Philip grabbed Patricia's hands. "Look at my face. You better stop. Are you crazy?"
She shook her head. "I just want to check, and that is all. Just one little peep."
"You do not have to," he pushed her away and stretched his hands to stop her from coming closer. "Let me tell you what really happened. I bribed the chief eunuch."
"You did? Are you sure you are not lying to me?" She asked.
"Yes, Patricia. You should relax. Believe me. Master sent me here just the way he sent you. I am here to assist you on your mission." His words made sense.
She nodded, "So, Master sent you? This is great. I thought the worst had happened."
***
Ruby walked into Perry's room. Perry was seated in her large bed, veiled. She took off the veil and said to Ruby, "I guess the crown prince will not be gracing me with his presence tonight."
"Crown Princess, please do not feel bad," Ruby persuaded.
"I do not feel bad. There must be a reason why the crown prince could not come. We have many days ahead." Perry rose to her feet. "Ruby, I am tired. But I must take a bath first. Heat up some water and put it in the tub. Add my favorite flowers."
Forty-five minutes later, Perry was in the tub. The maids poured water on her slowly. She knew this was a bad sign. The prince did not come to her on her first night in the palace.
Before dawn, everyone would know. What would they say? Would they say that Perry was being shunned by the prince? Would her influence be watered down in court? Would the other wives and concubines use this information to mock her? She took a deep breath and cupped her hands. She dipped them inside the water and poured it on her face repeatedly.
"No," she thought to herself. "I will not be discouraged. I am the crown princess. And what I experienced today is just a wrinkle in the process. I will definitely iron it out. I will not fail. The prince must have had an emergency today. Yes! That must be it. That is why he did not come. The moment he is free, I will definitely be the person he will come running to. I must remember my status. I am not just any noble woman. I am now the crown prince's consort. The new crown princess of the Kingdom of Lafenia. Soon I will be queen."
***
Dawn came quickly. Patricia was in deep sleep when she heard the sound of a loud bell. Someone was ringing it incessantly above her. Patricia had spent some time with Philip, and she had not gotten enough sleep. The bell kept ringing. She opened her eyes to see a stern middle aged woman looking down at her.
"Get up at once! All concubines must assemble in the empress's palace for greetings."
Patricia rubbed her eyes and rose to her feet.
"Do not be lazy," the woman scolded. "You have less than an hour to prepare. You were briefed yesterday, were you not? Pick up some speed already."
Lisa had used a pillow to cover her head. The stern woman walked up to Lisa, flung the pillow away, and rang the bell near her ears.
Lisa screamed, "Fire! Oh fire!" As she rolled off the bed. Patricia and Pamela burst out laughing. The stern woman turned to Patricia and Pamela.
"What is so funny? If you are late to the meeting, you will be punished by family rules. Hurry!"
Patricia and Pamela fled the room.
An hour later, they were dressed and headed for the empress's palace. Any time they met someone senior in rank, they would stop, bow, and let the person walk in front of them.
When they reached the empress's palace, the crown prince's consort was already seated. They walked to her and bowed, as custom demanded. Patricia hid behind the others. She did not want Perry to see her. She feared recognition. They rose and took their seats with the other concubines at the last row.
When all the wives and concubines were seated, the queen walked in. Everyone rose to their feet and bowed.
Queen Constance sat and gestured to the women to do the same. "Sit comfortably, please, everyone. You all look so beautiful." She turned to Perry. "The crown princess is the most beautiful of all."
"Thank you, Mother," Perry said. "How was your night, Perry? Did you enjoy my son's company?" The queen asked.
Heat rose to Perry's cheeks. The maid beside the queen bent to whisper in her ear.
The queen smiled. She turned to Perry again, "That is how my son is. He often attends to his duties more than his family. You all will learn to live with that."
"Yes, my queen," the wives and concubines responded as they rose to their feet and bowed.
Patricia was getting bored. Did she wake up early and come to the queen's palace for this? She just wished to be dismissed.
Suddenly, she realized she was stepping on something soft. A sharp animal sound startled her. It was coming from beneath her feet. She looked down and noticed that her shoes were planted on cat fur. A living cat.
Patricia had always been scared of cats. The moment she raised her feet, the animal jumped on Patricia in self-defense, displaying all its aggression.
Patricia screamed and ran. Suddenly, she hit something, and felt a hand wrap around her. "It is okay. I've got the cat," a voice whispered into her ears.
Then, she calmed and realized she was in someone's arms. She raised her head up slowly to see a man wearing a golden mask. The same golden mask she had seen at the wedding. It dawned on her, "This was... Crown Prince Edward."