We were led to a section of seats to the left of the royal family but, at a slightly lover elevation. In almost every situation the royal family will be higher up than everyone ells because the royal family, are considered to be, the closet people to the gods. Hong and I end up siting in the middle of the group. Hong was siting to my right and the sweet girl from before I think her name was Jun sat to my left. Everyone in the dining hall was staring at use with mixed reactions of curiosity and want. The curiosity mostly came from the women of the court and the wanting looks came from the men of the court who have yet to find a wife. Everyone's attention shifted from us to the emperor as he stood up and began to speak first facing us "Welcome to your first night in the palace. Tonight, my wife shall perform 'Flowers contend in beauty' for all of you to enjoy and then we will have dinner before moving to the banquet hall to socialize and dance to your hearts content." Then he moved to face everyone ells before saying "Know let the night began!" Then all the lights in the dining hall turned off except for the lights shining on the center of the room ware a group of ten women in yellow, white, and pink stood. Then the music began, and the dancers started to move. The dance was beautiful, and the empress stood out from the other girls in her white and pink dress with the aura of beauty and grace she radiated. I was captivated by her performance and didn't even notice the staff place an absurd amount of food in front of me until the dance ended and I looked down to see more food in front of me than my hole family could eat in an entire day.

"Wow! This is a lot of food! Do they expect us to eat it all?" Hong had been the first to speak and her words made my eyes widen as I looked at all the food with disbelief and a little horror.

"Oh, by the ancestors, I hope not."

"Me to." Hong and I both look to my right when we hear a quiet voice reply to my words to see Jun looking a little shocked and panicked at us looking at her. "I mean I hope we don't have to eat all this food to, but I wasn't eavesdropping on you, well I was, but I didn't mean to! It's just that were sitting next to each other and well ... well ... I'm ... I'm sorry." She looked down at her hands in her lap when she seemed to be done panicking and was now just sad.

"It's ok Jun! Jun is your name, right?" I smiled at her as I talk as if not to scare away a small frightened animal.

"Yes, how did you know?" She looked at me through her bangs with her head still down.

"Oh, well are rooms are next to each other and I noticed your name tag on the door of your room."

"Really! I'm sorry I hadn't noticed." Jun's head went up in shock before falling down again.

"You're ok, I doubt most people payed much attention to the people next to them when we first got to are rooms. By the way I'm Meilin."

"And I'm Hong it's nice to meat you." Jun lifted her head and a small smile appeared on her lips.

"It's nice to meet you too. I hope we can all get along from now on." Hong was the first to talk in an exited manner reaching over to pull me and Jun into a one-armed hug.

"Are you kidding me from this moment on were all joined at the hip, looking over each other's backs and fighting all are battles together!" I looked at Hong's exited face and Jun who looked like she had just heard the most precious thing in the world, and I couldn't help but smile.

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Sin's Pov

I watch as Meilin talks to the girls next to her as she eats. I notice she pays special attention to the sweeter dishes and make a plan to have the cook serve sweeter food from know on. "Bunny how was my dance?" I look at my mother as she sits back down at the table know back in her normal attire.

"You were very beautiful as always mother."

"Thank you bunny, know for a much more important question. I notice you looking over at the bride candidates, have you may be chosen a girl already?" I glance over at Meilin and then smile to my mom.

"I have a few ideas, yes." She smiled at me and looked over at the girls and I know I saw a calculating look in her eyes. "Mother please don't scare the potential brides."

"Oh, I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm just going to talk to them that's all." She waved her hand in a dismissive manner. "If they can't handle a little talk with me how could they be the future empress. You know the pressures I am constantly under, they can't brake when they are in my position."

"I understand that but remember even if they mite crack know that does not mean they will break later. Besides I will be there to support them when the time comes."

She sighed and shook her head "I don't doubt you will support her in every way you can but there will be many situations ware she will have to stand on her own, without anyone's help, that's when she will have to stand strong and show no weakness. If she is able to will completely depend on her own will power not yours." I look at her and see she means every word she is saying, and I can't help but look at Meilin and wonder if someone with such a kind aura can survive in my world or if I should let her go free.

"Maybe your right I should choose someone with a tough aura to be my bride." If not Meilin I'm not sure who I should choose. Maybe the girl next to her with the fire red hare she seems to be a strong woman, but she is not the girl I want.

"Sin don't mistake a kind aura for a week person. Many times, the kindest person is the one with the strongest foundation and when you have a strong foundation even when you get knocked down you will always stand back up."

"Foundation?"

"As you go through life you will meet many people and form connections, if these connections are good or bad depends on you and as you make these connections you learn and become stronger. The more positive connections you have the more support you will have through life and the stronger your foundation will become. So, if you are tough you can stand on your own, but you are alone and if your kind you stand with the will of all those around you."

"So, the foundation of a kind person is stronger than an unkind person because they have the support of others?"

"Exactly and the ability to make positive connections with the majority of people is a very good trait for an empress but being to kind can be a weakness just as much as it's a strength." She looks around for a second before gesturing to Meilin and the girls she is siting with. "Take those three for an example. They are the perfect example of being too tough, to week, and being a pretty good balance of both." She gestured to the red head "You could tell the moment they walked in the dining hall something had happened. Your aid Cheung had glanced at her before swiftly walking away, if she was able to anger him on the first day then she must have quite a jaded personality." I didn't even notice the exchange mother is talking about I was to focus on Meilin but if that girl had angered my most calm and levelheaded aid then she must be one aggressive girl. "Then you have the girl with the black hair she has a kind aura but a very scared and uncertain aura to. She is like a small animal you want to protect but as many people as there will be who want to protect her there will be just as many if not more who will want to use and manipulate her and because she will not want to anger them she will let them. She is much too timid to be a good empress." The girl did give of the impression that with the smallest of pressures she would break. "Then you have the brunet between them, she is the combination of them both. She has a kind and sweet but strong enough aura to stand on her own and fight for what she believes in."

I look at Meilin and smile "So your saying I need to look for a girl who is kind and strong, who will hold the empire in her heart and will protect it with the ferociousness of a mother tiger protecting her cubs."

"Yes, I would say that is a good summary of what I just said. Anyway, dear we should eat while we can, we will be moving to the ball room soon and we don't want to dance on an empty stomach." She smiles at me and started eating the food in front of her and I followed suit wanting to get done with dinner so we could move on to the next part of the night ware I can socialize with the potential brides and talk to my little plum.

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Meilin's pov

As we ate, I noticed the empress and prince looking at use and talking. The conversation seemed serious and I can only hope it's not bad. "Can I have everyone's attention please!" I look up at the emperor as he calls for us. "Know that are dinner is done we will be moving to the ball room, if you can all follow the servants out the door you entered through, they will show the way." I watched as the people closer to the doors headed out following the people ahead of them and it didn't take long for us to be filing out of the dining hall to the ball room. As we had been doing since this morning, we all looked around as we walked admiring the paintings and carvings on the palace walls.

"I honestly don't think I could ever get used to the beauty and wonder of everything in the palace." I speak my thoughts allowed as we walk.

"I... I know what you mean it makes me feel like a piece of copper surrounded by gold." I look at Jun as she fiddles with her hands then she glances at me noticing that I'm looking at her and quickly looks down fiddling with her hands again. I can't help but smile because she is just too cute. "I'm sorry." I didn't expect her to apologize and I was going to tell her not to, but Hong beat me to it.

"Why did you apologize? Did you do something wrong?

"Well no I don't think so." Jun looked panicked "but if I have offended you in any way I sincerely apologize!"

"You didn't offend me, all you did was speak your opinion and there is nothing wrong with that so don't apologize. If you apologize when you have done nothing wrong people will think they can walk all over, you."

"Oh, I see, I'm sorry for my mistake. Oh wait, I mean I'm not sorry for it!" Hong laughs and rubs June's head.

"You can't say I'm sorry then I'm not sorry it doesn't really work like that but, nice try I can appreciate your effort. Just try working on apologizing only when it's necessary."

"Ok I'll try my best." Jun was looking at her hands again but know I could see her smiling. As we walked the noise from in front of us was getting louder and louder until we made it to large open doors and inside them was a room even bigger than the dining hall. The ceiling was high decorated with a beautiful chandelier and windows at the back that reach from the ceiling to the floor looking out at the forest and mountains behind the palace. We walked in and followed the flow of people until everyone dispersed into their own little groups. Hong, Jun, and I walked over to the big windows and looked out at the mountains.

Hong was the first to speak "These windows are insane, I can't imagine how difficult it must have been to make them."

I reach out and touch the window "I know what you mean this is the first time I've seen a piece of glass so big."

"What a surprise the commoner's never seen glass before." We all turn to look at Chunhua. Hong looks mad and Jun looks frightened and I just smile sweetly at her wondering where she plans to take this conversation. "I guess it should be expected that a country commoner would be amazed by the capital unlike us normal candidates who have been here many times before."

"What do you mean normal candidates!" Hong walks in front of me in a protective manner putting herself between me and Chunhua.

"look at her Hong! We are all from distinguished families and she just a soldier's daughter, she doesn't belong here."

"Why you" Hong began to speak but was stopped by a voice to are right.

"I do believe that is a rather narrow view point don't you think Chunhua?" Chunhua looked rather flustered as she quickly bowed her head.

"I'm sorry your majesty Daiyu, but I don't believe I understand what you are saying."

"It is quite simple you are judging this girl by her lineage, but you should never do that. If you look at are grate countries history some of the most brilliant people came from solder and farming families. And I believe if I am not mistaken you yourself are a general's daughter."

"Yes, but there is a distinct difference between a normal solder and a general."

"Oh, and what would that be?"

"Well the normal solders have to follow the orders of the generals making the generals of a higher status and importance compared to the normal solders."

"Yes, it is true generals give the commands but in the end they all risk their lives for our country and deserve are utmost respect." Chunhua looked at the empress and probably realized she was not going to win this argument and the fact she was arguing with the empress at all was probably not the beast idea to begin with. So, she bowed low and spoke.

"I understand your majesty, and I am grateful for the wisdom you have shared with me." The empress smiled and then made a waving motion with her hand.

"Yes, yes, know if you would excuse us, I would like to talk to these three for a little while." Chunhua looked at the empress then at use and I could see her jaw clench.

"As you wish your majesty, we will take are leave." With that she turned and walked away with her worker bees in tow. Know Hong, Jun, and I all looked at the empress and waited to see what she wanted with us. As I looked at the empress, I could see she had changed since her performance and was now in a beautiful long gold dress with silver sleeves and a silver ribbon around her waist.

As I looked at the empress, I could see she had changed since her performance and was now in a beautiful long gold dress with silver sleeves and a silver ribbon around her waist

"So, I can see the girls are already starting to form little groups. It was like this when I took place in this race years ago to and trust me when I say the mean girls never win." She talks to use with a sweet smile on her face but with her attention on use I could feel an immense pressure weighing on me and by the way Hong and Jun were standing I'm sure they could feel it to. "But of course, the good girl doesn't always win either." She looks at me when she says this last part and I can feel that she is challenging me in some way. Now I know responding to a challenge from the empress is not smartest idea as Chunhua had just demonstrated, but I have a feeling if I don't respond she will see me as a week person which I'm fine with, but she will also see my family as week which I can't have. That said I won't argue with her I'll just speak my opinion and show her I'm not frightened to speak my mind.

"I believe the prince will choose the women who will be the best empress for our country if it be the nice, mean, loud, or quite girl."

"Hmp, well I can't very well say I think my son won't do just that." The empress looked at me as if she was sizing up an opponent then her eyes moved to look at the window behind us "It's been fun, but it seems are conversation will have to come to an end for now." Then she walked off to talk to some of the other girls leaving us with the promise of a future talk we will all be preparing ourselves for.

"Good afternoon Fa Meilin I was hoping you would honor me with a dance." I look at the prince as he reaches his hand out to me waiting for my answer. In all honesty I would rather not because dancing with the prince is one of the fastest ways to get all eyes on me, but he is the prince which means I can't really say no.

So, I reach out my hand and place it in his "I would be honored to dance with you, my prince." He smiled and led me to the dance floor as the song that was playing ends. We positioned ourselves and began to dance as the next song starts.

"You look stunning in your dress, if I may ask, what made you chose it for tonight?"

"Oh, well I didn't it's not even mine, to be honest I would rather be wearing a yukata, but my friend insisted I should wear a gown tonight. I think I'll go back to wearing yukatas tomorrow night though." I look over to ware Hong and Jun are standing and see Hong giving me two thumbs up with an exited smile. Jun looks quite a bit more than a little uncomfortable standing next to her as she is doing it. "Haha, if I can convince my friend to let me that is."

"I think you should wear what makes you most comfortable and feel the most like yourself." He brings his hand up to touch my cheek "I wish to know the real you." The song we are dancing to ends and the prince takes a step back from me and bows slightly "Thank you for this dance."

I bow back "it was an owner to dance with you." We both stand back up and look at each other then we both head of the dance floor together.

"If you'll excuse me, I must go finish my greetings." He then starts to walk of but before he can leave, I stop him.

"Wait!" He turns around to look at me as dose everyone ells in ear shot. "I think if you truly wish to get to know your potential brides you should talk to them in a much less formal setting where they are free to be themselves and not have to worry about what so many people think." The prince looks at me and razes an eyebrow as if to say ok how? "If I am to be so bold, I suggest maybe a small tea party with just you and the brides in one of the castle gardens. Maybe during the afternoon with sandwiches and other light dishes to make it a lunch picnic we would all be able to freely talk at." He brings his hand to his mouth looking down in thought.

"That's not a bad idea I will carefully consider your words." With that he walked off to finish greeting everyone he needed to, and I walked back to Hong and Jun near the windows.

"So, how was your dance with the prince?" I look at Hong and then with an overly excited smile give her two thumbs up. "Ha, I told you she saw me!"

Jun shakes her head "yes I think everyone saw you and are all judging you and me severely for it."

"Who cares what they think I was just having some fun." Hong wrapped her arm around Jun's shoulders and smiles. "What's life without a little fun? Well its boring and I am not a boring person!"

I can't help but chime in "I have to agree Hong is definitely not a boring person."

"No, she definitely is not."

"See I'm not boring so when you're with me your never bored." I smile and look around at the party which is giving off no indication of stopping anytime soon.

"Yes, I am definitely never bored in your presents but today has been long and I think I'm going to head back to my room early."

Jun looks at me with concern "are you ok?"

"Yes, I'm fine just tired that's all."

"Well if you're ok that's good. Do you want us to come with you?"

"No, that's ok you guys should stay and have fun." Jun looked like she wasn't sure, but Hong spoke before she could.

"Ok, then we'll see you at breakfast tomorrow." Jun looked at Hong then at me and smiled.

"Sweet dreams."

"Thanks, you as well, I'll see you tomorrow." I smiled and began walking to the doors making my way through the crowd. When I made it to the doors I turned and waved to Hong and Jun who both waved back before turning around and heading out the doors. Know all I need to do is find my room.

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It takes me an hour of random wondering before I find my room and then comes a new problem I hadn't even thought about. How the hell do I get this dress off without help! I start by untying the back as far as I can but know its half tied and half untied because I can only undo it that far alone. I can tell the corset is not as tight as before considering I can know breath. So know that I can move in it a little I shimmy it down to my waist and twist it around so the back is now at my front and the front is at my back making it so I can untie it the rest of the way and step out to my freedom. Know that I'm out of the dress I quickly change into my pajamas and climb into my bed for the next month, looking up at the ceiling I wonder what the next month of my life will be like as I drift off to sleep.