but she couldn't, so she seemed to settle for her explanation. "Very well, handmaid. I shall turn the cheek this one time but be warned, if I catch you snooping around again in places you have no reason to be; there will be dire consequences" 

Jade nodded meekly, her eyes cast downwards "Yes, Commander, I understand" 

"You may leave the same way you came then take the first turn on your right; that's the way to the kitchen" The commander said and remained standing for Jade to go. 

"Thank you for your guidance Commander" Jade said, bowed and turned to leave. 

As Jade turned to leave, the Commander didn't notice the handmaid's eyes flick up, her mind churning up with different thoughts, possibilities and conspiracies of her own. 

As soon as she was certain Commander Li-Chen was no where near her, Jade's expression turned from one of innocence to one of intense calculation.

As a woman experienced in matters of love, she could tell that the Commander had feelings for the King. She decided to watch the Commander closely and from what she could see presently; she could roughly guess what the Commander and her team were planning. 

Her mind began running in overdrive. She could expose their plans to the King but without concrete proof, her own life would be in danger but then again why should she help the princess? She had already started hating the princess so there wasn't any reason to help her.

She would rather prefer to silently gather incriminating evidence against the Commander and when Li-Chen makes her move and become successful in killing the princess, she, Jade would present the evidence to the King. She would be crowned a heroin and maybe, just maybe, the King would marry her out of gratitude.

Jade's mind was made up. That's what she'll do.