The morning light was still a whisper on the horizon when the summons came.
"All maidens are to gather in the Heart Court. Preparations for the royal banquet begin now."
We moved like ghosts in the early hush, robes brushing softly against stone. There was no time for breakfast, no chance to catch our breath. Mistress Choi's voice rang sharp as bells.
"You will each be assigned roles for the banquet," she announced, pacing in front of us. "Some will pour wine. Some will serve dishes. A select few will be stationed nearest the king. Only the most graceful, the most poised, the most refined."
My heart thudded.
Mistress Sook entered with a quiet clap of her fan, followed by a stream of attendants bearing bolts of fabric, ornate hairpins, trays of cosmetics, and polished sandals.
"This is not simply a meal. It is a stage," she declared. "And you are not girls. You are performances waiting to unfold."
For hours, we were stripped of our plain robes and measured for new garments. Seamstresses worked with lightning speed, adjusting hems and stitching final touches onto gowns already beautiful enough to outshine stars. The fabrics shimmered in hues of garnet, orchid, and ink. Each embroidered symbol…phoenix, crane, cherry blossom…carried meaning: purity, rebirth, loyalty.
"You will not choose your gown," Mistress Sook informed us. "The gown chooses you. Your rank and future depend on how you wear it."
When they handed me a plum-colored robe lined with silver cranes in mid-flight, I felt the weight of destiny settle on my shoulders.
After the fittings, we were taken to the Perfume Room, a chamber veiled with silks and thick with scent. Three elderly court women stood before shallow bowls of flower oil, crushed spices, and powdered resin.
"Do not speak," one of them said. "Close your eyes."
They brushed our hair with sandalwood. Dabbed our wrists with lotus. Rubbed cardamom oil into our temples.
"You will smell like grace," another whispered. "Not desire. Not seduction. Grace."
Once perfumed, we were ushered to the cosmetic hall. Pale powder was pressed into our skin. Rouge touched our cheeks. Eyeliner traced the shape of our lashes to lift our eyes like crescent moons.
"Smile, but only with the lips," a makeup mistress instructed, tightening the bun atop my head. "Too much warmth is interpreted as invitation. Too little, and you appear cold. Balance, maiden. Balance."
The day slipped past like silk through fingers.
When we returned to the Heart Court, the dance rehearsals resumed but now to live music. The pressure intensified. Every breath had to match the beat. Every hand movement, deliberate.
"Again!" Mistress Sook called. "Slower. You're not chasing the melody. You are the melody."
We danced until our legs trembled and sweat slicked our backs. When I misstepped during the Swan Spin, I felt her fan tap my shoulder.
"Yeonhwa," she said quietly. "Your beauty will mean nothing if you dance like a startled deer."
I bowed low, swallowing the sting.
"Yes, Mistress."
After dancing, etiquette drills began. A thousand ways to bow, each for a different court rank. How to kneel without wrinkling a robe. How to accept praise without arrogance. How to decline compliments with humility.
Mistress Choi demonstrated every motion with the precision of a blade.
"The king does not tolerate foolishness," she said. "If you drop your cup, if you speak out of turn, if you stare too long, you shame not just yourself, but the entire Maiden Wing."
By the time the sun began to set, we were permitted a brief meal. The dining hall buzzed with hushed voices, but no one ate with ease.
"They say the king watches everything," Mira murmured beside me. "Even who eats how much."
I stared down at my rice, suddenly too aware of my own fingers.
After the meal, we were called to the Reflection Chamber…one last test. Lady Hyerin stood at the center, her robes a cascade of ink and gold.
"You will each enter," she said, "and walk toward me as if approaching the king. Nothing else. That single moment tells me all I need to know."
We entered one by one.
When it was my turn, my legs felt heavy. I lowered my gaze, kept my steps light but assured. When I reached her, I bowed perfectly…neither rushed nor stiff.
She said nothing for a long moment.
Then: "You've improved."
"Thank you, my lady."
"You'll be pouring wine. Near the dais."
I froze.
The dais?
Where the king himself would sit.
"See that you do not spill," she added coolly. "He remembers everything."
When I returned to the dormitory, Mira was already waiting.
"Well?" she asked.
"I'll be near him."
Her eyes widened. "That close?"
I nodded, unsure whether to be proud or terrified.
She placed a hand on my shoulder. "Then tomorrow, there would be intense training."
As the night deepened, sleep eluded me.