Patricia chose to be carried back to her residence. In his arms, she felt extremely uncomfortable. Not that he was not strong enough to hold her properly. Her issue was the other women who would see them, or hear of it. What would they do to her? She was one of the lowest-ranked women in the harem, and she was getting this sort of treatment.
"Crown Prince, do your arms not hurt?" She asked, pretending to care. She just wanted him to let her down.
"I come from a long line of warriors. No one matches my family when it comes to physical strength. Believe me, you don't weigh that much," he replied.
She rolled her eyes; he saw her.
"That is disrespectful. Do not get carried away because I give you this treatment," he rebuked.
"Well, I am already being carried by you, aren't I? Letting me have a little more restraint will not hurt. After all, you come from a long line of warriors, and no one matches your family when it comes to physical strength," she teased.
He chuckled slightly.
She was surprised to see him show off a pretty set of white teeth. This was the first thing she was ever appreciating about him. She had said those words to let off some steam. It was a two-way ticket. The first was, he would get angry and put her down. Then, she could be on her jolly way. The second was this, he would stiffen his spine and continue to carry her while preparing some juicy punishment for her. He did neither. This was surprising. For a proud Crown Prince, he was acting rather differently.
"What are you thinking about?" He asked. "Nothing you want to know, dear Crown Prince," she replied.
"Tell me," he demanded.
She smiled, "I just think the flowers in the temple are beautiful. If you could order some to be planted near my room, I will indeed be grateful, Crown Prince."
"Flowers, huh?" He did not believe her. He had known Patricia for years as her dear Philip. If there was one thing he was forever sure of, Patricia's heart was always full of mischief.
***
By evening, Side Consort Eva was bowed before the Crown Princess. "Crown Princess, I never meant any disrespect. The words I spewed out the other day were caused by a mistake. Please forgive me. It will never happen again."
Ruby answered for her mistress. "Since the Crown Prince forgave you, the Crown Princess will also let you go. After all, the gods punished you for your sin. I heard the rain and wind made you look like a miserable wreck before the Crown Prince. God knows how he thinks of you now."
"I have learned my lesson, Crown Princess. From now on, I will be loyal to you," Eva declared solemnly.
"You may rise. Have a seat, Side Consort Eva," the Crown Princess finally said.
"Thank you, Your Highness," Side Consort Eva said as she rose and did as instructed by the Crown Princess.
"Now that you have been adequately punished, and you have lost face in front of the Crown Prince, I will advise that you lay low for a while. In time, I will mention you to the Crown Prince. You will definitely have a chance," the Crown Princess said.
Side Consort Eva rose and bowed slightly, "Thank you, Crown Princess." "Have a seat, please," the Crown Princess said, smiling.
Side Consort Eva cleared her throat and said, "I have information, Crown Princess. I hear a certain lowly concubine took advantage of the Crown Prince being near the temple today. From what I heard, she secured the Crown Prince's attention and was carried to her residence in his arms."
Perry tried not to look alarmed. "When did this happen?" She asked.
"By noon today, Your Highness. The whole palace saw it," Side Consort Eva responded.
"Do you know this... concubine?" Crown Princess Perry asked.
"Yes," Side Consort Eva answered. "She is the same concubine who stepped on the Queen's cat."
"The concubine who stepped on the Queen's cat?" Perry was trying to remember the event in detail.
"Indeed, she is shameless. She must have seduced the Crown Prince to make him do a thing like that in front of the entire palace. Crown Princess, you must do something. This cannot go on," Side Consort Eva said. Her tone of voice showed she cared more for herself than the peace of the palace.
Perry's temper was controlled, "Do you understand boundaries, Side Consort Eva? The Crown Prince has a wide harem. He may favor any woman he likes. As the women in his harem, we cannot restrain him. It will be disrespectful. It is our job, as his women, to be available whenever he needs us. We must never be jealous. We must never complain. We must always make him feel at ease. We recently became his wives. And we have many days in this harem. If we start getting unnecessarily jealous now, then the palace may erupt into chaos. As the Crown Princess, I will never tolerate that."
Side Consort Eva rose to her feet and bowed again, "I will adhere to your teachings, Crown Princess."
"You may leave. I have a headache already," Crown Princess Perry said.
Ruby rushed to her side and began to massage her head.
Side Consort Eva rose, she bowed one last time, took a few steps back, and turned to leave.
When Perry was sure Eva was no longer nearby, she let out her true feelings. "Get your hands off my head. What do I need you for if you can't give necessary information!" She rose to her feet and began pacing. " Such a big thing happened and I was not aware of it?"
Ruby went on her knees, "I did hear of it by noon. But I did not want anyone to let you know. I was scared you would be hurt. Knowing the condition of things between you and the Crown Prince. Hearing such a disastrous news will only make you feel... Bad. I have served your family since you were little. I have always cared for you, Crown Princess. I had no wrong intentions. Please believe me."
Perry slowed her breathing. "This must never happen again." She walked to Ruby and helped her rise to her feet. Her voice became softer, "I know you care for me. But this is the palace. I either fight, or I die. Before I came here, I had anticipated crude tricks by lower-level women to get the Crown Prince's attention. But to fight them and put them in their place, I have to be aware of all that goes on. Ruby, do you understand? I will fight anyone who stands as a threat against my position. This concubine is obviously an adversary. The Crown Prince hasn't lain with me yet, but he carries another woman around the palace? Ruby, I need all the skills Mother used with my father's concubines. I don't need you to protect me. I need you to give me weapons."
Ruby nodded her head, understanding Perry's intention. "You are grown now. Tell me, Crown Princess, what exactly do you want to do about this concubine?"