The sun was high up in the sky as the servant girls gathered by the river to wash clothes. As they worked, they chatted about the various princes of the kingdom, sharing what little they knew about each of them.
"I heard the 7th prince is always meditating," one of the girls said, wringing out a wet shirt.
"Oh, he's so boring," another girl chimed in. "I'd rather have someone like the 8th prince around. He's always playing pranks and making us laugh."
"I heard the 3rd prince is a cross dresser," a third girl whispered conspiratorially.
"What? No way!" one of the girls exclaimed. "He's so handsome, he couldn't possibly be into that kind of thing."
"You never know," the third girl replied with a shrug.
"I don't know much about the 4th prince," a fourth girl said. "He seems to keep to himself most of the time."
"Yeah, he's always so quiet and mysterious," another girl agreed.
"The 6th prince is so handsome and outgoing," one of the girls swooned.
"Oh, don't get your hopes up, he's way out of our league," another girl teased.
"I heard the 2nd prince has a terrible temper," a fifth girl said, hanging up a shirt to dry.
"And the 5th prince? He's just plain creepy," another girl shuddered. "I heard he's into torture and all kinds of gruesome things."
"That's disgusting," one of the girls said, making a face. "I feel sorry for whoever has to marry him."
The girls kept up their gossip, until they noticed Shi-Er-Wa coming their way with basket in hand. As she approached, they turned to her with wide-eyed expressions and eager smiles.
"Shi-Er-Wa, you're the eldest prince personal servant, right?" one of the girls asked, batting her eyelashes.
Shi-Er-Wa nodded, feeling a bit overwhelmed by their sudden attention.
"Tell us everything about him!" another girl exclaimed, clutching onto Shi-Er-Wa's arm.
"Yeah, what's he like? Is he as handsome as they say?" a third girl chimed in, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger.
"He's a great leader and a kind person," Shi-Er-Wa said, trying to sound professional.
"But what about his personal life?" one of the girls pressed, leaning in closer.
Shi-Er-Wa hesitated, feeling like she was betraying Wang-Yi's privacy by sharing his personal details. But the girls looked at her with such anticipation that she couldn't resist.
"Well, he enjoys reading and horse riding," she said, trying to think of harmless information to share.
"He sounds so dreamy," one of the girls sighed, causing the others to giggle in agreement.
"I wish I could marry him one day!" One servant girls said.
Shi-Er-Wa let out a nervous laugh. "What's so funny? Don't you want to marry him as well?" another servant questioned Shi-Er-Wa.
"I…I-I am just a servant girl! It's not appropriate for me to even think about marrying the prince," Shi-Er-Wa started her sentence with a stutter and ended it with a blush.
"But wouldn't it be wonderful to be his wife? To live in a palace, wear beautiful clothes, and have all the riches in the world?" one of the servant girls said dreamily.
"I can only imagine how wonderful it would be," another added.
"I heard that he is a great warrior and strategist," one of the servant girls said.
"Yes, he is. And he's so handsome too," another chimed in.
"He's also very kind and caring," Shi-Er-Wa added, feeling the need to defend add in.
The servant girls turned to her, eagerly wanting to know more. "Really? Tell us more about him, Shi-Er-Wa!" one of them exclaimed.
Shi-Er-Wa took a deep breath, feeling overwhelmed by their questions. "Well, he's a great leader and always puts his people's needs first. He's also very intelligent and well-read," she said, trying to recall all the good things she knew about him.
The servant girls listened intently, hanging onto every word. "He sounds so perfect," one of them said with a sigh.
"Did you ever stay overnight at his chambers?" One servant whispered to Shi-Er-Wa.
"Of course not!" Shi-Er-Wa blushed madly.
The servant girls giggled at Shi-Er-Wa's reaction. "Don't be shy, Shi-Er-Wa. We won't tell anyone," one of them teased.
Shi-Er-Wa shook her head, still blushing. "I have never stayed overnight in his chambers. I am merely his servant, and it is not appropriate for me to do so," she replied, trying to keep her voice steady.
"But he trusts you so much, Shi-Er-Wa. You are always by his side," another servant pointed out.
"Yes, but that doesn't mean I have any special privileges," Shi-Er-Wa said, feeling a little uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was going.
"But imagine if you were his wife. You would be so lucky!" a servant exclaimed dreamily.
Shi-Er-Wa's heart skipped a beat at the thought, but she quickly pushed it aside. "I am his servant, nothing more. And it is not my place to even entertain such thoughts," she replied firmly.
"You're no fun Shi-Er-Wa." One of the servant girls said with a bored voice, before changing topics: "Anyways sisters, I heard governor Jin just beat one our sisters yesterday for accidently pouring his drink on him." one of the girls whispered.
"For something so minor? That's terrible!" another girl exclaimed.
Shi-Er-Wa felt her stomach drop at the mention of her former master's name. She tried to ignore the girls' conversation and focus on her work, but their words brought back painful memories.
"I have some other duties to attending to, I will be taking my leave now…" Shi-Er-Wa laughed nervously, before quickly leaving the scene.
"Hey! There are still 3 garments you haven't washed yet!" One servant girl called out after her, but she long out of ear range by that point.
"Geez, what was she thinking?" Another girl commented.
"It's fine. I will cover it for her." A middle aged servant women said. "That child has been through a lot…"