The emperor, Alex Todd, returned from a journey with a woman who bore a striking resemblance to his past love.
People of the entire palace rushed out to catch a glimpse.
I was curious too, but I maintained my dignity and stayed put.
I was Alex's favored concubine, ranking just below the empress and above all the other concubines.
No one in the entire palace dared to offend me.
However, Raegan Scott, Alex's new woman, seemed unaware of that. On her second day in the palace, she came to flaunt her status.
She strutted like a peacock, with expensive hairpins packed in her hair.
I looked at her carefully.
Her features were sharply defined and strikingly resembled Alex's past love.
She was much like me, as well.
"I heard you are favored by His Majesty because you resemble his beloved. I came to see for myself," she said. "Honestly, you're nothing special. From now on, who will be favored is uncertain."
She assessed me critically.