The banquet for the Concubines followed without any hiccup. The Emperor, Empress, Empress Dowager, the Nobles, and the Concubines contributed in making the welcoming banquet a success. But once the ball had begun, and it was time for the Emperor to dance with each of his consort, Tesarius had all of a sudden excused himself, feigning concern over an abrupt issue brought on by his Chancellor.
It didn't take long for the banquet to conclude after that.
Once the celebration was over for the day, the six new ladies were escorted towards the Women's Pavilion by none other than Chancellor Barns himself.
"Greeting to you all. Allow me to introduce myself." Barns began with a curt bow while the six women stood side by side, their ladies in waiting right behind them. "I'm Chancellor Barns, hand of the Emperor. I have been entrusted with the duty to show each of you to your respective Quarters in the Concubines Palace."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Chancellor Barns." Came the confident voice of the first woman in the line, making Aurora glance towards the lady who smiled robustly at the man in front of her. "I'm Lady Jenivive, first concubine to Emperor Tesarius. I'm sure you know what that means?"
What does it mean? Aurora thought to herself, a frown marring her face as she went deep in thought. However, Barns already knew what it meant, having had received orders from the Emperor already. "Of course, My lady. Now, if you will follow me."
So saying, the man began walking again, taking them to a different side of the Women's Pavilion. All the while, Aurora stared around her in awe, especially when she noticed the Rose Palace that is under Empress Sera, and the Platinum Palace that is under the Empress Dowager. Passing through the occupied ones, Aurora then came across a third Palace, making her stop midway in her tracks.
"Woah." Aurora couldn't help but whisper, her eyes turning wide.
This palace was just breath taking.
The glittery walls of the palace twinkled in Aurora's eyes like stars in the night sky. It was almost the same size as the ones of the Empress and the Dowager, but it was not the size of it that made it look majestic. It was the fac that the palace somehow seemed to shine even in the dark, despite it not being habituated.
Yes, Aurora knew the Palace had no owner at the moment, for even if the garden was well kept, there were no lamps burning, and no lights seen from the inside.
There was no owner yet.
"That is the Moonveil Palace." Came the voice of Barns, startling the daylights out of Aurora. Barns smiled at the jumpy girl as she composed herself, at the same time the rest of the concubines came to a stop to take a look at the said Palace.
"Who does it belong to?" Asked Lady Laira, the fourth concubine. But the one to reply to her was not Barns, but the second concubine, Lady Hanna. "It's vacant, Lady Laira. There's no occupant at the moment."
Laira's face flushed in embarrassment, especially when the others begin to snicker amongst themselves. Aurora didn'nt know what was so funny.
"Well, someone is dense." Jenivive whispered, or more like muttered out loud, for everyone had heard at and caused another wave of snickering. This only made the brunette more flustered than before as she retorted in her defense albeit poorly. "I-I- I knew that!"
Hanna didn't seem to be bothered at all as she turned away from the girl and back at Barns, who was silently waiting for the bickering to end. Once he was sure they were done, he continued. "The Moonveil Palace was built during the reign of Emperor Demisus, His Majesty's grandfather. It is by far the newest palace in the entire estate, and was orginally created for the Emperor's lover. Not wife, not concubine, but his lover. His sole lover."
Somehow, Barns words had put all the girls in a trance, a sort of moment of awe as the followed his word like some scripture, including Aurora.
This is… the Emperor's lover's palace? Does that mean… it will soon be mine?
Aurora's cheeks flushed in embarrassment at the idea of Tesarius proclaiming her as his official lover and bestowing the Palace to her.
Lovely! I'm glad I like it beforehand!
"But the Emperor's have had no lover, and the Palace had always remained empty. So the late Emperor had decided to change the purpose of this Palace. It has now become, the Consorts Palace."
A still silence fell over the ladies as the took in Barns's words, their minds going into a marathon.
"You mean," Lady Jenivive begin, eyes holding a certain glint. "That that Palace belongs to whoever becomes the Emperor's consort?"
"That is true, yes."
"Has there ever been any?"
Jenivive's question brought in an unwanted silence from Barns as he stared back at her, trying to learn her motive through that nasty glint in her eyes. But when time seemed to keep passing, Barns finally spoke.
"The rank of Consort is the second most powerful in the Women's Pavilion, falling only a pinch below the rank of Empress Dowager. Yet the consort does not wield as much power as the Dowager, for only the Emperor's mother can attain that rank and no one comes close to a mother. But their authority remains in par. The duty of a consort also falls higher than that of concubines, for she is no longer just a companion for the Emperor, but also someone a step closer to the position of Empress. Her duties include the welfare of the Women's Pavilion, and also the mother to the Emperor's children." Then, turning his full attention to Jenivive, he said. "So to answer your question, yes, there is always a Consort, until there no longer is one."
"What does that mean?" Jenivive seemed irritated. Before Barns can explain, somebody else speaks up.
"It means, the Empresses are all Consorts before their coronation." Said Lady Amalia, the fifth concubine with an air of elegance and confidence. "Her Majesty, Empress Sera was the Emperor's Consort before she was crowned Empress."
"That is right, Lady Amalia." Barns complimented, receiving a curtesy from the woman. All the while Aurora stared at her in awe, until she finally noticed her.
Quickly, Aurora looked away, but not before Amalia had offered her a soft smile, turning her cheeks red.
"So, this Palace is almost always vacant. Because there isn't a full-term Consort." Jenivive's voice held a sheen of boredom, like knowing there never will be a Consort unless the position of Empress is empty made her lose her interest on the majestic Palace altogether. "Let's go."
There was a lot Barns still had to say, that the position of Consort isn't always empty. That if a concubine was to come with child of the Emperor, she'd be promoted to Consort with certain expectations. However, Lady Jenivive was already walking away, and so were the rest, following her like duckling to a mother duck, so Barns left the matter at that. Bit not before he noticed one of them still lingering behind.
Aurora was still awestruck by its immense beauty, having had never seen such a shining figure in the darkness her whole life. It felt like the moon had come down to earth, and was reflecting some glow from the hidden sun. perhaps that is where it gets its name from.
Barns stared at the silver haired sixth Concubine, at her innocent doe like eyes that stared up at the massive structure, wondering how something so docile and fragile could be a conniving spy for the Empress Dowager.
That is why they say, never judge a book by its cover.
"My Lady." Barns called, pulling Aurora from her trance before she continued following him.
The rest of the walk went on in silence, until finally Barns came to a stop in front of a giant dome like structure, that was at least two to three stories high.
"This, is the Velarys Dome. Home for the Emperor's Concubines."
At Barns words, the ladies one by one made their way in, staring up at the high dome above them that seemed like it was almost not there. And the more they stared around them, the more they understood the layout of the dome.
It was no ordinary dome. It was one with an open ending. A U shape dome.
"What a strange structure." Commented Lady Madeline, the third Concubine as she stared at her surroundings. "It almost feels like a ranking system."
"Now that you mention it, it does seem that way." Jenivive agreed, but not in a irritated way Madeline had, but more in the excited way, as if she was eager to see how the six of them were ranked, knowing exactly where she would end up.
And Barns knew that. He always did. That is how the system worked after all. Because one end of the U was the head of the building, while the other end was the tail, more like the part where no one uses the most. Nonetheless, it was still a Concubine's quarter, and they were all eager to know who got it.
"Now, I shall not tarry long, for I am sure you are all tired from today's festivities." Barns begin, ready to conclude his job. "The first quarters now belong to Lady Jenivive Lambort, of House Lambort, first Concubine and the daughter of Count Lambort."
It seemed like everyone had already expected this for no one seemed surprised, and Jenivive smiled smugly at everyone, before offering a curtsey to Barns and leaving the premises along with her Lady in waiting.
One by one, Barns went on. All the while Aurora waiting patiently, a smile edges on her face as she wondered which quarters would be hers when she took a look at her surroundings.
They were gone. The Concubines. They were all gone.
Except her.
She was the last of them.
"Princess Aurora Evanov from the Royal House of Evanove, sixth Concubine and daughter of His Majesty, King Henricus Evanov. The final quarters are yours, My Lady."
A stillness seemed to have enveloped the dome after Barns was finished, as every concubine stood at the foot of their quarters, staring at the silver haired princess with looks of amusement. Aurora stared around her, at the people looking at her, and then back at Barns before she smiled all too brightly. Like none of this affected her at all.
"Thank you, Chancellor Barns." The young woman curtsied, much to Barns's astonishment at how well she was taking this in. He wondered if she was simply hiding her disdain, or simply didn't mind the awful quarters, or was too dumb to understand what was going on.
But in truth, Aurora really didn't care. It didn't matter to her where her quarters were, so long as she could see Tesarius, her Julias again. However, the same could not be told about Anne, her lady in waiting. For now Anne had a look of worry on her face, realizing what this meant for her Lady, and hwere in the food chain she was located.
"Very well, Her Highness the Empress Dowager has assigned a second lady in waiting for the each of you as a welcome present, to help you settle in easier." At Barns's words, six young girls walked forward out of nowhere, before moving towards their selective Ladies, heads bowed in respect. Aurora smiled at the girl that approached her, but received no words of confirmation from her.
Just when Aurora thought they were done for the day, Barns spoke up again, but this time, what he said had them all frozen in spot.
"His Majesty the Emperor will visit one of you tonight, and for the next five nights. His Majesty expects everyone to be at their best."
His Majesty, Tesarius… will visit me… at night?
Aurora could feel her heart thumb rapidly at the thought of seeing Tesarius for who he really is and conversing with him like before. A part of her was upset Tesarius hid his true self from her, but she knew he had his reasons like she had hers. After all, they are both royals.
"And who is the one His Majesty chose on this auspicious night?" Lady Madeline asked with a sly smile, eyes shifting from Jenivive to Aurora, as if something in this place was amusing her. And judging by the smug look on Jenivive's face, she knew she'd be the one to be picked.
But like the loyal servant Barns was, he let not a single clue out as he offered a curt bow, ready to take his leave. "I'm afraid His Majesty did not share that detail with me. His choice is entirely up to him. Now, if we are done here, I shall take my leave. Please make yourself at home."
Barns left, but the ladies stayed in their positions, not sure of what to do as if they were waiting for a certain someone to take the lead. Like… a leader.
"Girl, what did you say your name was again?" Jenivive spoke with authority to her new maid, who had her head bowed in respect. "G-Greeting to you, M-My Lady. I'm… M-Maicy."
The girl was clearly frightened or nervous, but if Jenivive noticed it, she did a good job of pretending not to. Glancing at the girl once, she turned around and begin sauntering inside. "Come along. Help me pick an outfit His Majesty may like. I cannot disappoint him."
While Jenivive took her leave, the rest of the women stared after her, releasing a sigh of relief once she was gone.
"Well, now we know who His Majesty will be spending the night." Amalia said, shaking her head as if the mere thought of spending the night with Tesarius was stifling to her. Madeline nodded, beckoning her maids to follow her. "Yes indeed. It seems like it's going in order of ranks. That means I can stay still till day after tomorrow. Come along, let us head inside."
All the while Aurora wondered why they were so sure Tesarius would choose Jenivive to spend the night with. Sure, she was the first concubine, but Barns never said they were going to follow the ranking system. For all they know, Tesarius could choose… Aurora.
Yes. He could very well choose me. Aurora convicned herself, nodding as she slowly turned to her new maid. I'm not just any Concubine. I'm his lover after all.
"Hello there." Aurora begin, being the first to greet her new maid as she smiled down at the girl. "You must be the one Her Highness chose for me. I'm Princess Aurora. What is your name?"
"Amy." Was the girls curt reply. She offered no curtsey, nor did she greet the princess. All she said was her name, making Anne frown at the girl. "It is common decency to greet a princess, or even better, the Emperor's Concubine. Or were you not thought that much?"
The sudden conversation had caused the rest of the ladies to stop in their tracks too, turning around to see what the little commotion was about. Meanwhile, Amy glanced at Anne, a hard glint in her eyes akin to glare as she offered a clumsy nod of the head, making Aurora purse her lips.
Aurora knew this was wrong, that what Amy was doing was called undermining authority, but she didn't want to cause a scene about it, especially not on her first day. So all she did was smile, placing a gentle hand on Anne's arm to calm the girl. "Now now. There is no need to be so formal. We'll be spending the rest of our days together, won't we? It is better if we learn to be informal with one another."
Then, as if the whole ordeal never happened, Aurora sucked in a deep breath and beamed, excitement filling inside her as she thought about the coming night. "Amy! You just know a lot about Lanterbur culture, do you not? Surely you can help me prepare myself for the night!"
"Prepare for the night?"
The voice of Laira had Aurora turning towards the ladies as the slowly approached her, but not entirely, as if they wanted to maintain a distance from her. Laira continued. "Didn't you hear Lady Jenivive? His Majesty will be spending the night at her quarters, not yours. What do you have to prepare for?"
Aurora's smile faltered, but she did not let Laira's words get to her, for nothing was sure yet. So smiling, she said. "Chancellor Barns never said who was chosen. For all we know, it could be anyone, so we must-"
"And you think that 'anyone' is you?" Madeline cut in, a smirk on her lips which looked so much like that of Edward's but Aurora couldn't place it where she had seen it before. She had no idea Madeline was Edward's sister. "I-I-"
"Her Ladyship is only preparing just in case. It is better than to anger the Empo-"
"How dare a mere lady in waiting speak in between?" This time it was Laira, eyes set in a glare which only made Anne, flinch, her head lowering in submission. She had been so used to answering for Aurora her whole life, she had forgotten things were different here. With different people.
Quickly, Aurora pushed the girl behind her, forcing out a sweet smile. "What Anne here tried to say is that His Majesty and I already know each other."
Anne stilled behind the silver haired woman, while the concubines all had a mixture of reactions, all of them bordering around shock.
"His Majesty, the Emperor, Emperor Tesarius, is familiar with you?" Hanna asked incredulously, to which Aurora nodded eagerly, smiling. It was clear, they did not believe a word that came out of Aurora's mouth, wondering why the princess would go so far as to make up such lies. But Aurora wasn't done yet. "Emperor Tesarius would often visit Rovamer in disguise, and that is how we met. We are closer than we look, so I assume he might come to see me, for we haven't seen much of each other in the last few days."
"What… did you say?"
The voice of Jenivive had most of them flinching in surprise, clearly not having expected the woman to return, but here she was. All eyes turned to her as she slowly made her way towards them, now out of her ornaments as she sized Aurora up and down. "What did you say again? Emperor Tesarius… may choose you?"
"T-that is not what I meant." Aurora explained with a smile, not sure why they were all so shocked to hear her words. "I only meant we must all be prepared-"
"But you said His Majesty knows you from before? Is that true?" Jenivive's lack of respect for Aurora as a princess was visible, yet not one person spoke up, knowing exactly that princess or not, Aurora was definitely not in charge, just like Amalia. It was the Duke's daughter.
"Yes. Yes, we know each other from before. The Emperor and I."
The scoff that left Jenivive's lips had the smile disappearing from Aurora's face entirely, especially when the rest of them followed suit. She did not know what was so amusing.
With a sly smirk, Jenivive turned back to Aurora. "What did you say your name was again?"
Does she believe me? Aurora wondered, the smile returning in her face with useless hope. Is she planning to be my friend? I'd love that!
"I'm Princess Aurora Evanov of Rovamer. It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Jenivive Lambort."
This only made Jenivive's smirk widen. "So, you are Lady Aurora, the sixth Concubine. The last of us."
Her ignorance of Aurora's greeting didn't go unnoticed by the girl, as she slowly let the words sink in. "Yes. I'm the last one."
"Do you know what that means?"
No. What does it mean?
They all knew what it meant, save for Aurora. It meant Aurora was the last in the food chain, and was the prey among the predators. That was the palace politics her family had kept her away from, hence her lack of knowledge.
When Aurora made no reply, Jenivive chuckled, preparing to take her leave. "I hope you know what it means. And come tomorrow morning, I hope you are still as confident in your acquaintance with the Emperor as you are now. I'd like to see that again."
Just like that, the ladies dispersed one by one at last, some of them giving looks of disdain and sneers at the clueless princess, while some just went on their way. Including Aurora.
For the girl wouldn't let their words get to her. She was sure now who Julias was. He had told he her was to be wed soon. This was what he meant. The selection of Concubines. And fate had somehow made her one of them.
I'm sure Juli- I mean Tesarius is as thrilled to see me as I am to him. I'm sure he can't wait to see me! I shall get dressed in my best outfit tonight!
Her excitement was contagious, filling her in her little bubble of excitement. But soon that bubble would come to pop, when night would fall, and Aurora would lay awake in wait, but no one would come to call upon her.
She had dressed up in her best as she said, with the help of her uncertain maid Anne, and a very annoyed Amy, she had pulled it through and prepared herself for the night.
She also thought about what she would say to him, how she would address him now, what they would talk about, and most importantly, how they'd explain their true identities.
It was all so exciting and thrilling. That Aurora couldn't wait. But alas.
There would be no Tesarius knocking on her door that night.
By the morning, Aurora already knew. Tesarius had done exactly what the Concubines had said.
He chose Lady Jenivive Lambort of House Lambort.