Speaking of the baths, she was currently working on the unenviable task of bathing the Favored Beauty's cantankerous great-grandmother. Even with juvenation therapy and life extension treatments, she looked ancient, like someone from the surface in their nineties, not that there were many paisanos or paisanas who lived that long. She was paradoxically plump and shriveled at the same time and despite her age, she insisted on keeping her hair dyed jet black. As she was too old for the beauty treatments, that meant all of her hair, another unenviable task relegated to Yasuko.

Though she was strict about the temperature of her bath, old Lady Tsui was never consistent, so Yasuko would get beaten with a long-handled brush for the water being too hot or too cold—often during a single bath—even if the temperature remained unchanged. Her skin was as thin and brittle as rice paper and God help Yasuko if there was ever a break and she started bleeding. You would be surprised how loud someone that old could scream.

Yasuko held up a basin with some water in it and asked her, "How is the temperature, my lady?"

The old woman dipped her hand in the basin and said, "It will do."

Yasuko then poured the water over her, prompting her to give one of her famous screams.

She whacked Yasuko with her brush, but she was too feeble to make much impact. Yasuko was used to it at any rate. She then had to lead the old woman out to dry her off and hear her complain about Yasuko rubbing too hard. After that, she had to fix her hair while being told she was pulling it all out and having to hide the hair that actually did fall out. Makeup came next and the old woman said Yasuko made her look like a whore. Finally she had to get dressed and that always carried with it a litany of new complaints. It was too tight. It was too loose. The patterns didn't match even though she picked them out herself—and so on and so forth. At least Yasuko didn't have to worry about feeding the old hag.

As Yasuko handed off Lady Tsui to her regular attendants, Shui was there waiting for her and greeted her with a swat across the buttocks with her switch. Because she was only wearing the thin under-robe at the time, Yasuko felt the switch's bite more keenly than usual.

Suppressing the urge to break Shui's arm, Yasuko bowed and said, "There is no excuse, Dajie."

Though it took superhuman effort, Yasuko succeeded in keeping her temper in check these past eight weeks amid ceaseless verbal and physical abuse from Shui. If nothing else, it infuriated Shui to no end, so there was some satisfaction to be had in that.

Yasuko bowed again and asked, "What is my next task, Dajie?"

Yes, the best way to get to Shui was to not let her get to you. She hit Yasuko a few more times to no effect and so she was forced to use her head a little. Her look of frustration gave way to a cruel grin.

The Emperor, here? Yasuko was under the impression that he never left the Forbidden Precinct, but she then recalled the rumors of the Favored Beauty supplanting the Brilliant Companion. If that were so, it wasn't impossible to imagine Lady Limei having enough pull to draw him out of his palace.

On the surface, it might have appeared to be an honor to serve at a meal with the Emperor present, but Shui made her intentions all too clear. As strict as the Celestials normally were about protocol, they were a hundred times stricter whenever the Emperor was involved. Lives hung in the balance with even the slightest misstep, yet Shui was so incredibly petty that she would gladly let others burn just for the chance to get at Yasuko. When it came to Celestials who kept her mission in focus, Shui was a fine example.

Yasuko changed and reported to the kitchen, where the head chef put her to work on various odd jobs until it was time for the meal. Though lunch was usually light, everything was doubled or tripled in honor of the Emperor. Though it was Lady Limei who was being honored, the other concubines and their families were invited as well. It was difficult to say if she was being generous by including the others or if she was using the opportunity to lord it over her 'sisters' who didn't enjoy the same degree of favor. Yasuko hadn't spent enough time with her mistress to really understand what kind of person she was.

Yasuko had to change again before it was time for the meal. Though a servant's clothes were normally conservative, this outfit had the sleeves hang off the shoulders and was bound in such a way to show off the cleavage of the women with the bustline for it. Even a more modestly endowed girl like Yasuko seemed chestier than she was. She wondered how it all managed to stay up, but that was apparently one of the wonders of the Celestials' advanced technology.

The guests were all at their seats and as many servers lined the walls of the banquet hall. An elaborately dressed servant entered to herald the coming of the Emperor, followed by two dozen men of the Imperial Guard who posted themselves throughout the hall.

Everyone was already on their knees, so all they had to do was bow their heads to the floor as the Emperor entered. Yasuko watched out of the corner of her eye. The Emperor was surrounded by more Imperial Guards and servants who took up their positions as the Emperor sat at the head of the table. The Emperor waved his fan and the Imperial Guards stomped in unison, the cue for everyone to raise their heads. He then beckoned to Lady Limei, who moved from her original place to recline at his side. From what Yasuko understood, normally such a public display would never be allowed, but it would seem Lady Limei enjoyed far greater indulgence than just about anyone else in the entire Empire, a strong sign that she was indeed poised to take the top spot in the Emperor's harem.

First the servers presented hot towels for the guests to clean their hands. It was more for display as every one of the guests were freshly bathed for the occasion. Yasuko was charged with serving old Lady Tsui, continuing her fun from the morning. She was seated directly across from Lady Limei's original seat, which meant she was closer to the Emperor than any of the other guests. By extension, this meant Yasuko was closer to any of the other servers save for those serving the Emperor and Lady Limei. Normally something like this would be deemed a great honor and a sign of considerable trust, but Yasuko knew she was there because Shui wanted her to fail and fail so close to the Emperor that she would have to face unspeakable reprisals against not only her but her family as well. If there was ever any doubt that Shui needed to die horribly, those doubts were cleared this day.

Lady Tsui was as impossible to please as ever. When she tentatively reached for her towel, she promptly jerked her hand back as if it were a red-hot coal. Her cane served much the same purpose as her brush in the baths, but here Yasuko didn't make herself so easy to reach, so the old woman was mostly swinging at empty air.

Even though an old woman swinging her cane behind her was no real threat to anyone, the Imperial Guards close to the Emperor reached for the hilts of the their swords and went into a ready stance.

Lady Limei sighed.

The Emperor laughed and drained his cup of rice wine, his third since sitting down even though the first round of appetizers hadn't been brought out yet. Lady Limei refilled the Emperor's cup, appearing more like a bar hostess than one of the most influential women in the Empire, but that seemed to be how she got to where she was. From what little experience Yasuko had with Lady Limei, someone who could present herself as so devil-may-care in this world of political schemers had to be a refreshing change of pace. She might seem shallow, but the concubines existed for the Emperor's pleasure, didn't they? Whether it came naturally or it took conscious effort, she was good at what she did.

While Yasuko was lost in thought, she almost didn't notice that the Emperor was looking right at her.

Not knowing exactly what to do, Yasuko decided to play it safe and bow her head to the floor as she did when he first entered the hall.

Whether that was the right thing to do or not, one of the servants attending the Emperor barked, "Answer His Majesty!"

Somehow finding the presence of mind to answer without stammering, Yasuko replied, "I am called Yasuko Suzuki, Your Majesty."

She imagined the Emperor would be prejudiced against paisanos given that he was their primary oppressor, so she thought it best to leave out her father's name for the time being. Celestials only seemed to go by one surname anyway.

The servant bowed low, bobbing his head apologetically.

Yasuko stood up folding her hands in front of her and keeping her head slightly bowed, trying not to make it too obvious that she was watching the Emperor as he was slowly examining her. There was a hush over the banquet hall as he was doing this. Lady Limei seemed rather neutral but Shui had a smug look on her face, seeming to think Yasuko had been singled out for the Emperor's displeasure.

However, it did not seem that it was displeasure at all that prompted the Emperor to take notice of her.

The servant turned to Yasuko and said, "After this meal is concluded, you will report to the baths to be prepared to receive His Majesty."

Yasuko bowed and said, "I understand, sir."

The Emperor then clapped his hands, saying to the guests, "You are all too quiet. Forgive your Emperor his curious interests. Come, bring music, bring song. I would see that the arts of the Peach Blossom Palace have not diminished."

Lady Tsui remained forever unpleasable, but Yasuko was too preoccupied noticing that no matter what entertainment was brought before the Emperor, his eyes tended to stray back to her. Lady Limei noticed this too and seemed to go out of her way to redirect his attention to her with only limited success. Shui, for her part, looked mortified that Yasuko had been singled out for the Emperor's particular favor and spent much of the time glaring at her. If looks could kill, Yasuko would have been spared what followed.

Once the guests had left, Yasuko reported to the baths as she was ordered. No doubt she was in for a particularly thorough scrubbing to make her fit for the presence of the vaunted Son of Heaven. In the back of her mind, she worried that he had more on his mind than just talk, but what was she supposed to do? Refusing him would be a death sentence, not only for her but for her parents as well.

She would have to figure things out as she went. For the time being, all she could do was wait.

She lost track of the time when the door opened. She was expecting some servant sent to oversee her preparations, but it wasn't that at all. Something Yasuko had never seen, a pair of female Imperial Guards, entered the baths and announced, "Her Majesty the Empress."

The bath attendants all knelt and bowed low just as they would for the Emperor. The concubines and their children who were soaking in the baths had to quickly get out of the water and kneel as well. Though Yasuko couldn't see them herself, she was sure the sight of all those women and children naked and wet bowing on the floor had to be rather ridiculous.

A woman's harsh voice said, "Back to your work."

Was that the Empress? Yasuko could feel an oppressive presence approach her. It had to be.

She got to her feet slowly and stood with her head half-bowed and her hands folded, just as she had with the Emperor.

Careful not to look directly into the Empress' eyes, Yasuko lifted up her head as she was told. The Empress' face was as severe as you would expect from her voice. Shui might look like that in forty years, or a hundred or however aging was supposed to work with Celestials.

The Empress didn't look particularly pleased with what she saw, but what else was new? No matter how much they worked on her, it didn't seem like Yasuko would ever quite meet the Celestials' standards of beauty.

A man stepped forward, saying, "Yes, Your Majesty."

The doctor had soft features and spoke with a husky, womanish voice. He looked to Yasuko and said, "Please disrobe, Miss Suzuki."

A couple of the maidservants moved in to speed along the process. Yasuko might have been a little more self-conscious about the doctor if he didn't sound like a eunuch. Of course, missing pieces didn't necessarily stop a man from being a pervert. Even if he was, she couldn't kick up too much of a ruckus with the Empress standing right there.

Demonstrating the pose himself, the doctor said, "Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms at 45-degree angles with your palms facing back."

Yasuko did so. The doctor held up some kind of scanner and a green laser swept down the length of her body. He then went around to scan her from the back and both sides. When that was done, he went into a full head-to-toe physical, starting by checking her eyes and ears, then tapping around on her temples and sinuses. The doctor's hands were surprisingly soft but a little on the clammy side. Thankfully, he was a complete professional about it. Perhaps if she wasn't being watched by the Empress and everyone else in the baths, she'd actually be somewhat at ease with all this. She'd never had a full physical before, but six years as a vagrant doesn't exactly come with decent access to healthcare.

When the doctor finished by poking the tips of her toes with a dull pin to test the sensitivity, he went back to his scanner to review the results. While he was doing this, the Empress asked him, "Well, Doctor?"

Yasuko didn't think it was any of her business, but she didn't dare say as much. Instead she simply replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."

Yasuko wouldn't have known what the Empress meant if she hadn't heard conscripts make jokes about it in bars. There was probably some story behind it, but she didn't really care. It was a funny way to talk about sex, the sort of thing she'd expect from Celestial pretension.

She managed to mask her contempt and demurely replied, "What is needful to know, Your Majesty."

The Empress sniffed.

About a dozen maidservants came in and guided Yasuko away to put her through a fresh round of beauty treatments. In a way, she was almost thankful her mother had subjected her to them so much already because the experience wasn't nearly as traumatic the thirtieth time around. The process was pretty much the same until the point they sprayed her down with the second skin. They gave her another coating, this one an opaque white. She didn't think she could look more like a featureless plastic doll, but they found a way.

After the white makeup, she was dressed in a cotton under-robe and sat down while a couple maidservants went to work on her face, applying eyeshadow, false eyelashes, rouge, and lipstick. Yasuko had never worn full makeup before, so it was a strange experience, but not much stranger than anything else they put her through. Her hair was pinned back and an elaborate black wig with golden hair decorations was placed on her head.

They then dressed her in an ornate five-layer robe. The inner three layers were as tight around her legs as her usual kimono but the outer two were long and flowing. The ensemble was completed with a veil draped over her head. Like a bride. A bride for the night.

Once she was dressed, Yasuko was then led out to face the Empress once more. Looking contemptuous as ever, the Empress walked around her, inspecting her rather closely and when she was satisfied, or as close to satisfied as she would be, she pointed down the hallway with her fan.

Two maidservants followed from behind while four men of the Imperial Guard surrounded her and escorted her on the long walk to the Forbidden Precinct and to the Emperor's quarters in the Palace of Heavenly Divinity. As they were walking, Yasuko looked straight ahead with her head slightly bowed as she was expected to do, but she was continuously scanning the area through her peripheral vision, committing the path to memory. She might need to know how to get out on her own.

There were a lot of guards, stationary and roving. However good she was, she couldn't possibly fight her way out. As much as she savored the thought of having a shot at the Emperor, would he actually let his guard down for the opportunity? She couldn't imagine he would, not even while 'speaking' with someone.

Even if she could get to the Emperor, what then? Killing him alone wouldn't be enough to bring down the Celestials and even if she somehow managed to escape, it'd be all too clear that she was the culprit. How long could she stay on the run with everyone in the Empire out for her blood? And what would happen to her parents?

She didn't know. Could she just let herself be used by the Emperor in the hope that he'd make her his concubine, keeping her close so she could come up with a better plan than just killing him outright? Could she sacrifice her honor for the sake of her revenge? She didn't know, but she was going to have to come to a decision soon.

The maidservants were left behind at the vestibule of the Emperor's quarters and Yasuko continued onward with the four Imperial Guards. There were three more chambers to pass through before reaching the bedchamber itself, each with two guards posted on either side of the door. Including her escort, that was fourteen guards to go through just to get to the hallway. There was no way...

The Emperor's bedchamber was large and ornate. The bed could probably hold ten people. There was a pool with a waterfall, a big fireplace with a tigerskin rug spread out in front of it, a little shrine in the far corner and curtained alcoves that hid the beds for the eunuchs who slept in the chamber with him. Standing in the center of the room was the Emperor with his back to the door.

One of her escorts helped her down to kneel and then the leader of the guards said, "Your Majesty, presenting Yasuko Suzuki."

The Emperor turned to look at Yasuko and his face fell. Yasuko wasn't sure what that meant for her.

The eunuch bowed.

When the guards and eunuchs left the room, the Emperor still stood at a distance. Yasuko did her best to stand as still and passive as she was taught, but it wasn't easy.

The Emperor's bedchamber lavatory was comparatively small and simple. It still featured gold fixtures, but decorations were minimal. Yasuko was glad to rid of the wig and even gladder to take off the makeup. She obviously didn't have the time to take off all of it, but she could at least clean off her face and neck.

It took a fair bit of scrubbing to get it off. The makeup was apparently designed to bond with the second skin. She never wore makeup herself, but back on the surface, she saw what it would look like after a few hours, so for people who actually wanted it, it was a good thing to keep it from coming off so easily.

She looked at herself in the mirror. Without the wig and makeup, the elaborate robes really didn't suit her at all, not that any Celestial clothes ever suited her.

She couldn't believe she was alone with the Emperor. Admittedly, her plan for getting revenge on the Celestials was never all that well thought out. She didn't know what she was going to do. Looking at the wig, she pulled out one of the hairpins and tucked it in her sash, just in case.

She took a deep breath and told her reflection, "You can do this, Yasuko. You'll figure something out."

For some reason, she whispered a little prayer Tía Nayeli taught her as a girl. It'd been years since the last time she said it, but it seemed like the thing to do and it gave her a little boost of courage to go back out there and face the Emperor.

The Emperor stepped closer, looking intently at her face.

There was no point in lying to him.

Something resembling a smile crossed the Emperor's lips.

The Emperor talked about people like he was breeding cattle, but perhaps that was all people were to him. It was difficult for her to simply say, "It may be so, Your Majesty."

It took all Yasuko's willpower not to squirm in his grip. Despite his claims, she knew he'd reigned as Emperor for over sixty years and was much older than that. No amount of juvenation would make him any less of a creepy old man.

The Emperor was entirely oblivious to what was going on in her head and drew her in closer.

He leaned in and kissed her. The warm, sour taste of his spit filled her mouth. She wanted to gag. Instead, she drew the hairpin out of her sash and drove it into the Emperor's temple. He broke off the kiss with a curt yelp, staggering back, holding his temple in shock and confusion. Not giving him any time to react or herself any time to lose her nerve, she took hold of his head from the top and bottom and twisted it. Her arms shook from the resistance and the Emperor's attempt to scream was muffled by his jaw being held tight, but eventually one of the vertebrae shifted and the Emperor's body went limp.

Yasuko fell with him to the floor. He stared at her with wide eyes. He wasn't dead. At best she just managed to paralyze him. Shrugging off the outer layers of her robe, she took hold of the Emperor by the collar and dragged him over to the pool. It wasn't easy to say the least. The Emperor was a good fifty kilos heavier than her and she could barely move in her robe. She had to stop and take off her sash loosening the inner layers of her robe so she could actually use her legs for leverage.

After a lot of struggle, she was able to get the Emperor's head into the water. She held him under until the bubbles stopped coming up and then, thoroughly spent, she could finally loose some of the tension in her body. She didn't want to think about anything, but her mind was already racing as she was trying to figure out what to do next. She knew she didn't have much time.

She was still trying to bring her breathing under control when the sound of slow clapping echoed in the chamber. Yasuko's heart skipped a beat. She scrambled to her feet to find Prince Sturla standing there.

This being the Inner Court, the Prince didn't have his sword on him, but Yasuko knew that he was still more than a match for her unarmed. He was alone, but all the guards were bound to still be there outside. Could she even manage to outrun him? With all these layers, not likely.

He didn't seem particularly broken up over the fact that she just killed his grandfather, but that didn't mean her situation had improved any. Neither fight nor flight were likely to avail her at this point, but maybe she could at least get a few good hits in.

Seeing her go into an attack stance, Prince Sturla gave her a pitying look and said, "Come now, Yasuko. You saw how your father fared against me. I doubt your abilities are anywhere close to his.

"We don't have to be enemies, Yasuko. You are my wife's daughter. That makes you my daughter and me your father. Would you attack your own father?" He took a moment to measure the look in her eyes and chuckled to himself. "Heh, perhaps you would."

Yasuko didn't know why she wasn't attacking. She had nothing to lose at this point. Prince Sturla was just playing with her. She knew that much, but the more he talked, the more she listened.

Yasuko hadn't spent the last six years training and whetting her thirst for revenge to get lured in so easily. The past couple months had done nothing to change her hatred of the Celestials. If anything, she hated them even more. She wanted to believe her eyes made that hatred all too clear, but it didn't deter Prince Sturla in the slightest.

The Prince held out his hand to her and said, "Why not ally yourself with me? You have already proven yourself useful. You have some talent. If you want to kill Celestials, there are plenty who need to be killed. We can both get what we want."

He closed his outstretched hand into a fist.

Yasuko had driven herself on her thirst for revenge for so long that only now did she really feel the futility and folly of everything she had done. Did killing the Emperor really serve to avenge Tío Jorge? Was anything going to change because of her actions? Had she just condemned countless of her fellow paisanos to become widows and orphans because of her thoughtless quest for vengeance?

Yasuko didn't trust the Prince any farther than she could throw him, but what choice did she have? If she could live even one more day, it was chance to come out ahead. As she lowered her guard, Prince Sturla smiled.

He held up his arm and pressed a button on his bracer. Two guards stepped into the room. They didn't react in the slightest to the sight of the Emperor dead. Looking to the guard on his left, Prince Sturla said, "Yuping, bear this dishonor for a time and once I claim the throne, your legacy will be made great."

The guard bowed and replied, "It shall be done, Your Highness."

The guards walked over to the Emperor and drew their swords. The one called Yuping didn't resist as the other ran him through.

As Yuping fell dead to the floor, Prince Sturla looked to Yasuko and told her, "I'm sorry, my dear. This is going to hurt a bit, but it's all for the sake of your alibi."

The surviving guard backhanded her across the cheek. She staggered back from the hit and he followed it up with a blow to the stomach with the pommel of his sword. After the hit itself, there was something else, a shockwave that went right through her. Everything went black.