Sieh took a scented fan from her sleeve and pointed it at the nursemaid. "This lowly peasant tried to force the prince to eat. Who does she think she is?"

Gritting his teeth, Shaugn looked down on the little prince. "She is his nursemaid. It is her job to ensure he learns manners and etiquette which includes being grateful for what he's given and eating what's in front of him."

"If he doesn't want to eat , he doesn't have to."

Shaugn gave Sieh a hard look. Her voice was giving him a headache. "Said who and what gives him the right to throw food at someone? He is wasting food and the emperor's money."

"She can be punished when she does something wrong."

"Is that so?" He stood and flapped his fan open. "The house rules state that the staff may only be punished by the adults. The prince is not an adult and therefore has broken a rule and he will be punished instead."

Sieh grabbed her son and pulled him behind her. "Don't you dare touch my son, you -you –" She took a step back as Shaugn stepped into her personal space.

He lowered his voice so only she could hear. "Disrespect of the empress is also against the rules so you'll be punished with him."

She grit her teeth and glared up at him. "I'd like to see you try."

Dealing with an entitled, spoiled noble was going to have some consequences. He smirked and waved his fan. He gave a lazy shrug and turned to the guard. "Radagar, take these spoiled, ungrateful children to the clinic. They can assist the sick and infirm until they learn to be grateful for what they are given and treat their fellow humans with respect and dignity."

Radagar motioned to two of the guards. "Yes, your majesty." The nursemaids glanced at each other then lowered their heads. When had any of the consorts or children been punished on their behalf? When had the consorts ever treated them with respect for that matter?

Sieh's eye's widened. "What! How dare you."

Sion tugged on his mother's skirt. "Mother."

Seih looked at the guards on either side of her and fought against them as they tried to drag her away. "I will not! How dare you! Take your filthy hands off me!"

Shaugn turned to the adult table. "Also, please escort consort Iksa to the kitchens to wash the pots and pans and then feed her whatever the kitchen staff is eating."

"What?!" Her eyes widened and she looked Xoan with a pitiful expression. "Your majesty, the empress is going too far!"

Shaugn returned to his seat and sipped his water. Xoan held his hand under the table. "The empress is in charge of the harem and the children. What he says goes."

She'd never done any sort of manual labor in her entire life. Large tears welled in Iksa's eyes. "But-"

"The kitchen should have something more to her liking." He waved his fan to the table. "Take this offensive schlop away at once."

Two of the guards stood behind her chair. "Please come with us, your majesty."

Iksa yanked her arm out of his hold and tried to return to her seat. "But it's not right. I'm a consort. I don't deserve to be treated like a child."

The guard wrapped an arm around her waist and hoisted her on his hip.

She twisted in his arms and slapped his chest plate. His steel-like arms only tightened as he began to walk.

"Nooo! Stop!" She gripped the doorframe when the guard passed too close. "This isn't how you treat a member of the imperial family!"

The guard hoisted her over his shoulder. Her screech echoed in the room making several people wince. Shaugn touched his throbbing temple. Another guard wrapped her hands with a belt from around his waist and they proceeded out of the dining area.

"What are you doing? Let me go!"

Xoan waited for the noise to die down before addressing the stunned consorts. His cold eyes swept the room. The servants quickly cleared away all the dishes and scurried off to the kitchen.

"While I'm gone, the empress is in charge of all things. Anyone that is out of line in my absence will face whatever consequences the empress deems fit. If I think the punishment is too light, you will get another punishment when I return."

There were gasps and protests. A few consorts had no reaction and nodded in understanding. A few of the guards and servants exchanged shocked glances. When had the emperor laid down such a firm hand on any of them? He tended to ignore the consorts and let them fight amongst themselves until something big happened.

He continued, oblivious to their expressions. "This is a trial to see how you behave yourselves. I hope none of you let me down."

Goren cleared his throat. "Where exactly are you off to this time, your majesty?"

"The northwestern border."

"How long will you be gone?"

"Shouldn't be more than fifteen days."

"What is the purpose of this trip?"

Shaugn glanced to the side as alarm bells began to go off. Is that something a consort should ask their husband? If it was in his own time, he'd see it as nothing more than a significant other showing interest in their partner's business affairs. However, this was the feudal times and the emperor's harem. It was bn brutal and messy. It seemed like Goren was trying to find out information he could use to relay to someone like his father.

Xoan's resting bitch face was on point. There were no fluctuations in his deadpan expression whatsoever. He leaned back in his seat and took a sip of his drink while looking at Goren. A light blush spread across Goren's cheeks as Xoan continued to look at him without speaking. He twirled a loose strand of golden hair around his finger and took a sip from his drink. There was a light dusting of pink on his cheeks.

Shaugn's eyelid twitched. Fake, thirsty ass bitch. Goren was only in the harem because he had a thing for the emperor and got his family to speak with the grand royal mother on his behalf.

Under the table, Xoan squeezed Shaugn's thigh as he eyed each of his consorts. "There is no reason to involve my...darling consorts in political affairs. You should sit back and enjoy yourselves in the comfort and safety of the palace. Leave the boring, dirty work to those less refined than yourselves."

A wave of nausea washed over Shaugn and he fought the urge to roll his eyes all the way back. Did those words really just come out of Xoan's mouth? What kind of nonsense was this man spewing? Refined? Who? Some of the consorts were pure trash.

"That's right. Politics is so utterly boring. A bunch of old men discussing war, the poor, and uncultured," Shilian agreed.

Goren threw his golden braid over his shoulder. "But the empress goes to court and he works in a clinic."

Jazzaia rolled her eyes. "The empress was originally from a doctor's house and worked with the public."

"The empress also needs to know what goes in court so that he can make informed decisions when the emperor is not around," Dane added.

"How is he going to do all of that and run the harem?" Shilian asked. "Perhaps you should leave it to someone else to handle."

Shaugn smiled sweetly at Shilian. If he was going to leave the management of the harem to anyone it sure as hell wasn't going to be her. "I'll manage. Of course, that means the consorts nor the children should misbehave during this time."

"What does that mean?"

"Means the dirty little tricks that have gone on in the past will be dealt with swiftly-" Shaugn flicked the fan closed and slashed through the air with a loud swoosh.

Goren and Maryam jumped in place. Shilian and another consort ducked and screamed. Jazzaia looked at Shaugn with a raised brow. Xoan hid his smile behind his goblet.

Shaugn winked and smiled. "-and with a heavy hand."

Shilian rubbed her throat and turned her face away.

Jazzaia took a sip of her drink and sat back in her seat. "Enlighten us. What does the empress mean by 'dirty, little tricks'?"

Noticing how she was looking around the table at a few people, Shaugn gave a one-shoulder shrug as if it was no big deal. " Oh, you know. Pushing people downstairs, poisoning food or drink, inciting others to attack your fellow consorts or children, tampering with riding equipment or animals, hitting people with objects, or casually bumping into folks."

Xoan watched the faces of several consorts change. The hand not on Shaugn's thigh tightly gripped the cup beside him.

Goren gave a nervous chuckle. "Your majesty, no one in the harem would dare be so despicable."

"You know this for certain? You've kept a close eye on your fellow consorts?"

Pink spread across his face as Goren sputtered. "Well, no but I-"

Xoan cut him off. "Then don't speak of things you don't know."

Goren gripped the napkin in his lap and forced out a smile. "Yes, your majesty."

Seeing the lunch hour nearly over, Shaugn stood and addressed the nursemaids. "Lunch is over. Have the children wipe their hands and bring them to say goodbye to their father."

Afiya, the thirteenth consort, also stood and gazed at Xoan. "Majesty, do you think you could spare some time to visit the harem?"

"I will be working until late. I will visit when I return."

She twisted a silk scarf in her hands. "I know that you are busy, your majesty. It's just the little princess hasn't seen you in some time."

Shaugn tapped his lips with his fan. Using the kid as an excuse to lure the emperor to her side. How unoriginal. A common ploy in period dramas and movies. Xoan seemed to see through her. He stood and walked over to where Shaugn stood. The other consorts also stood.

"My business is likely not to conclude until their bedtime. There are many things to sy and prepare before I set off tomorrow. I will visit with the children for a longer period when I return." He took Shaugn's hand. "The empress will set up a playdate for us."

Shaugn nodded. "Yes, your majesty."

The children walked over to Xoan to say their goodbyes. Xoan hugged each child and said a few words before sending them out with their nursemaids. Xoan spoke a few words with the consorts before leading Shaugn and Nirik away with their servants and guards. Shaugn could feel the scorching gazes of the consorts as they walked away.

A smile lit up his face.