Free Web NovelChapter 2: The Princess Summons
"Are you sure I’m the one she asked for?" Ruby asked, scrambling to her feet. "I mean what could she possibly want from me. Do you know why she’s—"
"Ru Yi," the maid snapped. She was Mei Lin, the princess’s personal maid.
"How can I know what the princess is thinking? I’m just carrying out her orders," she sneered.
Everyone in the palace hated Ru Yi for various reasons but the crown prince was the center of it all.
Even as she looked at Ru Yi, she wondered what it was about her that the prince found fascinating compared to the princess.
"But she doesn’t plan to kill me, right?" Ruby mumbled, flinching when Mei Lin stopped briefly to glare at her.
Ruby knew she had to figure out where she was in the plot, and how long until the wedding between the princess and the crown prince.
The princess stayed in the inner palace.
There were intricate patterns carved into the door that led to her courtyard. Ruby could smell the incense in the air as they walked in.
Everything was in pale gold, and a soft jade. Even the flowing silk curtains had a hint of blush pink. Overall, it was very beautiful. Even better than it had been described in the novel.
Ruby stood outside the princess’s chamber, trembling. She had until the night of the wedding, when Ri Yu had agreed to elope with the prince to find her way out of the palace.
Maybe she would strike a deal with the princess. She could have the crown prince all to herself, then Ruby could have the freedom she so desperately wanted.
"Come in." The voice was smooth, like velvet.
The maids outside opened the door and Ruby stepped inside.
"You’re here."
Ruby turned to the voice and almost got blinded by the warm light surrounding the princess. Everything glowed around her. Soft. Golden. Inviting.
Ruby’s breath caught—
She was so pale that light bounced off her skin.
If Ruby thought the princess was beautiful in the book, then she had thought wrong. The lady in front of her was ethereal.
Heavenly.
It was a beauty her imagination would’ve done no justice to.
She felt one of the maids hit her back. "Show your respect!"
Ruby immediately went on her knees and bowed to the princess. "Crown princess. You summoned me."
There was a soft sigh before she replied. "Everyone, leave us."
Ruby heard the ruffle of skirts before the door was closed. She immediately pressed her forehead to the ground.
"I’ll leave the crown prince alone, I swear. You don’t even need to threaten me..." or kill me. "If you let me go, then I promise you’ll never see me in the palace ever again!"
Lin Yuexin did not reply immediately, instead laughter spilled into the room.
"What’s this about the crown prince?" freewёbnoνel.com
Ruby looked up. "Is it not why you summoned me? To warn me to stay away from him because you’re about to get married?"
Lin Yuexin tapped her index finger against her cheek. "That too, I guess. But that’s not why I summoned you. Come sit here with me."
Ruby stood up, confusion etched into her features. Why else would the princess ask for her?
They sat close to the window that overlooked the courtyard.
Ruby’s leg bounced up and down. She tried to look around to make sure the princess didn’t have people around waiting to seize her and kill her in cold blood.
She watched as Lin Yuexin poured tea. She eyed it wondering if she already poisoned it. She waited for the princess to drink first before placing the rim of the cup on her lips.
"How long have you worked in the Eastern Palace?"
Ruby tried to recall what had been written in the book. "Three months," she finally answered.
"Three months..." Lin Yuexin repeated softly. "Have you noticed any suspicious activity going on?"
Ruby’s hold on the teacup faltered. "Suspicious?"
Lin Yuexin nodded. "The Empress, I know she has been visiting the inner court. I’m sure you’ve heard something from the other maids."
Ruby shook her head. This wasn’t what she had been expecting.
The princess in the book had been a spoilt airhead that cared about only the crown prince and their future in the palace.
And instead of the jeaously she felt towards Ru Yi—
"I don’t know anything about the empress," she finally answered. "Maybe you should ask the maids that work for her—"
"Has the prince slipped up and said anything..." Lin Yuexin wasn’t sure how to ask what was on her mind. "...regarding the emperor?"
Ruby didn’t even remember what the crown prince looked like. "Not at all, your highness."
"The empress is planning something with the crown prince. I need to find out what it is before my wedding. I don’t want anyone to use me as a pawn in their game."
Ruby wanted to tell her she was worried about the wrong person. The triplets were the real villains of the story.
They’d killed the emperor, and everyone else that was a threat to the throne they believed was theirs to claim.
No one was spared. Not even the princess.
Ruby didn’t want to get involved. "I’m afraid you’ll have to ask the other maids, I don’t really know anything."
Lin Yuexin narrowed her eyes on Ruby. "I don’t believe you." She set her teacup down. "Don’t think I don’t know you’ve been sneaking around with the crown prince. That’s why you were afraid when I summoned you."
Ruby almost groaned out loud. "I promise to leave—"
"I don’t care about the crown prince."
Ruby almost got a whiplash.
She was supposed to be obsessed with the crown prince, so much that she had killed Ru Yi in order to marry him.
Ruby stared at the delicate looking girl in front of her, finding it to believe that Lin Yuexin was telling the truth.
"But you’re in love with him," Ruby reminded her. "It was the reason for my character’s—" she caught herself on time. "Why did you really summon me?"
"I want to live a peaceful life in the palace, with the crown prince or not. For that to happen I need to ensure there’s peace and order." Her gaze sharpened. "I need to find out what the empress is plotting and put an end to it."
Ruby could really use the cold fruit juice Jenny always bought on her way back from work. This was not the plot of the novel and it was stressing her out.
"That’s where you come in," Lin Yuexin continued. "In exchange, I’ll let the crown prince keep you as a consort. I know I can’t stop the two of you from being in love."
What?
"How about you grant me a wish instead?" Ruby tried to bargain.
"What do you want? Name it."
"I want to leave the palace." It was the only way to avoid all the drama that was bound to unfold. "I want my freedom back. If you can do that for me, I’ll spy on the empress for you."
Lin Yuexin tilted her head to the side. "You want to leave the palace?"
Ruby nodded.
"And the crown prince?"
"I really don’t like him," Ruby blurted out before realizing speaking against the crown prince was considered treason. "What I mean is..."
Lin Yuexin laughed. "Done. I’ll get you out of the palace if you get me the information I need. You have three days before the grande ball." freёwebnovel.com
Ruby wanted to yell.
Why wasn’t anything going according to the book? And how the hell was she supposed to spy on the empress?
