The Emperor s Concubine
Everyday, since I was a girl, I am bathed in honey milk, fucked until I can’t stand, then painted in gold. Rinse and repeat. I am the Emperor’s concubine, his mistress, his whore. I was once a princess, but my kingdom was conquered. Now I’m painted so if any man ever places his hands on me it smears the intricately woven pattern of paint and he will be killed on site. I wear no clothes, my body his temple. I stand straight as a statue staring at the mirror for hours as they paint me, hating...