Sang-chul was spending a peaceful afternoon with Ivan walking around the Purple Lily Courtyard in the Harem Hall, with their servant occupying them.

They passed by a stone fountain with water sprinkling from its middle, and it glistened in the air before touching back on the marble styled bowl.

Sang-chul smiled looking at the view and neatly styled lilies around him. It was nice how neatly designed the harem hall was. Many different places, to eat, read, and just relax. Ivan placed his hand on the shoulder of Sang-chul getting him to turn around and look at him.

"Pretty aren't they," Ivan said with a smile.

Sang-chul nodded and went to pick a flower.

"Must be lucky to be the Emperor or the Imperial Noble Consort. You get to have one of these babies in the backyard of your house," Ivan whistled.

Sang-chul chuckled twirling the flower in his hand. "You're not too far from it with the love that her majesty has given you."

Ivan so far had got to serve Rehema at night once, and three more times after he got the chance to serve her for lunch and mealtimes. Out of all the new concubines he had interacted with her majesty the most, and the word was starting to spread in the harem.

Ivan rolled his eyes, "Please her majesty is mostly teasing, I still had yet to officially become intimate with her."

"That is a good thing. You wouldn't want her majesty love for you to only be wrapped around your manhood."

"I would but, it's my natural gift and talent after all," Ivan winked with a cocky smile.

This time Sang-chul rolled his eyes and both men shared a laugh and continued to walk around the courtyard fanning themselves with hand-woven fans with decorative patterns. There was a sudden shift in the air and a soft yell of pain.

Suddenly Ivan and Sang-chul became alert when they heard a strange whimper coming from the path to enter the courtyard. The two men looked at each other unsure of what that was, and then heard the whimper again this time louder. They turned their heads to where the noise was coming from and went to approach it. Ivan started to take a step in the direction to see what might be happening, but his servant stopped him.

"Sir, maybe we should not interfere," the servant's voice was rocky with fear.

Ivan moved his servant's hand gently. "We're just going to see what happening say behind me and Sir Sang-chul."

The servant bit his lip but nodded doing so and did a simple bow. Sang-chul and Ivan then looked at each other both doing one nod in agreement and went to the path of where they could nowhere a strong masculine voice yelling over someone.

At first, Sang-chul was thinking that it was just a concubine punishing a servant for wrongdoing. But it was a much different scene. When they saw what was causing a ruckus, Sang-chul couldn't help but screw his face up in disgust.

Sang-chul couldn't help but remember the face of the Imperial Noble Consort Omari Dalli, the first man in the harem who threw jabs at him when he first came into the palace. He was standing over a concubine that was kneeling in front. A low-rank concubine like him and Ivan and was yelling at him with a face of hatred. Sang-chul knows that concubine but forgot his name. He rarely talked in the meeting with the emperor or emperor dowager, and he didn't seem to have any friends.

One of Omari's servants was the one striking the concubine on the cheek, because of Omari's order to do so. He didn't seem like he wanted to do it, but he had to follow what the Imperial Noble Consort told him.

Blood dripped off the red-stained cheek of the concubine and fell onto his crisp white Agbada.

Before Sang-chul could do anything to react, Ivan went to do the unthinkable. He dashed over the Omari and bow in a greeting of respect.

"Peace and blessings to his highness, I dare not to interfere or meddle in your way but what has my low-rank brother done to cause you distress," Ivan spoke quickly and shark with his eyes facing the ground, and his hand cupped together to the side.

Omari glared over at Ivan taking his eyes off the concubine he was punishing, "And who might you be?"

"Ivan Omach, your highness."

"Omach huh? I heard of that last name before. Is this imbecile your friend?"

Ivan looked over at the concubine. A freckled tan-brown skin man with his hairstyle in one long braid running down his back. Ivan would guess this concubine would be originally from the South African State.

"No, your highness but we share the same low rank in the harem," Ivan said quickly looking at the ground. Sang-chul was dumb folded, he wasn't sure what to do, and deep down he was mostly scared.

Omari took a step towards Ivan, and the servants that were behind the second most powerful figure in the harem stood back quiet. Not daring to say a word.

Sang-chul stood in disbelief not sure whether to run Ivan's side for support. He felt Addo's hand on his shoulder.

Omari crouched down and bent forward at Ivan forcing him to look him in his eyes.

"You dare interrupt me in the middle of my punishment for a disrespectful concubine. I ought to give you the same punishment as him since you seem to want to lie in his grave."

That's when Sang-chul just couldn't stand there anymore and doing nothing. He pushed Addo's hand off him and rushed over the area. Putting his body in a kneeling position right next to Ivan. Omari's eyes now moved to the third concubine who was now kneeling in front of him.

"Now who the hell are you," Omari hissed. But then Omari's face went to a realization of awe and a smirk. "Oh well isn't it the concubine who was terrible that his former empress sold him away? Would you like to lie in your friend's path as well?"

"I'm only asking for mercy for my brother, your highness. We're all brothers after all," Sang-chul said his voice quivering.

Omari's lips turned to a frown. He didn't even get to respond before Sang-chul's servant came rushing to the scene as well.

"Your highness, please don't harm my master. He is simply concerned for the state of his brother," Addo said quickly.

Omari was now getting annoyed, and Ivan couldn't help but smile. The silence in the courtyard was deadly and tense. Omari was now one man versus four different beggings for mercy. He had to give in at this point. Omari stood up getting away from Ivan and turned to his many servants accompanying him in the courtyard.

"Take me back to my house," He said in a rude tone to one of his servants who whistled for guards to come over with a sedan chair. He didn't bother to tell the men to stand up or dismiss. He simply stormed away angrily.

When Omari was out of sight along with any of his servants, Ivan and Sang-chul took a breath of relief. The original concubine who was being severely punished however didn't seem to be that relieved. He was staring emptily at the ground with his left side of his face still bleeding. The young concubine servant rushed over to his master with a soft napkin trying to help him heal.

Sang-chul and Ivan looked at the two, in sympathy.

"Why was he punishing you, to begin with," Ivan asked.

The concubine refused to speak only staring emptily at the ground. His servant spoke for him, "His highness Omari can be cold at times. My master accidentally had bumped into him when he was traveling to the courtyard and tripped on high clothing when he bowed, but his highness Omari thought he did it out of disrespect."

Sang-chul bit his lip out of pity. Ivan moved closer to the poor lad to get a better look at his face. When he did, the concubine turned around. His eye bags were heavy as if he hasn't gotten enough sleep and he looks as he was fed up with life.

"What is your master's name?" Ivan asked his servant.

"Apophis," the miserable concubine said, finally speaking and disregarding the servant that was whipping his left cheek. "My name is Apophis."

"Well, I'm" Ivan was about to introduce himself, but Apophis interrupted him.

"Why?" Apophis asked.

"Why?" Ivan looked at Sang-chul confused then back at Apophis who still was refusing to get up from the ground. "Why what?"

"Why did you interfere and try to help me? I barely even acknowledge you as my brother," Apophis said, his dark green eyes were drilling onto Ivan.

Ivan smiled and held his hand out for Apophis to take it. "I acknowledge any man in the harem facing harsh unfair punishment as a brother."

Apophis was hesitant at first but in a few quiet seconds, he gave in taking Ivan's hand and hurling himself up from the ground. His servant beside him held onto his left arm to support him.

"Why don't we all go to my house and you can heal up and relax there?" Sang-chul asked trying to sound useful.

Ivan nodded, "I agree." He supported Apophis by putting his right arm around his shoulder and helped him walk.

Apophis's servant and Ivan together held Apophis in the middle of them as they supported him while walking back to Sang-chul's house. Sang-chul led the way with Addo as they all walked back to his house as a group. They caught a couple of stares from bystanders, but they kept their eyes forward and kept walking. When they got to the gates of Sang-chul's house, Kukua was ready to open it.

They all moved inside and Kukua welcomed them all with a short bow. She looked at the two new faces joining them this afternoon.

"This is Apophis, a second-class male attendant in the harem," Ivan said introducing him and Apophis's servant to Kukua who appeared confused at first. "He's just a little beaten due to some circumstances."

Kukua nodded now understanding and followed the group of men to helped them settle in the sitting area of the house. Apophis groaned at first when Ivan and his servant helped him down on the cushioned couch, his eyes wincing. Kukua came over with a warm, wet towel to put over his cheek.

"Thank you," Apophis murmured, his servant placed it on his cheek. Sang-chul and Ivan sat across from Apophis on a couch and Kukua and Addo went back to the kitchen to get some tea.

Apophis looked around Sang-chul decorated house, "Your house decorations are unique and multi-cultural," He said pointing them out.

"Thanks, I wanted to bring back a part of me when I left my homeland. When I get the chance to serve her majesty, I think she will like it."

"So, let me guess you two want something?" Apophis asked, rubbing his back.

Sang-chul cocked his head.

"What makes you think that?" Ivan asked, lifting his brows. A second later Addo came in carrying a platter of a full china tea set with sugar. He bowed once more and then left the men.

"No concubine is this kind to the enemy," Apophis voice turned stern and serious.

"Enemy?" Ivan said confused, he then chuckled. "You think we helped you out of deception."

"Why wouldn't you?"

"Because I can't stand cruelty and if we want to survive here, we can't turn against each other.

Apophis' eye's narrowed at him. His servant seemed nervous, looking anxiously between the three men.

"Apophis if we wanted something in return and were scheming trust me, you would be the one to be after," Ivan said with another chuckle. Then he went for some tea and Sang-chul poured himself a cup as well.

Apophis wasn't sure what to make of it. It was almost like these two concubines wanted to be his friends.

"Would you like a couple and maybe stay to chat and relax with us this afternoon," Ivan asked. "Or do you just prefer to leave?"

Apophis was quiet for a few seconds. The only thing that could be heard was birds chirping outside. Apophis gave in and asked politely, "May I have a cup of tea."