The Hall of Filial Piety was colder than the courtyard outside.
Polished stone gleamed like ice, and the air carried the faint scent of sandalwood mixed with old incense, heavy enough to cling to the breath. Painted dragons coiled up the pillars, their golden scales catching pale sunlight that filtered through the high lattice windows.
At the far end, beneath a canopy embroidered with cranes and chrysanthemums, sat the Dowager Empress.
Her back was straight, her hair pinned with silver ornaments heavy as crowns, and her face showed the beauty of age without yielding softness. She looked like a mountain: unmoving, unyielding, and carved into shape by time.
One after another, women of the harem knelt in perfect rows. Their silks rustled like the shifting of distant waves, and the chill silence was broken only by the eunuch's loud voice announcing names.
"Her Majesty, the Queen Consort!"
The title rang through the hall like a bell.
Every head turned.
Ananya walked forward, each step measured. The phoenix embroidered on her pale robe shimmered faintly in the weak sun. The whispers she had sensed all morning seemed to thrum louder now, though no one dared speak aloud.
This is the battlefield, she thought. Every eye is a blade.
She bowed low, forehead nearly touching the cold floor. "This daughter-in-law greets the Mother of the Empire."
The Dowager's gaze flicked toward her. For a long moment, silence held. Then, with the faintest incline of her head, she said, "Rise."
Ananya stood.
---
The greetings continued.
"May Your Majesty's health be as steady as the mountain."
"May Your Majesty's blessings stretch beyond the seas."
The concubines' words dripped with honey, yet the Dowager's expression never shifted. She nodded once, dismissing each woman with a flick of her sleeve.
Then the last one approached.
Lady Zhen.
Her arrival was a performance in itself. Robes of peacock blue and jade-green shimmered like rippling feathers. Her phoenix embroidery was bold, sprawling across her chest and sleeves as though declaring itself supreme. Jewels glittered in her hair; each step was confidence, each glance a promise that she belonged here.
"Daughter-in-law Zhen greets the Mother of the Empire," she said, her voice like sugared wine.
The Dowager's eyes softened the faintest degree. "Rise."
Lady Zhen stood, turned her head slightly—enough that her bright gaze landed directly on Ananya.
There was no warmth in her smile. Only triumph.
---
When the ritual ended and the women began to disperse, Lady Zhen moved close, her fan snapping open with a crisp thwip.
"Sister," she said sweetly, "how rare to see you here today. You looked so pale last night—we were worried you might not survive your first evening."
Her words were honey, but the sting beneath was clear.
Fen Yu, practically vibrating at Ananya's side, hissed: "What a snake! If I had hands, I'd pull out her hairpins one by one!"
Wei Rong's voice rumbled low: "One push down those marble steps and she'll stop laughing."
Li Shen's tone was cool. "Patience. She wants a reaction. If you falter, you hand her victory."
Ananya's lips curved faintly. She lifted her gaze, her tone mild but steady. "I thank Sister for her concern. A night of rest was all I needed. Simplicity suits me."
Lady Zhen's fan stilled for half a breath before resuming its lazy wave. She leaned closer, her whisper barely audible: "Simplicity may suit… but the Emperor prefers splendor. Did you not know? He spent the night with me."
Fen Yu gasped. "Shameless! She's boasting about that?!"
Wei Rong spat. "As if lying beside a man makes her worth more."
Li Shen murmured. "She's testing your composure. Do not let her see anger."
Ananya lowered her gaze slightly, concealing the steel in her eyes. "Then I am glad His Majesty had company. A ruler should never be left lonely."
For a heartbeat, Lady Zhen's smile cracked.
Then she laughed too brightly, snapping her fan closed with a sharp sound. "Sister truly has a generous heart. I hope you keep it… for as long as you can."
---
The Dowager's voice cut across the space like a blade. "Enough chatter. Attend your duties."
At once, everyone bent low and began to file out in rows.
Ananya turned, her steps steady on the polished stone. Behind her, the ghosts muttered.
Fen Yu pouted. "You let her win! She walked away laughing!"
Wei Rong growled. "Next time, I'll find a way to trip her. Just one good fall."
Li Shen chuckled softly. "No. Ananya won today. Silence can cut sharper than words."
Ananya let the faintest smile touch her lips. Her heart still raced, but she held herself tall.
The court might whisper behind her back. The Emperor might loathe her. Lady Zhen might laugh in her face.
But she would not falter.
The palace was a battlefield, and her first step had already been taken.