"No matter how hard she loved, how hard she tried to be with the man she loved, she couldn't. She was a High Demon, a legendary white snake so vile, she was incapable of love. Or so the monks deemed. Her every action, regardless of her pure intentions, was used against her. In the end, XuXuan was torn from her as she was crushed by a pagoda falling from the sky, separating the lovers forever."

The White Serpent—A Hymn of High Demons

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

I dreamed of my birth village.

It had no name; a small settlement at the border of Erden, close to the vast plains where the nomads of Oghul-qaisah lived. Although the Oghul-qaisahi were enemies with Erden, the rivalry didn't stop their hungry people from buying food from the Erdenese. Papa was a farmer, and he owned a large portion of the rice fields. Whenever harvest came, my elder brother, Zhenjin, headed down the fields and reaped our harvest. I remained indoors and sieved rice with mother. A large portion of the rice went to the Emperor as tribute, a small portion of it went to the people of Oghul-qaisah, and the rest was left for us.

We didn't complain. We had enough rice to last us through the winter, and we planted sweet potatoes behind our modest house of stone and mud. Mama would fry us sweet potato crackers whenever the harvest was bountiful, and I looked forward to the season every year.

I was five, and I was sitting next to Zhenjin as he taught me the Erdenese letters. His stick found firm purchase in the dark soil, dragging thick lines behind it as Zhenjin wrote two letters.

"I know what those are!" I said proudly. "That's your name!"

Zhenjin smiled and scratched another two letters into the soil.

"I don't recognize these," I said. "What are those?"

"That's your name," he said.

I scrunched up my eyes and peered at the letters doubtfully. "It looks complicated."

"Because you're a complicated bundle." Zhenjin winked.

I snorted. "I'm not. I'm just jealous Mama named you gold. Why couldn't she name me something as fine as yours?"

"Do you know what your name means, Sarna?" my brother said.

I shook my head.

"It means doe."

"It's not fair! Mama named me after an animal!"

Zhenjin drew me into a hug. "Do you know why mama named you Sarna?"

"Because she loves you more." I pouted.

"Have you ever seen a doe?" he asked.

"I've seen deer. They always come out at dark. Whenever I try to catch them, they're gone."

"They're free creatures," Zhenjin said. "They roam the wild without a single worry in the world. During the day, they stay with their family and graze together. They have no care for the Emperor or humans. They're free. A doe is freedom. Mama wants you to be free, too."

"What does that mean?" I said.

Zhenjin looked sad. "Being free is being able to live without fear. We hope that the world will be kinder to you when you grow up."

I opened my eyes to morning sunlight trickling through the bamboo bars of the window.

Xizu distributed our new servant dresses and overalls at dawn, along with a cup of watered-down tea and a slice of bread. The dress was the most hideous thing I'd ever seen—the cloth was cotton and dyed an ugly shade of gray with uneven patches. The lace and ribbons adorning the waist was a ghastly pink. If Biyu was here, he would cry at the horrific clothes.

"Gather at the courtyard," she ordered. "Madam Kou will be assigning you to your courts."

Wanru, who was already tiny in stature, looked even smaller in her over-large dress.

"Well?" she asked.

"I've got to be honest, the dress is cat vomit."

She laughed. "I think you're beautiful, with or without the ugly dress."

For a moment, I froze. No one had ever called me beautiful, except for my mother and brother. When I was sold, I was the runt, the girl which Madam Ruga auctioned off on her first night as a 'dog'. Other girls were beautiful, rare animals like lynxes, vixens, and phoenixes. To the Erdenese society, I was worth less than a single Copper Credit. After the fire burned off my face, I was reduced to the shadows, trapped underneath a veil, doomed never to see the sunlight ever again.

My hand reached the ruined side of my face, expecting my fingers to graze the uneven scars and bumps, an eternal brand of my suffering. Instead, I was greeted with silky-smooth skin.

You're a Facechanger, remember? a small voice whispered. Gone are your bruises and sores. You are now Qara.

"Ladies!" Xizu's bark jerked me from my thoughts. "Stop chittering. Do you want to be slapped by Madam Kou?"

I gathered with the other maids in the courtyard, surprise lingering faintly with my quickened heartbeat. Madam Kou stood in front of the new Brass Bells with a frown on her face.

"Hurry up, you silly girls," she snapped. "You dawdle here, but once you reach your designated courts, the Housekeepers would not be as tolerant of tardiness as I am. Keep this up, and you'll find yourselves sprawled across a beating block. Whether you survive the beatings is none of my concern."

The scurrying increased, then fell silent.

"There are more than a hundred courts in the Jade Palace, but only ten courts are in dire need of new female slaves—The Emperor's court, the crown prince's court, the second prince's court, the Imperial ward's court, and the courts of the Emperor's six head concubines."

Madam Kou clicked her tongue, then scrutinized us. "You," she pointed at a tall girl at the back. "You're well-built. The crown prince needs slaves who can lift and clean. You're going to Qiliu Court."

She picked out a few more, all who would head to Qiliu Court, the residential place of the crown prince.

I took in a deep breath and extended my consciousness into Madam Kou's. Unlike the morgue guard or the soldier who dragged us into the courtyard, Madam Kou's mind was barricaded with a song on repeat. No matter how hard I tried to penetrate the fortress of notes, I recoiled from the dense rhythms.

Send me to Qiliu Court, I shouted. Send me to Qiliu Court, now!

I made no impact. If I was Donghwa, I could have yielded better results. But I was half-Immortal. Donghwa had warned me that I'd only have enough power to persuade the weak and the broken.

I watched Madam Kou pointed more fingers, this time to serve Ziwei Court, residential court of the Imperial ward, Princess Shila. I was none of them as well.

"You."

I jumped. At first, I thought she was pointing at me, but she was looking at Wanru.

"Princess Shila needs a chambermaid since she executed her last one," Madam Kou said. "You're young. I'm sure you will be able to serve her well."

Wanru trembled, but nodded.

Madam Kou's sharp eyes then fell onto me. "You're a beautiful lass. I'm sure the second prince will admire and cherish your beauty and youth. You're assigned to Zhennan Court."

My heart gave a sharp leap. The plan was to sidle up to the crown prince, gain insight of his sleeping routines, the number of guards at his sides, and formulate a way to land the killing blow. Now, I wasn't chosen to serve the crown prince, but I was assigned to a close-second. If I made my way to Bowen's side, it was possible I would be introduced to Wulin. After all, they were blood brothers, and all matters of the nation concerned them.

Wanru tugged my sleeves. "I don't want to be separated from you," she whispered.

"I'll find you when I can. Maybe the two courts aren't too far apart."

"But they might catch you," she said.

"I'll think of a way," I promised. "Just stay low and avoid talking to anyone. Obey your superiors. Whatever happens, stay safe."

She nodded, and I gave a quick hug when Madam Kou looked down to read at her scroll again.

Madam Kou finished assigning slaves to the last few courts. "Report to your designated courts at once. Your Housekeepers are already outside waiting."

"Yes, Madam Kou." Everyone curtsied.

The group scattered. I clutched Wanru's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Remember my words."

Wanru smiled. "I shall try to."

With that, we parted ways. The Housekeeper of Zhennan Court was a beefy man with a too-large mustache, yellow teeth, and a spotted head. He snorted upon seeing us, then spat into a bush nearby. I gritted my teeth and kept my head low as he surveyed us with his tiny, beetle-black eyes.

"Well, well." He grabbed my chin with a rough hand and angled up my face until I was staring into his eyes. "We have a handsome one this time. Second Prince Bowen will be pleased."

I broke off my eye contact in disgust. This man was just like every other who walked through the glittering doors of the Pavilion. They stank of lust and inebriety. My instinct growled at him, begging to chew off his hand so he would never touch me ever again.

Soon, I raked in a deep breath. Not now, but soon.

We followed the Housekeeper into Zhennan Court. Unlike the previous court, Zhennan Court was a serene place—a gazebo was built on a beautiful lotus lake where wave after ambient wave lapped against its whitewashed base; a large gilded edifice of a palace towered over the other residential halls with its golden turrets and red pillars. Zhennan Court was a lattice of intricate work, and the sight of it took my breath away. While the Jade Palace was imposing, Zhennan Court held a magnificent yet pleasant aura.

"Hurry up, ya cow," the Housekeeper barked, then shoved me toward the front. "Plenty to do today. A lot of court responsibilities have fallen on our prince Bowen since our crown prince is preoccupied by questioning the Zichuan Theater assassins."

We were framed, you idiot. None of us tried killing the crown prince.

The words sprang forth, perching on the tip of my tongue, but I bit down hard.

When I was thrust into this, I had no power. But now, the blood of the High Immortals sang through my veins. The Imperials and their minions held political power, but I possessed the power of the Gods. With my scalpel, I'd cut them into tiny pieces and feed them to the wolves. I could seize their minds and make them grovel just like how they forced me to. I'd turn this game over, upend the chessboard. Make it mine.

But not now. Play your part.

Once we reached the servant quarters of Zhennan Court, the Housekeeper assigned us tasks. Some were sent to the kitchen, while I was tossed an apron and an empty basin was shoved into my arms.

"You're going to do the laundry," the Housekeeper said. "Join the others at the back of the servant quarters and see to your chores immediately."

I curtsied, then walked toward the raised platform by the river where several other girls were scrubbing, washing, and hanging up clothes to dry.

I cleared my throat and sat down next to a skinny girl the widest brown eyes. Her brass bell jingled as she raised her head and gave me a welcoming smile.

"You're one of the new girls, right?" she said. "Housekeeper Wang told us."

"That's his name?" I scoffed. "Pretty unsuitable for someone like him. He's anything except kind and prosperous."

"Keep those thoughts to yourself, sister," the Brass Bell said. "There are ears everywhere."

We then washed the barrel of clothes in total silence. Occasionally, I lifted my head and stared at the canopy of trees above and around us. The leaves were linear and sagittate, ending at sharp, jagged points. Some of them were plucked free from the twigs by the wind and floated into our washing barrels, which we had to fish out and toss into the river, lest they rip holes in the fragile fabric of the Imperials.

The next load I washed were the robes of the Imperial Guards.

An idea popped in my head. When no one paid attention, I took the basket of clothes and crouched by the river, where I hid one of the dry robes under a rock. It may be dirty and stank of old sweat, but it would come in handy.

While the other women gossiped softly, I sat in silence, scrubbing until my hands were raw.

"I heard that Xinxu is with child," a Copper Bell said.

The other Copper Bell who sat across me dropped her brush.

"Are you sure?" she whispered. "If word gets out, Prince Bowen will have her executed."

"It's his child," the first Copper Bell insisted. "I doubt the Emperor would want his own flesh and blood killed, even if it's bastard."

"But are you certain Xinxu is with the prince's child?" The second Copper Bell wanted to know.

The first Copper Bell scrubbed furiously at the washing board. "That's what I heard. Xinxu has been looking very sickly recently, and her stomach has been growing."

"Perhaps it's the child of that stable boy," the third Copper Bell argued. "You know they've been in love since the day they arrived here."

"But the prince bedded her after," the second Copper Bell said. "It could be his too."

It seemed that the rumors of Bowen being a lecherous man were true. I found it hard to believe the man I met at the teahouse to be someone so despicable, and an Imperial no less. An Imperial guarded their identity and their pride with their lives. The thought of the second prince flirting and bedding different girls every night made me want to throw brush into the river.

Disgusting. Animal. Imbecile.

At the end of the day, my spine was screaming from the exertion of bending over the entire day, and my hands were swollen from being immersed in water, and raw from all the scrubbing and rinsing. My shoulders ached, my neck was stiff, my legs were sore, and my stomach rumbled. Working in Zichuan Theater left me tired too, but it was a different type of tired. I worked freely and happily, erecting the texts, securing the ropes, preparing the costumes.

I couldn't stop the bitter smile tugging at my lips, and I had to turn away from Wang who came sniffing around, making sure that all doors were locked, the chores were completed, and all slaves were in bed. He lingered around our chamber a bit longer, staring at us as we slid under our blankets in our night robes. I was certain that the rest of the girls were as uncomfortable as I was, but we remained silent.

"Goodnight lovies," he crooned. "I'll see you all in the morning."

Some of the girls mumbled a sleepy response, while the rest pretended they heard nothing. I rolled over to my right side and stared at the beamed ceiling. The scalpel was cold against my skin where I had hidden it under my chemise. I drew it out, letting the blade shine under the moonlight streaming through the cracks in the roof.

Time to familiarize myself with the courts. Count the guards, note their posts, scrutinize where the keys were kept and where the crown prince slept. In order to defeat an enemy, you had to know them. Inside and out.

I counted the minutes after Wang left. Sliding LiYuan's face free from my pillowcase, I nimbly climbed out of bed and made my way out of the sleeping quarters.

Dogs barked in the distance, but I could easily silence them, so it was of no worry to me. I ran down to the stone by the riverbank where I'd hidden the Palace Guard's robe. Hiding behind a tree, I changed faces and clothes, then tucked my dress back into the hole underneath the rock.

My body stretched, and my bones grew into the stout build of LiYuan. Pain jolted through my body, as though struck by bolts of lightning, and it ended just as swiftly. LiYuan's dark, rough hair fell to my shoulders, which I drew back into a bun using a ribbon from my dress. Guards usually wore black boots, and the gardener's pair by the shed looked exactly like theirs. I made my way to the shed, slipped on the boots, and adjusted my stance.

Avoid eye contract. Pretend you are on a mission.

It sounded far easier in my head.

Nighttime, the bustle died down. The only people walking past the garden pathways and all around the court were guards and a handful of female slaves. I felt naked without carrying a sword. All the other guards carried swords, except one who carried a lantern instead. Maybe I could get one of those, so I wouldn't stick out too much.

I followed a guard down the path and toward a small hut where light and the smell of roasted meat poured from the seams of its windows. My stomach rumbled loudly.

Hoping I wouldn't look too guilty, I walked as nonchalantly as I could toward the lanterns, but someone grabbed me roughly by the shoulder. I turned, and a pang of shock and terror sliced through me.

Lord Hua.

"Oi, you," he barked. "Going somewhere?"

My face was on fire again, scalding me, charring me into pieces as I writhed in agony.

"I-I," I stammered. Why was he roaming near the slave quarters? Shouldn't he be in the General Tower, drinking himself silly?

"Aren't you supposed to be on duty?"

My mind screamed for me to leap into a pond and wash the filth of his contact from my skin, but I sucked in a quick breath.

"M-my shift just ended, my Lord." I struggled to keep my voice even. "I wanted to have dinner."

Breathe, Sarna. He doesn't know it's you.

Lord Hua stared at me with his cold, hard eyes for a good long moment, as though he was contemplating whether my words were lies. Much to my relief, he released me.

"Come dine with me, soldier," he said.

"My Lord, it's alright. I-"

"You dare refuse an Imperial General's invitation?" he growled.

I bowed.

"I-It's my honor, my Lord." I didn't even need to pretend I was scared. My knees shivered so hard, they were knocking against each other. I knew Lord Hua assumed I was just a normal soldier, I knew he couldn't hurt me like how he did in the past, but something raw and innate within me still tried to protect me by being submissive. All the training I had with Donghwa, the previous air of confidence I walked with vanished in a split second. Suddenly, I was Sarna again.

I hated the helplessness so much, but there was nothing I could do to stop something so inherent from consuming me.

Lord Hua grunted, pushed the door open, and entered the hut. I followed and closed the door behind me. Several guards sat by tables, stuffing their faces with meat and tankards of sour beer. Two tired-looking female slaves wove among the tables, gathering the empty plates and refilling the tankards.

Lord Hua chose a middle table, sat down, and banged the table with a fist. I hurriedly sat across him, trying to place as much distance between us as possible.

A maid scurried toward us, curtsied, and placed a large platter of bread and meat in front of Lord Hua.

The General gazed at the maid with his tiny eyes, a wolfish grin on his face, forgetting I was even there. "You're new, aren't you?"

The maid paled, and she pressed her now empty tray to her chest. Her shudders were subtle, but I saw them—the way her fingers were white against the cold metal, and the way she bit her lips and shielded her chest.

Lord Hua grabbed the maid's hand and pulled her onto his lap. The maid shrieked in terror, but it made him laugh. I sat next to him with my jaw tight, watching him run his tongue over the poor maid's neck, roaming her body with his hands. The distraught woman stared at me with wide, terrified eyes. No one in the hut stopped to help or even bothered to look in our direction. As if this was the norm, as if this happened every single night.

Please. I could hear her silent screams. Help me!

"My Lord," I said. "I believe the maid has work to do."

Lord Hua froze, then shot me a glare.

"You dare tell the Imperial General what he can or cannot do with his women?"

"She has work," I repeated, hot in the face.

He hadn't changed one bit. I didn't know why I'd expected him to. He was the Imperial General. He could harm one of Mama Ruga's possessions and get away with it with bribery, he could drink with the Emperor and send out slavers to destroy more families at a whim. Lord Hua had the world at his disposal, and he wasn't afraid to use his powers.

Lord Hua's mustache twitched, but to my relief, he released the maid. The maid stumbled away from the table at once, tears streaming down her cheeks, and made a lunge for the kitchens.

"You're right." He stood up. "This isn't the place for pleasure."

I stared at him.

The Imperial General dug into his pockets, took out a couple Golden Credits and slid them across the table to me. The coins shot off the corner and plinked onto the ground.

"A gift from me to you," he said. "I'll see you at the Pavilion."