“How is she?” I was more nervous now that we were at an end than I’d been the whole of this past week. For the past few days I’ve been sending eunuch Van back and forth to keep track of the selection.

Each day he’d return with news of my beauty and how well she was doing. Giving me hope that all would go well.

That first night after he came back with news of her kindness towards the ladies of the court, my admiration had grown tenfold.

Her actions were ...