I love this chapter, and I think you'll like it too ;)
Also, Intimacy Additions has a new chapter, and another will be posted later today ^-^
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22nd August 1998- Saturday
"It's lovely that his Majesty-" Penny's voice cut out suddenly as a gasp sounded through the hall, and Harry lifted his head up in alarm. "Are you alright, Brother Felix?" Concern was palpable in her voice, and it drew his attention to where Felix was sitting on his chaise, clutching hold of his heavily pregnant stomach and panting heavily. The Concubine looked flushed, hair sticking to his skin as his maid fanned him concernedly.
"I'm-I'm unsure, Sister. It-" The man scrunched up his face, wheezing slightly as he panted. "It hurts- I'm, I think I've entered labour-"
Bellatrix was quick to her feet, striding over to the man with concern clearly showing on her features. "Sofia, quickly, go and fetch the Royal Healer!"
"Anjani, go an inform his Majesty that Concubine Felix has entered labour!" Regulus called out as well, although it was mostly lost in the raucous noise that now enveloped the meeting hall.
The hall was in a hubbub, maids rushing here and there on the orders of their lords and ladies, concubines fluttering in panic as they watched the man being lifted to lean on the shoulders of his two present maids, his pained pants echoing in the hall as he was led towards the exit.
Harry hoped they'd make it to the man's Palace in time.
Hours later, the Fifteenth Princess, Fiona Rosaline Slytherin, was born. Harry and his fellow concubines knelt on the floor as her screams rang through the Palace of Beginning Auspiciousness, the cooes of the Concubine echoing out from within the room, signifying that there was nothing amiss. It went much the same as when both Bellatrix and Penny had given birth to their daughters, a certain amount of ceremony and tradition being expected, although the suddenness of the situation allowed for some lenience. The Princess hadn't been expected until late September.
Once they were allowed within the room to pay their respects and be present for the naming, Harry laid eyes on the newest Princess, and his eyebrows rose at the startling red of her eyes, so vibrant and bright despite only being mere minutes old. Whispers ran around the room as others noticed as well, and Thomas seemed to be preening with pride as he stared down at his daughter.
Harry couldn't truly match this man in with the rumours he'd heard about him. He seemed caring, he allowed Harry to call him by his first name and be casual to an extent with him, and Harry had yet to see him physically hurt someone, despite the signs that he wasn't as kind as he presented to him. It confused him, lulled him into a sense of security when around the man despite knowing that he was the man who had ordered the deaths and killed thousands to get where he was today: the most powerful man in the world.
Harry hoped he'd never have to come face to face with the illustrious, ruthless side of the Emperor. He was content not knowing, despite having been fed all sorts of horror stories by his parents since he was young. It was for the best of all involved.
Now, with the birth of the fifteenth Princess, there were no known pregnancies within the harem, and they entered into a strange lull.
1st September 1998- Tuesday
Meetings, Harry surmised as he looked back at the one he had just attended, were going to get interesting. And perhaps even a little dangerous.
-An Hour Ago-
"Once again, our children have headed off to Hogwarts for another year, this time without Princess Evana. His Majesty is currently discussing with the Princess her options for the future. The First Princess' results were stellar, as is to be expected, so his Majesty is looking into many different bright paths for his daughter, including sending her to the newly established Imperial University." Shocked whispers were shared around the hall, each turning to another to discuss the unexpected announcement. "As you all know, the Imperial University was created by his Majesty as another option for Magical students who didn't want to go into either an apprenticeship or work, and its facility finished construction only earlier this year."
Yes, Harry had heard of it, but he hadn't taken much notice. He knew that Hermione was aiming to join, however, she had told him as such when the news had first broken. Apparently, according to the Emperor's plans, it would usher in a new wave of Magical scholars, which is why it was so surprising he wanted to send his daughter there. Many thought he was going to arrange a marriage for her for more political ties, but if he was going this route...
"Princess Evana would therefore be in the first year, a figurehead to younger generations. His Majesty has asked for us to help the First Princess in any way we can if she decides to take this route."
"His Majesty also sends his congratulations to Concubine Rosier on the birth of the Fifteenth Princess Fiona, and thanks him for giving birth once again to a child of their union." Felix sat up straighter, but Bellatrix smoothly moved past the topic after giving her own congratulations, much to his dissatisfaction. "And-" She frowned, a sleek, dark eyebrow raising in disapproval. "His Majesty comments on how Noble Potter has entertained him with his wit and contagious enthusiasm in the past months, and therefore, as befitting of such praise, raises him to the rank of Primary Noble."
His mind blanked, and Harry slouched as eyes turned to him, searing into his body with jealousy and suspicion.
"Promoted for being witty? Preposterous!" Felix called out. "Sister, surely this must be a mistake!"
"It is written and signed by his Majesty, Brother, please do not cast doubt upon his Majesty's judgement. However, perhaps Noble Potter-Black may enlighten us as to why his Majesty bestowed upon you this unexpected promotion. After all, the role of a Primary ranked concubine comes with its challenges and responsibilities, and you have only been with us for a little over a year now."
Harry raised his head and looked into the eyes that were full of jealousy. "I am as unknowing to His Majesty's inner thoughts as you are."
Bellatrix visibly bristled. "Noble Potter-Black, don't speak to us in such a tone!"
Penny leant forward to obstruct her vision of Harry. "Sister, peace! Brother Harry was simply responding in kind to your question."
"Yes, but he insinuated that I'm not close to his Majesty!"
"My apologies if you took my words in such a way, Consort Black. I was simply saying that I am not bold enough to assume his Majesty's thoughts." Like you just insinuated, went unsaid. "I don't understand why his Majesty has blessed me with this promotion, but I am incredibly thankful for it."
Harry was now merely one spot away from being a Concubine, one of the Emperor's legitimate spouses. And the stirrings of jealousy were already beginning to show, if the way the room seemed to bristle at the reminder that he had been promoted yet again.
9th September 1998- Wednesday
Harry was again spending time with Consort Penny, who was quickly becoming one of, if not his closest, confidants in the Court. She was patient and understanding with him, but also didn't treat him as a child despite being several years younger than herself. Therefore, he hadn't expected to be so left out of the loop by the woman.
It had come up naturally, as if she hadn't thought he didn't already know.
"I'm busy packing for the upcoming trip in a week's time, which will-"
"What? When was the timing confirmed?" Harry interrupted the Consort carelessly, blushing as she turned cornflower-blue eyes over to him, expression startled. "My apologies, Sister. That was rude of me, I was simply worried that I had missed something in the Meeting."
"Ah." She stopped, a pensive look on her face. "It was told to those of us who are permitted to attend a week or so ago, Brother. It's to meet with King Daran of the magical community of Greece."
"And... how long will you be gone for?" He questioned hesitantly, dreading the answer.
"Two weeks, we arrive back on the morning of the 30th. It's quite a short trip, we've been gone for over a month sometimes, when his Majesty grows tired of the Court's scenery and wishes to visit his Summer Palace, which resides on an unplottable Island."
"I hope the discussions go well."
"Yes, It will bring peace to his Majesty. He has been planning these discussions for a while now. Anyway, I will dearly miss my sweet children, Ceci is still a young babe, even! I hope you'll manage the harem well in our stead, Brother, it's quite the responsibility, especially as you're still so young."
He bowed his head demurely, hiding the way his eyebrow twitched. "I will endeavour to do my best until you all return." Was his answer, and the rest of the conversation was comprised simply of the expectations they had of him whilst he was away. Harry couldn't wait for it to end.
When he got back to his Palace, the first thing he did was call over Anya to discuss with her what he had found out. Then, it was to ask her to arrange a meeting for him with the Emperor.
"Anya, will you please inform a Eunuch that I would like to speak to the Emperor? Tell them that it isn't urgent, but it's something which I would like to discuss."
"Yes, Master."
Unfortunately, however-
"The Emperor sends his apologies, but he is busy today. He remarks that he is, however, free to speak tomorrow." The Eunuch bowed, his expression blank. Harry had never seen him before, he seemed young, yet experienced. The colour of his robes denoted him as one of the Emperor's Eunuchs.
The grip Harry had on his quill faltered slightly before he gripped it tighter. "Of course, his Majesty is a busy man, I can't expect to meet with him on a whim. Please tell him that I will be eagerly awaiting our conversation tomorrow."
Harry spent the rest of the evening, and part of the night lost in his own thoughts. This...was a lost opportunity. Two weeks, yes, spent with the Concubines and Consorts, five and three of them respectively, but that was a significantly decreased pool of concubines than the twenty-four of them in total. If only he'd been promoted just that little bit more, he'd have been able to attend the trip.
Alas, the Emperor's thoughts were unknown to him.
10th September 1998- Thursday
"What was it that you wished to discuss, my Noble?" The Emperor asked him as Harry straightened from his bow, staring at him from behind his desk. He seemed busy, the towers of paperwork and slight ink-stained fingertips telling, and it made Harry internally preen that he'd been granted an audience even when Thomas was so obviously busy.
"Thomas...I... you're going on a trip soon."
His eyes lit up with understanding, placing the quill down on the desk to regard him with seriousness. "Ah, yes, the one to go and see Greece's King. I am sorry, but I cannot invite you, it will incite mutiny in the rest of my concubines, most of all from Bellatrix and Patricia. They would see it as a breach of conduct, and whilst they could say nothing much to me, they could still cause trouble for you that would have disastrous consequences."
"I wasn't here to request that," He wasn't suicidal. "I simply wanted to know what I'd be missing out on."
The Emperor laughed at his tilted head and wide eyes, manipulation so obvious that it was purposefully shown. "Not much, only a bit of politics. The King of Greece is dreadfully old, and dreadfully boring. We will simply be discussing a mundane deal for more trade, which will benefit him rather than I. It is, however, important enough to warrant an official trip."
"I was never the best a politics." Harry sheepishly admitted, to the Emperor's obvious amusement.
"No, you don't seem the type to enjoy that sort of subject, despite your future as a Lord of two houses."
Harry smiled as he settled in the chair in front of the man, getting comfortable. "A future that I hope is far off. After all, my parents had me young, and Sirius himself is the same age."
"Yes, they did, not far off your current age now."
Harry straightened at the mention of age. Age was currently a constraint for him, the Emperor fixating on it as a reason to not spend the night with him. But, his Mum and Dad had only been twenty when he was born, only two years older than he was now, and that wasn't factoring in that he'd been conceived when they were even younger.
It was a hope, If Harry ignored the glaring issue that the Emperor's misgivings were more likely due to their own age difference.
"I will ensure that, by the next time a trip occurs, I will have an excuse to promote you to the rank of Concubine, so that you may join me on my travels." His lip twitched in amusement as he stared at him, and Harry's mouth dropped open slightly. Had he... had he just admitted that he'd make Harry a Concubine, and soon?
"And when will that be? The next trip, I mean. I know that you must already know that."
Thomas' lip twitched further into a teasing smirk, and he leaned back in his chair even more. It allowed Harry to admire his frame without obstruction, noting that his wand wasn't visibly strapped to his side as most wizards wore it. "Ah, now that would be telling."
Harry's eyebrow rose at the teasing tone but bulldozed on. "Anytime in the near future?"
"Let it be, Harry. It will be when it will be." The words were firmer, so Harry dropped the subject and smoothly moved on to another, the Emperor noticing the transition but not commenting.
16th September 1998- Wednesday
The group left in the early hours of the morning, before Harry even woke up, and Harry was left as the highest authority in the harem whilst the Emperor's legal spouses were gone. With authority came great responsibility, and for the first time, Harry led the morning meeting.
"As you all know, his Majesty and our more senior Brothers and Sisters have left for Greece to meet their Magical society's King. Whilst they are gone, I have been left with the responsibility to take care of the management of the harem, whilst The Head Eunuch will be taking care of the Court's affairs."
He spoke clearly, but a large majority of the harem wasn't paying attention to his words, simply talking amongst themselves. Jasmine sent him a bashful look as she, too, was drawn into a conversation.
Harry huffed, leaning back in his chair. He wasn't up on the dias, but a chair had been placed at the front so he could speak to the others whilst in their view. He didn't have the status permitted to step onto the dias.
"The Emperor announces also that the First Prince's eighth birthday celebration will be postponed until his Majesty and the upper Harem arrive back. However, that does not mean that preparations cannot begin, so the hall where celebrations are held will be out of bounds until the celebration."
"It's not as if we'd be invited to it, anyway. Only they get to go, so why do we need to discuss it." Came the snide comment from Dahlia, who was staring at him with a furrowed brow.
Harry raised his eyebrow at the tone. No one would have dared say such a thing if the Concubines and Consorts were present, but obviously, his position as the Primary Noble, despite only being one rank lower, didn't bring about the same amount of respect.
"That does not mean that it doesn't need to be disclosed, Attendant Malfoy." He reminded her neutrally, turning back to his scroll. Her giggle had him peeking up again to see Greengrass whispering something into her ear. Registering that, he also noticed that none of them were in their correct seats, only vaguely separated by rank.
Harry sighed, mentally rolling his eyes at their childishness. How was he the most law-abiding one here?
30th September 1998- Wednesday
Great fanfare welcomed the group back through the City of Honour, the Grand City and into the Court. The public lined the streets of the first, loyal supporters of the second, and the Court's inhabitants of the third. Despite the rain, the streets were packed, all vying to catch a glimpse of the world's illustrious leader
Harry waited at the front of the group, bowing low as the Emperor's carriage came to a stop in front of him, the door opened by the Head Eunuch. A pale hand, laden with rings, gripped the doorframe, and Thomas stepped out into the light.
The Emperor was a sight to behold, draped in black robes of fine silk, etched with silver flames that licked its hems, moving as if truly alive. The aura he gave off was heavy, filling the air with an oppressive yet enticing feeling, and Harry felt breathless under his direct gaze. The Emperor stared down at him, red eyes glowing with emotion.
He straightened into a less taxing bow, still keeping his head lowered. "Greetings to his Majesty, the Emperor. We welcome you back from your journey."
"Thank you, my Noble, my concubines, for waiting despite the rain."
In the carriages behind, the senior members of the harem clambered out, filing behind him, tutting and tittering to themselves about the rain and cold as their maids hurried about to open umbrellas. The Emperor knocked away any attempt to shelter him, the droplets making him look even more ethereal, despite that comparison being a juxtaposition to his ruby eyes.
Instead, Thomas continued to look down at him, the other concubines shifting at the direct, public attention. "Noble Potter-Black, I would be pleased if you could join me tonight." He spoke in that low tone of his, but the words drifted around the square as if they had been shouted. Nobody dared to whisper, although Harry could spot them twitch and stiffen around him, the most obvious being the high harem, who stopped in their tracks to stare, baffled at such a public announcement.
His eyes lit up, and he felt a buzz of adrenaline buzz up his spine as the implied meaning clicked in his mind. "Of course, your Majesty, I would be honoured!"
The Emperor smiled, indulging, revealing a smidgen of exhaustion through the way his shoulders slumped ever so slightly. "Excellent. Then, please arrive for dinner at six o'clock."
Harry nervously fidgeted as Amari clasped yet another pin into his hair, this one a detailed flower made from diamonds, the light blue contrasting with his black locks. Personally, he thought that the colour clashed with his eyes, but he didn't have much choice in the matter. "Are you sure this isn't too much?"
"Nonsense! His Majesty has invited you to dine with him, and furthermore, spend the night with him. I will make sure you look so marvellous that his eyes will not stray from your being the entire night! Not that you aren't already beautiful, you are breathtaking without finery, your Lordship." She complimented him, and Harry blushed at her words, reaching up to fiddle with the dangling droplets on his lobes.
"Thank you for your compliments, Amari."
She grinned. "You will be irresistible, your Lordship."
He hoped so. The robes he was wearing were finer than he'd ever worn, the material and construction of them costing more than two weeks' worth of his stipend. They were light blue and embroidered beautifully, and Harry had never felt more attractive.
"Right. Anya, please can you call on a sedan for me?"
"Yes, Master."
He was left at the steps of the Emperor's Palace by Anya, who gave him an encouraging smile as he stared back at her anxiously. "I will be back for you in the morning, Master."
Harry bit his lips, nodding his head slightly, although his hands shook a little as he waited for the doors to open, which they did promptly.
As he entered the Emperor's Palace, Harry was met with the Head Eunuch, who was standing to the side, surveying his every move. Just as he was going to step past him, the man moved closer, remaining half a step behind him. "Noble Potter-Black, the Emperor has asked me to bring you to the dining area."
"Ah, yes."
"It is just through the doors on the right. His Majesty is already seated." He didn't turn his head to look at him, focused simply on bringing him to the Emperor. Harry rushed after him and thanked him gently as he held open the doors for him, but after that, his breath was stolen from him as he laid his eyes on the Emperor.
The man was stunning even when dressed more casually, his exotically good looks drawing Harry's attention even in the bright splendour of the dining room.
"My Noble, thank you for coming so promptly."
"I could never be late to something your Majesty has invited me to."
The Emperor smiled, fondness curling his lips. "I would forgive if you were, as long as you arrived eventually and had a good reason, Harry." Harry matched his smile, approaching him to bow, before sitting at the chair next to him as the Emperor gestured him to. "Dinner will be served shortly, but I had a few questions before we begin."
"Of course, Thomas."
"How has the Court fared in my absence?"
Harry answered honestly, he had nothing to hide. "Well, your Majesty. There have been little mishaps, simply a few misdyed fabrics and an ill-pruned tree, but nothing of note."
"Excellent. And my harem?"
Harry drew in a shallow breath, dropping his eyes to the desk. "There had been a few... ill-contented comments whilst I read out your decrees on the day you left, but other than-"
"What was said, and by whom?"
Harry hesitated.
"My Noble, my word is law, inside and outside of this Court. If anything was said, I must know of it, either by you telling me, or through other methods."
Harry shrunk slightly at his frosty tone, daring a quick glance up. His eyes were like icicles despite their burning red colour. He shivered as he glanced away again. "Um, it was Da- Attendant Malfoy, your Majesty. She was displeased that we weren't permitted to attend the First Prince's birthday celebration, and Attendant Greengrass seemed to share her views."
The Emperor straightened, that cold look in his eyes vanishing to be replaced with fondness. "I will have both of them reprimanded for questioning me. Don't fret, my Noble, it will be as light as their misdemeanour was, and you have done well for telling me as I asked. Now, it seems our food is here."
As if summoned by his words, the doors to the side opened, and in filed a row of maids, each laden with steaming dishes that they placed on the table with a wave of the Emperor's hand. They disappeared the same way after everything was placed, barely having made noise as they did so.
The plate that was set in front of him was so detailed and meticulously put together that he barely dared to spear it with his fork, dabbing at the salad that looked much too fancy for what it was.
The Emperor ate slowly, so Harry attempted to match his pace, but the food was so good that he couldn't help but finish the small portions soon after they were brought out. The Emperor seemed amused, calling for more to be made each time, until Harry waved him off, the small sizes contrasting to how filling they were.
The Emperor smiled at him as he leaned back, stretching out to ease the ache of his stomach. "Perhaps we should go for a short walk." Harry nodded eagerly, his jitters still not soothed, and he hoped that some fresh air would relax him. Besides, he still didn't truly know if the Emperor had invited him here for what Harry hoped.
Their walk lasted a half hour before the Emperor led him inside once more, bypassing the living area and office, waving off any maids and Eunuchs who passed by, and Harry's nerves grew. Thomas' grip on his hand tightened, and he spared a glance up to see him fondly glancing down at him. "Do not fret."
He didn't refute the question in Harry's eyes.
Harry nervously fiddled with the clasp on his robes, watching the Emperor's back as he poured two glasses of wine, deep red in colour. He turned, handing one of them to him. "For confidence, which you will surely need." Harry received it anxiously, sipping at the wine which tasted much nicer than he had expected it to. It had a fruity taste that was pleasant on his tongue, so he gulped it down, delighting in the amused chuckle he drew from the man. "I thought you'd been eagerly awaiting this, yet now you're trying to get drunk on me?" Thomas practically purred, a teasingly lilt to that sultry tone.
Harry set the glass on a nearby table so quickly he was surprised it didn't smash into tiny shards. "No, no, of course not! I was just, It tasted good!"
"I'll be sure to remember that you liked it."
Harry flushed further, averting his eyes, mumbling that it was 'alright'. When he dared to glance back again, his blush deepened, blood rushing to his head at a pace that left him dizzy.
Thomas' shoulders were broad and smooth, and Harry couldn't help but ogle his perfect visage, tracing his eyes slowly down the pale, lightly muscled back in front of him, a swimmer's physique. He lacked any blemishes, a blank canvas of perfectly smooth skin that flexed when he lifted his arms up into the air. The shirt dropped to the floor then, startling Harry into snapping his eyes up, met with amused red eyes staring back at him over his shoulder. "Sorry." He blurted out on reflex, butterflies erupting in his stomach at the smile it drew from the man in front of him.
"I am delighted that you find me so attractive that you can't help but to stare, my Noble." Harry blushed, averting his eyes, but his gaze wouldn't stop straying back to the man, much to his clear amusement. "Now, don't be shy, weren't you keen to lay your eyes on me before I left? Has our time apart dampened your feelings for me?"
"No, no, of course not! I was just... I've never been in this sort of situation before."
"One would hope, at the age you joined my Harem. But that's fine, If you would prefer, I can leave my robe on, although it might get in the way a bit in the grand scheme of things."
Harry felt his cheeks burn at the hint, clearing his throat, wishing he hadn't gulped down that wine so quickly. In the midst of his embarrassment, Harry decided to dive onto the bed, only realising the connotations of such an action when the Emperor chuckled something about him being 'eager'. He hid his face in the pillow and groaned.
A hand stroked through his hair then, and he grasped at it in reflex. "Harry, tell me now whether you wish for us to continue or not. I don't want to do anything you are uncomfortable with-"
Harry had never moved his head so fast in his life. "No! No, I'm totally, really fine with this! More than fine, actually, I'm ecstatic! I've been waiting for this for a little while now, which you know already, and oh Merlin I'm rambling, aren't I? I'm so sorry!" The Emperor chucked, still keeping a hand in his hair. "Please don't misunderstand!"
"It's alright, I already know of your intentions. You want power, right, Harry? For your family, of course, but more importantly, for yourself." Harry's breath caught in his throat, and he stared up at the amused man with wide, green eyes. "I've always admired ambition."
Soooooo...
That happened. I know, half of the chapter shocked me as well, but I surprisingly had that part planned ^-^ It won't be expanded on unless I add an extra scene in Intimacy Additions at a later point when I have the mental strength to do so, but at the moment, I hope I've written enough for you to infer what happened :)
Thanks for reading! I'd love to know what you think, so please leave a comment ^-^
Harry is now Primary Noble as of 1st September!
15th Princess Fiona was born on the 22nd of August 1998
I can confirm that there are no confirmed and unconfirmed pregnancies in the harem *^*
The next chapter will probably be out on the 16th, and I'll probably get another out after that, but I have important exams late May- Mid-June so I might not post around that time ^-^