Thenumerousbeautieslivinginthemysteriouspalace,togetherwiththeirretinueofpersonalattendantsandassistantscametoquiteanimpressivetotal.Therefore,alargestaffofexperiencedchefswasinstitutedintheroyalkitchentoseetotheirneeds.Asidefromthethreesumptuousdailymeals,allkindsofcuisinehadtobepreparedtomeetalltheoccasionsthatmightarise.Thekitchenwasalwaysbuzzingwithactivities.Whenanyofthebeautieshadanurgeorcravingforsomespecialkindoffood,sheneededonlymakeherwishesknownandthechefswouldbusythemselvesfillingherordertothebestoftheirabilitiesandhaveitbroughttoherwherevershewas.Theirservicewasreallyimpeccable.Notonlywasthefoodservicesoperfect,otherneedsofdailylifewerejustaswellorganized,withspecialpersonnelattendingtoeveryneed.Inaword,KingDimitrihadmadethoroughprovisionsforhisBeauties,attentivetoeveryconceivabledetailofdailylife,likeagardenercarefullynurturingthetenderblossomsinhisgarden.Towardoffthelonelinessandboredomoflivinginmountainscompletelycutofffromtheworld,everybeautytookonsomeformofwork,thepurposeofwhichwastowhileawaytheinordinatelyexcessivesparetimewhichcouldotherwisehangheavyontheirhands.Ifthebeautiesfeltirritatedordepressedorjustdidnotfeellikedoinganythingfornoreasonatall,theycouldjuststopworkingbecauseitwouldautomaticallybetakencareofbythepalaceattendants.Normally,theonlythingthatcausedthebeautiestofeeldepressedwastheabsenceofKingDimitri,whotendedtogowanderingallaroundtheworldformonthsonend.

        WheneverKingDimitrigottiredofwanderingandcamebacktohisKingdom,thewholeatmospherechanged.EverycorneroftheKingdomwasfilledwithlaughter,musicandjubilation.KingDimitriwasagastronomer,anexpertontheartoffood.Whenhewasinthepalace,thepalaceattendants,mostlybeautifulyounggirls,werekeptbusy.Theycouldbeseencarryinglarge,exquisitely-madesilverplateswithtransparentcoverstoandfrofromthekitchentothepalace.Hewasalsoanepicurean,settinggreatstoreonhowtogetmaximumenjoymentoutofdailylife.Onbright,sunnydays,hewouldtaketothecalmwatersinhisluxuriousbark,inspectingthebroadexpanseofhislake,wideasthesea,incitingafollowingofsmallnativeboatsandcanoesonhistail.TheywereallKingDimitri’sloyalvassals,whoconsideredcatchingsightoftheirsovereignagreatglory.Sometimes,onmoonlitnights,hewouldtakeabottleofgoodwineandgosailingaloneinasmallboat,leisurelyenjoyingnaturebetweentheskyandtheearth.Hewouldstayoutallnight,causinggreatconcernamongthebeauties.Noneofthemdaredtosleepearly,butneitherdidtheycomplain,fortheynotonlylovedhim,butalsoknewhimandhiseccentricitiesverywell.Sometimeswhenthemoodtookhim,KingDimitriwouldtakethemallonaridingtrip,lettingthenoblesteedsgallopfreelyontheendlessplainsasfastaswindandlightening,untiltheytiredofit.SuchamanwasKingDimitri,thecenteroflightandheatwhichreflectedintoeverycornerofhisKingdom.Whenhewasthere,lifewasmultifariousandfullofinterest.Buthewasavagabondatheart,wholovedtowanderaboutunhamperedbymundanerestraints.Therefore,hisdaysinthepalaceattendingtohisregaldutieswerefewwhencomparedtohisdaysofwanderingabouttheearth.Recently,hehadbeenabsentforquiteawhile,givingthebeautiestheimpressionthattheylivedonlyinhisdreams.Sincedreams,nomatterhowlongalwayshadanawakening,solongasabeautifulmemoryremained,itwouldbesufficientforalifetime’sreminiscence.Justlikeaclouddriftingovertheblueskies,KingDimitrihadlefthisheartinhisKingdomofDreams.

        Themagnificentbutterflythatwasrestingonthepetalofthepeachblossomhadflownaway.Onceitsdelicatewingsrecoveredfromfatigue,ithaditsownsecretnookinthedepthofthemyriadofblossomsthatbelongedtoitalone.Therewasacircularvitalityinitsbeautifulbodywhichkeptremindingitthatspringwasshort,thatitshouldmakethebestpossibleuseofthefleetingopportunitytoenjoylife.Orperhapsthebutterfly,unabletowithstandtheincreasinglyhotandhumidroomtemperatureescapedtothegardenfullofsunlightandspringbreeze.Atthemoment,cloudsofsteamemanatedfromtheseveralbamboosteamers,stackedoneupontheotheronthestove.Releasedfromtheboilingpointofwater,theycontinuedtopermeatetheair,lettingoutrelievedandgratifyingbreath,liketheevenbreathingfromthenoseandmouthofthesleepingAngelica.Thewarmandquietafternoonwasmostsuitableforanap.AsmileappearedonAngelica’sface,herhappythoughtswerelikethewillowswayinginthebreeze,flirtatiousandcapricious.

        Lotussatthereworkingquietlyandsteadily,everynowandthencastingaglanceatthesteamersonthestove,assessingwhethertheyweredoneyet.Suddenlyfrombehindthethinscreenofsteamappearedbeautiful,innocentfaces,wreathedinsweetsmiles,lookingather.SeeingitwasthenaughtygirlDornaandhercompanions,Lotuswavedtothem,invitingthemin.Theslendernakedformsofgolden-hairedMary,Sheila,whosefoothadjustrecovered,thehealthyandagilenativegirlDeannafollowedtheirleaderintothekitchenandsataroundthekitchentable,withDornaloudlyproclaimingherhunger.Lotustouchedherfingertoherlipsandwarned,

        “Sh!Don’twakeAngelica!Shedidn’tsleepatalllastnight.”

        “Whynot?”askedDornamystified“Whydoessheturnnightintodayanddayintonight?Shedoesn’tsleepatnightandnapsduringtheday.Isn’tthatawasteoftime?”

        “Shewaskeepingthenew-comerChanellecompany.”explainedLotus.“Thetwoofthemwerewalkingaroundthelakeenjoyingthemoonlightandcomposingpoems.Theydidn’tgetbacktilldawn.”

        “What!”saidDorna,clappingherhandstoherforehead,“Notgotosleepatmidnight,butgoforwalksandcomposepoemsbythelake?Heavens!Whataretheythinkingof?”

        “There’salotyoudon’tunderstand,Dorna.”Lotussaid.“Perhapsyou’llunderstandmoreafteryoueatmyvegetablesteameddumplings.”TheothergirlslaughedattheartlessandnaiveDorna.Theywereallseventeenoreighteen-year-oldgirls,likebuddingflowersabouttobloom.Howcouldtheyclearlycomprehendthehiddenmysteriesoflife?

        “Doyouknowsomething,”saidgolden-hairedMary.“ChanelleandAngelicalookverymuchalike.Eventheirheightandfiguresareidentical.”

        “Notonlyaretheirphysicalappearancesso,”addedtheshySheila.“Theybothhaveanaturalbornnobledispositionandbotharegreatatpoetry.Nowondertheygetalongsowelltogether.”

        “Also,”addedthehealthyswimmerDeanna“itissaidthenew-comerClementineusedtobeafairyfromheaven,willingtocomedowntoearthandliveasahuman.Isn’tthatstrange?”

        “Whydidn’tyougirlsinviteClementinehere?”askedLotus.“Sinceshegotafleshbody,sheisgreatlyinterestedinhumancuisineandthinkseverythingistasty.Perhapsshewouldenjoymydumplings.Ifanyofyouseeherlater,tellherIinviteherovertotrymylatestconcoction.”

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