👑 BAD AIR…VENTILATION👑

EVENING…

<LIGHT COURT>

“Stand straight everyone the Queen Mother’s here”. One of the trainees said and everyone in their night dresses stood in rows of five. Since they were only 55 remaining.

Then the Queen Mother walked into the court and everyone bowed for her.

“Evening Queen Mother”. They greated and with the wave of her hand everyone stood upright facing her as they awaited what she had to say that was so important she had to call the meeting.

Then suddenly the Queen Mother glanced at the door at the door and Mina walked in pisedly in her new yellow trainees robe. Her face more cold and determined as ever as she gripped her sword tight and everyone gasped in shock while Hani and Giselle only frowned in annoyance.

Asa had her usual stress free expression on like she wasn’t shocked while Cherry only glared at Mina who stood looking at them like they were ants before her. Her gaze landed on Hani’s and she smirked at Hani.

“It was lately we reported the death of one of us to the Emperor and he was devastated cause it was just like loosing one of his wives. But then rules are rules, whoever that is out of the contest without elimination will be replaced with the best amongst the eliminated trainees and we all know Mina over here would have been the best if she didn’t fall prey to betrayal”. The Queen Mother said glaring at Hani and Giselle who avoided her gaze.

“But no one’s investigating on the death of the trainee who was ki||ed within the palace walls…

“She wasn’t ki||ed within the palace walls. She was out of the palace for fun during curfew and got shot by one of our soldiers who mistaked her for a demon”. The Queen Mother said cutting Asa off and everyone gasped.

“But…Her body. How did it end up in the garden then?”. Asa asked.

“That’s what we’re yet to find out…

“The arrow I saw on her body belongs to my family. This is all a ploy to bring this witch back…

“Shut up. Do you take me as a lier then?!”. The Queen Mother spat and Cherry kept quiet shutting her mouth.

“You all have greater problems to worry about and you dare question my decision in bringing her back?! It’s no wonder a mere daughter of a slave beat you all in attaining a favourable position in this palace just after staying here for only few days”. The Queen Mother glared and everyone exchanged glances of shock.

👥 What does the Queen Mother mean?

👥 Is she referring to the one who pretended to be blind?

👥 Was that the reason why the blind girl didn’t compete yesterday with us? Cause she was bigger now?!

Everyone mumbled.

“You’ll get to know soon. Goodnight”. The Queen Mother muttered before walking away and everyone bowed at her exit.

“Your guesses are right? I’m not your enemy? The Emperor’s new mistress is. Once either of us becomes the Empress she’ll be a huge obstacle to us. Why fight for the Emperor’s favour with a lowly slave when we could easily just make sure she doesn’t remain here for long. Getting rid of Jade is the primary deal here not hating my presence….

“Just shut Minnie. Your manipulative speech is for fools only! Eliminate her or not, she’s a member of the royal family now, no one can change that!”. Asa scoffed.

“Not when we become the Empress and throw her out ourselves…

“You just arrived but already spreading so much h@ťě so we won’t gang up against you. Everyone’s each other’s enemy here, targeting only one person makes us foolish cause once that person’s gone we’ll gave to later face ourselves so it’s best we don’t bother ganging up about that”. Asa sneered before adjusting her shimmering long white cape and walking out of the court.

“Always against me?”. Mina asked in a scoff, till Hani walked to her with a disdaining look.

“I’m going solo too. No gang work, if your last sister annoys me I’ll just end her myself, I don’t need you all help cause right now, you’re my only problem Minnie”. Hani glared before walking away and Giselle followed her.

👥 Asa’s the only one I think I can believe, if she says no team work then agreed by me!

👥 Yes! If not for her leading us in the contest earlier we would have been eliminated!

👥 Hani’s also not in support so who I’m i to support rude Mina

Others began dispersing also and Mina’s eyes widened as she balled her fist.

“I’ll have to do things myself then”. Mina mumbled.

<GOLD BOLT KITCHEN>

“I think I have to reconsider this whole mistress thing. Who punishes a mistress to do the dishes? What are the gazillion maids around for?”. Jade mouthed as she aggressively rinsed the plates she was done washing.

Then she moved to the pots, that were together on the floor and sighed deeply.

“I should really learn to cook with only one pot”. Jade frowned as she forced herself to wash the pots also and that was when Kai walked in, trying so hard not to make his aching back visible.

“Are you almost done with that?”. Kai asked and Jade frowned at him before returning back to work.

“I guess you wish to sleep out then”. Kai said turning his back to walk out.

“Yes! I’m done already!!”. Jade jumped up instantly kicking the pots she washed to a side in the very huge kitchen and Kai sighed before arranging them and the other dishes properly.

“It’s the Emperor’s kitchen so unless you have a death wish, don’t you ever leave it messed up”. Kai said turning and Jade only rolled eyes.

Then he was done and walked to her.

“You said, I’ll get paid every weekend as every royal does? How much are we talking about exactly? Is it enough for me and Ming to acquire a mansion at the nobles zone in the city!?”. Jade asked but Kai already began walking outside.

“No answer? What if he’s just fooling me then?”. Jade mumbled to herself before going after him, till he stopped on his track and faced her changing her almost dirty white robe to a blue one and Jade blinked looking at the new clothes on her body, not to mention he made her wear a black boot also.

“Why I’m I putting this on by this time of the night? Do i have some demons to fight in my dreams?”. Jade queationed in puzzlement.

“Pack up your hair and go to the Emperor’s library”. Kai said before turning and walking away and Jade blinked as she watched him leave.

“Library? Will i be sleeping there?”. Jade mumbled as she made her way to the library.
*
*
<TRAINING FIELD>

Asa sat on the sandy ground with her legs wrapped as she tried chanting some spells, other trainees lingered around the far end of the field practicing their spells also some seeking advice from their masters.

She was dressed in a trainees white night robe but she topped hers with a very glistening white cape adorned with bright stones. Her hair was well beautified also never a little dirty or misarranged.

“I keep forgetting the last line”. Asa groaned opening her once shut eyes cause of concentration to look into her spell book, then she saw Kai walking down the corridor and instantly stood up to go after him, then immediately she jumped right in front of him when she reached him and he frowned at her, while she stood bossily eyeing him with her wrapped arms.

“Tell me why have you been following my sister? Are you forgetting she’s competing to become the Emperor’s woman?”. Asa asked.

“What kind of stupid question is that? Are you that less busy that you feel disturbing my sight your shiny self will help you ki|| boredom?”. Kai uttered walking away but Asa jumped right in front of him again.

“Shiny self? Again with your talk on my fashion sense? Are you that into me? Would you like to become my concubine once I’m the Empress?”. Asa asked with an annoying smile that angered Kai, he made to move closer but Cherry jumped in between them handing Kai a red box of chocolate with a huge smile on her face.

“I made them myself, you’ll love it!”. Cherry mouthed smiling widely and Kai only glared at Asa before walking away with the box of chocolate, while Cherry wouldn’t stop beaming with excitement.

“For the first time he accepted my gift?!”. Cherry squealed glaring at Asa before running off.

“She can literally crush on a horse that creepy voice of hers”. Asa spat before walking away also.
*
*
<EMPEROR’S PERSONAL LIBRARY>

When Jade walked into the library, the Emperor was already seated on his writing desk, scribbling away on a scroll with his golden signature brush and Jade smiled widely running to stand in front of him.

“You have good handwriting. Is it cause of the magic brush you’re using?”. Jade asked moving to stand right next to the Emperor who didn’t look up from what he was writing. She gazed into the scroll he was writing on his, rare scent lingering right next to her.

Then suddenly Jade bent lower bringing her head to sniff the Emperor’s neck and he frowned as he turned to face her only to see her face so close to his then he used his hand to push her head away and she whinced out rubbing her forehead.

“I..just thought you smelled like the porridge i cooked the last time”. Jade explained as she held her head tight.

“Of course I should smell like it, since you slept with your pot in my wardrobe”. The Emperor said and Jade bit her lower lip.

“Move away from me”. The Emperor eyed again and Jade moved from his side to stand right in front of him.

“I recorded a lot of missing things. Which of course you’ll be paying for…

“I’m poor but able, so give me more gold and i promise to triple them for you before tomorrow runs out”. Jade assured confidently and the Emperor stood up in rage frightening her as she immediately avoided his stern gaze on her.

“Now that I think of it. You look better with your mask on, your angry face is…a…little scary”. Jade muttered but the Emperor heard her.

“And you wonder why nobody likes you. You think its from your mother’s dirty background?”. The Emperor said moving round her, his condescending gaze doing more of downgrading, while she wondered how he knew about her mother.

“Talking rashly, gambling like a failed man and then being utterly powerless compared to a new born isn’t that enough reasons to beg the heavens to take your deranged life?”. The Emperor asked still moving round Jade who only blinked.

“If the heavens made me this way, who am i to question them. By the way, I live way happier than you all with powers since i have no responsibilities to worry about”. Jade replied and the Emperor nodded in a way that he understood she had gone far in her stupid thought.

“You want to get rich by dirty instead of legal means right?…

“The kingdom of Yongxi is dirty already, why must i be the one following stupid rules every time?!…

Jade wasn’t done when the Emperor moving round her stopped suddenly right in front of her and striked her left leg with his powers.

“Ahh!”. Jade screamed holding that particular leg as she made to fall to the floor.

“Mistakenly fall and I’ll strike your other leg”. The Emperor warned and Jade instantly stood upright even though she wouldn’t stop whimpering in pain.

“Training under me, you need to choose your words carefully. Some might find your Ill-mannered attitude to be fun but i personally h@ťě it and would stop at nothing to make sure you either go dumb or just end up mute if you refuse changing”. Emperor Damien warned stoically and Jade only held her leg looking away from him.

“Each time I warn you. You reply with ‘Yes your majesty….

“I don’t get you at all? I’m I your student or mistress now?…

“Both. And don’t you dare think you’ve dropped out from the competition”. The Emperor said and Jade only kept quiet.

“Where’s my reply?”. The Emperor asked and Jade frowned a little before forcing her mouth to speak.

“Yes your majesty”. She mumbled.

“Where you speaking to your mate? You didn’t bow? Do I look like a joke to you?”. Emperor Damien glared and Jade instantly bowed her head.

“Sorry for annoying you your majesty!”. She immediately said and the Emperor faced his desk.

“Take the scroll and read out the content”. The Emperor said walking back to his seat and Jade picked up the red scroll from his desk holding it up to cover her face, as she secretly bit her lower lip countless times.

The Emperor suddenly stopped in his track to sit on his desk rather went to stand right next to her with a suspicious look in his eyes.

“Read it out”. He said again and Jade nodded, clearing her throat.

“The…way…to…heaven….

“What? Is that what’s written in the first paragraph?”. The Emperor asked trying his best not to accept the obvious.

“No…it’s not the first paragraph obviously. I…I just read the heading, like the title of the book…I mean scroll”. Jade defended and the Emperor for the second time blinked in confusion.

“Title? Tell me where I wrote the way to heaven as a title?”. The Emperor asked moving more closer to her but she shifted away.

“I’ll…read it again. I must have seen wrong”. Jade said bringing the scroll up to her face again.

“The…way to…succeed….

“What in heavens name is your problem with ‘way’ and ‘ways’?! Is that the only thing in your empty skull? At fifty you can’t read just a simple sentence?!”. The Emperor snapped finally loosing it and Jade jumped up in fear.

“Look at you! The way to heaven..the way to succeed only thing in that head of yours is money! Succeed with your dull head? Do that let me see you?”. The Emperor continued harshly and Jade only lowered her head, fearing she looking up to him will make him more angry.

“When it is clearly written. ‘Ten things expected of a disciple!’ How cone you can’t read? How will you chant spells tomorrow at the contest?”. The Emperor asked pacing round the library.

“No one wanted to waste money to enroll me into an academic…

“And you couldn’t do something yourself? No books to learn on your own?”. The Emperor asked suddenly stopping right in front of her.

“Why are you yelling at me, like I’m some wood or something. I was pretty young then, how would i know what a book was called?”. Jade said and the Emperor smirked at her.

“That’s the only thing you know. Talking right back at me”. He said his face turning into a glare.

“This is one reason why i said you should just send me back home. I don’t look like it, but i h@ťě being looked down on and won’t take it from anyone. Don’t teach me anything if all you’re going to do is to remind me that i can’t read”. Jade said and the Emperor nodded with a bawled fist.

“Leave…now”. He said under gritted teeths and Jade wasted no time in dropping his scroll and leaving the library.

Kai came in almost immediately.

“She didn’t grab anything. She looked really furious while leaving now”. Kai said and the Emperor only stood glaring at the scroll on his desk.

“She’s a lost course. So empty. I doubt she’s the one Shanghai’s referring to”. The Emperor said and Kai only blinked in confusion.

“You’ll replace her tomorrow. Make sure she passes. I’ll be going to the forbidden forest so I won’t be present tomorrow”. The Emperor said before disappearing and Kai bowed in response before letting out a long sigh.

<CORRIDOR>

Jade ran down the corridor with a huge frown on her face, her hands wrapped as she ran towards the Emperor’s kitchen.

She made to go in but it was already locked with huge chains earlier cause of her and she stopped in front of the door like one with a shattered hope, then suddenly her face began changing till she began crying loudly banging on the kitchen’s huge door like a mad person.

“Open! I’m sad today again why won’t you just open up now!!”. Jade screamed banging on the door.

“What will I use to console myself now. Everyone’s a big disease, always mean to for no good reason”. She muttered as more tears poured down her eyes but hearing footstep behind her, she instantly wiped up her tears and whoever it was tapped her on the shoulder.

“What are you doing right in front of the Emperor’s kitchen Jade?”. Asa asked and Jade only walked away from her not bothering to look at her.

“I have a lot of food if you want?!”. Asa yelled after her and Jade stopped on her track before turning to face Asa whose eyes widened as she moved more closer to Jade looking deeply at her younger sister’s face, I’ll Jade pushed her away.

“Where’s the food?”. Jade asked impatiently.

“Did you cry? Or possibly hurt your eyes cause I’ve never seen you cry before”. Asa asked.

“Of course I hurt my eyes. I never cry”. Jade replied trying not to make Asa notice her broken voice and Asa sighed in relief.

“Let’s go then. I happened to safe a lot of food from the banquet earlier, especially cause i suspected something odd to happen today and it really did”. Asa muttered walking away, while Jade only kept quiet already thinking about the food.

“Mina’s back in the game. So be careful tomorrow…

“I’m not participating that’s for you all to worry about”. Jade cut her off and Asa only had a confused look as she continued walking.

“Again? What’s going on in the Emperor’s head?”. Asa mumbled.
*
*
Jade didn’t spend much time in Asa’s room before coming out of it to receive fresh air.

She became sleepy and began roaming round the whole place again. Kai forgot to show her, her new room and right now she was too tired to go looking for him so she just sat on the floor leading to the trainees library but cause of the glares of some girls she stood up and began walking again but this time around she had a destination in mind.

Bardging into the Emperor’s room she met him busy with many scrolls on his desk with Kai who sat by his side assisting him and snowing from time to time.

Jade only blinked staring at them as they stared back at her with a questionable look in their eyes.

“You forgot to show this little mistress her new room, so I’ll just sleeo wherever my legs leads me”. Jade snored loudly disgusting the Emperor as she then walked towards his wardrobe opening the door she made to go in but a force from the Emperor’s powers threw her back to the ground and she whimped out when her b*tt hit the floor.

“Take her out of here…

“Look at you sounding so mad! I was the one whom you insulted but you dare gryto throw me out?! I’ve suffered alot in this life, i feel I’m too good for everyone here”. Jade hollered rubbish sleepily on the floor and the Emperor hit a scroll on Kai’s head.

“You want me to repeat myself?!”. Emperor Damien snapped and Kai instantly stood up.

“I always suffer in her place”. Kai sighed as he tried raising drowsy Jade up from the floor but then a strong smell hit his nose and he instantly fell to the floor covering his nose as he ran back to the Emperor who glared at him.

“Why is she still…what’s this devilish smell?”. The Emperor cut his words shut as he instantly covered his nose also.

“I think the food she’s been eating finally gave up”. Kai muttered his nose and mouth now covered as the Emperor’s eyes widened facing him.

“What?! You mean she released the gas in my chamber of all places?!”. He growled in disgust but then the smell hit his nose, almost traveling into his mouth whe he held his chest tight coughing out madly to reject the smell from his system, Jade stared at them liked she didn’t just pollute the air before falling to sleep on the floor.

“Take her out! Throw her, Dump her or wh@ťěver just make sure this smell vanishes!!”. The Emperor snapped using his powers to open up all the windows in the chamber.

While Kai took Jade by the hair, and began dragging her outside being super conscious so she doesn’t release on him again.

“It had to be my chamber of all places. She must be executed first thing tomorrow morning for this upper class criminal act offence she just Committed!”. The Emperor spat enraged putting his face out of the window to have fresher air…