“I don’t care about being an Emperor. I don’t want you to be scared or unhappy.”
Cassandra shook her head. “You can’t make this kind of decision like that. No wonder the Emperor was so unhappy about it.”
Wasn’t he the most favored of the six sons? The Emperor may act childish when his favorite Concubine was around, but Cassandra knew how smart he really was. He wouldn’t act that way towards Kairen if he wasn’t a good Heir. Moreover, he was the best Dragon-tamer, that fact alone spoke volumes about him too.
Kairen frowned, confused by her reaction. “You don’t like that?”
“It’s not just about me. There are so many more people than just me in this country. What if whoever becomes the Emperor is bad or an incompetent person? Hundreds, or even thousands, of people could die.”
She gently brushed his hair, looking at him. He was such a powerful and respected man, yet all he could see was her? Cassandra leaned closer to kiss him, enjoying this sweet taste between them. At first, she was so scared of him, but now…now he was her refuge, the one person she wanted to be with, unconditionally.
They kept kissing and caressing each other for a long time in the bath. Kairen had a new and embarrassing game; leaving a trail of hickeys from her neck to her breasts. When she noticed them in the mirror, Cassandra sighed. “I didn’t think you would enjoy my collar being gone to this extent.”
The Prince smirked behind her, putting his pants back on before calling the servants back. A dozen of them ran in to help them prepare for the banquet. Kairen only had his scaled braces on and stayed shirtless, as he chased and scared anyone who tried to get close to him.
Hence, the servants focused on Cassandra, helping her get ready from head to toe. With her collar gone, it was a whole new attitude they had toward her. They were extremely careful with each movement. They kept bowing and avoiding eye contact until Cassandra begged them to stop.
“It’s alright, you’ll hurt your back or neck if you keep bowing like that.”
They seemed surprised by her attitude. It was probably very different from the usual Concubines. It took a while before they stopped bowing continuously. Yet, they still tried not to look at her directly.
“If the Imperial Concubine has a preference…”
They kept showing her dozens of necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and rings, confusing her. Everything was shining with gold and gems, in all the colors she could think of. How come they had so much jewelry available for her? She had some that she had bought while at the Onyx and Diamond Palaces, but not here!
“The Emperor has insisted, Your Highness. the Third Prince’s Imperial Concubine shall be entitled to own anything she likes.”
Cassandra was speechless. Now, even the Emperor was treating her like a Princess! Had The Concubine Mother played a part in this? Kairen didn’t seem surprised one bit. He stood up, glancing at the jewelry.
“Father is probably trying to calm Mother through you. And he’s happy about the baby, too.”
Kairen picked a thin gold one, with emeralds, diamonds, and handed it to her. Cassandra chuckled, putting it on with the help of two maiden servants. They helped her put on the rest of the matching jewelry, which included earrings, hairpins, and an ankle bracelet. After picking a very light, off-shoulder dress that had thin layers and a long skirt, the servants put Cassandra’s hair up beautifully. Once she was ready, Kairen took her out of the room.
It would be her first time attending the Imperial Banquet as an official Concubine, as well as meeting the Imperial Siblings and their Concubines. Of course, she was nervous. Half of those people were wishing for her and her baby’s death.
As she followed Kairen, Cassandra had a hard time calming down. Everything would be so different from the first time she had walked into the large hall of the Imperial Palace. Most importantly, she could hold her head high, and walk beside the Prince, instead of behind him. The War God had his arm around her waist as they entered, in a clearly protective stance.
“His Highness, Kairen the Third Prince, God of War of the Dragon Empire, and his Concubine,” someone announced loudly.
This was very ceremonial; all eyes were clearly on them as they walked in. This time, Cassandra could see all of their faces. First, she realized that the Imperial Concubine Mother wasn’t there. Had the Emperor failed to convince her to attend? Shareen, however, was sitting in her golden chair next to her brother’s.
Just like Cassandra remembered, each Imperial sibling had their own golden chair. The brothers’ were a bit bigger than their sisters. All of the Concubines, in red and pink dresses, were sitting down below them on the stairs in front of their respective Prince. She could guess all the servants were hidden in the shadows behind the golden chairs, but they were completely still and silent.
This time, there were no performers; perhaps they had come too early. In any case, Kairen took her to his golden chair. She sat right in-between his legs, where she could rest her arms and head on his knee. He immediately started stroking her back. She wasn’t the only woman touching her Prince, another Concubine had her back resting on the Fifth Prince’s leg, acting flirtatiously with him.
The Emperor wasn’t there yet, so Cassandra spent time observing the other Imperial Brothers. She had never noticed how similar yet different they all were. All of them had tanned skin and jet-black hair. The First Prince was the only one with long hair and a very quiet attitude. He wore a large purple tunic and only had two Concubines. The Second Prince had his hair very short. He wore a mean expression with his thin features, and he had a total of six Concubines, with half of them wearing red dresses. The fourth seat was empty, but in front of the fifth, there was a crowd. How many Concubines did the Fifth Prince have? She counted at least twenty in front of the young man, but the women kept chatting and moving, so she lost count. Finally, the brother she knew, Prince Anour greeted her with a little nod when their eyes met, and Cassandra did the same in return.
“So, this is your new woman, Brother.”
Cassandra recognized that woman. Princess Phetra, who was glaring at her. Didn’t she recognize her, though? It didn’t seem like she realized Cassandra was the slave she had already insulted a while ago.
All of the ten Princesses present were eyeing her, but Princess Phetra was the only one to speak. Cassandra turned her head to her, staring. She wasn’t afraid to look her in the eye anymore. Princess Phetra wasn’t the prettiest, but she had a very sexy body and a lot of jewelry to show.
She seemed to wait for an answer, but Kairen didn’t give a damn. He kept gently caressing Cassandra’s back with his fingers, looking elsewhere with a bored expression.
“Such bad taste…” she said, clicking her tongue.
“Do you have advice to give, Sister?” asked the First Prince.
