Lin
The courtyard buzzed with officials moving in and out of the Emperor's chambers. The soldiers stationed at the entrance opened the door, granting Lin another quick glimpse of the regal Emperor while she kept up her pretence of painting a portrait.
He was seated at the throne, calm, composed, and utterly indifferent to the world around him and painfully … her.
Lin had tried everything: gifts, flattery, impeccable manners, and smiles that could turn a man to jelly, yet her every effort was ignored. Even her
The few times that she had the opportunity to attend any important event where he would be present, he had barely spared her a fleeting glance. While she followed his movements with desperate eyes, silently begging him to notice her.
"Why does he ignore me?" Lin would think every time. Her heart always tightened with longing, wondering why he couldn't, for once, acknowledge her presence.
She bowed at an approaching official in greeting, and the man paused to make little conversation with her, asking about her father.
Lin's father, General Xueyo, was also an official specialising in the Empire's Defence and Security. and a friend of the Late Emperor. So that was why she was always invited to the high society parties hosted by the royal family. And when they were younger, she got the chance to play with the Emperor.
Tired of pretending to paint, she packed up her equipment, deciding to go back to her family's quarters in the palace.
As she passed the maids, she overheard them talking about the upcoming regional trip the Emperor was taking to the East.
The sound of their voices followed her till she turned the next corner, but in her mind, she vowed to do anything to make the Emperor acknowledge her presence.
Two days later,
Lin held on to the edge and, as the carriage rocked to the side, she almost jostled out of her seat. She shrieked in slight panic as her grip almost loosened.
The carriage stopped waiting for her response. The guard in charge called out to her. He was her father's protege, Han Yeoungi.
"Lady Xueyo, are you alright?"
Her handmaiden. Ru, who had been sleeping, jostled awake, blinked blearily and wiped the little drool that was at the side of her mouth. Lin wondered how she could sleep without trouble on the road.
"Yes, I'm." She forced herself to reply. Her legs ached, and she was tired of sitting for so long.
"Alright, Lady Xueyo. Just hang in there, we are almost close to camp." Then he hit the side of the carriage, alerting the horseman to continue moving.
Lin heard the other guards check in with their patrons. She was the only one amongst her family who had accompanied her father on this royal trip, and he was in the next carriage directly behind hers.
She couldn't wait for them to reach the resting camp because her whole muscles were cramping badly.
They continued on the rough journey, taking only short pit stops for toilet breaks. Only a few ladies accompanied them on this trip, and Lin was happy to be one of them.
It was no secret in the palace that she was the most favoured child in her father's eyes because he always pampered and spoiled her much to her mother's dismay and disapproval. She was the youngest of six children, of whom four of them were males, and she had just one older sister who was now married to a Tribal chief in the Northern Isle of Yunjing.
Three of her older brothers were all in the Emperor's Army, enlisted at the age of eighteen, trying to continue their father's legacy as he was a very powerful General in his prime. While her fourth older brother was a scholar and was away in the Southern Isle keeping his nose buried in ancient books and finding out new things that might help the Empire.
Lin sighed in sadness; she hardly ever got to see her older brothers anymore. Sometimes, just once a year because of their annual leave, and if she was lucky, twice a year. She missed them a lot and hoped to see them soon.
The entourage arrived at the resting camp at dusk. Thankfully, no bandits had been stupid and reckless enough to ambush them.
Lin alighted from the carriage with the help of Han; she smiled tiredly, resisting the urge to crack her spine. That would definitely be considered unladylike and attract the attention of the other noble ladies alighting from their carriage.
An old lady led Lin and her handmaiden to the female section of the resting camp, where other ladies had started making themselves feel at home. Big tents have been pitched to accommodate everyon,e with the Emperor's own being the biggest.
"Lady Xueyo, please let me know if you need anything." The lady smiled warmly, then took her leave.
Lin nodded and then looked over the space she would be sharing with her handmaiden for the evening.
It was very spacious and was decorated with soft colours that embraced femininity. She wasn't the only one admiring it. Ru glanced at it with approval and excitement in her eyes.
"Do you like it?"
"Yes, Lady Xueyo, it looks so beautiful. The hues and colours are rich. I really like it." Ru's smile matched hers and stretched wider as they burst into giggles.
Lin liked Ru alot and they had been together since she was eighteen. Now she was twenty-two and still enjoyed her company.
"Let's get sorted."
"Okay, Lady Xueyo." Ru nodded, her face set in determination.
They had to prepare quickly to keep up with the camp activities for the night. This night would be a lot of fun, and Lin won't let fatigue make her miss out on it.