They were in the great hall again, doing the final rounds of rehearsal as the day for the coronation was coming near. Two days were left till the coronation, and the entire royal palace was in frenzy.

Esi was standing by the sidelines going over the prayer and blessing that she was going to make for the coronation, while Rehema was pacing back and forth finalizing her walk. Her advisors were strict in checking her stance and walking.

During the real coronation, it will be held in the Royal temple also known to be The Golden Oak temple. Where for many years the Eze dynasty held weddings, coronations, and burials. Rehema was going to practice there as well with her sister and council this afternoon.

During the coronation at The Golden Oak Temple, the leaders and clergy of the Faith of the Divine including the high priestess of the African lands were going to be there and certified the ceremony, just like in the past when they did Rehema's mother. The clergy of the Faith of the Divine always were a part of the many weddings, coronations, and burials for the Eze dynasty since the Eze family for generations have always practiced the faith of following the goddesses. It was one of the major faiths practiced by the African lands, but not the only one.

"I hope you have the script, down and memorized," Rehema yelled over to Esi who was holding a copy of the sacred text, The Chronicles of the Divine. Rehema remembered reading it back when she was younger, it was fun to hear the many stories of the goddesses they worshiped and the adventures, strengths and spells they cast.

"Yeah, yeah," Esi said flipping a page with her finger. "I pretty much got it down pact now. You should be impressed it has been a while since I held one of these." Esi closed the book, making a loud clapping sound. "Sheesh, I forgot how hard it is to speak ancient Etrili."

Rehema smiled at her and set her crown down, walking over to her younger sister. "Thank you so much for this, I greatly appreciate it." Rehema was happy to be getting the blessing and prayer of leadership from someone that meant a lot to her.

Esi waved at her "Yeah, yeah, let's just save this all when we practice at the temple." Esi went back to practicing her recital and Rehema did one more walk down the aisle of the room. Chike stood near the grand throne where Rehema would be sitting for the coronation.

The movers were going to move the grand throne to The Golden Oak temple today where the coronation would be so they could practice for it there too. Rehma passed before seating and took a knee. At that moment the prestress would give her blessing after Esi finished her prayer, and Rehema would sit on the throne.

Rehema paused to act like that did happen, and then stood up, and took a seat on the throne. Chike would be standing behind her on the throne during the ceremony.

Rehema's advisor clapped, and so did the other officials on the court, "Great job your majesty. Now we can start moving everything to the temple and practice there a few times," Dayo Saro-Wiwa said.

Rehema took a sigh of relief and slowly lifted the crown off her head. A servant came with a pillow and rag to collect the brown safely. Rehema turned to Chike "We're heading to the temple to rehearse now Chike, you stay here and keep the harem in check," Rehema ordered.

Chike blinked, taken back, "You don't want me to come to the temple rehearsals"

"You won't be doing much so just stay here and see everything over. You already have done so much already," Rehema told him with a smile.

Chike returned a smile and bowed, "Yes, your majesty."

Dayo came to Rehema's side, "We should start leaving now your majesty, we'll be back in the palace ground by night, in time for you to have dinner." Rehema nodded understanding giving Chike one last hug and wishing him farewell.

Chike watched Rehema walk over to Esi to prepare her to leave the palace grounds.

"So, you did all of this," Chike heard someone say from behind, interrupting his thoughts.

It was Omari entering the crown room with two servants and two guards. He had a black Dashiki suit and a golden necklace. He walked around analyzing the decorations with a face that had shown he was impressed.

"I wonder how you managed to get that old hag of a man kick-offed the committee," Omari commented, and he stopped in front of Chike.

"What are you even doing here?" Chike asked annoyed.

Omari scuffed, "Came to see the great work you have been doing surrounding the coronation since it's been some time since the emperor held a harem meeting with all the other concubines."

"I will hold one after the coronation is done, I haven't forgotten my duties as the father of the Harem."

Omari rolled his eyes and yawned, looking around the room he paid attention to the décor, "Well I can see why her majesty fired her father for you." Servants were moving the decorations outside now as Omari and Chike talked to each other in the middle of the room.

"The room speaks for itself," Omari chuckled, and he placed his finger on a flower petal that was set on a table in a vase.

"I hope I don't have to find out your causing trouble, Omari," Chike went on. "Word goes around about certain rumors of your acts of fury and impatience."

Omari glanced at Chike but then reverted his eyes to the flower petals, "I'm not sure what you mean, but I'm sure it's just petty rumors based on jealousy. You know how pathetic lonely concubines and their worthless servants can be."

Chike narrowed his eyes at him, "Besides it's not like you would do much anyway," Omari went on, picking up a flower and twirling it in his fingers. "You secretly love my presence since you always tolerated it."

Chike felt anger rising in his body and felt heat rushing all over him. As much as he hated Omari his statement was true, he hasn't been able to do much when it came to his shenanigans but just comply, and due to Rehema's love for him, he sometimes would just be off with a slap on the wrist.

"Well, I best get going, your highness, I should finish picking my outfit for the coronation, this coming day," Omari said walking away to leave the room with his two guards.

Chike watched as Omari trailed off with a smirk on his face, that fool isn't as smart as he thinks he is, and he was going to need more than his general sister to protect him in this harem. Omari didn't seem to understand it wasn't just him and Chike anymore he was going up against.

Sang-chul was sitting in his small living room, running and lifting a needle through a dark sea blue fabric. He was graceful with his hand to be careful with embroidery. He lifted the needle and finished patching up an area. The last couple of days he had been working on clothing for the coronation just like he promised for himself, Apophis and Ivan.

He already finished his robe, which he based on Korean attire from his homeland. When it came to making the African attire for Apophis and Ivan he didn't know where to start. He first asked Addo his servant about how to make such a costume.

"Sir, as much as I respect you, why not just worry about yourself and leave Apophis and Ivan to get their own clothing for the coronation," Addo recommended.

"They're my friends, and besides I want to learn how to design with different fabrics and customs from outside my birth home," Sang-chul insisted.

Addo couldn't help much since he didn't have knowledge in that area, but Kukua his housemaid saved the day. Kukua has made and sewed clothing before and didn't mind at all helping him make a traditional Agbada.

She gave him guidance to make a white and gold one for Ivan, and now he was doing the dark blue and black one for Apophis by himself. It took some hours to get it and Sang-chul had to get used to the different types of fabrics, but he loved seeing the different patterns available in the wardrobe department when he visited with Kukua.

"Young man what talent you have," Kukua told him when he was finishing Ivan's Agbada a few days ago. "Most of the concubines here have to save up in their salary to buy new robes, but since you did yours by hand you won't have to spend as much, which saves money for the palace too, and such a selfless act to do for your friends as well."

Sang-chul thanked her for teaching him and providing sketches on where to start. There were also a few new techniques he also had to learn that he never knew or heard of before. He was now heading towards completing Apophis's Agbada by the end of the day, so now he, Ivan, and Apophis only had to spend their salary on jewelry for the coronation.

"Sir you have visitors, Sir Ivan and Sir Apophis at your door," Addo announced stepping in and bowing from his waist.

"Allow them in," Sang-chul replied keeping the focus on his sewing with a petite needle, being delicate as possible. He barely even noticed Ivan and Apophis come in, till he heard Ivan's voice.

"Whoa! Ivan declared looking at the chair in the small living room that had a white and gold agbada, hanging from it. "There is no way you made this..." Ivan said in amazement. The agbada looked as if it had been professionally made by a seamstress or dressmaker.

Sang-chul finished the final mend on the side of the agbada he was working on and looked up at Apophis and Ivan. "Yeah," he said sheepishly noticing their faces. He stood up to take a well-deserved stretch after nearly sewing for four hours straight.

"Apophis yours will be done by midnight you can stop by to pick it up tomorrow morning," Sang-chul said. He went to the small corner of his house to heat some tea and bring it back to the boys.

Apophis held the dark blue Agbada that Sang-chul was making him gently, "Why I don't know how much I can thank you," Apophis said. "How did you acquire such a skill?" Apophis asked. "I know you said you used to sew back in the East Asian lands, but I didn't know you were this good of a dressmaker."

"I had become really good at it because at one point my family was too poor to afford clothes so we would make our own, my brother and I –" Sang-chul stopped for a moment. Crap why did I even think to mention him.

"Your brother?" Ivan asked noticing Sang-chul paused.

Sang-chul shook his head to try to change the subject, "I meant my family. Out of my family, I was the best one at sewing, so they let me mostly make everyone's clothes and sometimes we sell them."

"Well holy goddesses you are talented all right," Ivan said spinning his agbada around.

"You should try it," Sang-chul offered. "Just to make sure it fits well."

Ivan glanced down at his gown, "Yeah good idea." Ivan went behind the brown diamond-patterned room divider in Sang-chul's bedroom to change. When he came back out, Sang-chul smiled with glee.

The agbada fit well, and perfectly.

"Thank the divine goddesses you did far from well, Sang-chul," Ivan said walking around in the new robe and pushing his sleeves up.

Apophis slightly smiled, agreeing. Sang-chul stood up and the three men stood near each other. Sang-chul placed his hand on top of Ivan's and grabbed Apophis's hand. "You were right the other day Ivan, about us having each other's back, we won't have to worry because we have each other and her majesty," Sang-chul rejoiced.

Ivan smiled, squeezing Sang-chul's hand back, and placing Apophis's hand on top of them. Apophis relaxed and beamed.

Addo and Kukua then came over to them, and to give them their meal for the afternoon.

At night in Esi's room, Esi was still trying to finish memorizing the harder parts of the scripts for the prayer she had to do. The language being Ancient Etrili, Rehema and she both used to study it as children when they used to have a private education. Rehema only had private education since she was heir to the throne while Esi had both public and private. Rehema was much better at Etrili than she was since she solely had private education. It was the natural language of the first goddesses of Pangaea, and one of the oldest languages of Pangaea. Plenty of Empresses in the past and present made it part of their goal to be able to speak it fluently. While few regions in Pangaea, mostly remote villages still speak it.

Esi already spent the whole afternoon and early night at the temple practicing. She was able to recite everything pretty well but sometimes paused to remember a few lines.

Esi was laying on her grand bed on her chest, with a copy of The Chronicles of the Divine, in front of her. A candle was lit near her on a tray so she could see. The moon night flicked by her gothic glass window. As Esi was reciting the needed prayer, a knock came from her bedroom door.

Esi got up from her bed, took her eyes away from reading, and went to see who it was.

When she opened the door, she found a Bello standing in front of her dressed in a white sleeping set barefoot and holding a covered tray.

"Just wanted to stop by and see how you were doing," Bello insisted. "I brought you some of your favorite snacks from the kitchen, and a hot glass of milk."

Esi said feeling relieved, it was nice to see Bello thinking of her to do this. She welcomed him in and took the tray from him, placing it on the desk of her room. She lifted the cover to see three baked goods and a mug of warm milk.

Esi took a sip from the mug and hummed, tasting the warm flavor. "Thank you so much, Bello," Esi thanked. And went to sit on the side of her bed with the trey. She took a bite of the baked goods; it was still warm, and the sweet bread melted in her mouth.

"I see you're still practicing your grace," Bello took note of the scared text on her bed.

Esi sighed, "Yeah, I have one day left so might as well use the last couple of hours left to practice."

"I heard you did well in practice today," Bello went on to kneel on the floor in front of Esi. Esi allowed him to get up and sit next to her on her bed.

"Yeah, I have it down pact but still my Etrili is far from perfect," Esi finished eating one treat and moved on to the next. She offered some to Bello but he rejected the offer. "I wish I learned it more, but public schools don't teach Etrili, so only my private teacher and private schooling when I was a kid taught me some."

"How come you don't get her majesty to help you since she only had private education as the heir to the throne as a child, she should be strong in Etrili,"

Esi laughed, "My sister is very busy these days, these days I'm lucky to even have time to have a meal with her. She is too busy surrounded by advisors, her council, and her little husbands."

Bello smiled gently at her, "Don't be envious, her majesty knows how important you are to her, and as her sister, you currently are heir since she still doesn't have a female child yet. And once the coronation is over, she will wield you more responsibilities."

'I'm not envious, I'm proud of Rehema since this is what she has been training for her whole life. I don't think I could ever do the job of an Empress. Rehema had a strict childhood, her real father was murdered, and there is pressure on her since she was a child to bring pride to the Eze dynasty and keep its fire alive.

"I at least got to see life outside of the palace. I got to have friends outside the palace and live a life a little outside of the palace. Training under Master Cagrown, and meeting Ajani and Safari I wouldn't ever be able to have them by my side if I was placed in Rehema's shoes. Rehema barely was allowed to stand out of palace grounds until our mother died. You have to sacrifice a lot to be the firstborn daughter of an empress," Esi empathized. She finished her last baked treat and laid her back first on the bed.

"I remember there were a couple of times as teenagers me and her sneaked out at night just so she can get a glimpse of the beauty outside of the palace," Esi confessed. "You remember those nights don't you."

Bello nodded smiling, "I would panic thinking you would get caught."

Esi sighed, and went back to her book, "After this coronation, Rehema is probably going to be wanting me to get married sooner or later."

Bello felt his heart flip and squirmed in his seat.

"If Ajani was here, it would be him, but I already know Rehema would not approve. I don't want to rush either," Esi then drank the last of her milk in the mug.

Then pick me, Pick ME! Bello yelled inside himself. He didn't get the love Esi had for Ajani. The Croom clan has always been against the Eze Dynasty, and Ajani was a thug that was wanted in certain regions. But he wasn't part of the Cagrown's legendary champions. Esi, Ajani, and Safari have done missions together that strengthen their bonds, bonds that Esi just couldn't let go of, even if it was years ago.

"Do you think Master Cagrown, Safari, and Ajani will come to the coronation," Bello asked.

"I doubt it, but I can only hope," Esi said as she was laying on her bed, and staring ahead at the ceiling of her bedroom.