Chapter 2

The atmosphere in the Potter household was charged with conflicting emotions. It has been a month since the imperial selections, and it was finally time for the concubines to go to the palace. In that four weeks' period, Harry and Alice had been occupied from dawn to daybreak. Their days were filled with curtsies, ritual blessings, and rules. The palace ladies frequented their house to help with manners and teaching them palace etiquette.

He didn't even know that there was such a thing as elegant sleeping. Apparently, there was……. Consorts were required to sleep with their backs straight and their hands folded on top of their

stomach. It makes for an uncomfortable and uneasy sleep, Harry has learned. The palace ladies were always surprised to learn that it wasn't young mistresses Catherine and Alice going to the palace, but young mistresses Harry and Alice. Harry had at first bristled at the title but over the past four weeks he has gotten used to it. Although he is physically male, his hermaphrodite status makes him a, "young mistress ." Such were the times they lived, even if ninety-nine percent of a person was male and one percent female, they were automatically considered female. Harry cleared his head and tried to focus on his present situation. In front of him sat his entire family. His father sat in the center, with his concubines surrounding him in a semi-circular formation. Harry and Alice knelt before their father in a farewell.

He had already blessed them individually, so this was nothing more than a formality.

After today, they would probably never see their family again. All-day long, Harry had been hogging his little brother's attention. Evan was definitely his favorite sibling without question. He was the youngest of all of them and so very energetic. He never sat still for more than a second and always squirmed for Harry when he was bored. Regardless of their different mothers, they got along better than all the siblings. Harry thought back to his fifteenth birthday celebration last week, and was thankful he got to spend more time with Evan and his mother before saying his farewell. Lily, who initially cried at the news that her son would forever be lost to her, had come to her senses and helped with preparations for his departure during his final weeks. He didn't have many belongings, unlike Alice, whose mother was wealthier, but he has decent robes and jewellery for his new station. Seeing as he was going to serve as an ornament anyways, this would be enough. Before leaving his father had brought him aside and told him to keep his head down and live quietly. Not only were palace politics well known, but Harry had his own personal reasons for his desired inattention. At the time, Harry had wanted to laugh-it was the same advice his father had given him when he informed him of his eventual future as a rich noble's concubine at age nine. But he dutifully nodded anyway.

Although he understood the reason for the warning, Harry thought it to be useless in the long run. There was no need for him to keep his head down because he wasn't going to be heard. He had received his rank and title yesterday, and he wasn't even a proper concubine. He was a first-class attendant (Changzai), a level seven ranking. He was only marginally better than the serving class. Therefore, his position was automatically obliged to live with head bowed and eyes on the ground. His musings were interrupted by the arrival of the palace ladies who would escort him and his sister. He bowed one last time to his parents and followed the ladies to the palanquins parked outside. He was helped inside the palanquin, and the journey began. The journey was not long, lasting less than thirty minutes.

When they arrived at the Forbidden City entrance, he was overwhelmed by the number of people gathered at the front gates. However, their palanquin would not be entering through it. Harry asked one of the eunuchs who carried his palanquin why that is so and was told that concubines must enter through the side door. Only the empress was allowed to enter through the main gate.

He nodded and observed that obviously, all the people there were not all concubines, as there were some wearing serving class clothing and headdresses. They were informed that the imperial household department had already delivered their belongings, so they should follow their designated eunuchs to their palaces. With a harsh breath to steady himself, he followed instructions and walked to his quarters. Harry was satisfied with his quarters. It wasn't grand at all in fact, it was the second smallest of the palaces allocated to the new concubines this year, but he didn't mind. It was simple and clean. The furniture was nothing special, but it was better than what he expected. The interior was done in plain colors with yellow accents and the rooms were spacious. There were two rooms inside his quarters. The first was the drawing-room, which included two large diwan in the center of the drawing-room. It was slightly shorter than his full height and was raised up with a yellow cushion to sit on.

He wasted no time sitting on it to rest for a while. The second room was the bedroom, which had a simple rectangular bed, a cupboard, an incense pot and a small alter for any deities he may worship. He lived together with three other changzais. One on the east and another on the west of his palace, though he hadn't been introduced to them yet. The servants he was assigned were few, but he thought they would be good at their jobs. He had one head eunuch named Ronald, and one palace maiden named Hermione. And that was it. He reclined in his seat and rested his eyes for a moment. He had just an hour to rest before he had to greet the Empress for the first time in a series of greetings which he would be obliged to give for the duration of his stay in the palace. That is to say until he died. Harry was awakened by Hermione thirty minutes into his nap. He was ushered to the mirror to be made presentable to greet the Empress. Hermione suggested colorful clothing to indicate his fortune, however, he insisted on a more subdued option. In the end, he was fitted with pale blue robes with green pines embroidered on it. Hermione carefully arranged the white collar around his neck and proceeded to raise his hair in an elegant updo. Unmarried women and hermaphrodites were required to wear their hair down always, but now that he's "married", he was obligated to raise it.

"Today is young mistress' first official audience with the Empress, you should dress up so you can stand out," Hermione suggested. She opened Harry's sparse jewelry box and waited for him to choose his accessories. Among the more complicated hairstyles available, he pointed to the smallest wooden plank to wrap his hair around for a simpler style that won't hurt his neck. "Do an ordinary bun," he instructed her. "Understood," Hermione obeyed after briefly hesitating. When she finished his hair, she asked to hang some tassels on his headpiece but he shook his head again. He didn't need to attract any attention. "You are beautiful, young mistress," Hermione stated reverently. "Thank you," Harry replied. He rose his left hand daintily for Hermione to lead him to the Empress' palace. Along the way, he spotted the two other changzais residing in his hall. He gestured for Hermione to follow them. He noticed that like him, they had few servants attending to them. But he also saw that they opted to wear festive colors in contrast to his simpler robes. He mentally sighed, they were digging their own graves. By wearing festive clothing, they would only invoke the Empress's fury. What wife is ever happy when her husband acquires a mistress?. Nevertheless, he curtsied slightly to them and joined them. The concubines arranged themselves into two lines, seven in each line, making a total of fourteen new concubines. They stood perfectly straight with hands clasped together in front of them and their heads bowed in deference in the presence of the Empress. She was beautiful. Dressed in a golden peach robe with intricate patterns and embroidery, she sat on a throne with clear eyes and a white smile that rivaled the shine of her crown. Her headdress was something like a hat, it was covered with gold all over, and accented by long golden tassels on each side. Harry knew instantly that her smile hid more than her tongue. Her hands were long, and her fingers were covered with long golden nail guards inlaid with gold. On the left and right of the room were older consorts of the Emperor and Kings. They were also impressively dressed, each with extravagant headdresses suitable for their station and status. With her arms on an elevated cushion, the Empress sat up and greeted the new concubines. "Meimei (Younger sisters), you are all so punctual. Have you settled comfortably in the palace?" They all chorused together, "Thanks to your care and concern, we're doing well." She smiled serenely. The Empress' head eunuch then announced loudly, "The young mistresses will perform the formal salutation to the Empress." Harry flared his robe and knelt along with the rest of the concubines. The salutations consist of three kneels and nine kowtows. Women kowtow by raising their handkerchiefs over their shoulders. So they knelt once, raised their handkerchiefs over their shoulders three times and then arose, only to repeat the process twice more.

After they finished, they all greeted, "Huanghou NiangNiang(Empress), blessings." "You may rise," the Empress intoned graciously with a smile. "Thank you, Huanghou NiangNiang," they responded. "Meet the other consorts as well," the Empress waved her hand toward the consorts. "All mistresses salute consort Delacour!" The head Eunuch announced. "Blessings to consort Delacour," they saluted. Consort Delacour was a definite beauty to behold. She was slender and very pale with beautiful blue eyes and equally beautiful attire. She shone brighter than all the assembled consorts without trying.

Harry noticed her upturned nose and figured that she knew quite well that she was indeed beautiful. She kept them on their knees for longer than needed by yawing behind her elegant fingers and then proceeding to engage her servant in small talk about the Empress' jade vase in the corner. "The quality of jades has greatly decreased. These new jades are not at all clear or transparent," She said this with a superior look that betrayed the actual topic of her speech. "Of course, I'm sure the emperor Emperor will get you better quality if only you ask," the s Empress interrupted her with a smile. "I suppose, the Emperor does have good taste," consort Delacour relented. After a few more ill-concealed barbs to them, the Empress told her to allow them to rise. "Oh, my, so engrossed was I in conversation with the Empress that I forgot you were even saluting me. Rise," she said with faux innocence dripping from her every word. "Thank you Niangniang," they all dutifully said. The Empress smiled again and spoke clearly, "From now on, we will be living together in the Harem. Remember that your duty is first to the Emperor and his Kings. Be eager to serve them dutifully and wholeheartedly, and add children to the imperial family." The mistresses sighed in anticipation subtly. Harry caught a glint in the Empress' eyes before it mellowed down as she continued. "Then, of course, you must live harmoniously with each other, and never be tempted into jealousy, for it would trouble his majesty." Harry caught the extra emphasis in her sentence. "Understood," He parroted along with the others. "Usually, you would be obligated to greet the Empress Dowager. However, she is occupied in prayers for his majesty and his reign. You all must be tired, you may take your leave now." "Yes, Excuse us," They curtsied one last time.

Consort Delacour half-heartedly curtsied and left before the new concubines could wish her farewell. As he left, Harry's shaking had subsided, but an entirely different kind of chill had taken hold of his heart. He knew without a doubt that he would indeed need to be even more invisible than he already was. Regardless of the smiles and laughs, the inner palace was a jungle, and he was loathed to be prey.

Edited and updated on 26/06/2021