Don't hold your breath, queens are rarely plain looking

With the addition of the queen, there were now two women with authority over Min Li facing her, both of which she knew well.

Min Li living with the royal family came about due to the second woman before her, the head maid named Betti, who as the story goes found Min Li as a baby on the streets and brought her to the queen.

In the time before Min Li was alive, the King of Xilin had seen his now wife and had fallen hopelessly in love with her.

No one should be proud of him for his unfailing love. The queen was extremely pretty, it really wasn't out of the goodness of his heart that he had fallen so deeply. He loved the Queen so much that he had decided to ignore all instruction and hadn't taken a concubine even when the two had found it hard to conceive.

The story continued when the Queen of Xilin kingdom finally got her happy ending when she gave birth to a beautiful bubbling baby, the crown prince.

In Min Li's opinion, the queen should have waited longer to rejoice.

Looking at what the crown prince was now, Min Li didn't know if there was a good reason to be happy.

Min Li acknowledged he was good looking, graceful and intelligent. Min Li acknowledged that he was an impartial judge, that he had a nice smile and that he was a good leader. Min Li even went as far as acknowledging that when he wasn't around her, he was oddly charming. But that was about it. A thousand little great qualities, in Min Li's mind, was nothing to shout about.

The queen never had a daughter and desperately wanted one which is why she cherished Min Li when she was brought to her.

When Min Li at fifteen didn't display a power and the King and Queen were forced to move Min Li out of the family, while the King had shouted and argued with his subjects, the Queen took to crying and stomping her feet, one of the of the only lapses in grace and dignity she had ever displayed to people outside of her immediate family. The queen had cried and wailed until they assured her that Min Li wouldn't have to go too far.

Min Li couldn't fight the urge any longer, she looked up from her feet and scanned her surroundings.

As luck would have it, she caught the eye of her royal majesty. Straight away, as if she was already waiting for Min Li to lift her head, her majesty welcomed Min Li with a beautiful smile.

The queen was everything a little girl aspired to be.

Obviously, her number one coveted characteristic was that she was the queen, as powerful as a woman could be.

But on top that, countless others of the queen's traits that were more to do with personality were also held in high esteem.

The queen had elegance beyond belief. She had a good head on her shoulders and was blessed with the rare ability to calm her husband down even when he was raging. She was also a delight to look at, more aesthetically pleasing than the most beautiful of courtesans.

The queen's face was perfectly symmetrical. Her eyes just the right distance apart. Her lips perfectly pouted. Her nose bridge just the right height. Artists had travelled from far and wide just to get down on their knees and beg without honour at the palace doors for the chance to sketch her beautiful face.

But even with all these amazing characteristics, if Min li had to choose one out of all the queen's attributes to take for herself, it wouldn't be anything other than the queen's ability to wield her power of water.

People said that with power came great responsibility which could prove too much to bear. Although Min Li understood the sentiment, she thought that she should be allowed the chance to come to that conclusion herself.

As she smiled back at her adopted mother, Min Li started to feel butterflies gathering in her belly in quite an ominous manner. It didn't take her long to figure out what was going on.

Next to the queen, Betti the head maid, Min Li's other benefactor, was glaring holes through Min Li's head because she had looked up.

At once, Min Li shined her most beautiful smile at Betti hoping that was enough to pacify the woman. The joy on Min Li's face didn't stay for long as she realised the more she smiled the more the older women frowned.

Could it be that she still could not appreciate true beauty, Min Li thought, but I have been living with her all these years. Or maybe she has gotten used to my pretty face. After

consoling herself with her thoughts, Min Li gave up her pursuit of placating the head maid and bowed her head to the ground.

The queen and the head maid were different in nearly every sense of the word.

Where the queen was tall and willowy, the head maid was short and chunky. Where the queen's face was perfectly symmetrical, the head maid's own was just a little bit wonky. Where the queen's eyes were just the right distance apart, the head maid's eyes though about the same distance, didn't quite seem right. Where the queen's lips were perfectly pouted, the head maid's lips protruded just a bit too much, maybe it was the one crooked tooth.

Not just by looks were they different but by personality and temperament too. The queen allowed Min Li to get to her own conclusions, Betti told Min Li exactly what to do. The queen had never once lost her temper with Min Li, there was a time where Betti had canned Min Li every day of the long, gruelling week.

When Min Li grew though, she eventually saw all the charm of Betti the head maid. One of the best women that ever lived, Min Li wouldn't accept any other conclusion.

Betti had only hit Min Li because she didn't want her to make life altering mistakes, especially when she was in such close contact with the royal family. She only made Min Li do countless chores to help her be self-sufficient. She only commanded Min Li against getting too close to certain people as they were sure to drop her which proved in time to be true.

So now when she saw the warm, chubby woman it felt like home. Short and chunky was the women, all the better to hug was Min Li's own reply. Instead of remembering the beatings, she remembered the great big hugs the woman had given her when she cried about being bullied. Instead of remembering the endless work, she remembered the skills that she had gained from that very work.

That is not to say that anyone can have a complete personality change. The woman, even now that Min Li had been an adult for quite some time, never missed a chance to berate Min Li into doing the right thing, like she was currently doing.

Min Li too didn't have a complete personality change; she also didn't miss a chance to under her breath curse the day the women was made, just like she was currently doing.

The queen moved side to side in front of all the bowed head female servants in front of her. Everyone there knew what position they wanted, just like Min Li they wanted to be a servant of the Eastern palace.

They wanted it for a different reason to her though, most of them wanted it so that they could serve at the crown prince's feet. Most wanted it so they could take advantage of any one moment of weakness and spend a night with him. Most of them were aiming to be a concubine, it would completely change their lives.

It made Min Li a little bit sick that women really liked the man.

If only they knew him, Min Li huffed. They would forget their previous desires and would rather become a nun and spend all their time meditating and praying up in the mountains.

Finally, the queen stopped walking and cast a beady eye on them.

"I have spent some time conferring with Betti," she turned her head towards the head maid, even though the servants couldn't see with their bowed heads. "And we have decided upon your positions. They are to be found over there."

Now she pointed her head towards a board on the other side of her quarter's gardens.

The servants were dismissed with a nod of the head by both the queen and the head maid and all the other maids rushed to the board after they had kowtowed.

Min Li, instead, stood there for a few extra seconds and blinked her eyes to the ground. She was just reminded that although the queen was amazing, she was also a tad bit dramatic. All that walking and putting on a good show just for the results to have been previously inked upon a piece of a scroll and tacked down to a wooden board.

Before she could even step foot towards the board, Lily, Min Li's best friend, having already gone to the board, bundled into her jumping up and down in happiness.

Lily was displaying her usual types of antics. She was always vibrant, bright and bold. She could never change, even if she tried Min Li wouldn't let her.

Min Li for a second mulled over how faultlessly loyal her partner in crime was, unlike some best friends, she thought.

It was automatic now for Min Li to link nearly every problem with the crown prince. She could never let the crown prince get away with his crime of avoiding her.

Although Min Li referred to Lily as her partner in crime, there were a lot of differing parts of them.

One, Lily knew when to turn off her fun and how far she could push a button. She would never dare to look someone from the royal family in the eye, she knew the consequences and didn't want any parts.

Min Li on the other hand, she had to admit, did have unfailing audacity.

"WE ARE GOING TO SERVE AT THE SAME PLACE," Lily screeched happily. "DON'T YOU LOVE IT. DON'T YOU LOVE IT!"

Since Min Li's eardrum had nearly burst, she considered telling the girl in her own act of revenge, that no, she didn't like it.

She decided against it though, being the great friend she thought she was, she just couldn't burst the bubbly girl's bubble.

"That is great," she tried to match her friend's enthusiasm and failed miserably.

"IT IS! IT REALLY IS!" Again, she was way too close to Min Li's eardrum.

Min Li decided now, to only say necessary things so she could be delivered quickly from the short torture session.

"Where have we been allocated to?"

Lily nodded her head so fast Min Li was half sure that if she did it one more time it would fall off. Min Li hadn't thought that she had said anything worth nodding too.

She mirrored the girl nodding, hoping that it would stimulate the girl to be able to get out her next few sentences.

"THE EASTERN PALACEE!"

Oh, not again with the shouting, Min Li thought.

Though she had applied for the Eastern palace, after thinking more about the transgressions of the crown prince, Min Li was in a state of confusion. She didn't know what she really wanted.

Min Li smiled as she thought that she could easily access the library. Min Li frowned when she realised that she would be close to the crown prince. Min Li smiled when she realised she may have a chance to get a power. Min Li frowned when she realised she would be close to the crown prince. Min Li smiled when she realised the wheels of her grand scheme were finally spinning. Min Li frowned when she realised she would be close to-

"AND YOU WILL BE REUNITED WITH YOUR PRINCE," Lily shouted seeming happy for her.

With squinted eyes, Min Li turned her head to her friend again and contemplated whether the girl was really a friend or a foe. For Lily knew the betrayal Min Li had faced at the hands of her ruthless oppressor.

The second big difference between Min Li and Lily was that Lily had completely forgiven the crown prince for his crime against Min Li.

Maybe calling him an oppressor is too harsh, Min Li pondered. The crown prince hadn't done anything when she was bullied, but that was the problem, he hadn't done anything about it.

A crime of aiding and abetting, she tutted. Min Li had decided to stick to her verdict of him being an oppressor and she wasn't going to change her mind.

Well unless he said sorry, she thought. No, not hard enough, she tried to be strict with herself, he was an oppressor.

"YOU WILL BE CROWN PRINCESS, LADY OF THE HOUSE, THE PALACE!" Lily reiterated like Min Li was the one who was mad and didn't get it. Min Li took offence.

"He is not my prince, thank you very much," she muttered defiantly.

Min Li came to the realisation that she should probably check Lily's vitals one of these days. Unlike Min Li and like nearly everyone else in Xilin, Lily would probably be quite cool to the touch. That is what came with water wielding.

Better safe than sorry, she decided to go ahead and take the mad girl's temperature anyway.

Lily wasn't looking at Min Li anymore, by the time Min Li had put her hand up to the girl's head. Now Lily was staring happily beyond her. Her expression was infantile and ridiculous, Min Li thought.

Completely mad, Min Li concluded about her friend. Completely stark raving mad.

Min Li herself now turned her head.

The crown prince was a little behind her. At first, she too like Lily was a little faint over the big, strong man. When she looked at him objectively, he seemed a delight. Min Li tried to stop herself from dribbling like Lily and also becoming completely stark raving mad.

She scanned his expression carefully. His brow was furrowed, he looked positively angry. Not that Min Li was surprised, does the man ever smile? As far Min Li was concerned it was a waste of a perfectly beautiful face.

As their eyes met, a feeling of comfort and home flooded through her. Her mark at the back of her neck seemed to buzz as well did the rest of her body. His face didn't change, though he too scratched the nape of his neck.

If looks could kill, she would have been dead and gone. A poor little orphan like me, she snivelled, feeling sorry for herself.

She would never let the big bad wolf kill her. She surmised that she was right to think of him as a ruthless oppressor. The man must have been trying to zap her into non-existence, she concluded to be the reason why her body had buzzed with his presence.

Any other rationale why she simply wouldn't consider.

Fenhua the frowning crown prince had obviously heard them talking about him. He carefully raised one eyebrow, turned away and Min Li watched as he stormed off.

He didn't storm off, in everything he did he was quite elegant. He stormed off only in Min Li's world. She had turned his retreating figure into a petulant child who knew nearly no self-control.

Min Li nearly cursed Lily's newfound inability to control the volume of her voice. Again, she pondered on whether Lily was really a friend or a foe.

The man who was obviously already up himself would think that she liked him, the way Lily had screeched. He probably wouldn't have heard Min Li's own words of denial. Min Li reminisced on her earlier words, she remembered she had said them quite quietly.

On that thought Min Li nodded. I would be a rather good lady, I am quite ladylike, she thought with a smile on her face, Lily wasn't all wrong on that point.