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“Shu'er, Shu’er? Where are you?”
Feng Xiaoshu sighs at the increasingly urgent calls of Noble Consort Xian and her maids. She didn't sneak out to avoid greeting their guests, she really didn't, or so she keeps telling herself. And besides, the tree she is using as a vantage point is only just beyond the palace wall. She is not out of sight for anyone who thinks to look up.
Xiaoshu will let them keep searching for a few more minutes before revealing herself. She thinks highly of Noble Consort Xian and does not want her to suffer too much. Noble Consort Xian is not a robust woman and Xiaoshu worries that the stress could make her ill.
Tearing herself away from the sun and the sky, from the soft breeze rustling her hair, makes Xiaoshu feel a little sad. She is sixteen now, and the tight walls of the rear palace are weighing her down. She misses her father's estate and the green open spaces where she could stretch her legs any time she wanted. His Majesty thought he had brought her here to protect her, but he doesn’t know it is the greatest confinement she had ever experienced in her young life.
“Coming, just a moment,” Xiaoshu calls when one of the maids gets close enough to hear her.
The maid releases a loud gasp as Xiaoshu swings her legs over the wall and drops down into a crouch.
Noble Consort Xian arrives with the rest of the maids. “Shu'er! You're not even dressed? And your hair is a mess, dear.”
Xiaoshu stands still to allow the Noble Consort to pick a couple of leaves out of her hair. “My apologies, I...I lost track of time,” she explains.
“Silly girl, one day you're going to have to get your head out of the clouds. You're already this old and still do such childish things with your time,” Noble Consort Xian says fondly. “Come, let me help you dress for the evening. His Majesty sent along a wonderful jade comb you should try.”
Xiaoshu's light mood dissipates slowly. She takes Consort Xian's arm and begins to walk with her back to the house. “Of course, I'm sure it's lovely.”
As they discuss clothes, Xiaoshu's mind wanders. She wonders when she will be able to see her horses, and if her blades need attention. She almost misses Noble Consort Xian's question about which of two spring outfits she would like to wear.
“Hm? Oh, the light blue, I think,” she answers absently. To remind me of the sky.