"You should step down over there and wait with the rest, Kanaru. We're just here to guard the crowd in case everyone grows rowdy." The chef knight waved goodbye to the prince, and Kanaru quickly realized what he was saying. The bird prince just did what was asked of him.
"Try to keep yourself out of trouble. I don't want His Grace dragging me into his affairs," Sir Heinz whispered as Kanaru passed him by.
Kanaru didn't react with shock. He just took one step and turned to the captain with a smile. "I'm sorry in advance. I will never mean to bother you, Sir Heinz. I'll do my best not to fail that."
The bird prince just chose a spot to stand around, seeing how most women dominated the couches in that colossal lounge. Looking around, he realized he could roughly count a hundred of them in that big hall. However, there was no big space for someone to simply stand around without drawing anyone's eyes. He didn't have to do anything for anyone to scoff at him.
Kanaru just chose a spot and leaned on the wall, his wings spreading accordingly to take his weight. The prince didn't expect a warm welcome, but this kind of cold hell was unbecoming of a harem court. Everyone looked at him as if they were all his enemies. Then again, he just looked forward to meeting Rodnir to tour the country again.
"Rise and give respect!" Everyone heard Rodnir's voice from another batch of doors to the side. There was a wide area in front of them as if those doors were the entrance for the higher-ups. Kanaru somewhat got excited upon hearing Rodnir again, but his tone sounded too different.
Ten maidens walked from the side doors and stood before the first row of the outer court. They got down in their strange low curtsies, keeping their faces lifted despite looking down at the floor.
"Greetings to His Majesty, the almighty King Fenris of the seas!" Natucha cued the greeting from the outer harem concubines, and everyone bowed down through their own curtsies. The new ones didn't follow just as fast, but they were able to bow their heads and got low just the same.
From that side came a man with such a powerful charisma. Everyone's eyes were drawn to him, and most minds stopped working at the sight of him. Even if they could only see him through the reflection on the floor, the maidens all swooned at his presence.
His hair was long and dark like the night, and his eyes were more piercing than a sudden prick into one's skin. The red color was even reminiscent of a blood bead. On his hips were a pair of scimitars he barely used, yet radiating with the purest magic. No one, however, could make out the horn on his forehead.
Donned in black clothes with red accents, King Fenris—the highest king of all—walked into their sights.
Fenris Middlemist stood in front of everyone, his tall stature easily giving a view of those who kept their heads down. He could spot the newbies as they were the only ones who dared to lift their eyes a little to take a peek. However, he seemed to have counted wrongly. Only six people moved under his gaze.
"Ahem." One of the uniformed ministers cleared his throat at the side. It was the highest royal adviser, Vulcan. His bull horns were tall and imposing, but those couldn't compete with Fenris's radiance. Right now, however, he was reminding the king of his reason for coming.
"…Rodnir and the captain brought seven people back for this year's recruitment. I welcome these seven people to the harem court of the Middlemist Palace." Fenris paused looking for the seventh newbie as soon as he heard the adviser. "Starting from today, this will be your new home.
"You are not free to leave for good unless I dismiss your service. You will also earn resources based on your duties and services rendered to the court. Any disputes between concubines will be duly settled by me alone." Fenris coldly laid the ground rules of being a concubine. His eyes were even scanning them all as if spotting and noting a few things. "Are there any questions?"
Like usual, silence followed his words. Even if he was not actively intimidating anyone, no one wanted to speak to the king. Fenris then looked around for anyone who might want to deviate from that. All these new faces, yet no one asked. Then again, under the scrutiny of a hundred members, the harem court stayed quiet. The king discreetly sighed and turned away to leave.
However, before he left the hall completely, he stopped walking and turned to the outer court members again. Then, he spoke, "Natucha, bring the outer court to the yard to tend to the flowers. Some of them are dying. Sierra, take the inner court to study songs. I will be very busy today."
"F-Farewell to Your Majesty!" Natucha almost failed with her farewell greeting. She was shocked when her name echoed from the king's lips. She even felt how her heart raced, forcing words out of her system. It was good that she could speak before the king completely left the hall.
When the king and the inner court vanished, she patted her chest. "The king knows me by name. It's good he doesn't blame me for things. Still… the king knows me by name…"
The others would chatter, but the adviser's entourage remained in the hall. Vulcan then stepped into the middle of the supposed stage. "I also want to greet the new members. Welcome to the outer harem court. I am Vulcan, the king's highest royal adviser. I am also overseeing the harem court. In light of the problems we recently had, we will have to impose stricter rules for all of you."
…
Heavy strides echoed as the princes walked to their rooms. After the short orientation, they were all dismissed by the adviser. Natucha had someone else guide the female newbies as she walked Kanaru and another prince to their designated places.
"Just behave like how you would in your houses. Well, maybe when there are guests? You should be decent at all times." Natucha reminded them as they walked. The other princes were also walking with them, their gazes heavy on Kanaru's rather effeminate look. Strange enough, the other prince was also wearing something similar.
"Are the concubines the only ones who roam these hallways?" the other prince asked as he reached out to touch the windowsill. There was no dust on it, and it made him smile.
Natucha, who took it upon herself to guide the newbies, looked over her shoulder. "Yes, Eann. The boys here have to clean their living spaces. If they are caught living like pigs in a sty, they get punished. Trust me when I say you don't want to be punished by the designated warden."
Kanaru then asked, "Does the king carry out the punishment sometimes? He did say disputes are only settled by him, right?"
Natucha only laughed. "His Majesty did say that, but punishing us… is Rodnir's job."