On a big open bed, Gouyen lies there quietly with the sun barely up and fluttering through the window by the bed’s footboard.
The lemons handing off the tree branches by the window are barely distinguishable from the chubby yellow birds on them.
Gouyen twists and turns in bed because she would usually be awake by now and already at the laundry services, picking the color from the white clothes.
But this morning, she's in a bed that is too soft, in a room too quiet, and in a life that's too good.
“Is something the matter?” Michu rises up from the floor that she was sleeping on as Gouyen’s unofficial lady-in-waiting.
“I don't think I can stay in bed any longer,” Gouyen rises from the silk bedding with a loud sigh.
Michu shakes her head, “But I can sure use a few more hours.”
“Come sleep on my bed. It'll be better for your back,” Gouyen gets off the bed and insists that Michu climbs on.
“Right here is just fine,” Michu yawns and falls right back to sleep.
Gouyen looks around to see if the little ghost girl is still following her around. When she is reminded that she couldn't see ghosts, she goes over to the window where the lemons and yellow birds are.
“I've never seen lemons this yellow,” she reaches for one and picks it off the branch.
“Who's stealing lemons?” Gouyen hears a voice from three lemon trees over.
A line of beautiful women with a vibrant silk cloth wrapped around their waists and hangs over their shoulders down to their ankles. Their clothes elegantly shape their body and yet also hides with modesty.
Before Gouyen can defend herself, the line travels past her views and a knock can be heard at the front of the doors.
“Michu. Michu,” Gouyen rushes to wake her friend up. “I think I just committed a crime. They're here for me.”
“Stop. You couldn't have committed a crime by the time you woke up and now,” Michu slightly opens her eyes and then turns over to sleep some more.
Gouyen leaves the bedroom and opens the front doors for the line of beautiful women to enter one by one.
She falls to the floor and gives a respected bow as greeting for them.
They smile at Gouyen’s gesture and bow to her, “Greetings, Lady Gouyen. We are Prince Ciwegai’s sisters.”
Then they each named themselves but Gouyen couldn't remember any since they were quite long for each of them.
“We've come to see our future sister-in-law. Did not expect Lady Gouyen to pick lemons so early in the morning,” the eldest Princess there smiles weakly and looks at her sisters. “Nonetheless, we have a gift for Lady Gouyen.”
A Princess in her early teens crawls toward Gouyen with a large wrapped gift in her hands, “Please accept it.”
“Please,” the eldest Princess gives Gouyen a gentle nod after noticing that Gouyen doesn't know how to reply or act. “It is a gift of peace. We hope that Lady Gouyen will love us as your sisters and daughters.”
Gouyen swallows her thoughts and accepts the gift. She notices the soft pale color of the little Princess’s hands. Then she gazes at the other Princess’s hands. Gouyen couldn't help but compare them to her own hands that are rough like sands with cuts and odd shaped fingernails.
“Would Lady Gouyen join us for breakfast?” The eldest Princess asks with a nervous tone.
Gouyen accidentally touches her clothes, feeling quite nervous about joining such prestigious women for breakfast.
“If Lady Gouyen is still not quite comfortable, that's—”
“Yes,” Gouyen responses with multiple nods, forgetting how to properly speak. “Please give me a moment to get dressed.”
When she's back inside the bedroom, she sees that Michu is already up and shakened as if she could see Anastasia.
“Why didn't you tell me the Princesses are here?”
“They're Princesses? I mean, of course they're Princesses,” Gouyen makes an odd face as the thought finally sinks in, having not realized they're Princesses because they introduced themselves as Prince Ciwegai's sisters.
In fact, Gouyen only learned of Prince Ciwegai recently as she is new to the Palace. As said before, she is an illegitimate daughter of the current Prime Minister, but she grew up in the countryside with her mother paid off by her father.
A few years ago, her mother fell ill and passed away. She was sent to live with her maternal grandparents who rejected her at their doors and took all that her mother left for her.
To survive, she worked as a servant to a decently wealthy family under a male disguise. But they sent her to the army in place of their son, and it was during her time in the army that she met Prince Jhaan and discovered him.
“So why are they here?” Michu pulls Gouyen’s disorganized thoughts back to reality.
“They've invited me to breakfast,” Gouyen answers. “I told them I'll join them.”
“Why did you accept it so easily?” Michu peaks out to see the Princesses and their servants.
“So I shouldn't have? Should I go back out and refuse the offer?”
Michu shakes her head annoyingly, “Let me help you get dressed and I'll go with you.”
“Thank you. You haven't treated me any differently,” Gouyen gives the gifts the Princesses brought her.
Michu nods and takes a closer look at the clothes. Her hand brushes through the silk and unfolds the gifts, “Come here.”
Gouyen chuckles with her arm spread far apart for Michu to dress her.
“What's so funny?” Michu looks up at her friend.
“I'm admiring how smart you are. I feel like you know everything.”
Michu tightens Gouyen’s waist and then sits her down to address Gouyen’s hair, “But I can't even read a single word, big or small. I can't talk with flowery words of honey. I would be useless to you if I can't even manage this much.”
“I would've married you if I am a man,” Gouyen rolls her shoulders back.
“I wouldn't marry you if you're a man,” Michu clicks her tongue and slaps Gouyen’s on the back. “You're done. Let's go.”
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