AN: This is a one shot prequel well before the events in I, Concubine. And gives more background in Emperor Sarek's choice. Enjoy!
Fire and Flame
The servant struggled to keep up with the Emperor's faster pace as if he was going to faint from exhaustion. Finally, after inhaling a few puffs of air he spoke, "Your majesty, we are not sure what caused the concubine's illness, however, within days she became unable to walk and has since lost her sight. By orders of your father, I had her removed from the harem for fear she would infect the other concubines.
The Emperor kept his focus on getting to his destination, "I want to know what caused this or who. Do you understand?"
The servant nodded his head, "Already there are whispers she has been poisoned, but she is human and humans are physically weaker than Vulcans. Perhaps another concubine jealous of the attention you lavish on this woman took matters into her own hands, or maybe putting females of various species together led to some sort of cross-species contamination or perhaps…."
"Enough!" The Emperor roared stopping dead in his tracks, "What you are saying makes no sense! Humans may be weak but they simply don't fall ill!"
Keeping his head lowered, the servant pointed out something the Emperor forgot, "With all due respect your majesty, this female is the first human woman to live on Vulcan, the first to live in the harem and she is the first to give birth to a Vulcan child. Perhaps the pregnancy and birth weakened her immune system making her vulnerable to an infectious disease."
The Emperor kept silent and the servant knew he had made a logical point; this concubine was the first of her kind to live among Vulcans and the first to give birth successfully. Several times in the past, females of other species due to their incompatibility died due to complications from carrying Vulcan offspring.
The Emperor pressed on until he reached the room where a smaller servant emerged taking deep breath before speaking, "Your majesty, the doctor is already here."
Coming into the room, the Emperor approached the doctor.
"Emperor Sarek, I am afraid I must inform you she is dying. There isn't anything I can do expect for administer medicine to help ease the pain."
"Syian, do you know what caused this?"
The older Vulcan eyes cut at the servants who without hesitation left the room.
"Initially, I believed it to be a result of the pregnancy as she was near death during the first few months after conception; however, she recovered shortly after giving birth."
"Then what happen?"
Syian took a deep breath, "She was infected, purposely."
Emperor Sarek's eyes widen, "Infected?"
The doctor nodded his head, "She has been infected with the Cardassian sea virus, a very rare virus found on the southern continent on Cardassia. A few cases had been recorded by Vulcan soldiers who became infected during the occupation. In Vulcans, the disease causes a chemical imbalance in the brain and in a few cases can prematurely bring on the Pon Farr, however, it's nothing compared to what it can do to humans. The disease has an incubation period of at least several months before it begins attacking the immune and nervous system."
"How can this be?"
"The question we should be asking is how and who infected her? There is no way that a concubine could have encountered such a disease,"
"How long ago do you think this could have occurred?"
The doctor shrugged, "I am not sure."
"I plan on finding out!"
Syian turned towards the concubine whose breathing became more labored, "I don't mean to pry, but as your physician and friend I must ask this. What will be the fate of the child?"
"I am not sure. I can't acknowledge his existence. He doesn't even have a name and he is nearly a year old. For now, he lives among the concubines in the harem in the care of Sula."
"You might want to think about giving the child to one of your nobles to care for. A half-human/ half Vulcan will never be accepted by either your family or the nobility and your wife and son….."
The Emperor felt himself becoming upset, "Leave me!"
Syian nodded his head and walked towards the door, "Your majesty, I must attend to Empress T'Rea. I will return shortly."
"So the human whore is dying," Empress T'Rea emerged from the darkness of her meditation room; Prince Sybok stared blankly at the wall.
Syian observed the child for a while and a sense a dread sent an icy chill down his spine.
Prince Sybok's birth was met with great pleasure and hope for everyone albeit for different reasons. For the Empress's family, the child's birth secured their position among the noble families and for the emperor; Prince Sybok's birth meant he could proceed with other matters instead of the constant worry and pressure of continuing the dynasty.
However, not long after the prince's birth did Syian realized something wasn't right.
The child was delayed considerably when compared to other Vulcan children, but Empress T'Rea perhaps in her shame never acknowledged the issues with her son or even sought help.
Emperor Sarek however, began to distance himself from the child. To make matters worse, after a bout of illness, the empress was left infertile.
After that, the emperor and empress began to live separate lives and in her loneliness the Empress began to put all her hopes and insecurities onto her son.
"Sybok enough of that," the empress pulled the prince away from the wall.
"The child gets distracted very easily, he needs to start undergoing more mental discipline if he is to someday lead," Syian suggested.
"Don't worry about my son!"
Syian didn't answer.
"Did you do what I asked?"
"Yes, I 'took care' of the concubine, she is dying, but the Emperor is suspicious."
Empress T'Rea picked Sybok off the ground, "Go to your room."
The Prince's eyes darted from Syian to his mother and without hesitation the child ran into the other room.
Syian stared at the child again, by now he should have been much more in control of his emotions.
If only if his mother would stop trying to proclaim him as her savior.
If she would just see that Sybok is flawed.
"So long as the Emperor doesn't become suspicious of you then there is nothing to fear."
"I never wanted to be in the middle of this, your highness. I am a doctor."
"No, you are a servant. You are a Vulcan! It must detest you to see the emperor going into his harem night after night to satisfy his sexual desires with non-Vulcan females!"
"I have no comment on the matter of his majesty's sexual desires or practices. I only did this because you convince me of the need to eliminate the human but why I don't know…."
"Contamination," empress said icily, "We can't kept having these men take non-Vulcan concubines for the next thing they could be marrying or even having children and pollute our precious species. Vulcans are superior and we need to keep it that way."
"Are you sure it's not jealousy," Syian asked bluntly.
The Empress jerked her head and snorted, "Jealousy isn't a Vulcan trait."
"But you mastered it so well," Syian said tartly.
Syian moved towards the door, "The concubine is dying and I have done my part, but there is something you should know."
"What is that?"
"Amanda's child didn't die."
"I thought….."
Syian walked out before the Empress could finish. She ordered Syian to poison the child as well. So why did he keep him alive?
Amanda stirred and whimpered as the Emperor Sarek touched her forehead.
"I can't see," she mumbled.
"No, the poison has robbed you of your sight."
"I have been robbed of so many things, Sarek," Amanda closed her eyes.
"Yes, I will admit I took a great deal from you. All those years ago, when I first saw you. I took without thinking of the consequences."
Amanda moaned again, "You thought you were giving me a better life than the one I had on Earth, but you were wrong."
"Your family was living in a war zone, I didn't want you killed."
"My father was a merchant, we had wealth, we had…."
"No Amanda," the emperor interrupted, "Your father was poor, in debt, in trouble and needed a way out. Once he realized I wanted you, he sold you to me."
Amanda's body jerked violently, "No! That's not true!"
"Yes, it is. He sold you and in return I paid your father's debts returning him to wealth even if it was for a short time."
Black tears tainted by the virus emerged from Amanda's eyes, she looked possessed, and the Emperor lowered his head onto hers in an attempt to comfort her.
"Your father had once again squandered his wealth and with no other way out her sold your sister, to the House of Kirk who controls most of the northern region."
"What became of my sister?"
The Emperor lifted his head, "I am not sure, some say she married the head of the house and others say she became his mistress. Shortly afterwards your father died and your family, lost."
The black tears flowed heavy staining the satin sheets and Amanda's silk gown, "I am dying! I heard what the doctor said about me being infected, but I don't care anymore. I see my death as freedom! All I want to know is what is going to happen to my son?"
Touching Amanda's hand the Emperor squeezed in tightly, "I don't know what I will do. He is half-human and I can't acknowledge him."
Coughing hard Amanda spat, "Like hell you can't! You are the emperor! You can do whatever you want! I conceived this child of out of love, the love for you despite everything I went through. I nearly died bringing him into this world and now because of who his mother is you can't have anything do with him! My son doesn't even have a name!"
Silence came over the two for several minutes, "Vulcan's see humans as inferior. This child will have no hope of being accepted if he is to stay here."
Amanda started crying, "My poor son! On Vulcan he is too human but if you send him to Earth he will be too Vulcan. Perhaps I should have never given birth….."
Her words started to be too much for him, "What would you have me do?"
Turning to the Vulcan, Amanda opened her eyes now blackened from the infection, "You have to choose. He can't be both!"
"Amanda…."
Taking his hand, Amanda turned to face him, "Choose!"
Suddenly the black blood poured out of her mouth profusely and her body jerked violently and uncontrollably. Sarek could see his concubine was in terrible pain and cursed himself for being unable to do anything about it.
Finally Amanda's body jerked for the last time.
Syian entered the room.
Silence.
The emperor wished he hadn't stared too long at Amanda's body; for the sight of the black blood seeping from the corners of her mouth, the smell of death filling the room, the sounds of her last and agonizing words, the touch of her dying flesh, burned themselves in the Vulcan's mind. And he knew that the woman whose beauty once captured his imagination and set fire to his desire was lost, forever.
The Emperor walked out of the room and left Syian to ponder in fear as what the Emperor would do now.
(Three Weeks Later)
The death of the Emperor's favorite concubine gave hope to the other concubines Sarek would return to them, however, in his grief, anger, and suspicion he 'cleanse' the harem and all expect few concubines were slaughtered.
For days, the Emperor remained isolated as he dealt with Amanda's loss.
Questions swirled in his mind.
Did her love her?
Or just desired her body?
What would he do about his son?
Send him away to live in secret?
Or claim him?
Who was responsible for his concubine's death?
T'Rea. A voice whispered his mind and Sarek in that moment knew his empress was the one responsible for Amanda's death.
Part of him wanted to kill T'Rea, but the more logical part reminded him of the problems he would face from the other nobles if he punished a Vulcan Empress for murdering a human concubine.
He sat in his room near the flames for hours before an ideal emerged from the depths of his mind, a bold and dangerous idea that would allow him to keep his word to Amanda while punishing T'Rea.
He had made his decision.
One that would ultimately change the fate of the Vulcan Empire.
(Harem)
"Your majesty the child has been living in the harem ever since his birth. The harem is all he knows," Sula, an Orion cradled the sleeping child.
The Emperor took the child from the Orion, "You have cared for him since his birth. Your loyalty Sula, is why I always been able to trust you."
Sula ran her fingers in the child's soft black hair, "I love this child very much. So did his mother. Please care for him."
Impressed with her devotion, the Emperor nodded his head in agreement, "Because of your loyalty, I will grant your freedom. You will leave for Orion tomorrow."
Sula bowed her head, "Thank you your majesty!"
"You are welcome."
The sleeping child stirred in his father's arms and the Emperor in that moment realized just how much he resembled his human mother.
"What will become of this child?" Sula asked.
"He will become a prince," the emperor answered and walked away.
Empress T'Rea had Sybok finished his studies which always proved to be a challenge.
"You did well Sybok."
"Thank you mother," Sybok eyes darted around the room.
"I must teach you how to focus; Syian is right at least about that. I will also teach you other things as well for when you become Emperor you must know how to master your emotions and improve your….."
The door opened and the Emperor walked in abruptly.
"Sarek what is wrong?" The Empress asked sincerely.
"After much consideration, I finally made a choice," Emperor Sarek moved towards the Empress, "I have chosen what life my child is to lead."
The Empress sneered, "Your son with your human concubine!"
"No, this is our son."
"You can't be serious!"
"He is Vulcan. He is our son. And he is a prince!"
"And if I refused this bastard half breed!"
The Emperor thrust the child into Empress's arms, "You will do this because you and I both know Sybok isn't fit to rule. You will do this because if you don't, I will make you wish you had! Don't think I am not aware you had something do with Amanda's death and don't assume for a second I won't hesitate to destroy you if you do anything to harm him. I am warning you now T'Rea...don't push me!"
The emperor walked out of the room.
Holding the child who started to wake up, Empress T'Rea called to her Emperor.
"What is this child's name? I can't keep calling him bastard!"
Never turning to look at the child or his wife, "His name is Spock. Prince Spock, the son of Emperor Sarek."
AN: Enjoy? I might be doing several one shot stories to expand on the saga before posting another full length story about Prince Spock's and Nyota's son.