Together, Emeravwe and Akpokene continued their inquiry.
They sat with Maidens who worked in different bureaus when they dined in the Hall of Abundant Blessings; they asked about their various duties and listened in on conversations. After several months of such inquiry, Emeravwe and Akpokene's search proved unproductive.
Still, she refused to give up! There was surely a department that would enable her to meet the king!
She was almost tempted to ask Aslan for help, but decided not to when she remembered the previous incident. And though he often asked her how her plans were progressing whenever they met in the garden, he was not particularly thrilled with the idea. Thus, she was not sure he would help even if she asked.
Then one night, in the Hall of Abundant Blessings, as she brooded over the fruitless search with Akpokene, Emeravwe overheard some Agaenaye at an adjacent table talking about the king.
They spoke in low tones, so the Aye in the hall would not hear them gossiping, but burst with squeaks of excitement.
"Did you see him? Did you see the Orodje?" one of the Agaenaye at the table squealed, her voice rising.
"Shh!" another shushed her sharply, looking anxiously around the hall. She turned back to the table and sighed wistfully, "No, but, oh! How I wish I had! Agaenaye Emeka, did you see him?" she asked another Agaenaye at the table.
"I caught only a fleeting glance of his lustrous copper locks as he left the bureau with his battalion of attendants and officials," Agaenaye Emeka crooned dreamily. "But fleeting though it was, I feel as if I have been struck by the hands of Oghene himself!"
At this, the Agaenaye at the table let out excited squeaks and giggles.
"Truly! Truly!" another concurred. "I was outside the meeting hall as he spoke to the director of the bureau and all the division heads, and his voice alone seized my heart!"
"Oh? Was your heart failure not because he was at the Bureau of Court Affairs to reprimand you all for your lack of organization?" an Agaenaye teased.
"Even if it is just to scold, I wish Ovye would visit the Bureau of Toiletry!" another sang.
"And why would he scold you? You already practically worship his royal fece—"
"Indecent!" the Agaenaye admonished, and they all burst in laughter.
Emeravwe turned to Akpokene, her eyes bright with realization. She saw Akpokene wore the same look and grinned.
Of course!
There were many circumstances involved in the dispute between the king and Dowager Queen. One of them was the fact that their young king had taken it upon himself to begin inspecting departments of the Outer Palace that carried out governmental functions. One of these departments was the Department of Court Inspections and, consequently, the Bureau of Court Affairs!
The Bureau of Court Affairs, as part of the Department of Court Inspections, conducted quarterly inspections of both the Eunuchs' and Maidens' Quarters. Thus, it was the only governmental office in the Outer Palace which employed both Eunuchs and Maidens.
If she could enter the Bureau of Court Affairs, Emeravwe reasoned, she would not gain access to the Inner Palace, but the king would come to her, instead! She would be able to see him whenever he came to the bureau for inspections and from there… Well, things would take their course!
A broad grin plastered her face when she broke the news to Aslan that night, and even the frown that pursed his lips could not perturb her.
"And how do you plan on entering the bureau?" he asked.
"In fact," she began hesitantly, "I have been wondering the same thing." She sidled up to him on the bench, offering an innocent smile. "I was hoping you might know."
He raised a brow, "I thought you would not seek my aid in this matter."
Emeravwe's tone was a mix of apprehension and impertinence. "You will not refuse me, will you?"
Aslan's look softened. "How can I?"
Emeravwe averted her eyes, pretending to clear her throat. She had been finding it hard to hold his gaze whenever he looked at her thus.
When she glanced back at him, the look had passed, so she quickly steered the conversation back on track. "How can I become a Maiden of the Bureau of Court Affairs?"
He explained, "Every two years the bureau holds a qualification exam for Eunuchs and Maidens who wish to join. The exam was to be administered this year, but the arrangements have been cancelled."
Emeravwe leaned forward, bracing her arms on the bench. "Because it did not pass the Orodje's inspection?"
"So you have also heard?" She nodded, and he said, "It seems Oghene smiles upon you. Pending another inspection, the exam may take place next year."
Emeravwe's mood soared; she had a whole year to prepare until the next exam! Surely, by then, the bureau's organization would have met the king's expectations.
She looked determinedly at Aslan, her gray eyes emitting a sharp glint under the illumination of moon and lantern. "What must I know to pass the bureau's exam?"
He studied her resolute gaze. "It is not generally known, but the Bureau of Court Affairs manages much more than palace inspections. To be considered a candidate by the bureau, one must have at least a minimal knowledge of Xxene's history, politics, and economy."
Emeravwe's face fell and Aslan smiled. "You often complain of how weary you are of your studies now. Though, you are only required to study the Four Classics."
Emeravwe's head drooped listlessly between her shoulders as she thought, And what formidable volumes of books they are!
She still rose every morning before dawn to attend her classes on the Four Classics of Xxene and Mannerisms of a Maiden, then worked daylong. Moreover, these courses were designed to continue until a Maiden turned sixteen, when she became an Agaenaye. That meant two more years for Emeravwe. When would she ever find time to study Xxene's politics and economy? She did not even have access to materials that might help her.
Aslan chuckled, seeing her spiritless display, and said, "You already know much about Xxene's history from your studies of the Classics. But are you also willing to study subjects such as politics and economics?"
Emeravwe's instinctive response was heck 'No!'