Becoming a palace maid was probably the last thing that Junmian would have thought of doing.

Running around, wearing those gaudy pink uniforms, and having your head on the chopping block if you so much as slipped up on a name, it didn’t sound all that fun to Junmian. But she didn’t really have a choice. Her family had recently gone essentially broke, taking them from a lavish lifestyle to a poor, near-beggar one. Her father really should have thought better than to fall to fraud and those scumbags. But Junmian had held her head up high, and not let it get to her. She decided that she would get a decent job, as a seamstress perhaps. Her embroidery and sewing skills were top-notch, and were the envy of many of her friends. Or used-to-be friends. They had left her the minute her family had gone down under.

But being a palace maid paid well for her family. Very well in fact. It would be enough for her family to stay afloat again.

And perhaps it didn’t help that she was a girl. Being a girl meant that well… she was a tool, essentially. Junmian basically had two choices. Be married off to some rich guy (who was probably old, and smelly and gross) or become a palace maid. Did her family want her? Well, they did love her, but they still had their son. Their son was more important than their daughter, in their minds anyway. And in the minds of most people in fact.

So Junmian accepted the palace maid offer graciously, being the filial little girl she was. No matter how much her parents betrayed her, she couldn’t bring herself to do the same. She wasn’t going to stoop to that level.

How evil of her to think such thoughts of her beloved parents…

And so Junmian ended up on the palace maid wagon, convincing herself that this was all for good. Her parents and younger brother were smiling, grateful smiles, and waving goodbye to her. Junmian lifted her hand as well, letting it drop to her lap the moment they were out of sight.

What was she going to do…

***

It was just her luck that she happened to get lost the minute she was in the Forbidden City. Really, separated from the other girls who had come with her, she somehow found her way in some strange, imperial place, completely lost.

Junmian didn’t want to die so quickly.

“Are you lost?”

Turning around, Junmian spotted a prince that she recognised all too well. 4^th-prince Yixing. He was just as handsome as her former-friends had said he was, if not, even more.

“4^th-prince!” Junmain instantly kneeled before the royalty. The 4^th-prince chuckled, permitting Junmian to rise, which she did.

“You’re too kind. Tell me…” Yixing looked at Junmian questioningly.

“Junmian.” She instantly supplied.

“Tell me, Junmian,” His voice sounded perfectly lovely when pronouncing her name. “Are you lost? This isn’t a place for a village girl to be.”

Village girl.

Of course, Junmian probably looked quite the part right now.

“Oh, um, I was here for the palace maid scouting?” Junmian trailed off. She could have nearly slapped herself for speaking so casually to a prince.

“Ah, the palace maids… well you’re going in the wrong direction. Had I not stopped you, you would have headed right into the Emperor’s chamber.” Yixing’s statement sent cold shivers down Junmian’s spine. “It’s over there, just past the front garden.”

“Oh… thank you so much 4^th-prince!” Junmian bowed apologetically, rushing away. Behind her, she could hear a faint ‘Cute’ followed by a laugh, but she was already too far away to confirm it.

***

The palace maid contest was a joke for Junmian. She easily aced the embroidery, after all she was the best (and it wasn’t often that she praised herself). Junmian looked around the room happily when Yiyun had called her out to praise her embroidery. But there was one girl, Junmian noticed that didn’t look jealous, and wasn’t shooting death glares like the others were. She was genuinely clapping, though Junmian remembered her to be the one Yiyun had called out… for completely flunking.

Next was cooking, another thing Junmian was wonderful at. She knew how to make food look like work of art, and taste like one as well. That same girl was struggling at her table, she looked panicked and flustered. Junmian sighed, taking her things to take up a place next to the girl. Really, her conscience wouldn’t let her overlook such things.

“Hello.” Junmian pleasantly greeted the girl, with a smile. The first thing Junmian had noticed when she had gone and stood next to her was how tall she was. She was easily taller than quite a few men that Junmian knew. And she thought that she was tall.

The girl jumped at Junmian’s greeting, causing Junmian to laugh. “My name is Junmian. What’s yours?”

The girl scrutinised Junmian for a while, and Junmian shifted slightly under the gaze. But in the end, she smiled, holding her hand out for a shake. “Oh, my name is Zitao. Nice to meet you Junmian.” Zitao politely said.

“Do you need help? I could show you a few things.” Junmian smiled. What are you doing? This is a competition! Junmian brushed away those ghastly thoughts, her heart wouldn’t let her live if she tried to sabotage someone else.

But other people’s hearts could. Perhaps, it was her own fault, for refusing to see anything but the good in people. When two girls, Minying and Xiuzhi had asked to see her dish, she gladly showed them, happy about the praise that she received. She made conversation with one of them, until Yiyun came around to try them. And Junmian was sure, so sure that her dish would taste fine.

“Very different indeed…”Yiyun said nothing more, but the way her lip curled slightly must have meant that it hadn’t tasted all that good. And such was true, when Junmian herself tried it, it was salty and sweet, a disgusting clash of flavours. A quick glance at the 2 girls to either side of her, and the smirks they wore told her everything. But she was not going to get angry. No she was not going to give them the satisfaction.

Junmian was pleasantly surprised, and very… no scratch that… extremely happy when she heard that she had been assigned to the 4^th-prince. As expected, Minying and Xiuzhi created a huge fuss about it, but they were knocked down to their level by Yiyun.

“…Should you fail and you shall be disposed of immediately.” Yiyun directed her speech at Junmian.

Junmian couldn’t be happier right now, so anything went. “I will not disappoint you.” She bowed her head towards Yiyun.

***

On the first day of her palace maid duties, she was the only newly scouted palace maid that was led as far as the prince’s chambers. The eunuch that was leading her knocked sharply on the door, a gentle ‘Come in’ sounded from within.

 The eunuch opened the door, ushering Junmian in first before walking in himself. The 4^th-prince put down the parchment he was reading, turning to stare at the eunuch.

“Yes?”

“4^th-prince, she is your new palace maid.” The eunuch bowed, Junmian instantly copying it. The chair squeaked against the floor as the 4^th-prince stood up, walking over to where they were bowing.

“Rise. Very well, you are dismissed.” Yixing nodded at the eunuch and he bowed once more before scurrying off, shutting the door gently before him.

Yixing turned his attention back to Junmian, who lowered her head and looked away. “Junmian… was it?”

Junmian gasped, snapping her head back up so quickly a pain shot through her neck and she resisted wincing. “4^th-prince remembers me?” Her face lit up like a child who had been given candy.

Yixing chuckled, reaching out a hand to it lightly across her cheekbone, admiring the way her cheeks instantly turned red at the light touch. “Of course, I wouldn’t forget such a cute girl.”

Junmian turned even redder, staring at her feet. “4^th-prince is too kind…” she mumbled. Yixing laughed again, walking slowly back to his seat.

“Well?” Yixing watched Junmian, who was still rooted to the spot.

“Oh yes?!”

Yixing laughed again at Junmian’s antics. “Aren’t you going to help me? Isn’t that what my palace maid is supposed to do?”

Junmian looked flustered, she quickly walked to where Yixing was seated, almost tripping over her own feat in her haste. Yixing looked much bemused.

“What-what would 4^th-prince want nubi to do?” she pulled nervously at her clothes. Yixing slowly reached for his parchment, his eyes never leaving Junmian’s face who stood to his right. He grabbed a random one and handed it to Junmian.

“I would like you to read for me.”

Junmian gaped. “But can’t 4^th-prince read himself?” She clapped a hand over the moment after the words left them.

Yixing let out a full blown laugh this time, reaching to wipe away his tears.  “You sure are an interesting girl. I wasn’t aware that palace maids could defy orders. Yes, I can read, but I want to hear you read.”

Junmian turned pink once again, opening the parchment with shaky hands. “Then… as 4^th-prince wishes…”

***

It happened almost every day. 4^th-prince Yixing would tease Junmian until her face was so red it could rival the redness of a tomato. He never really let her do anything else, other than read to him, and sometimes she would serve him tea as well.

“4^th-prince, why is it that nubi is the only palace maid in your chamber?” Junmian wondered out loud one day.

“Ah, see I don’t like to have servants overlooking me when I’m in my chamber. There is no point, and I feel uncomfortable with their eyes on me, so usually, they’re outside my door, simply guarding it. But…for some reason… it’s different with you. I don’t feel uncomfortable when you’re with me.” Yixing smiled up at Junmian. Junmian blushed, looking down at her lap and fiddling with her clothes.

“Now please continue.” Yixing gave a killer eye smile.

***

“I-I think I’ve fallen in love with 4^th-prince Yixing.” Junmain confessed one day to her best friend Zitao. It was definitely love, she had concluded. The way her heartbeats increased whenever he was near, how wherever he touched burned for ages after he had left, how she couldn’t think straight when he was near… she had asked a eunuch who she got along well with and he told Junmian not to worry, she’s not deathly sick, it’s a sign of love.

“Zitao-meimei?” Junmian was worried when Zitao didn’t reply for a while. Of course she knew. Zitao liked 4^th-prince Yixing too. She knew of their nightly meets, of how Zitao was always happier after she had talked to Yixing. Hopefully Yixing didn’t like Zitao, though she knew it was selfish of her to want that.

“I’m happy for you, Junmian-jiejie. Chase after him. Go!” Zitao smiled. Junmian’s heart swelled so much it could overflow. She squealed jumping on Zitao and hugging the life out of her.

Oh.

Scratch that, him. It didn’t really serve as that much of a shock to Junmian, she really had known it. Her stature wasn’t one of a girl, and Junmian had been suspicious about it all along. The fact that her s were hard and they hurt Junmian when she hugged Zitao so tightly that she had to loosen her grip so that she wouldn’t end up with bruises the next morning from Zitao’s hard s. They smelled faintly of peaches as well. But Junmian wasn’t going to betray her friend, Zitao was the first true friend she had made and she was going to treasure the bond.

***

It was night time, almost time for Junmian to return to the palace maid quarters. Yixing was lying on his bed, preparing to go to sleep, and Junmian was preparing to leave.

“Junmian.”

Junmian turned around at 4^th-prince’s voice. “Yes, 4^th-prince?”

“Read to me.”

Junmian widened her eyes. “But 4^th-prince, it’s---“ she sighed trailing off when she saw Yixing’s stare. It was one that said ‘you cannot disobey my orders’.

She pulled up a chair by Yixing’s bed, a randomly picked a parchment which told a story. Halfway through it, she could hear faint breaths emitting from the 4^th-prince. His guard was completely let down in sleep, his face clear and pure. Junmian heard her voice fail her, the words trailing off into silence as she greedily stared at his sleeping face. A vulnerable 4^th-prince was not one that she saw often. She hesitantly reached out with one hand, contemplating her decision and letting it hover near his face before she gave in, his features.

“I don’t remember saying that you could stop.”

Junmian shrieked, jerking back her hand and falling off her hand. She scrambled into a bowing position apologising profusely for her actions.

Yixing sighed. “Junmian stop. Stand up.”

Junmian stood up, her hands shaking and cheeks flushed at having being caught. The moment she was steadily on her feet, she was enveloped in a hug. Junmian let out a small squeak as the 4^th-prince’s smell invaded her senses.

“You don’t seem to know what exactly you are to me. It’s strange, I feel at ease around you. Like I can be myself, and not the 4^th-prince. Like I have no burdens. What did you do to me, Junmian hmmm? Witchcraft perhaps?”

“No! 4^th-prince, nubi is not a witch, nubi did not use dark methods---“

Yixing chuckled. “I was only joking Junmian. It’s cute how you take everything seriously.”

Junmian flushed, happy at the compliment she had received though. 4^th-prince finally let her go and stared directly at her. He leaned forward quickly, placing a small kiss on Junmian’s cheek, laughing when she stared back at him wide-eyed.

It was a silent confession for both of them.

***

“Junmian.” Yixing looked up as Junmian entered carrying a tea tray in her hands. Junmian set the tea down on the table, moving to where Yixing stood. He instantly hugged her, Junmian relaxing into the embrace.

“Junmian… what would you say to being the 4^th-madam?”

Junmian froze. 4^th-madam? As in marrying the 4^th-prince? Was… was she really worthy of such a high thing?

“Of course you are.”

Really, she should stop thinking out loud.

“R-really?” Junmian stuttered. She was incredibly happy, so happy it was almost painful.

“Do I ever lie?” Yixing released her, stooping lower so that he was on eye level with her. Junmian broke out into a wide smile. “Well, since 4^th-prince put it that way, how could I refuse?”

Marrying the 4^th-prince was the most unexpected thing that had come out of becoming a palace maid.

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A/N: Yes, this covered some things that A page in history is not up to yet. Do not worry. Now, I hope you read this chapter before you read my latest update in A page in history. Go there now and subscribe if you haven't already. Though most the readers here should be from subbies from A page in history anyway. Still...

- Lulu