The Ant Woman Ch. 08

For the first time, Wen dressed more accurately for her rank.

Her new rank gave her the right to wear images of trees in her clothing, if she wanted. She was also permitted the right to fingernail guards, although her sets were made of lacquered wood. Wen could have slightly bigger pearls, two bracelets on each wrist, bigger flowers, two necklaces, longer hairsticks, longer strings and chains, just a bit more finery in general. As for her makeup, she was allowed five symbols instead of the previous three, and she could even have little tree symbols.

This morning, Wen's maids helped her dress up. First, a dark pink blouse with long, hanging sleeves. Tree branches and falling leaves in rich color were embroidered on the parts of the sleeves that dangled. Then a high skirt was tied over her bosom. It was the same light green that as the leaves on her blouse, and it had some sporadic images of pale blue flowers.

Two thin necklaces of gold, one slightly longer than the other, were put on her neck. Each had simple onyx stone pendants. One of her wrists had two tortoise shell bangles. Her middle fingers had simple golden rings. Her earrings had lightly swinging chains of more gold and little jade beads.

Her hair was divided with a center part. Then two stiff loops were settled on each side of her head, almost as if the maids were trying to draw a mouse's ears. False pink lotuses on thin wires of gold, made to look quite small, were wrapped and pinned around these loops. The remaining hair was put a braided bun at her nape. Two hairsticks of white painted wood were put in that bun; each with a bundle of onyx stones.

Wen's fingernails had been painted a gleaming silver color. Her white face had a pale blue water drop in the center of her brow, a pale orange star with eight points on each side of that drop, and a green leaf painted on each rouged cheek. Her lips had a small butterfly painted against the white base, in a color between red and pink.

When it was time for breakfast, which was private in her apartment, Wen saw that she'd been given new utensils with iron handles. Instead of plainly pale brown dishes, she had a new set with white designs against that brown.

The meal this morning was grilled fish with a bowl of steamed rice, noodles without any broth but topped with pickled vegetables, boiled spinach, and small potato pancakes. Still coddling her maids, or at least that's what the other concubines would've called it, Wen had them eat with her. Of course, they had their own separate meals cooked for them. Congee with light salt and some fried tofu with vegetables.

"Hey, hey Lien," Moto said as she lightly nudged the other maid's shoulder, her green eyes perky and her buck teeth set in a grin, "it's been a while since His Majesty visited. Do you think he'll return to our Mistress soon?"

Her dark eyes closing for a moment, taking a breath that seemed to gather up shreds of patience, Lien replied, "His Majesty is a busy man. Even I can notice it."

"But Mistress is a pleasant beauty," Moto said as she held some congee in a spoon, "and His Majesty promoted her so soon after she arrived."

Poking her tofu with her chopsticks, Lien said, "I'm not sure. I've heard that today the Emperor has an appointment of play for his daughters. He might not have the required mood for Mistress."

Someone knocked on the door then. Lien was the one to get up. "I'll answer the door, Mistress. Please wait here." Then she went off to see who it was. When she returned, she stood near Wen and told her, "The Empress Consort has requested that Mistress has lunch with her today."

"Then I'll have to have lunch with her, won't I?" Wen gestured at Lien's seat. "Go back to your meal. I can't have you fainting from hunger."

After breakfast, Wen spent some time playing cards with Pollen Lady Kumi. The other concubines that passed by certainly took note of her clothing and jewelry.

Kumi discussed the good fortune Wen had. Going to visit the Empress Consort? How wonderful! To be on good terms with the husband's wife was an excellent thing. And she was the Empress Consort too. So much power and luxury was attached to her, and that could rub off like gold leaf.

Later that day, Wen was escorted off to the Moonlight Pearl Palace by her two maids. For a few moments, Wen wondered if she'd catch a glimpse of the tiny daughter that lived there, but then she remembered that daughter was off with the Emperor.

Inside the reception hall, the Empress sat on a chair on a fairly tall platform, using a yellow fan to cool herself. Her lips perked as Wen knelt before her.

Such an opulent home! Wen was humbled to be in it.

Potted roses and daisies. Open framework screens with designs resembling waterfalls and tree branches. A wooden floor Wen could see her reflection in. Wen even saw the painting she'd given her for her birthday hanging on a wall.

"Rise, Little Honey." The Empress got to her feet as she said this, and those feet peeked out of her gown as she stepped down the the floor. She was wearing slippers with gemstone beading. "While we have lunch, you must tell me a story. You are a storyteller, aren't you?"

As she got up, Wen said, "I must think on my stories long before I write them down, but I could try to entertain you, Your Majesty." She followed the Empress and her maids over to the dining room.

Being the highest ranking consort in the harem, the Empress Consort had the greatest food allowances. Since the Empress was sharing, Wen had a chance to experience cuisine she might otherwise not have a chance to eat. Incredibly spicy soup with little meatballs. Savory pancakes made of eggs and beans with a dipping sauce. Sweet crab meat mixed with fish in a paste, served cold and spread on rice crackers. Steamed buns stuffed with marinated pheasant. And simple soup with pieces of a swiftlet's nest and some berries. All served with a beverage that was a mixture of tea and wine, mostly tea. Nobody needed to fall over drunk.

"Her Majesty is quite generous to invite this concubine to such an exquisite dinner," Wen said as a maid poured a cup for her.

As if she'd been trained since birth, the Empress moved very elegantly. Whenever she swallowed a portion of food, it wasn't visible in her throat, or it wasn't visible to Wen. The Empress' hands were careful. She didn't even let her fingernails guards tap a single item except for when she was holding a beverage.

A set of almost playful lines subtly formed under her eyes as she looked at Wen's face, and she looked quite often. Wen didn't know what to think of it.

"Don't prattle on," the Empress said. "Now tell me a story."

Wen told her some old folktale that her grandmother had once given her. Then she told the Empress about one of the short stories she'd recently written. Near the end, the Empress gave the most unexpected, most girlish giggle, which she hid behind her sleeve. "Ah, have you always been this clever, or did something happen to you?"

Bowing, Wen said, "Her Majesty's compliment is very kind. This concubine dares not to accept it."

The meal ended soon, and Wen was dismissed with a flick of a fan and another giggle. Wen couldn't imagine why the Empress was suddenly so whimsical, but there was no reason to complain.

***

The next day was largely uneventful. Aside from her writing, Wen played a card game with one of the lower concubines, practiced a dance routine with another, sharpened what little skill she had with a plain zither she'd purchased from one of the treasury departments, and helped Pollen Lady Kumi with some sewing. Sewing was one of the types of "work" that an Imperial Consort was encouraged to do. It was delicate and feminine and oh so admired by everyone.

It was a typical, long day.

At night, though, it became less typical for Wen. The Emperor had asked for her to visit him in his palace. Moto actually took one of Wen's shoulders in her hands and gave her a friendly shake. "Oh, Mistress! Aren't you excited?!" she said with a grin.

Wen had to give her a mild reminder to keep her composure.

At the Dragon's Nest Palace, Wen wasn't immediately taken to the Emperor's bedroom. She was instead led to a second story balcony with lamps and a round table loaded with tea and treats. Wearing a close cap, the Emperor sat in a chair.

"Good evening, Your Majesty," Wen said as she knelt on the balcony's tiled floor.

"Rise, Little Honey." Quite lazily, the Emperor was poking a tiny cake with a small knife. "I need an intelligent conversation."

When Wen was sitting across from the Emperor, a maid poured her a cup of tea.

Her fingers around the cup, she said, "This concubine can't guarantee any amount of intelligence."

Looking away from her, the Emperor asked about the progress of her book. She said a significant amount was finished, and he nodded. "I'll have to give you a fine reward."

"This concubine has no need for a reward, Your Majesty."

Slicing a cake in half, he ignored Wen's little protest. "I could find a pet for you. The upkeep wouldn't be charged from your allowance. What animals do you think are the best?"

After a short sip of tea, Wen said, "I have no need for a pet, but I do have my favorite animals." She set her cup down. "Dogs are amazingly loyal, or they are when trained properly. Cats are so clever, and they keep the rats away. Birds can outlive their owners, but they can be the cleverest of all, and so entertaining."

"What about a monkey?"

"Those creatures are far too wild." Wen held a little cake up. "They aren't meant to be pets." She put it in her mouth. It was just thick enough, and light enough, to please her senses.

The Emperor made a tiny smile and said, "A bird, then."

"I'm perfectly content, Your Majesty. I don't want a pet," Wen said as she held a laugh down, pressing her fingers over her bosom.

They talked on for a while, listening to the lazy breezes that occasionally wafted along, munching on their treats and drinking tea. Wen's courage rose again, crackling and bubbling in her heart, and she dared to put attention to a subject that was rarely mentioned.

"Your Majesty," she said as she poured a new cup for him, "if you'll forgive my boldness, why did Honey Attendant Hua die?"

The Emperor didn't pick up the cup of tea. His long fingers seized the table's edge. One of the servants gasped behind him and sadly looked down at her gown's hem.

The Emperor's pale eyelashes hid his eyes as he seemed to examine something. Then he said, "She was ill."

"If the Emperor says she was ill," Wen said, "then I must assume it was so." But her words had been lightly dusted with choler. Her fingers were unusually tight around her cup and her lips thinned out.

Silence held the couple for a moment.

Then the Emperor told the servants to leave the space.

When the couple was alone, the Emperor looked up with such heavy, shimmering eyes, and he spoke slowly. "This shouldn't be spoken of, not often."

Despite Wen's fluttering heart, she gave a grave nod.

He continued. "A high ranking concubine of mine suffered a miscarriage so severe that she died. Honey Attendant Hua was blamed for it. The evidence seemed to suggest that she'd poisoned the late concubine. I didn't think there was just enough evidence for a proper conclusion, so instead of executing Hua, I had her temporarily confined to her apartment until I could find more clues."

His fingernails scratched at the tabletop. It made Wen wince. "But as far as everyone else was concerned," he said, "Hua was guilty. The damage to her reputation was already done. Hua couldn't bear the shame, and she hung herself. Afterwards, the true culprit behind the poisoning was found, another concubine. I had her executed and I decreed that Hua had been ill, and anyone who says otherwise would be punished."

Wen's inhale was a sputtering thing. Her exhale was much the same. She left her seat and knelt on the floor. "Thank you, Your Majesty, for giving this concubine the truth of the matter. My heart is comforted."

He kicked his chair back, the legs screeching against the tiles. His boots clicked on towards her. He reached down, taking one of her hands. "Get up."

She was supposed to rise of her own accord, but the Emperor actually put some of his strength to her, pulling on her arm and helping her to her feet. Bashfully, Wen kept her face turned away, looking at her sleeve.

The hand the Emperor held ... Wen felt him pull it closer ...

And his lips pressed to her knuckles.

He'd called such a thing a kiss before.

Generally, a gesture of affection in some foreign countries, but could also signify humility and respect depending on how you do it. Wen wasn't so pompous to assume he'd actually show humility towards her. He owned the empire, for the Godly Tree's sake!

Wen felt the blood run in her flesh. If she wasn't wearing makeup, then the Emperor would've seen a very pink face.

His voice waved over her hand, warm and thick. "Come. You're the only one willing to wash your face for me, and I miss your clean lips."

One of her knees gave in a bit. She tripped a little as she was led away from the balcony. Playfully, low, the Emperor chuckled and put an arm around her waist.

Wen's palm went to his chest, where she felt the slight elevation of embroidery in his clothing's fabric. As they walked, she soon felt his body heat flooding through the cloth.

In the Emperor's bedroom, Wen started to wash her face, but to her surprise the Emperor approached and took a cloth for himself. Then he ... actually helped her, graciously smiling as he did so. His warmhearted movements were like a nurse's. The Emperor, a man who could have nearly anyone's head on a plate, was treating her with such care. It made Wen view him in a much different way than when she'd first met him.

When he was patting her skin dry, Wen sighed and decided she needed to thank the gods for giving her a thoughtful husband.

The Emperor's fingers went to the brooches on the sash at his waist. They were very lavish, jade and gold with intricately carved shapes. They were sometimes tapped with the man's rings. He was still wearing his shoes when Wen's fingernail guards slid beneath the flaps of fabric. She found a fine set of rippled muscles, an example of a strong, lean elf. She wondered if he felt her palm blushing against him.

In the least elegant way, the couple kicked their own shoes off, letting them roll and fall as if they'd been abandoned. They knelt near each other on the alcove bed, closing the curtains, playfully hiding from the world. On a corner of the mattress, they made a tight pile of clothing and jewelry. The Emperor even secured it with a blanket.

Wen put a hand on her cheek, looking down at the bed-sheets. Taking in the sight of the well trained, lithe man before her had been almost overwhelming. He reminded her of a graceful bird or a creeping wild cat.

He did in fact creep, right to her.

Quite willingly, she fell back and opened her legs.

He tightly held her, kissing her neck and shoulders. One of his knees ended up between her thighs, close to her twitching, needy little opening. Murmuring, sighing, Wen ground herself against that knee. She felt his mellow laugh on her throat. She felt his lips create a smile.

With only the light stimulation, Wen was able to bring out her accepting moisture, leaving a few clear streaks on the man's knee. That didn't stop him from pressing his knee a bit farther. He stamped his lips onto hers, then used his tongue to play with the soft opening. Wen smiled and let the little guest inside. She loved how it caressed her, slick and playful.

Still grinding ... she was still grinding ... wet noises were rising with the heat in her labia and clitoris. Her painted fingernails separated portions of the Emperor's long hair. It smelled like rainwater and rose petals.

With a gentle word, the Emperor took one of her wrists, and he led her hand between his legs. Her fingers curled around the erection. Smooth and hard all at once. She ran her thumb around the ridge of the head, admiring the texture. Then she gave him a few curious little strokes.

Funny, he didn't let her do that for long.

The Emperor growled into her mouth and soon tore her hand away. Then he pulled Wen's legs around his body and aimed for her womanhood. It didn't hurt. Wen didn't even hold her breath. Despite the tightness, her body loved it. Her small breasts jiggled with the rhythm. Her toes even relaxed.

Again, something was growing in her belly, making her womanhood spasm with increasing speed. Wen cried out at one point, one peculiar and sharp point, feeling almost as if an invisible force was pulling on her clitoris and nipples. She gripped the Emperor's tight backside as her calf muscles contracted.

Yes!!

Every nerve ending in her body screamed out the word yes.

It was so wonderful to finally reach that previously unknown destination, that delightful peak, and to have a spouse as your escort.

***

On the following morning, as Wen was helping the Emperor dress himself, not that he needed help, she found her eyes longingly gazing at a pair of his slippers, which was set aside for later. Her heart was threatening to crumble.

The Emperor put his fingers under her chin and tilted her face up towards his. He had a strict expression, but it wasn't unkind. "What's diminished your cheer, Little Honey?"

Turning her eyes away, Wen said, "Nothing, Your Majesty. This concubine is fulfilled."

His lips jerked a little. One of his fingers tapped her jaw. "You want something. You might as well tell me."

Wen stepped back, moving away from the Emperor's touch. Her voice was cloudy. "I suppose ... if I don't mention it ... I'll agonize for days."

"I can't let that happen." He moved forward and patted her shoulder. "Tell me what you crave."

Pinching and tugging on one of her sleeves, Wen looked back at the Emperor's slippers and asked, "Do you have any old pair of shoes? I ... I want to have them."

The Emperor snorted so thickly that Wen almost jumped in place.

"You want to use them as a pattern for a new pair," he guessed with a laugh. "You're not the only concubine sewing things together for me. It's a favorite seduction technique."

Tangling her fingers together and sighing, Wen told him, "I can sew ... what woman can't sew? But ... I only want something of yours. Something you wear. Because ... I don't know." Her waist twisted back and forth, and her feet rocked up and down, as if she was anxious to leave. "I don't know why."

He laughed again. Then he summoned a eunuch to find a certain pair of boots. The pair presented to Wen was a worn, smelly pair that had clearly been soaked in water, mud, and sweat. Without any visible disgust, grinning in fact, Wen took the boots in her bare hands and knelt down to thank the Emperor.

Later on, in her apartment, the maids gave her the most suspicious looks. They left the boots near an open window to air out while Wen wrote her book nearby. Once in a while, she'd look at the shoes and exhale as if they made her think of the nicest things. And they did, actually. Moto said at one point, "Mistress admires those stinky boots as one would a pretty vase of flowers."

Lien pointed out, "As nasty as those boots are, they're a gift from the Emperor. They must be treasured."

"I want to wash them," Moto said as she picked up a rag to do some light dusting, "but I'm worried that I might damage them." That wouldn't normally be a problem. Those shoes were already practically ruined. Still, they were technically a gift from the Emperor. One wasn't allowed to damage a gift from him.

Grinding ink into Wen's inkstone, Lien said, "His Majesty might not take offense if the damage was done in an accident, and with good intentions. However, Mistress might have to ask his permission to have the boots washed."