Cold winter snow drifted outside the glass windows of the brothel living room. Pale rays of light filtered in, falling over the flower patterns Zarah was sewing into a handkerchief.
Zarah's hands moved with such precision that no one would guess she was only fifteen.
Three years had passed since the escape. Though they had no contact with Jia, Olivia, Lyra, Ava, Celine, or the other girls who fled, they knew they were safe – well cared for, respected, and unharmed.
"Good work, girls," Jennifer said from behind Zarah, watching the three younger girls – Celine, Iris, and Zarah – sew.
"But whose is the best, Miss Jennifer?" Celine asked as she finished the final stitches on her handkerchief.
Jennifer sighed in irritation. "No one's. All three of you have amazing handiwork skills," she answered.
Celine didn't like that answer. She wanted to be better than the other two.
'Why should I be the same as the ones who tried to escape?' she thought.
"Not all of us can be the best, can we, Miss Jennifer? One of us is surely superior to the oth–"
Before she could finish, Iris cut her off.
"Will you stop it?" Iris snapped. "You've been rubbing it in our faces for the last three years — that because we tried to escape and got punished, you're somehow better than us. But want to know the truth, Celine?"
She pointed a finger at her.
Celine looked bewildered at the sudden outburst.
Jennifer glanced at the ceiling and facepalmed. 'Great. Another fight.'
Zarah put her work down and moved toward Iris, gently gripping her shoulder in a silent plea to stay calm.
Iris looked at Zarah and, for a moment, steadied herself.
But Celine prodded again.
She tilted her head, mockery dripping from her tone. "What's wrong? Did I hit a nerve, kitty?"
That did it.
Even Zarah felt the spark of anger rise within her, and her hand slipped from Iris's shoulder.
Iris scoffed. "Celine, you're all show and no talent. You had to practice for years to reach where Zar and I were in just two weeks."
She looked Celine up and down.
"Truth be told, you're not even half of what we are. You're just a tattletale who doesn't know how to keep her mouth shut," Iris said before turning away from Celine.
Celine's face flushed red with embarrassment. She felt humiliated and was about to snap back when Jennifer silenced her with a glare.
Jennifer clapped her hands once, her eyes glaring daggers at the younger girls. "Girls! What is this? How many times have I told you not to fight among yourselves? Your conflicts only seem to be increasing. Is this how you want the Imperial court to view flower maidens – unruly and argumentative?" she reprimanded.
"Thanks to the two of you here," Jennifer added, fixing Iris and Zarah with a hard glare, "your batch doesn't even have enough girls to properly select flower maidens from."
Then she looked over all three of them.
"So all three of you will be flower maidens. Your purpose is to serve the Imperial family and stand as symbols of peace and protection — not to argue every chance you get. If this continues, I will report it to the Madam, and she will punish you. Fix your behavior before that day comes," Jennifer warned.
At the mention of the Madam and punishment, shivers ran down the younger girls' spines as they lowered their heads.
Seeing their sudden silence, Jennifer sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. Looking after all the girls in the brothel was no easy task – especially after the escape. Security had tightened, and her workload had increased, as she was now required to keep them under stricter supervision.
Julie entered just then. "Miss Jennifer, the Madam is calling you," she conveyed with a bow.
Jennifer nodded and left immediately, not sparing the younger girls a single glance.
The brothel had its own hierarchy. The Madam stood at the top, Jennifer as her right hand, followed by Halley, the nurse. Beneath them were assistants and secretaries – some of whom were occasionally required to serve customers themselves.
Julie was Jennifer's assistant.
"So?" Julie cooed, raising a brow. "What did you girls do this time?"
"Don't lump me in with those two!" Celine burst out angrily.
Zarah finally snapped back. "You're doing it again, Celine. You're picking a fight. I think Miss Jennifer was right – some of us really don't deserve the title of flower maiden. It holds grace, which you clearly lack."
Iris snorted with laughter, quickly covering her mouth with her hand.
Julie formed an 'O' with her mouth as she finally understood what had happened. The three of them had been scolded for arguing. Again.
Celine wanted to grab Zarah by the neck and choke her — but with Julie there, and knowing such violence would cost her the title of flower maiden, she restrained herself. Instead, she stormed out of the room, boiling with anger.
"Sometimes, I really wonder what her problem is," Julie said as Celine finally disappeared from their line of sight.
"Us," Zarah and Iris said in unison. They looked at each other and shouted, "Jinx!" before bursting into laughter.
Julie shook her head with a chuckle at their antics.
"Did you girls hear?" Julie's tone suddenly turned gossipy as she beckoned them closer.
Julie loved to gossip – exactly why no one in the brothel trusted her with secrets.
Zarah and Iris exchanged a look before moving closer to Julie.
"The Madam bought a girl!" Julie exclaimed, worry written all over her face.
"What?" Iris looked shocked. "Wasn't Jia the only girl she ever bought because she was of noble blood? Is this girl of noble descent too?" she asked, curiosity filling her voice.
Zarah, on the other hand, felt her hands begin to shake. Her breathing turned uneven as her heart started to race.
Oh.
This was happening.
Melody was coming.
Zarah felt her nerves fray, her head throb, and dizziness creep in as anxiety overtook her.
Iris noticed Zarah's shaking hand and quickly grabbed it. "Hey, Zar, are you okay? Do you feel sick?" she asked, worry lacing her voice.
Julie looked concerned as well. "You've gone pale all of a sudden. Are you not eating well?" she asked.
Zarah shook her head and gave them both a reassuring smile. "I'm fine," she assured.
Iris looked skeptical but didn't press further. She knew that whatever it was, Zarah would tell her in her own time.
Instead, she returned to whispering with Julie about their conspiracy theories regarding the new girl the Madam had bought.
Zarah leaned her head on Iris's shoulder, drowning out the conversation as she got lost in her own thoughts.
Melody – the main character of the webcomic "Beneath The Crown". The one who gets Ines killed.
In the original plot, Melody manipulated Jia by being kind to her and helping her escape the brothel, later using that favor to bring Jia's father, Duke Sterling, to Grand Duke Alexander's side – and then using the Sterling archers to kill Ines.
But Zarah had already removed Jia from the brothel by helping her escape. Melody wouldn't have her claws in Jia this time.
Still, Zarah was fighting against the plot itself – and she knew Melody, with her cunning nature, wouldn't make it easy to keep the Empress alive.
Zarah looked up at Iris.
They were sisters – not by blood, but by soul. The person who was Iris's blood didn't even know she existed. And if he ever found out, she wouldn't be here.
Melody's arrival at the brothel – and Jia's absence – might lead her to uncover Iris's true identity, something neither Iris nor anyone else in the brothel knew.
After all, if the Madam knew who Iris truly was by blood, she would regret ever laying a hand on an Imperial family member.
And if Melody discovered Iris's identity and somehow manipulated her… Zarah wouldn't be able to stand on the opposite side of her own sister.
It was time.
Zarah knew she could no longer delay telling Iris the truth – both truths.
That she herself was a transmigrated soul, reborn into the body of the true Zepher child from the prophecy.
And that Iris was none other than the daughter of Grand Duke Alexander.
Alexander was the man who had murdered the original Zarah's parents and who had raised Melody to kill Ines.
A daughter born to a courtesan who had never told Alexander of the child… and had simply abandoned Iris in front of the Cerulean brothel.
Zarah trusted Iris enough to know she wouldn't leave her. She would tell Iris the truth – she just needed the right time.