Zarah's tiny arms hurt as she dropped the silken dresses she had been carrying in a chest.
She exhaled tiredly as she sat on the floor.
She and the other girls at the brothel had been helping the flower maidens pack their belongings before their departure to the Imperial palace.
Every year after the youngest flower maiden in the batch came of age and became 18 they sent that batch over to the Imperial palace as a gift to the ruling monarch.
Each batch varied in numbers and consisted of girls born the same year.
Flower maidens were chosen not only on looks but on skills as well. Afterall to please the imperial bloodline was not the only goal, the flower maidens had to be prepared to protect the Imperial family members if the need came.
The skill set of a flower maiden varied from calligraphy to swordsmanship and only those who were exceptional at the required categories were given the title of a flower maiden and sent to the Imperial palace.
The candidates to be flower maidens were chosen before their 13th birthdays and trained in calligraphy, swordsmanship, archery, cooking, sewing and basic first aid methods.
The candidates were chosen on looks and exams that were conducted on the above categories, those who passed in both were then trained to perfection and on their 17th birthday they were told if they were given the title of flower maiden or not.
The selected flower maidens remained in the brothel practicing their skills till the youngest among them turned of age at 18. Then a week after the youngest flower maiden's birthday they would send that batch over to the palace.
Sounds like being a flower maiden is very amazing and respectful right?
No.
Yes it is respectful in the long run,in the Imperial court a flower maiden is respected, some even rise to the ranks of Imperial consort.
But, the abuse one has to endure before they reach that rank? Not amazing at all.
Zarah has seen it on her seniors...
The ones being sent and even the ones before them they endured harsh conditions and punishments and even now the Madam doesn't respect them.
Respect which is a basic human quality has to be gained from warming an Imperial member's bed?
'It's laughable,the position we are in" Zarah thought.
"I hate society" She mumbled as she got up and dragged her tired body towards a wardrobe.
She opened the doors and took the remaining few clothes out and put them in the chest before shutting it as she mumbled to herself.
"I mean I know respect isn't just given like candy and a person has to earn it but after everything the flower maidens and everyone in the brothel goes through?"
She huffed angrily as she went towards the wardrobe again.
"They deserve it...."
She mumbled sitting inside the wardrobe floor.
Zarah, like all the other kids in the brothel, was skinny and weighed less so she easily fit inside the wardrobe.
She sighed feeling the ache from tiredness in her limbs.
"A little nap wouldn't hurt would it?"
Zarah said to herself as she laid down on the wardrobe floor closing the door from inside.
If one of the brothel guards saw her, those mean asses would wake her up and make her work all over again!
This world really needed child labor laws!
She thought as she felt the sleep and exhaustion take over her body and her eyes closed shut.
Meanwhile Zoya, one of the flower maidens being sent to the Imperial palace really wanted to take the wardrobe with her.
She pleaded to the Madam to let her take it with her.
It was a gift Zoya's elder sister Zoey, a flower maiden sent to the Imperial palace two years before the current batch, had given her after Zoey's first month in the palace.
The Madam's usually cruel hazel eyes flickered considering and gave permission.
The Madam was always lenient on the leaving batch of flower maidens, after all sending them to the palace brought her fat amounts of money.
As the guards lifted the wardrobe they felt it to be a little heavy considering it was supposed to be empty.
One guard asked the other, "Don't you think its rather heavy?"
The other shrugged, "Maybe they forgot to empty it ?"
A third guard said nonchalantly, "Who cares? let's just load it"
The fourth guard nodded quietly in agreement.
As the four guards took the wardrobe to the gates of the brothel Zarah felt her surroundings shaking a little.
She groaned opening her eyes slowly.
She rubbed her eyes as she felt the wardrobe rocking as if someone was carrying it.
'Shit!' Zarah thought.
This was bad like bad bad bad kinda bad!
She hadn't meant to inside it and they were transporting it! Of course they were !
Zoya loved this wardrobe! Afterall Zoey had gifted it to her and of course the Madam gave permission to take it along since Zoya was part of the leaving batch.
Zarah knew she had messed up by sleeping in it and had to find a way to get out of the wardrobe without them finding out she was ever in it.
But not everything goes according to one's wishes does it?
At that same time the guards at the gates who checked every luggage before it was loaded opened the wardrobe and saw Zarah laying inside on the wardrobe floor.
Zarah's eyes widened in fear as she felt her throat dry up and her limbs go stiff.
Her breathing hitched.
The guard scowled in anger grabbing Zarah by her arm and pulled her out of the wardrobe harshly.
"YOU INSOLENT WENCH!" The guard hissed in anger as he threw Zarah on the ground telling the other guards to inform the Madam immediately.
Zarah flinched as she hit the ground, her body trembling in fear.