Luhan shivered in the cold as he made his way to the place. Ten other concubines were huddled together to fight the bitter winter winds on that very dark night. A lone lighter bearer and the Head Eunuch of the Palace was leading them to the Inner Palace, in which the Empress and the Dowager were waiting for them.

Every year, concubines from the brothel were sold to the Palace. To be a royal concubine had meant going through rigorous examination and strict rules being placed throughout. Many years would go by without new concubines being chosen in the Palace due to these examinations, and when it came to the royal family, there were no stones left unturned. The royal family is the strongest, anything less than the best will not tolerated.

 Luhan felt the fur of the others fluffing up in order to trap warmth to fight against the winds and the snow that had just begun falling. The snow was beginning to melt on their fur, the seeping cold made the walk even harder.

Luhan looked at the other Pu Lang. They were only a few of them left now. They started as a large group, but many pulled away when the harsh winter got to them. The Head Eunuch didn’t notice initially, and if he did he didn’t say anything. The light bearer was shivering, but the layers of fabric made the walk bearable.

“Attention all!” The head had stopped in front of the gates.

All the pu lang froze and stiffened at the voice that broke the howls of the winds.

The gate was massive. The metal bars stretched high to the walls and in the centre of the gate stood the royal insignia proudly. Armed soldiers wearing their meanest and most cruel face, threatening anyone nearby who even dared to breathe wrong. Luhan would have taken a good look at the roads in front of the Palace, but they were quickly ushered in quietly.

“These are your rooms. Here is where you will stay, even after your successful selection. Those who fail, leave the palace immediately.” Luhan winced at the sharp words.

Failure was not option. For the sake of his life, he needed to live in the Palace, it was the only safe place.

“Your first test will be tomorrow morning. You are to wake up before sunrise and make your obeisance to the Queen and the Dowager.” A nervous mumble whizzed by. “Get some rest. I shall be here shortly after sunrise. I pray you will be ready by then.”

The Head Eunuch didn’t stay long after those words, the moment he left, everyone slowly shifted into their human forms.

“It was a tiring walk. I think a nice bath would be due.” A girl spoke as she walked to the wardrobe to cover her body.

“That would be nice had there been hot water.” Luhan observed another girl walk towards the previous girl.

He observed that everyone who had shifted was a girl, perhaps the same age as him.

“You are a male.” Someone commented when Luhan shifted, feeling conscious about his ness unlike the other girls.

He didn’t say anything, wishing that he should have been born a girl and wrapped himself under the blankets, letting the fatigue take him over.

Luhan was up before sunrise. A habit that came in from when he used to live with his parents. He carefully tiptoed over the girls, careful to not wake them up, as he went to the bathing chambers to catch up on the bath he purposely missed out last night.

In the early morning, no one was there, save for a few maids and a guard to keep watch. Luhan bowed politely before scampering inside the chamber.

The water was cold, but his grandmother used to tell him that the cold water was elixir whereas hot water would be poison for the body. The cold water was keep our out the sloth that would reside in people had they washed with hot water. And so from a young age Luhan had learnt to wash with cold water, even in the bitterest of nights.

He rubbed his skin softly, washing the grime and aching muscles away. He reached for the milk and the rose petals that were prepared next to his bath and added them, allowing his body to soak in their beauty and fragrance. He watched the sun slowly creep up, still away from sunrise and that was enough time to tell him that he needed to get out. 

By the time he dabbed himself dry, he saw one of the concubines enter quietly into the bath. With a soft greeting, they both went their separate ways.

He stopped to observe the girl whom he had passed, a natural beauty she was. Her face was bare from the heavy powders of a concubine, her waist slender and her face round. Her s were youthful and filled. Her eyes were like the lotus, glittering and her lips were pink. He was curious to have a touch.

“I hope that just because you are a male, you won’t taint us.” The velvet voice made him snap out.

“I won’t. Tainting you would in turn taint body.” He spoke. The girl said nothing, simply turning around to start her washing rituals, and with that Luhan walked out of the bathing chambers into the room they were all in.

“I am pleased to see you have made it through the first test.” The Dowager smiled as she saw the turn up for the morning obeisance.

“To have you walk through the harsh colds was to test your loyalty, dedication and endurance. Those who cannot endure hardships for the king cannot be considered as a royal concubine. To be a royal concubine, the king comes first.” Her voice hardened as she spoke to them. “Your womb comes second, and you, yourself, will always come last.”

Luhan felt her eyes stay on him for a second too long, and he guessed the reason.

“You are a bearer?”

He guessed right.

He meekly nodded at the question, waiting for some reaction. But none came by.

“For the second test, we shall inspect your bodies.” The Dowager motioned for the eunuchs to  be on stand by, holding the clothes for the concubines as they stripped in front of the Queen and the Dowager.

Luhan watched the two of them walk towards the first person on the left. It was strange as when they left the brothel they were inspected of any marks, spots or shades of discoloring. Those who had them were immediately rejected as the body of the concubine was to be clean and fair.

“Rejected.” It was the first time they had heard the Queen speak. Unlike the Dowager, she did not possess a powerful voice, but her voice was firm and full of authority.

“Rejected.” Luhan felt the anxiety crawl up as he heard the third rejection in a row.

What was this test? How could he prepare for it if he himself didn’t know what it was to be about?

“Rejected.”

There was one more left beside him before the two came to him. His nerves were skyrocketing , but being anxious wouldn’t help. So instead he took a deep breath and looked in front, ignoring the verdict of the person next to him.

She was rejected.

He took another deep breath and let his eyes stay on the seat the Dowager was sitting on earlier. He felt the presence but in order to his nerves calm, he did not look at the Queen or the Dowager.

And they said nothing, walking past him after the brief observation.

Or maybe he didn’t catch the words coming from their mouth. Luhan felt the urge to look at the person to his side, but the Queen and the Dowager were waking to the next row, not saying a word about the person to his right.

Only when the two were at a distance, he turned to his right, the girl from the bathing chambers wearing a soft smile, which only indicated one thing.

They were not rejected.

Out of the 11, only four remained. The seven  other concubines were dismissed immediately. Had Luhan paid attention to the dismissed concubines he would have noticed the sneering glares and the hateful eyes, but Luhan still in a state of confusion.

What was the test about?

“The test was about your dedication to your beauty.” Luhan winced at that word. He knew he had been termed as a beauty, but as a man it was still difficult to accept. “Your fatigue from yesterday should have showed. I had ordered the hand maidens to forbid any items of make-up or color on your face today as to see how your body would react to fatigue.” The Queen spoke, standing in the center, while the Dowager had taken a seat. “Further more, the test was also on your dedication to your tasks. The guards had told us that only you four had woken up well before the time that was specified.” Luhan fought the urge to look at the girl next time. They had shared the same chamber for a while, internally thanking his parents and grandmother for the strict lifestyle they had imposed on him.

“As concubines you all are to wait on the king, well before the time specified. At any times, your  fatigue and weariness must never come in between the way of your service to the King.”

Luhan listened to the Queen, wondering what other tests were to come by.

The tests lasted a week, and from four, surprisingly three of them managed to stay, and were officially declared as the royal concubines. Their services to the King were to start the next day, and as a result concubines were never to see the city ever again.

A day had been granted by the Dowager and King, to allow the concubines to make one last visit to the city, before shunning it from their lives forever.

Yang Zishan, the girl from the bathing chamber, and Wang Li Kun were planning to see the market, buying Street foods for the last time. But Luhan claimed he wanted to climb the mountains.

“Why?” They were seated in the common room as they were overseeing the servants bring goods to fill their wardrobes. Unlike the first statement from the Head Eunuch, the concubines had the right to have separate rooms and the statement was used to throw concubines off course in a way to sense if they were insecure.

“It will be the last time I will see them.” Luhan answered. “Streets foods sound delicious at the moment, but for tomorrow I’d rather climb the mountains and make me last proper prayers to my ancestors.” The other two nodded, and soon asked if he wanted them to bring anything. 

Luhan couldn’t resist, and quickly pushing some coins in their hands asking them to get him some Almond Jelly.

Prince Jiaheng, commonly known as Yifan, was a righteous prince. The kingdom had known to be a master in weaponry and martial arts, along with showing the strictest of justice and fairness to all, regardless of the title the people may hold (a trait many had admired). His dedication to serve the kingdom was shown by the frequent events the Prince would organise to help the poor live better and recommend the rich to grow not only in the kingdom but in other kingdoms as well.

Unlike his younger brother, Prince Shixun, lovingly known as Sehun by the Queen, Yifan did not step into brothels or associate himself with drinking and other vulgar activities, something the younger was famous for.

“Good morning Mother.” He bowed deeply in front of the Queen, as part of the custom that obeisance should paid to the Queen first and then to the King.

“Yifan.” She smiled as she looked up from the accounts of the Inner Court. She momentarily put them down and walked down to her son.

“Did you sleep well mother?” The Queen smiled at the sincere question. She motioned towards the seat before sitting down.

“I can’t complain just yet. The King insists on having concubines, and I am not particularly pleased to hear that.” She let out a sigh.

“I wish you could oppose to his decision.” He could hear the hint of sadness in her voice.

“But you can’t oppose the King.” His mother smiled sadly.

“But aren’t you mates?” Yifan asked.

“We are.” The Queen looked at him in the eye, trying to decipher what Yifan was thinking, and like always it seemed as if Yifan would shun his true self to everyone around, at times even himself.

 “Anyways, enough about this. Teacher Zhou was telling me that you will be visiting Temple Zuu today. Is there something special dear?”

“Nothing of that sort. Teacher Zhou will be taking an examination on state affairs and diplomatic relations soon. I believe he has spoken to father in that regard.”

“Yes, your father mentioned that you will be taking care of the state affairs for a week under the guidance of your father, the ministers and Teacher Zhou. He hadn’t mentioned when it will be.”

“The exact date has not been specified bit I believe it should be around this time next year.”

“I see. Well make your obeisance to your grandmother and the King. It is still early so I am sure you can reach the temple in good time. Will you be going alone?”

“No. I am taking Canlie with me.” Canlie was Yifan’s personal bodyguard, a man from a foreign land in which he had been named as Chanyeol. Even though he had rejected the idea of having one on the basis that he has capable of defending himself, but after the regular persistence from Queen, he finally decided to recruit Chanyeol as his bodyguard.

“Very well. Have a safe journey and try to be back home before sunset.”

Yifan nodded with a small smile. Even though she was not his biological mother, she was his mother in every other aspect.

He still loved her like his own mother just as she loved him like her own son.

Yifan shifted when he was on the foot of the mountain, and upon seeing this, Chanyeol swiftly shifted after making adequate arrangements for the weapons he had been carrying with him.

The bodyguard couldn’t help but marvel at the raw beauty the Wolf possessed.  Unlike the royals, Yifan wasn’t black like his father and Sehun nor was he a brilliant white like his mother, but instead wore a beautiful shade a silver, adorned with icy blue eyes, cold and piercing.

Chanyeol’s own fur had been blotted with browns and white, breaking the camouflage when climbing the snowy mountain. Although he has bigger than the Prince in his wolf form, the sheer strength in the bulging muscles was not missed and nor did the perfect poise and structure that the Prince upheld in any form he took.

The Prince never spoke much to Chanyeol, but the bodyguard knew that he was perhaps the closest to the Prince, having seen those rare moments when emotions would whiz by or the those situations where he needed to forsake his thinking as a royal and more as a human, Chanyeol was the only who got to see that. Words never left Yifan’s lips, but the bodyguard knew that the Prince was grateful to him, and it showed in the small acts he did, like asking if the bodyguard ate breakfast or telling him to wear warmer during winter.

“Chanyeol are you alright?” The Wolf in front of him turned to sniff any form of fatigue from the other wolf.

Chanyeol let his head reach the floor, his ears completely flattening in attempts to show his good health and the Prince kept sniffing him.

“I am alright, my Prince.” He answered, as he pawed the snow softly in a comforting manner.

The Prince let out a gruff, blowing small clouds from his nostrils.

“Let me know if you need a break.” Chanyeol’s tail wagged in humour after the Prince turned to continue the trek. The Prince would forget that the Chanyeol was a bodyguard, trained to go through high levels of physical exertion with ease.

The scenery was beautiful. During the Winter Months, the snow would fall, covering mountains and lands with soft white showcasing a view of tranquility and serenity. The winds would howl dangerously, often threatening many lives when the storms would hit, but when they would quieted down, the view was breathtaking.

“My Prince, let me go in front.” Chanyeol had swiftly mentioned and started to trek forward. He had noticed footprints, and in caution he let himself go in front to keep an eye out while the Prince would admire the beauty of the nature they were surrounding with.

“It is odd that someone would climb this mountain around this time.” Yifan was quick to notice things around him, leading them initially, he had noticed the footprints around the same time Chanyeol had mentioned to go in front.

“No one comes up here around this time. It is only you who goes up, and that too for the temple.” Chanyeol’s body had felt something move, the Prince had not realized it as he was trying to figure out possible reasons, but being the bodyguard of the Prince any alarm was not to be taken lightly.

“My Prince, perhaps we should move faster. We can make another trip for your paintings.” Chanyeol mentioned as he indicated towards the trail, hoping they could move faster to avoid any impending dangers for the Prince.

“I hope you keep that promise. This view is too beautiful to miss out on. I wish to capture it with the finest detail.” After hearing his agreement, Chanyeol moved swiftly, finding the clearest trails, often moving things out of the way for the Prince, despite the refusal from the older.

They simply had to move fast to make their obeisance in due time.

By the time sun the sun was over their heads, they had reached the temple. A lone monk was meditating and the two wolves shifted quietly to make their obeisance at the altar, making use of the robes the temple provided, the Prince quietly mumbled swift mantras for his ancestors, waiting for the monk to finish his time meditating.

Meanwhile, Chanyeol had left the Prince in the temple, after a mumbling a few prayers to the ancestors of his own. He wandered around, keeping a look out. Somewhere around the trail, the footprints had walked of course to the temple. Rather than caution, he was worried. Was this wolf lost? No one ever walked off course due to the dangerous and irregularly formation of the mountain. He surveyed around the temple and came to find out there were no other footprints.

He frowned in worry.

Was this wolf truly lost?

“Chanyeol!” Yifan called out as it was time for both of them to leave. “Is something wrong?”

“My Prince, I have an unsettling feeling.” Chanyeol started, his eyes had been darting around, trying to see any movement, straining his ears trying to hear any voice.

“What is it?” The Prince looked around trying to see what his bodyguard had been searching for.

“I believe there is a wolf lost. The footprints never made it to the temple and this mountain is dangerous to go off course.”

“Is that so?”

“I can drop you at the Palace and I shall come back to find this wolf, my Prince.” Chanyeol tried to walk faster.

“Chanyeol stop.” The bodyguard froze, not understanding the reasoning behind the cold words. “Let’s look for this wolf together. It will be unjust to leave a fellow wolf struggling under the harsh cold with no food or water.” Chanyeol smiled in gratitude as he shifted into his wolf form.

“Lead the way Chanyeol.”

And so Chanyeol did.

To a bleeding lone wolf.

Its fur camouflaged with white snow, lying in a pool of brilliant red.

A/N: And so the first chapter is out...what do you think? is it too fast paced? is it too slow? what are your thoughts? i would love to hear them all ^^