9 Torment

Blankets tugged and back prodded. Fervent loud whispering kept her from burrowing deep into the warm depths and grasping onto the dream just lingering behind her closed eyes. Yet, no matter how much she battered away their hands and growled at them to leave her alone. Constant little bugs pulling her back to reality.

When Jiang Ying Yue finally relented and opened her eyes. A bright blue glow engulfed her vision. Pushing the bottle with the glowing goop away. Finally seeing the faces of her tormenter and openly glaring at every single one of then.

"Miss, you need to get up now. Most of the ladies have already got dressed."

"You've been summoned to the Rising Tide Tower, miss."

"If you don't leave now, you'll be late, and then we will be in trouble."

"Please, miss. We don't want to leave the palace."

It was too much too early in the morning. She flung her hand forward. Shooing them away. None of them budged. Their eyes round and pleading. This was not how things should be running here. Ying Yue had no idea how long she was going to be lingering around playing the charade of the young miss. But even if it were two weeks or two years, they needed to listen to her. It would seem she was going to have to take over in maintaining this lot before the phantom assassin's fully situated themselves inside her home.

"Out." She growled.

Her finger pointed towards the girl lingering at the back.

"Help me get dressed."

She was the spoiled young miss of the Jiang household after all. Demanding and lazy was her reputation.

When it was obvious they were hesitating. Ying Yue leaked a little of Paralyser's aura as she stared them down.

"If you do not leave. I will make sure that you will never find a job within the palace after this all ends."

With that, minus the girl requested to stay back, they all left in a hurry. Though she did catch a few whispers as they fled.

"Can she do that?"

"She is just as bad as the rumours say."

Under the blue light that was left behind. Ying Yue closed her eyes, breathing deep, her face finally softened. Aside from the lingering frustration in the slight downturn of the lips. She had asked Ru Shi to oversee the household affairs. It would seem she was using the role of a senior maid very lightly.

"What is your name?" She needed a distraction.

The maid paused undressing Ying Yue for a moment.

"They call me Mei."

Ignoring the footsteps that slowed down and lingered just outside the doors. Preventing the eye roll and the urge to throw one of her daggers through the wall. The look on their faces when she gave them a little scare tempted her. But she had a facade to keep up.

Which meant. . .

Using the brush by her hand. She picked it up and threw it at the wall. Feet scuttled and bodies banged against the wall in their quick exit. The corner of her lips curved up into a smirk. The gossip will begin now. Solidifying her cover even further.

"Drink, miss," Mei urged as she shrugged the last piece of clothing on. "I brewed in some Golden Rive. It will sure to wake you fully up."

Ying Yue raised an eyebrow. Lifting the tea to her lips. Hovering, so that the fragrance in the steam could wrap around her senses. It was there, faintly, under the sweet familiar smell.

"Angelica." Ying Yue whispered as she took a sip.

"I grounded up the seeds to mask the bitter taste of the Golden Rive herb."

"You know herbs?"

"My mother helped run the village nearby before she retired."

"She taught you?"

"Sort off," she paused for a second. "I grew up there. Picked up a lot of things."

Ying Yue resumed drinking while Mei attended to her hair. She was quick, efficient, and when Ying Yue finally opened her eyes, knew what she was doing.

"Thank you." She dismissed Mei.

Getting up. She left her finished cup on the table by the mirror. Her fingers curled together as she bypassed the maids that had crept back outside of her door. Their quick inhale of a startled breath followed her as she turned corners. Ying Yue couldn't help smiling.

"Young miss." Ru Shi appeared out of nowhere. Slipping behind her.

"I want you to keep an eye on Mei." Ying Yue whispered.

"Miss?"

Glancing around to make sure they were alone. Ying Yue leaned in closer.

"Look into her background. I want to know who her parents are and what they do for a living. I want to know why a girl with no servitude background ended up here. Keep her in your sights and make sure she doesn't go anywhere."

"Understood."

"Have you passed on my message?"

"It will be done."

Ying Yue nodded. Message received big brother.

Stepping out into her own mini courtyard. She glared at the sky. There wasn't even a hint of sun out. Why on earth was she pulled from her warm and comfortable bed? Almost as if reading her face. Ru Shi smirked as she answered her unspoken question.

"The stewardess had awakened everyone under the guise of time lost the other day."

Ying Yue groaned.

Scaling buildings, sneaking around a royal palace, getting into fights with strangers. Exciting and fun times. Early mornings and royal crown prince consort training. It was already taking the pleasure out of the mission.

The gates swung open as lanterned maids led Ying Yue out of her home. The twins rushed by. Their maids grasping onto their flickering lanterns with unease as they tried to race after them. Ying Yue followed their path with a brisk walk. None of the maids dared open their mouths to urge her to go faster. Making it a silent journey through the mountains main doors and to the right. Instead of left like she did last night. Ascending a few turns before going through a door stationed near a tapestry. Stairs descended down until they reached the end. A glowing bold sign greeted her.

Rising Tide Tower.

The doors creaked loudly. Drawing all the eyes to rivet back onto her once again. The Stewardess sneer was the only tell she took in her presence. Otherwise, she carried on with what she was talking about.

Embroidery.

Oh, fun.

"Settle." She called out. Silencing the room filled with whispers of her tardiness.

Zhao Ruo gave a soft wave. Her eyes crinkling above the veil covering her face. Ying Yue smiled in return.

"Embroidery. It is not just a present stitched with meaning. It is a demonstration of patience, strength, and virtue. The skills you possess now are not even fit for a court's newborn. You will unlearn your nasty habits and the teachings of your elders. This is where you will begin to possess the skills of the true art...."

Ying Yue hadn't even been there for five minutes and already she was bored. The Stewardess was a proud woman. If it wasn't evident by her voice it was by how she carried herself. Her nose pointed in the air, back arched, and her lips upturned in disgust. Her hand would constantly flourish her handkerchief in a dramatic exclamation or pressed to her chest.

She was too much.

She talked too much to.

Ying Yue could feel her youth slip away. Zhao Ruo had already shot her a pointed look followed by a roll of the eyes. Ying Yue had to stifle her smile as she glanced to the material that remained untouched.

An hour later they were ready to begin demonstrating their own skills. Ying Yue was slower than the rest. Her strokes even and sure. Unhurried.

In the silence of concentration. Every swish of the Stewardess skirt and deep sigh of disgust felt as if it was right next to her. Even across the room when she sneered and cut one girls thread. It was soon known that a head turned away was preferred over her poisoned mouth. Her tongue wielded insults at everything she disliked. Unhinged and without a filter. Zhang Hui Yin received a clucked tongue. Her quiet response put the general's daughter on a high pedestal.

Zhao Ruo came next. Stewardess Ju gave her work a thorough look over, leaning down to have a closer inspection. Then silence as she moved onto Jiang Ying Yue.

Eyes riveted to the veiled girl. Widened with disbelief as she effectively knocked the royal princess's best friend right off the pedestal. Many of the girls smiled coyly towards Zhao Ruo. Trying to catch her eye and her good side.

Ying Yue felt the weight of Stewardess Ju's stare. Heard her lips smacked together.

"You call that embroidery?" She began. "The Princess could embroider better than this on her sixth year. Who taught you such horrible skills? These are not fit to be seen by any of the courts. Let alone me."

With that, she turned away back to the front. A trail of snickers followed in her wake. Ying Yue remained unaffected. Her needles continuing the process as she counted down the time till she was able to leave.

The rest of the morning followed the same cycle. Stewardess Ju would make her rounds around the group, parting a few choice words, before doing it all over again. Stopping when stomachs rumbled and weeping eyes became dry and red.

"Practice when you return back to your houses," she called everyone to a stop. "I had expected there to be progress after my demonstration. It seems some are not fit to fill the position if they do not pull their act together."

Those that were subjected to the Stewardess verbal abuse got the brunt of looks from those that barely passed. A lot of the stares were directed towards Ying Yue.

"Now for a belated introduction. While you run and oversee your houses in a show of your power and skills of housekeeping. These towers are under my control. You are the kings and my guest. This is not your family household. You do not get to do whatever you please. I will know if you attempt to overthrow my say.

"Lessons will begin upon first light. All will return here for each and every lesson. There will be painting, dancing, and cooking. Skills that will be honed to impress the crown prince and his majesty the king.

"No one will be gone from their towers after the last light. If you are caught out of royal grounds or vacant from your home at night. You will be kicked from the towers and never to be able to enter back into the palace again.

"You will get a day free from lessons to work on expanding your own knowledge in your own time. Time I suggest you all use wisely given the poor tastes I have seen today."

With that, she flourished her handkerchief. Dismissing everyone.

Getting to her feet. Ying Yue bowed along with everyone else. Waiting for those to rush ahead. Whispering to each other. Only then, when Zhao Ruo walked up and hooked her arm through hers, did Ying Yue leave.

"Here I thought my brother's lessons in the fine art of kicking butt was brutal." Zhao Ruo remarked.

Ying Yue laughed. "She makes my brother look like a kitten."

"We have to spend all this time under her guidance until one of us is picked."

Ying Yue mentally groaned. She needed to find the prince's enemy fast.

"Don't remind me." Ying Yue sighed.

"Cheer up. It's gotta get better right? She'll tone down after the power in her head dies down."

Shaking her head. That was unlikely. The King has just given her a power boost and she won't be coming down from that for a long time.

"Would you like to come over for tea?" Zhao Ruo asked.

Ying Yue hesitated. No formed on the tip of her tongue. Held back by a hesitation of wanting to know why exactly she was here. Was she really here to earn the affections of the crowned prince or merely trying to give her family prestige? But she had to get down the mountain and into the village before nightfall, get what she needed, and return to get enough sleep for the next day. She was already exhausted from the minimal amount of sleep she got last night. Ying Yue couldn't go on for days like a cultivator. Longer than non-martial artists but still very human.

"Tomorrow, my place," Ying Yue offered. "My father brought some tea back from his journey and from what we will be doing tomorrow. We will need it."

"Done."

Zhao Ruo waved goodbye as she left to Cherry Sun Tower.

Ying Yue returned to her house and went straight to her room.

"Stay by my room while I'm away. If anyone asks. I'm having an early dinner here and will be going to bed shortly afterwards. No one is to disturb me."

Ru Shi nodded. Hesitation clear on her face.

"It will be fine. You're just as bad as my brother." She rolled her eyes.

Pulling the dark robe on and the hat with a veil draping down. Completely different from her paralyser outfit. Not as comfortable either. But it will do.

She took the same path as last night. Entering the roof. Going the opposite way by slipping over the wall and shimmering down the mountainside. Heading straight for the outpost where her brother waited.

Keeping an eye and ear out around her for the man from before or any creatures nearby. Slipping into one of the trees. She bound over and jumped down. Smiling as she saw her brother turn around.

"Nice entrance, meimei."