“So how did that happen again?” one of the maids eyed you wearily and you smiled sheepishly back at her, trying to sway her suspicions and think of the incident as a mere mishaps instead of the dark reality that caused it.

“In the middle of the night, I went to the chamber pots and tripped, and caught my sleeve on one of the ornaments or something – I’m not even too sure myself-” you laughed awkwardly for emphasis. “I must’ve still been half asleep because I didn’t realise it was there till this morning…” The maid pursed her lips, she didn’t seem to buy your story.

“I’m really sorry, if that makes a difference.” You looked down and began to fidget. This is what girls do when they’re trying to look pitiful, right?

After a few seconds of silence, she shifted her stance and sighed with exasperation. “Alright, alright. I’ll get you a new robe, but you mustn’t damage this one – because you know they cost a fortune.” She pointed a finger accusingly. She let go of your sleeve and then went into the closet next door for a few minutes before bring back a new robe, still wrapped in silken paper. “Now you’ll just have to make do with a change of colour, how do you like purple?” And a smile spread across your lips.

Something like this, but the purple is darker - it's not a pink but a dark purple. It was the best picture I could find.

“Brother! Will you stop playing with the hacky-sack, we’re having breakfast.” A disgruntled Chen sat at the dining table with the rest of his siblings and complained inwardly about having such rowdy animals as companions when eating the first and most important meal of the day.

Luhan, who sat on the opposite side of Chen, stopped throwing the little ball of fabric filled with dry rice grains and stuck it in the pocket of his robes. He pouted, fell back in his chair and began nibbling on a meat bun, served on the table.

Lay sat next to Chen, (stuck between him and the eldest sibling) and and had his elbows propped on the table, supporting his chin. His eyes were droopy; tired from not being able to sleep last night and Xiumin lightly patted his sibling on the head, laughing at how groggy he looked.

Kris sipped at his tea and had a book open at the table, reading it as he ate – never once dropping his rice or vegetables even though his eyes were occupied elsewhere. Tao sat in the middle of Kris and Luhan and ate his food with indifference, as if he was in a different time continuum, staring away into space. His mind was still occupied with what had happened last night. Xiumin looked to the youngest and then his gaze strayed to Lay, implying that he was referring to the latter brother as well and chuckled, “Did you not sleep last night again?”

Tao shrugged, “more or less.”

Xiumin shook his head, “keep it up and you won’t be able to ride, let alone lead an army.”

Tao answered slowly, softly, “I’ll manage.”

“Girls, tonight will be your official introduction, so I want you to look your best. Love does not blossom when the sun is up and burning, preferring to instead peak at the sight of the moon. You have all of today to better yourself and you will be formally presented as an appetizer for dinner.” The eunuch shifted his glasses and grimaced slightly. It was obvious now that the idiosyncrasy was a habit of his, that the grimace directly followed the shifting of his glasses no matter what other action intervened.

Zi-yu looked at you in the line and raised her eyebrows in concern. “Why the colour change?” she mouthed, and you mouthed back, “tell you later.”

“Ladies.” The eunuch was now standing in front of the two of you and like a teacher would catch out a naughty student, he shot you a disapproving look. “I will now, leave you to it.”

“Yes, m’lord.” The girls all curtsied and then rushed off to their respective spots. Pulling Zi-yu by her sleeve, you led her away – just so the jerk wouldn’t listen in on your conversation.

“What happened?” she asked, a little incredulous. “I thought the colour we were assigned were given to us permanently, I didn’t know you could change.” She her emerald green robes, and partly, she was correct; the colour was what the Princes would call you on by – it was to save for remembering any unnecessary names, which is a bit harsh in itself.

“Yeah, a little accident happened, I ripped the sleeve when I tripped. But all is good now.”

She laughed, “Only you’d do that, mess up your robes on the first day. But I like it, looks good.” She smiled, “purple looks better on you.”

“Apparently we’re meeting them today.” Luhan strolled down the outer-corridors of the palace, Kris by his side. He had his hands intertwined at the fingers, behind his head, strolling as if he had no care or burden in the world. With breakfast already in his tummy, his life of no responsibility was true for the moment.

“Who do you mean by ‘them’?” Kris didn’t look up from his book. It was Confucius’ prose on politics, detailed philosophies on the values and attitudes needed to form a great nation.

“The harem of course. I never paid Father’s harem any attention so I’m curious now as to what it would pertain to us.” Taking a few steps fast, and walking so that he was in front of his brother, Luhan began to walk backwards, facing the bookworm still deep in reading.

“Do you remember, how they would come up to us with their gaudy robes and pinch our cheeks, trying so desperately to win our affections?” Luhan looked at the sky and glanced in between to see if he could illicit a response from his brother.

“Pitiful souls,” Wufan looked up. “Pitiful souls they are to try and win love.”

The two of them stopped walking and for a second, both looked out to somewhere distant in this world, but close to them.

Dropping his hands limp to his sides, Luhan smiled sadly, “It’s truly pitiful, isn’t it.”