Ok. In other words, this auntie is the manager of the Crown Prince’s harem. What an interesting job to have. If I must live here or find a way out as fast as possible, it will be extremely important to remain on Chen’s good side.
“It is an honor to meet you…umm…Miss Chen…” I replied with the warmest smile I could muster.
“You can call me Auntie Chen. Everyone, please leave us alone for a moment,” Auntie Chen replied before turning to wave off the others in the room.
With swift bows they turned to leave the room, quietly closing the door behind them. Suddenly, I was left alone with Auntie Chen. I breathed in deeply a few times to calm my own heat beat. For some reason, I had a very gad feeling about this and the atmosphere is making me nervous. I looked down to see that my hand were balled together and my palms were sweating slightly.
“There is no need to be nervous. I am here to guide and prepare you. You can ask me any questions and I will give you some tips on how to become successful,” Auntie Chen continued speaking in her warm yet professional voice. It appears she has been through this same or similar conversation at least a hundred times in her career.
“I was asking this earlier but…what are you all preparing me for?” I asked in a soft and slightly cautious voice.
“Do you know the significance of being the Lady of this White Lotus Palace?” Auntie Chen asked with an alluring smile.
“No…” I answered quite frankly.
“The White Lotus Palace was originally built for Lady Li Ning who was the previous emperor’s favorite concubine. The white lotus was her favorite flower. Later on, after the death of the empress at that time, Lady Li Ning was directly promoted to empress. This palace became the symbol of Love and it is said that the Lady that resides in this Palace will become the Empress one day,” Auntie Chen explained as she looked me up and down and smiled proudly.
On the other hand, I didn’t like where this story was going at all because no part of the story did Auntie mention that Lady Li Ning got to go back home. I wasn’t sure if Lady Li Ning, or whoever, was willing or not but I was sure that I didn’t want to become a concubine or an Empress. I just want to go back home.
Taking my silence for acceptance rather than shock and confusion, Auntie Chen continued with her story.
“After the death of Lady Li Ning, this palace is specifically bestowed upon women who hold the interest of the emperor or the one next in line. In your case, the emperor has graciously bestowed the title of Lady White Lotus to you along with this palace because you have captured the crown prince’s interest,” Auntie Chen said definitely with so much joy in her face that I wanted to choke in guilt.
“I see…” was all I managed to say while withholding my sigh of frustration.
How do I start to explain to her that I don’t hold Ren’s interest in that way? We just met before and maybe he remembered…or not…but that is it. Should I also add that he destroyed my town and slaughtered my people? On top of that, I was on the verge of being raped by one of his soldiers.
“We don’t have much time so let’s get on with it. I am here to prepare you for your first night with the Crown Prince,” Auntie Chen continued bluntly.
“What?!” I cried out in shock.
“Yes, Lady Rin…or should I say Lady White Lotus. I can understand your excitement, after all, it is such a rare opportunity and honor to be chosen on your very first day in the palace to spend the night with the crown prince. Many women, even the ones in his harem, can only dream of spending the night with him,” Auntie Chen said with a warm smile.
I bit my lip and plastered a tight smile on my face. If there was an award for the biggest misunderstanding, Auntie Chen here would be the winner without a doubt.
“I don’t think Ren…I mean…the Crown Prince is interested in…spending the night with me. There must be some kind of misunderstanding. I should…go home…” I suggested in a shaky voice.
“There’s no need to be shy and modest. Everyone girl that is sane would jump at this opportunity. Let us go over the details to make sure tonight will be a huge success for you. Of course, don’t forget about poor Auntie Chen here when you become the next empress!” Auntie Chen stated joyfully as she laughed in a booming voice.
It was clear that I’m not going to get anywhere with her on this topic. Rather than wanting to become his concubine, I just wanted to strangle the man for the way he used me. A night with Ren…does that mean that I will be alone with him?
“Of course, how could I ever forget about you,” I replied while faking a joyous smile. I need to gather information.
“Good. So for tonight, the crown prince will be visiting this palace to spend the night with you. We have already prepared everything, and you look so beautiful. The crown prince will definitely be pleased. Now, for the most important part, I will give you some tips on how to please the crown prince…” Auntie Chen proudly explained.
…
After around thirty minutes of outlining how I should please Ren in bed including how to seductively pose my body, spread my legs, bear the pain of losing my virginity, thank and compliment the prince at the end and also throughout the ordeal. Along with other insane-sounding tips, the lecture finally came to an end.
The details did not shock me because although I was a virgin, as a medical practitioner, I knew well how men and women mated and how our bodies worked. What shocked and appalled me was the ridiculousness of the demands that should be fulfilled in the royal bed chamber. While Auntie Chen was proudly outlining everything, the only thought running through my head was where I could find a knife to stab that man with.
--To be continued...