"You can't believe what the captain has written is true?” Teal scoffed although his voice shook when he spoke. "It can't be real."

"Your eyes glow," the Emperor stated evenly.

Teal's eyes met with Jale, and Teal knew that Jale had already told the Emperor.

"You told me," Jale began. "That when your eyes glow, you fill with calm and you are stopped from attacking, that you feel a Presence inside of you. I also felt that Presence yesterday!"

The Emperor's face filled with concern.

"This could have been a similar thing to what happened with the captain,” Jale spoke. “The creature, I mean Lombock, might have wanted to attack him, but he wasn't able to."

Teal glanced at the Emperor as he leaned back in his chair, his expression portraying someone deep in thought.

"Teal, this is not the first time we have come across information that indicate that the Lombock had special capabilities,” the Emperor continued for Jale. “A text that Nala found stated that they are shapeshifters of sorts."

"Shapeshifters!?" Teal gasped incredulously.

"That was my initial reaction," Jale told him. "But after what you told me last night and what the texts says, I feel we are nowhere near understanding the truth."

"You're correct," the Emperor said to Jale. "These texts are old and conflicting. How can we know what the truth really is?"

Jale and the Emperor eyed Teal expectantly as if it was now his duty to reveal another secret to confirm their suspicions and answer their questions.

Teal staggered to his feet, uncomfortable in their scrutiny.

"Shapeshift?! I can't shapeshift! It's absurd. I don't believe it." He flung his hands down his body looking at his own skin, nausea filling his stomach.

"The text that Nala analysed stated that in the shapeshifted form, it's possible that you don't even remember shifting, that when you shape shift you are unaware."

"I am not able to shapeshift," Teal repeated trying to keep the self-doubt out of his voice.

"Teal?" the Emperor asked.

Teal shook his head fearfully. "I promise, I haven't. I can't. I just..."

Jale's eyes narrowed, "You just...?"

Silence fell on their small group. Teal looked back and forth between the Emperor and Jale, while their eyes stared straight at him.

"Please," Teal said at a whisper. "I can't shapeshift into anything."

"When you killed those men, when you were returning the scroll, do you remember attacking them?" the Emperor asked.

"Yes, of course."

A long silence drew out between the small group until the Emperor seemed to arrive at a decision.

"It is fine, Teal," the Emperor spoke. "I believe you and what happened last night with Jale and this chapter, have no bearing on how we feel about you. Jale and I read this chapter before you arrived to stay in my private quarters. Jale was fully aware of it before he met with you here."

Teal's brow rose at that confession. "So, that's why you had a sword?" Teal asked Jale.

Jale chuckled. "You would be surprised by how many weapons are stashed away up here. They aren't just for you."

The Emperor also continued, "No matter what you really are, it has no effect on whether you are my concubine or not." The Emperor leaned back. "We are done for now though. I want you to go rest."

Teal nodded, but he couldn't stop the defeated look that came over his face. He stepped forward and took the Emperor's hand and kissed the back of it. While he did so, Jale rose to his feet and before Teal could even worry about how he should handle this goodbye in front of the Emperor, Jale stepped forward. It was a simple kiss, straight on the lips, but Jale held it a fraction longer that he needed as if to emphasis his point.

"And Teal," the Emperor said. "Do not mention that you were with Jale last night and this information from The Lost Seas Saga, I will inform the other consorts later."

>>

"You're hoping he has bonded with me, aren't you?" Jale asked once he was alone with the Emperor. "Like in the Kindra Tale?"

"I hope so," the Emperor stated. "He has been enamoured with you from the first moment he saw you. If he is bonded with you, he will do anything for you and therefore anything for me." The Emperor paused, choosing his next words carefully. "Do you care for him?" the Emperor asked.

"I do," Jale replied simply.

"Do you think you could love him?" the Emperor pressed.

"No," Jale responded quickly, very quickly.

"Is that no because you don't want to or because you're afraid to?"

Jale didn't answer. The Emperor was more than aware of his past.

When the silence started to become uncomfortable, the Emperor sighed and continued, "Hopefully the fact that you care for Teal will be enough," he said softly. "Spoil him, make love to him, fuck him if he so desires that instead."

"I don't..." Jale paused, "I don't think I will be able to hurt him."

"You won't have to." The Emperor took Jale's hand. "I wouldn't ask you to hurt him. Spoil him but make sure he remembers where he stands with everyone, and see if he has any other thoughts of what he has read. He might be willing to share more once he's had a while to digest it."

"Okay," Jale breathed. "Do you still plan to lie with him?"

The Emperor nodded. "Eventually, but I want the tie between you two to be sealed. Maybe at the Midsummer Festival."

"What about the Empress? Has she discovered anything new on the medallions?" Jale asked.

"Ralen has not heard." The Emperor reached out and touched Jale on the arm. "Enough business for now though. How are the preparations going for the Midsummer festival?"

"Good," Jale answered, relaxing at the change in conversation. "They are coming together."

>>

Teal ambled back to the Purple Jade Palace. He was too late to go the training grounds to meet with Satner, and he was sure that Satner would have been informed that he would not be available today. Right now, he was happy to go back to his chamber and sleep since he hadn't slept much despite having woken late.

There was no one in the Purple Jade Palace when he arrived, and he fell asleep on his sleeping mat only to be woken several hours later to find Ralen and Lana standing over him.

"He's awake," Ralen said, putting on a grave tone. "He's young. He should have more stamina than that."

Lana spoke reproachfully. "Shhh, now. You know what the Emperor's like. That man only needs a couple of hours sleep at night. I don't know how he does it!"

Teal sat up and yawned, unperturbed by their presence. He had been expecting it.

"Come on, Teal" Ralen said. "Delba is already at the table for the evening meal. We want to hear all about last night."

"Evening meal?" Teal asked confused.

"Yes, you have managed to sleep all day," Lana tried to reprimand him, but the teasing in her voice was obvious.

Jale was also waiting at the table when they walked out onto the veranda. A conversation between Delba and Jale had been taking place, serious in nature and had ceased at their arrival. Jale's demeanor turned light when he saw Teal. Delba, on the other hand, resigned to leaning back with a sigh, her face set with a pronounced frown. With all of the other seats now taken by the others, Teal was forced to sit beside her. He didn't make eye contact. Her body language was not the friendliest, and he wondered whether he should have remained standing.

Ralen addressed Teal, "So, how was last night with the Emperor?"

In the middle of drinking some water, Teal coughed.

"It couldn't have been that bad," Jale responded for him.

Lana suddenly laughed. "Well, you don't have to be with sight to be able to see that some of his sexual tension has been released. He was actually whistling when he was getting dressed."

The table filled with laughter, and Teal managed a smile at their friendly banter, even though Delba remained immune to their jesting.

Lana leaned over the table and grabbed Teal's hand, her ability to find him still amazing him so. "Tell us everything! Did you enjoy yourself?"

Teal laughed self-consciously. He had grown very fond of all of them in the Purple Jade Palace, but he didn't think he would ever get used to having so much kind attention sent his way.

"Yes, Teal," Jale said teasingly. "Did you enjoy yourself?"

"Um," Teal cast Jale a sideways glance. "I enjoyed myself immensely.

"You've known us long enough now, Teal," Ralen stated with feigned disgust. "You're going to have to be more specific than that."

"Leave the young man be," Delba suddenly snapped, and Teal caught the glare she sent in Jale's direction.

"Come now, Delba," Ralen sighed. "You can never repeat that first time experience with the Emperor."

Her mood however, had finally affected Ralen and Lana, and they all settled in to eating their food until Jale leaned purposely over the table.

"Teal," he said, his manner serious with no indication of what had occurred between them. "As soon as you have finished eating, the Emperor would like to see you in his personal quarters."

"Ooh, look who's become the favorite," Ralen joked.

"I'll say," Jale said and to Teal's surprise, Jale offered him a friendly wink.

The table's conversation turned to other topics, and Teal continued with his meal completely satisfied with the people who had become like family to him.

>>

Later in the evening, Teal climbed the stairs that wound the central tower of the palace towards the Emperor's personal chamber. When he reached the landing where Jale's quarters resided, a servant was waiting for him.

"Jale would like to meet with you," the servant spoke simply, his hand extended and pointing towards Jale's open door.

Teal had suspected as much.

Jale's quarters were much smaller than the Emperor's. From first glance, it consisted of only a greeting room and living room that led to a bedroom with a large balcony that overlooked the mountains.

Jale greeted him with a claiming kiss on Teal's lips. He was striking in appearance, only trousers and a thigh length gold see-through jacket, open and revealing his bare chest.

"Drink?" Jale asked, holding out a cup for him to take.

Teal accepted the cup, the wine dark inside.

"You have a wonderful view?" Teal said, walking straight to the balcony.

"Yes, I do." Jale agreed, a faintest hint of derision in his voice. Teal looked over his shoulder and smiled. He knew Jale had not been talking about the mountains.

Jale stood close beside him. "I do hate first times, don't you? Inviting someone to your own personal quarters." He ran his hand down Teal's back, lifting it just before he reached the hem of his trousers.

"First times? How do you mean?" Teal asked, not shying from Jale's touch but moving closer.

Jale's face was set with determination. "Because it's not polite to ask someone if you can simply bend them over, is it?"

Teal took a slow sip of his drink. "I don't know. It depends on how you ask, I guess."

Jale smiled, and Teal took another sip enjoying the exchange occurring between them.

"Please bend over so I can fuck you?"

Teal put his cup down and smiled. "I thought that was more than polite.”

Jale closed the distance between them. He kissed Teal heatedly, nothing tender but with the abandoned need of lust instead. His hand slid inside Teal's shorts. Jale cursed again, and Teal pulled back, eyes lidded as Jale started to ease Teal's trousers down.