Rules and Roses

by Miss Kara 1998

Harry Potter was never supposed to be known, he never should have been chosen. Yet he was. Sometimes he wishes he never set foot in that hall. That he never met Them and that he never knew Him. But all wishes are for naught when one belonged to Him-the son of heaven.

1. Rules and Roses 1

Hello readers, this is to inform you that this story is not mine at all. I mean not the story line that belongs to the archive of our own author Crystalttae and the original Harry Potter characters are own by J .K.

I am publishing this story here because it is wonderful and interesting, however I couldn't find the author to ask permission so if anyone can find them please let me know and if she doesn't want it published here then I will delete it. thank you enjoy the story

Rules and Roses by Crystalttae

Rating: Mature

Category: F/M, M/M, Multi

Relationship: Lucius Malfoy/Harry Potter/Tom Riddle/Severus Snape, Harry Potter/Tom Riddle, Harry Potter/Severus Snape, Lucius Malfoy/Harry Potter

Character: Harry Potter, Tom Riddle, Severus Snape, Lucius Malfoy, Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger, Cedric Diggory, Viktor Krum, Newt Scamander, Merope Gaunt, Bellatrix Black Lestrange, Original Male Character(s)

Hello! This is my first attempt at writing. This story has been inspired by Crimson Dreams /works/5601364/chapters/12905968) which was in turn inspired by Empresses in the Palace so this is loosely going to follow the same turn of events, I don't know if this has been picked up by other authors but I am going to try and finish it. The first 11 chapters are going to be the same but I am going to add Tom's perspective also, so it's going to be a little different. Beta'd by the amazing LoreLibrarian. With that said, enjoy the story.

Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling (obviously) and sadly Harry Potter and its character do not belong to me./users/Crystalttae/pseuds/Crystalttae

Summary

Harry Potter was never supposed to be known, he never should have been chosen. Yet he was. Sometimes he wishes he never set foot in that hall. That he never met Them and that he never knew Him. But all wishes are for naught when one belonged to Him-the son of heaven. Inspired By Crimson Dreams. Rated M for some slight sexual content.

Chapter 1

Chapter Summary

1. The Empress Dowager is the Emperor's biological mother.( This is not always true in history.)

2. The "Kings" are an addition made by me, they are my invention. To my knowledge, only the emperor was allowed to bed the concubines, not so in my story.

3. The "Kings" are basically the emperor's right and left hand man who also double as his lovers.(They're not part of the emperor's harem.)

4. The "Kings" are the most powerful men in the British magical kingdom apart from the emperor.

5. The Chinese titles for first female attendant/ lowest level of concubine (Changzai).

I have changed Harry's date of birth to go with the timeline so instead of 31st July it will be now 31st October, So when Harry enters the Palace he has just turned fifteen.

The ages of Thomas, Severus and Lucius have changed from 70 to 26 so Thomas, Severus, and Lucius are now 26 at the time when Harry enters the palace.

Thomas had to marry Bellatrix at the age of 18, Bella was 15 at the time, She was the daughter of the old general, before Thomas's father passed away he got Thomas married.

Severus and Lucius were the kings at the time and they became lovers after Thomas's marriage . Chapter Notes A brief explanation about the ABO universe the way I imagine it.

As their titles suggest they are superior to the regular alphas and omegas, they have more magical power, beauty, and a longer life span. They do not change into any animals but their magic takes shape of a powerful animal, the more magic they have the more powerful their magical animal shape is going to be.

Supreme omegas also are sensitive to other people's emotions and if they feel extreme emotions like sadness or rage they can get hurt (hurt as in faint as it would overload their senses).

The regular alphas and omegas have only two different characteristic scents, they get their scents when they reach their maturity like any other person- girls from the age of 9 and boys from the age of 11 but the supreme omega and alpha are born with two scents get an additional third scent on their maturity which is always on their seventeenth birthday.

A regular omega is fertile for a certain number of days in a month, that doesn't mean they will not be able to conceive on any other day. A supreme omega is fertile throughout their life once they reach their maturity, except when they have given birth till the time they have fully recovered from the birth.

The omegas do not go through heats nor do the alphas have knots both the regular and supreme.

Betas do not have any scent of their own nor can they smell any scent, they cannot see the magic but they can feel it, very few male betas can give birth but all-female betas are able to conceive and because I wanted Harry to be unique he is the only omega in the entire harem. His status will be kept a secret till the time he matures.

The Empress Dowager sat in her son's chamber, the Emperor of the Magical Britain, along with the Emperor were his two lovers, the Kings. After the tea was served the Empress Dowager turned towards her son and said, "Your harem is almost empty, the Empress and the Consort Delacour are not getting any younger, nor have they provided you with any children."

"I understand mother and that is why we have decided we will take Draco Malfoy as our next concubine." The Emperor replied.

"Draco Malfoy, though of good lineage, is not an Omega and I would like if you have multiple concubines as it is the Imperial Family's priority to have children in plenty so that we can pass the throne through generations. That is why the Concubine Selection must be held now. Also through that, you might get an omega concubine which would ensure the child would be magical" she said.

The Emperor and his lovers agreed with Empress Dowager and called for his ministers to start the Concubine Selection.

--

The concubine's initial selection started in the 6th month of the solar calendar on a clear and auspicious day. There would be multiple tests and auditions that were held prior to selection of the candidates. They were tested for their beauty, grace, obedience, skills, knowledge, and magical power if any. A crowd of teenagers ranging in age and gender stood side by side awaiting their fate. Floating on the river, were numerous paper boats with written wishes. They varied in size, color and intent, accurately reflecting their owners. Few of these people would grow to become famous, respected or even worshiped. Some would become enemies and outlaws of the land. And yet most would be just anonymous, unknown, and unheard. But before that, they would need to pass the selection today.

In this sea of teenagers is one Harry Potter, the son of the Minister of defence and his lowest ranking, yet most beloved concubine, Lily Potter. Due to his mother's background as a commoner and concubine, Harry is the least favoured of his father's children. In addition to his lack of political backing, he also lacked physical strength and had been sickly since birth. However, due to his father's love for his mother, Harry was not completely shunned in his family. And so he finds himself standing among the teenagers gathered in the palace of Eternal Knowledge, located in the Forbidden City. A palace modelled after a famed palace of the same name by their predecessors in eastern part of the world a few lifetimes ago.

--

The final selection began three months to the day the floating wish boats were released. Harry reflected on the exact moment his father received a missive from the imperial palace proclaiming the Emperor's desire for concubines. He was still fourteen at the time of arrival of the letter. His father's solemn countenance was an indication that the request was not to be denied.

As Harry reached the entrance of the Forbidden City, saw the multitude of carriages and palanquins being guided into the palace, and was instantly nervous. His palanquin joined the queue and was eventually ushered into the entrance. He was helped out by a palace maid, almost darting back inside from fright. The girls and boys waiting with him were incredibly beautiful and well dressed.

The clothing he was wearing was one of the three silk robes he owned, and he was willing to bet that these people practically bathed in silk. He swallowed the feelings of inadequacy emerging from within and relaxed his facial features, channelling his usual calm and quiet nature.

He took a spot by a lone flowerbed to the left of the congregated teenagers and waited until the gugus (senior maidservants) came to take them to the waiting area. "Light and Dark military banners line up accordingly," they were told by one of the gugus. He left the corner and joined the girls and boys standing under the light military banner. He had passed numerous selections in which they were observed by the gugus.

This was the audition in which they would be personally observed and interviewed by the emperor/the kings and the empress dowager. They were lined up two per row and informed about the rules of the selection.

"You have passed previous auditions and now you will be presented to the empress dowager. This is a great honor, but do not be nervous. If you follow the imperial rules, you will be fine." The lead gugu stated. "You shall be brought to the empress dowager to be interviewed personally. If chosen, the eunuch will announce your name board to be kept and a perfume sachet will be given to you. If not chosen, he will announce for your name board to be removed and he shall bestow a flower unto you and you will be allowed to go home," She continued. Well that didn't sound so encouraging, he grimaced.

"If you receive a perfume sachet, it either means you will be kept or you could be immediately betrothed to someone of noble birth. But if you are more fortunate, you shall become a concubine and enter the Imperial Palace." The news just keeps getting better and better, he mused.

"Once you receive your titles, you will finish the training in palace etiquettes, provided by the palace ladies and enter the Forbidden City within a month." She stated again, making the candidates more excited than they previously were; if that was possible.

As if to dampen their spirits, she continued, "Your fortune will depend on your destiny decided today," with a bright smile.

They marched with their heads held high, passing by the city gates that held their fate. Through all this, Harry never stopped praying. He did not want to be chosen. He had a secret, and the less attention he attracted to himself, the better. When they reached the waiting hall, the teens started chatting again and formed little cliques to talk. It was amusing to Harry, as he realized how these same people would most likely become the worst of enemies after the selections. No matter how dignified, teenagers will be teenagers.

Harry's eyes strayed to his sisters. Along with Harry, his father had five other children. One from his wife, and four from his four concubines. Harry has three sisters and two brothers. His eldest brother Camden, is the legal heir, born to his father's legal wife Nancy. After Camden, follows his two sisters, Alice and Catherine. Alice is his father's first concubine, Patricia's, daughter. Catherine is his father's third concubine, Emily's, daughter, then follows Harry, from his father's fourth concubine, Lily, and finally, his youngest brother and sister, Evan and Sarah, from his father's second concubine, Faustina. Alice and Catherine were both standing in the crowd of candidates to see whether they were selected or not. Harry can probably guess what their wish boats said. Alice's would have definitely made reference to being selected as this was her last chance. As for Catherine... Well Harry doesn't know what to think of his second oldest sister, she hadn't interacted with him much growing up, so he went back to his thoughts. The missive said all young men and women of marriageable age were to participate in the selection.

Seeing as this was the last year for his sister Alice to be included in the selection, his father was more than enthusiastic to send her to the palace. If she was not chosen, she would be married off to some older noble. Among the semi-finalists were most of the Elite Children, including Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, Hannah Abbot, and Neville Longbottom.

Harry, as the lowest ranking among his siblings, was not worried about the final selection. He was not going to make it. This was an accepted fact that all in his position knew, after all the world he lived in valued blood-status more than a person's integrity.

From birth, his future had already been set in stone. As an ineffective spare and by the age of seventeen, he was destined to marry an old woman or man as their young concubine. He would live quietly without bringing shame to his father's name, seldom seeing his family-not that they were all that eager to embrace him. With this in mind, Harry proceeded to observe who would be chosen instead. Without a doubt, the Malfoy boy would make it, seeing as the second King Lucius, was his uncle. Perhaps the Zabini boy would pass also, his house was well acquainted with the Malfoy's. Longbottom was a hit or miss, although technically the legal heir, and therefore shouldn't be included in the selection by default but his lack of presence, led to his younger brother being made the heir instead. As he contemplated, Empress Dowager and one of the Kings were escorted to their thrones to give the final verdict. Harry reluctantly brought his attention back to the Empress Dowager and the King. As their throne was far from where the candidates were standing, their faces were impossible to decipher, so Harry allowed his eyes to rest on the shoulder of the King's throne and waited for the inevitable rejection. As predicted, the Malfoy boy passed, along with Blaise Zabini and they were bestowed a sachet.

Hannah Abbot was bestowed a flower and was rejected, and so on and so forth. As the line dwindled and it came closer to his sisters, he breathed deeply and calmed his racing heart. He really wanted them to succeed. Although he had made peace with his fate of being married off, his sisters still dreamed of being adored by their husbands. Usually proud and insufferable, they had been disturbingly cheerful and enthusiastic since the beginning of the selection, convinced that they would be selected and doted upon by the Kings and even the Emperor. Their nervousness had seeped into Harry to the point where he even went to the temple to pray for them to be chosen so they could be at peace.

Harry looked up as Alice was called upon, she gracefully knelt, employing her handkerchief to kowtow to the Empress Dowager and King. She recited the usual greetings and blessings and was then silent as she was examined by the two royals on the throne. The Empress Dowager asked her many questions pertaining to her knowledge, background and even asked her what her favourite flower was. After careful questioning, she Alice was bestowed a sachet.

Harry sighed in relief. That meant less people at home to pester him. Regrettably, Catherine was bestowed a flower and rejected. She could come back in three years to try again so Harry tried not dwell on it too much. She still had a chance. But Harry couldn't miss the tears of frustration and humiliation in Catherine's eyes as she knelt to receive the flower. He felt bad for her. He knew how much she prided herself on her beauty. The visage of the King was obscured by the curtain hung in front of him to block the sun. Harry cleared his mind and looked down at his feet in an effort to avoid the gaze of the King he could feel roving over all of them.

He peeked through his bangs and saw the King shaking his head at the candidates in the line one by one.

He breathed, relieved, he wasn't going to be chosen……. A few people were ahead of Harry, and by the time it was his line up's turn to greet the royals, the King was impatient. One by one, the boys and girls in his line up were rejected after careful consideration by the Empress dowager and the king until they arrived at the last person in the line-up, Harry. "Ming-Hui, daughter of Al-Xi deputy of commerce, is dropped. Bestow a flower!" "Alex Kingsley, brother of…" The eunuch at the side of the Emperor named off the candidates being rejected. One by one, the boys and girls in his line up were rejected by the Empress Dowager and the King until they arrived at the last person in the line-up, Harry. As each flower was bestowed, the Empress Dowager's eyes continued to reproach her son subtly, so when Harry, knelt to recite the ritual blessings upon the royals, there was silence for five minutes and the King pointed and said, "That one, mother." Harry's smile was frozen in horror on his small face when the eunuch announced, "Harry James Potter, son of James Potter, Minister of Defence is kept. Bestow a sachet!" His eyes watered for a brief moment and he gritted his jaw before curtsying to the King and Empress Dowager in thanks, "Thank you for your kindness your majesty," he recited mechanically.

After they were ushered out, he almost broke down. He was in shock. Harry's hands shook. This could not be happening. This was not the script. His entire life was based on rules and regulations pertaining to what he can and cannot do. What he was and was not. He was not supposed to be accepted, and he cannot be a concubine to the Emperor!

Harry felt as though he couldn't breathe after he left the presence of the royals, his heart was in his throat. He was selected. Him, a commoner's child was going to become the Emperor's concubine.

Harry couldn't help but think he had just traded one prison for another. He laughed mirthlessly, calmed his heart, and blinked away unshed tears. His eyes glinted with sorrow as he walked back to his palanquin. What a cruel joke.

Edited and updated on 26/06/2021.