She could still hear the guards screams. She could hear the agonizing pitch that echoed in the room. She couldn't get that image out of her head. Step by step, she felt as though she were walking for an eternity into the darkness. Where was he taking her? Were they going upstairs or downstairs, sideways, backways? it all looked the same and she was growing more and more fearful each and every passing second that she followed alongside this Prince.

she could still see the snot running down the guard's face and his eyes a bloodshot red as if he hadn't been sleeping in weeks at a time. the fear in his eyes burned into the back of her head like a fresh bowl of rice falling on a concubine's forearm and scarring her arm a bright pink. or the transitioning of a freshly caught salmon from a pale pink to a bright red to signal its readiness to be consumed. Chiho could feel the immense humidity in the hallway, or was that her perspiration? her skin tingled like tiny acupuncture needles, nothing too severe but the sensation was there nonetheless.

Was this her fate? Was this the punishment bestowed upon her by the gods for some unbeknownst sin that her parents had committed?

Heavens be to those that seek deliverance for deliverance comes to those who salvage it.

She didnt know such a prayer would be relevant to now or if it posed a significance to this particular occasion but now.. Oh now she needed whatever god was out there to save her from this unknown nightmare.

The prince said nothing to her after the incident. the only noise he seemed to make to alert her that he was alive was the soft movements of his fabric which looked even more elegant in person. the deep shades of blue, purple, and gold that lined the stitching of his clothing made him seem so revered. so silently feared that the burliest of soldiers would tremble at such a mysterious vessel. nobody really knew much of the prince, at least in her quarters she didnt.

There were 5 sub-sectors of concubines with 1 sub-sector being dedicated to the 'elder' concubines who proved themselves to be valuable enough to not be sent off to the nunnery. There was no 'official' ranking system between sub-sectors but there was a trend that the extremely attractive concubines were all assigned to the smallest and most exclusive sub-sector that never visited the outside nor did much of the laborous kitchen work.

They were always in a room together away from the other concubines and would perform rumored easy work like hair-brushing or learning about essential oils and what flowers would create the most pigmented makeup.

things that seemed dainty and privileged to some but ultimately envied by others.

the prince would be rumored to frequent this subsector and almost always a concubine was the appointed mistress of the month or they were sold to a neighboring kingdom or even a brothel at a high price. it was a roll of the dice but considering the rumors of the prince's affairs have always been muted, to be THIS close to the prince sent a prolonged chill down her spine.

The prince's pacing was uneven and it made Chiho uneasy. After some moments he would move quicker or slower, but it was always graceful. She didnt know whether to match his pace or to slow down but either way, being so close to the prince made her feel queasy. His aroma reminded her off sweet brimstone or a tinge of licorice candy that the concubines would smuggle from the merchants when they would visit the castle.

It decorated her nose to the brim, cascading her into a drunken stupor that one would tilt their nose upwards to and follow blindly.

The lighting was dim that it made her squint to recognize any landmarks that could signify whether it be a loop or were they actually going somewhere. her icy blue eyes would flicker under the candlelight and if she were lucky, she would gaze up at the prince's creamy skin. There wasn't a simple pimple out of place but she did recognize a long scar along the nape of his neck that disappeared past his hairline. He had little beauty marks speckled across his face but the most prominent feature was the one under his chestnut eyes.

He was beautiful.

"Maiden," his dark voice pulled Chiho out of her observative trance as they slowed to a halt. "What is your name?" her name? What an odd question before appointing her to a duty only a smidge higher than a whore.

"Herm- my name?" She looked up at him then down to her mahogany boots. why was her throat so dry all of a sudden? why couldn't she figure out something so simple as to what was her name? He never looked her way nor did she gather an inkling that he was growing irritated but she had to think of an answer. He WAS a prince.

"Chiho..." Even her own name felt unknown to her, but she managed to give him something.

"Chiho. Hm." He tilted his head left and right like he was sampling the viscosity of rice wine.

"Chiho." the way he repeated her name made it sound like a newfound land he discovered, pronouncing each syllable with its own significance. "Chiho, you have an air about you that has brought you here today. you should be proud. but moreover, are you aware you carry the scent of a demon?"
A demon?!
"Yes, a demon." he spoke in response to her mental questioning. "A demon with a certain aroma that... enticed me so." he breathed deeply, his words tiptoeing out of his mouth and into the naked air. The prince dug in his breast pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a rose-gold amulet. In front of him was an indentation that matched the amulet in which he placed it inside slowly. The indentation took in the amulet and Chiho could hear multiple locks unlatching. How ancient was this door? The door creaked open to reveal a vastly decorated room that was lacquered in red silk and smelled of rice wine and roses. Gold stitching romanticized the sheets, curtains, even in the corners of the chamber were great heaps of wine and food that seemed to be fresh and vibrant in color!

There was a brook of running water coming from an anonymous source but the smells and sounds allured her into a mesmerizing trance that she didnt even realize she was automatically walking into
the chamber without the prince's request.
"This," the prince began "This chamber is linked to the castle that kisses the sky." gracefully, he motioned his way towards the window and pulled back the curtains to show just how high up they really were. "I know it doesn't feel like much when we walked here, but we're actually pretty far up in the air. here, you can see everyone enter and leave the castle and then some."
Chiho walked to the window and almost felt a faint come along as she looked down. She even saw clouds passing by! the prince followed behind her, nestled his hand at the base of her throat and breathed deeply. "Here, nobody can see or hear a thing so even the most," he kissed her neck 'allusive of tasks will be withheld by the human eye."

Chiho closed her eyes as he began to explore her. despite it being a common-fellow, a gardener, or even a noble, a concubine is still, in fact, a concubine.

"so, Chiho. Have you ever been with a demon lord before? I assure you its better than a gardener."

How did he know?!