The first week at the Purple Jade Palace flew by in a blur. Nonetheless, Teal began to learn more about the other consorts. Delba and Ralen, while devoted to the Emperor, were certainly more frivolous and seemingly disinterested in the day to day running of the palace. Instead, Delba glittered in her expensive dresses as she accompanied the Emperor to the entertainment district of the city.

Ralen was also very light-hearted. He was private however, not revealing anything about his past, but Teal soon came to enjoy his company. He was older, wiser and blessed with the kind of personality that allowed him to relate to anyone.

Lana and Jale, on the other hand, seemed to be more involved in the politics of the palace. Teal noted that Lana often attended meetings with the Emperor. And, apart from breaking his fast and his morning sessions with Teal, Jale was not in the Purple Jade Palace.

The attitude towards Teal in the Purple Jade Palace remained friendly. They were all interested in making him feel comfortable, but the other consorts were free to come and go as they pleased and went about their daily affairs or meetings with the Emperor when he called on them. Teal didn't dare try to leave by himself. He didn't want to upset anyone on the Grand Council or any of the official criticizers. When he did leave the Purple Jade Palace, it was always with Jale, Teal’s actions closely monitored by two guards who now rotated on a continual basis.

Teal was still busy. Jale continued to extend on his teachings in the mornings. He was now taking the deliberate time to teach Teal the basic signs of their secret and subtle sign language that was used by Emperor Rathner, his council and servants to communicate with each other when guests were present. And for the first half hour of their training session each day, Jale would quiz Teal on the different names of the people in the court, their positions, place of residence and duties. It was a lot to remember.

Teal also visited Empress Crael for lessons on how to play Mocho. She was a diligent and patient teacher. It was clear that Empress Crael was very intelligent with a strategic mind. She was also a kind and gracious woman who was always busy meeting with this person and that, although Teal never asked what endeavors were so demanding.

At the end of those sessions, Teal would walk slowly back to the Purple Jade Palace turning to look up at the Emperor's balconies so far above his head. He felt like it had been weeks and not days since he had last seen the Emperor.

Shy of Teal's first week, he found himself alone in the Purple Jade Palace one night. He lay on his sleeping mat knowing that both Delba and Ralen had been asked to join the Emperor. Unable to quiet his musings, he rolled to his side and propped his head in his hand. The curtains softly floated in the evening breeze allowing cooler air to cover his skin. He rose to his feet to look out of the window and take in the scenery. His body was starting to itch for release, for sexual release, to the extent that he couldn't simply ignore it anymore.

Teal frowned. His eyes were unable to go far due to the walls surrounding the Purple Jade Palace. Tonight, like most nights, the gardens of the Purple Jade Palace were not going to be enough to distract him for there wasn't just the need of release that was itching under his skin. He was also beginning to ache for a swim in the ocean, or a run through the forest, and a climb in the trees to their very tops. All he could see were the walls of the palace and sometimes, sometimes he felt like they would smother him completely.

He decided to step out into the garden, stepping past his eunuch who was asleep in his pallet at his door. The moons were hidden behind the clouds. He paced in front of a bench, the soft damp grass trampling under his feet. The water continued to babble in the brook, and there was the faint fragrance of the jasmine flowers wafting through the air.

To go for a run, to feel the wind in his hair and across his cheeks. To be free. He looked around the garden one last time; quiet of people, empty, and alone.

It would be the perfect opportunity to climb the walls and go for a run without being followed. And who would know? He was confident that he could hide well enough from the palace guards, and the Purple Jade Palace guards assigned to him wouldn't know as they would be waiting by the palace's doors.

They didn't know that the walls posed no difficulty for him.

Before he could even consider whether it was a good idea or not, Teal spied one of the larger trees close to the wall and broke into a run. He climbed its trunk and up into the branches, balancing out on one of the larger forks. The distance between it and the wall was fair, but Teal had made similar jumps on many occasions in Hulena’s surrounding forests.

He jumped and in a blink of an eye, Teal was crouching on the top of the outer wall of the Purple Jade Palace. The whole escape had only taken several seconds and without him even having increased his breath.

He gained his bearings, his vision strong and clear in the shadows of the night. Pinpointing his destination, he broke out into a run, the sudden sense of freedom and space freeing his mind from the rules and responsibilities that had been bound upon him.

The wall that he was currently on, linked to the main palace but that was not where he wanted to go. Teal wanted to feel the open space.

He jumped off the wall and landed easily inside the courtyard that led to the outer defensive perimeter wall of the palace grounds. His strong legs broke out into a run again until he reached the other side. He stopped in the shadows and looked over his shoulder. Just at that moment, the clouds moved and the two moons were revealed bringing a stark light into the courtyard. Here, he was at risk of being seen, but his yearning for space and the need to run, was too strong. He wouldn't go back. No one had seen him yet.

The outer wall that protected the entire palace grounds was much taller and wider than the Purple Jade Palace walls. It was also smooth, too smooth to climb up. He spied a cart a short distance away and ran towards it at a sprint. He landed on it squarely and used it as a jump off to scale up the wall, the first time that night where he had put some effort into his actions. His fingers clasped the top and using the strength in his arms, he pulled himself up and over the top.

Teal squatted.

Lookout points of the palace security would be able to see him, and the patrols at night were many. Spying movement, he took refuge in the shadows as one guard on duty began to approach his direction. Teal watched the man's gate, at ease and relaxed, pausing to stop and stare out over the wall, oblivious to Teal's presence. Confident that he had gone unnoticed, Teal looked out towards the towers that lined the outer wall in steady intervals and hearing no one call in alarm, he sprang to his feet and sprinted in the opposite direction.

He slowed at the nearest tower and found a perfect spot to sit right at the tower's edge, its lookout above his head. Teal looked out to the sea, his legs hanging over the edge of the wall, the ground much further away than on the palace side. His shoulders dropped and he breathed out slowly.

There was a soft breeze that cooled his skin and pushed his long locks astray. The sight of the bay, the ocean and city below him, and the space, the space that he could feel and breathe from his vantage point. It was an internal peace he had been missing until now.

"I hope you're not planning on jumping."

Teal spun and a young man, a short distance away, lifted his hands out in an attempt to appease him. Through the dark, Teal could see that the man's eyes were wide with an edge of fear and hesitation. He was young, maybe only a year or two older than himself, fit and healthy in soldier clothes.

"It wouldn't matter if I did," Teal told him after a pause. "I can make it."

There was silence. "Do your eyes always do that?"

"Only when I'm startled and come to defense."

"Sorry." The man kept his distance, but came to stand at the wall that Teal was sitting on. "Planning on escaping? You only just got here."

It would only be a waste of time to ask how the guard knew who he was, especially when the whole palace was apparently talking about him. Teal looked back out to sea, where the moons had finally come out from behind the clouds again.

"No, no escape plans. I'm just enjoying the view. The Purple Jade Palace is a bit confining after my life on the outskirts of the empire."

"Well, I'm glad," the guard responded. "Because as an imperial concubine, I'm not actually supposed to talk to you, but the fact that you're sitting on my wall during my watch, I would be equally negligent if I let you jump."

Teal managed a chuckle. "No. No plans of jumping."

"Good." The guard coughed. "Well then, I should probably escort you back to the Purple Jade Palace."

He wasn't ready for that. As a way of distraction, Teal asked, "What's your name?"

The guard's eyes widened as if he couldn't imagine a person like Teal bothering to take the time to find out what his name was. "Satner."

"It's nice to meet you, Satner," Teal said with a smile he hoped was friendly.

Satner nodded his head and said, "The chances of me speaking to you again are very remote, however, it is a pleasure to find that the rumors are true." Fear suddenly came over his face, as if he had said too much.

"And what rumors are those?" Teal asked.

Satner took a step back. "Just that you have a very unique look, that is all."

Teal stared at him, and he saw Satner's discomfort increase. For the first time since he had arrived, Teal had a feeling it didn't have anything to do with the fact that he looked different, but it was because of who he was now to the Emperor. He looked back out to the sea.

"I'm probably only going to make you more uncomfortable, but can you not tell anyone about my visit to the wall?”

"I am always loyal to the Emperor," Satner told him seriously, and Teal held onto a sigh that wanted to escape him. He looked back to Satner and saw him now standing with his hand over the Emperor's seal on his uniform.

"I am equally loyal to the Emperor,” Teal continued. “I would give my life for him, but I really want to be his concubine as well."

Their eyes met, and it was Satner's turn to have his shoulder's drop.

They were silent for some time as Teal turned his attention back out to the view.

After a while Satner spoke again. "Maybe I should..."

Teal sighed. "Just another five minutes?"

Satner looked away obviously not happy with that time frame. He glanced back at Teal and must have seen something in Teal’s features that told Satner, he really needed this. "Five minutes," Satner agreed with a sigh.

While Satner's back was turned, Teal escaped. He dashed to the other side of the wall and dropped down to the ground below, landing quietly on the palace side.

The moons disappeared again. He froze hearing a sound beside him and noted that he was standing near one of the entrances to the outer wall, the walls so thick they held their own pathways and rooms. He melded his body as best he could into the brick at his back and held his breath.

A sole figure emerged from the entrance, a long dark cloak covering their body and hiding their identity. They paused and turned to scan the area around them, as if they could sense his presence.

The darkness of the night kept Teal's location secret. After a pause, the person under the cloak turned and continued in the opposite direction.

Teal let out a breath of relief. Deeming it safe, he darted across the courtyard and easily scaled up the side of the wall to the Purple Jade Palace.

Squatting low, Teal gazed at the maze of walls that led throughout the palace grounds. It was too inviting, and he was not ready to go back to his chambers. What harm could come of some more exploration? At least, Satner hadn't called an alarm. Teal still had time. With one last glance at the quiet Purple Jade Palace, Teal headed off following the wall that led to the rest of the palace.