-----warning slight mature scene----
-----spoiler alert skip if needed----
There was no mist thicker than imperial bath chamber smoke.
The massive bath chamber was quiet except for the slow drip of water echoing against the water surface. Moon high above the midnight. Steam rose in soft ribbons, blurring the edges of the lantern light and turning the air warm and heavy with the scent of expensive scented oil.
The marble floor gleamed with a faint sheen of moisture, leading toward the wide pool sunk deep into the ground.
Inside it, the Empress reclined in silence.
One of her maids knelt at the edge, carefully pouring a vial of rare, amber-hued oil into the bath. It was the empress favorite scent the scent of orchids and sandalwood that quickly mingled with the heated water.
"Your Majesty," the maid asked softly, "Is this enough?"
The Empress took a moment before answering. A warm, damp folded towel lay across her eyes as she listened to the delicate sound of scented droplets falling into the bath each drop worth more than a servant's monthly wage.
She leaned her head and arms back against the edge of the tub, her golden hair wrapped carefully in cloth to keep it from the water.
Her voice came low, relaxed. "It's more than enough."
The maid bowed deeply and stepped back into her place by the wall, hands folded.
Though the Empress lay naked in the bath, the gentle ripples of the water kept her figure hidden from the five maids stationed discreetly around her.
But such nakedness did not bother her majesty, on the contrary, she believed it was an honor to witness the body of so dignified a woman like her. To serve someone of her stature was not mere duty but a privilege, one that few could ever dream of.
At the far end of the chamber, another maid lit a row of candles, their scented wax releasing a sweet fragrance as the flames cast a calming glow across the peaceful room.
The gentle wind drifting through the open window carried the perfume further, mingling with the warmth of the bath. Truly, nothing could rival the serenity of a night spent soaking in hot water beneath the gaze of a full moon.
A soft moan escaped the Empress's lips. Behind her, a figure sat poised at the edge of the tub Gentle hands, worked their way down from her nape to her shoulders, pressing with practiced care before gliding toward her collarbone.
The one massaging her was no ordinary servant.
It was Lady Sylvanna—the famous lady-in-waiting.
No other servant was allowed or permitted to touch the empress other than her lady in waiting. Sylvanna's presence alone had become part of the Empress's day.
She attended to the Empress's every need her meals, her baths, her daily schedule. The Empress relied on her more than anyone else, trusting her in matters both small and personal. None could deny the privilege it granted her.
That's was why she secure her standing in the palace. She was not just any court lady she was the woman the Empress trusted most, and that made her presence untouchable.
"Leave us." It was barely above a whisper.
"I—I beg your pardon, Your Majesty…?" the young maid asked, unsure if she'd heard it correctly.
The running water of the tub was the only sound in the room. But the Empress gave no answer back. Her breathing had grown faint, almost trembling, and a flush colored her cheeks. Her head quickly turned away.
The maid's have her brows furrowed in concern, not understanding if there was something wrong.
"The Empress would like to be left alone"
A voice interrupt them.
This time, it was the lady-in-waiting—Lady Sylvanna—who straightened her back and gave the maid a reassuring smile.
Realization dawned on the maid's face an "oh" parting her lips. Without hesitation, the maids bowed and began to retreat. No one questioned it. They just abide on what their sovereignty as told.
It became part of the empress schedule to soak in the water before bed everyday. The empress doesn't want anyone other than the lady in waiting to attend her bathing duty until she retire in her bed chamber.
The palace servants and maids stationed under the Empress didn't understand why, but they never questioned it. No one protested-if anything, they were pleased by it. It meant they could be dismiss early, spared from tending to the Empress beyond a few minor orders, and were done for the day.
All knew of the closeness between their Empress and Lady Sylvanna. Wherever the Empress went, Slyvana was not far behind.
Just before the last maid exit the doors, Sylvanna turned her head slightly. "Have them bring tea," she added "Something light. Jasmine, perhaps."
"Yes milady" The maid reply before leaving the two woman.
The room was silence once again with only the flowing water from the lion head wall faucet and swinging curtain.
..
.
Suddenly a warm soft lips began to wonder around the empress cheeks along her jaw and down her neck. She gasped and clutched the stone edge of the bath.
But the sovereignty didn't protest. Instead, she tilted her neck, granting more access. Her chest rose and fell in rhythm, and a soft moan slipped from her lips more.
"M-more..," the Empress murmured, drawing a satisfied smile from the person behind her. Christ, it felt good.
But instead of obeying, the movement stopped making the Empress frown.
"D-did I tell you to stop?" she asked, lifting a brow, her voice edged with authority. When she didn't receive a reply she pulled the towel from her eyes, her vision adjusting.
And there it was—that ridiculous grin.
From none other than Lady Sylvanna.
Her ash colored eyes stared right into her eyes above her.
"Did I permit you to stop?" the Empress repeated, irritated. She hated being teased like that touched so wonderfully, only to be left wanting and disappointed.
"Did I ever tell you," Lady Sylvanna said, unfazed as she boldly held the Empress's sapphire gaze, "that you look so damn beautiful when you're wet?"
The Empress froze, caught off guard.
Her lips parted as a faint flush deepened across her cheeks, leaving her momentarily speechless. No matter how many times this woman said such things, she could never quite get used to them. What kind of noble lady spoke so confident with such shameless choice of words?
But instead of replying, the Empress sat up straight, choosing to ignore her. Truth was, she didn't know what to say. No one else in the empire would dare speak to her like that and if they did, they'd be punished without hesitation.
Except her.
Clearly her lady in waiting wasn't afraid any consequences she might get. She have become bolder and bolder each passing day.
Lady Sylvanna only chuckled, clearly amused. She found the Empress adorable, especially the way she blushed at a compliment. The same Empress whom everyone else feared.
"God… you look so beautiful. Gorgeous. Like a goddess," Sylvanna whispered, her husky voice brushing the Empress's ear. Her hands crept once again along the Empress's bare soft shoulders, coaxing a shiver from her.
The right thing to do was to stop her. To raise a hand, pull away, and remind her of the distance between them. Her title as Empress demanded it.
But she didn't move.
"Do you know how badly I've wanted this the past few days?" Sylvanna murmured, pressing her warm palms into the Empress's skin. She notice how the empress grunt. "The festival kept us so busy… and those foreign officials constantly needing your attention… "
The Empress bit her lip, unable to form words as Sylvanna's fingers trailed down her arms, clearly toying with her.
"I thought you had forgotten about me, Your majesty," she added, before softly nibbling at her earlobe.
"I-I didn't—ahh!" The Empress gasped as a hand slid into the warm water, cupping her waist beneath the surface. When Sylvanna's touch began to rise toward her chest, the Empress caught her hand before it reach further. Yet still, a soft moan escaped her lips before she could hold it back.
Panic and desired wind through the empress. Her eyes darted toward the door. Unlocked.
Just one step, one person walking in and everything the empress had worked for would fall apart.
How does one seduce an Empress? And not just anyone—but a woman? Two women locked in such an intimate, scandalous moment… no one had ever heard of such a thing.
If word got out, they wouldn't just be disgraced. They would be labeled abominations. Witches. Heretics. Devotees of the devil.
The mother of the kingdom, caught in an indecent moment with her own lady-in-waiting. Not a man, but a court lady—a countess, no less. And a woman few younger in her peers. What else could they called it.
And in the rigid world of the palace, even a hint of scandal was enough to shake everything. Everyone was eager to look for loopholes to ruin her..
She should held as an example.
They should stop.
They must stop.
But...
How could she, when her judgment was clouded by touch, by heat, by affection? It had been so long since someone made her feel… not needed—but wanted. Not even the Emperor had stirred that in her.
Only her.
It was always her.
The woman hands roamed possessively around the empress body, like it was her favorite thing in the world. The Empress whimpered, her breath hitching with need. It was wrong, shamefully so, but her body betrayed her. She was trembling, heat coiling low in her belly.
Lady Slyvana's hands began to glide downward even farther toward her abdomen. But the Empress didn't stop her this time. Her breath quickened as those daring fingers slid farther, brushing along her thigh-parting it slowly before…
"Your Highness, your tea is ready..." A sharp knock and voice called from behind the door.
The Empress almost jumped in fright, a silent shriek escape in her lips.
"Come in," Lady Sylvanna replied casually.
The Empress hadn't even have time to prepare herself before the door creaked open.
Then maid stepped in. She caught sight of the Empress, submerged to the neck in steaming water, cheeks somewhat flushed and eyes glazed. Meanwhile Lady Sylvanna sat at the edge of the tub, lazily twirling a small bottle of bath oil in her wet fingers.
"Please set it on the table," Lady Slyvana said, plastering a sweet innocent smile in her lips while receiving a wild threatening glare from someone.