I sighed, leaving a flower at Lyras door. For the last week, I had left a flower at her door every day. I was being cautious and trying to buy back her trust just a little bit at a ti. Well, it didnt really seem like it was doing anything though, I just wasnt willing to throw in the towel.
How long are you going to do that for? Brooke asked, standing at her doorway with her arms crossed.
As long as it takes, I responded.
You know shes just chopping them up and throwing them out.
Geh I shot her a dirty look. She wont talk to or open her door. What else should I do? Kick it down?
Brooke shrugged. If I understood won, Id be knee-deep in pussy right now.
You are a woman? You dont get to not understand won. Thats against the rules.
What rules?
The majority! Ah damn it it doesnt matter. Its too late anyway.
Brooke blinked. Too late? What do you an? What are you doing?
I shrugged. Apparently, my mother and I have been invited to so kind of social event tonight. The council will be there, that includes Calebs father. Im supposed to bring a date. Lyra would be the best person to bring. My sister or daughter seems a little off. Apparently, if you dont arrive on the arm of a woman, youre making a statent that youre interested in finding another woman.
Brooke frowned. Are you saying that I should get dressed?
Eh? I said, stepping back. Actually um how do I say this
Brooke narrowed her eyes as she realized that I hadnt been giving her a roundabout way of inviting her along. I ant no offense, but they said the person on your arm also made a statent. Mother tolerated adding Brooke to my harem. She considered it a rcy that I was taking in a poor commoner and not soone who deserved any position. I couldnt bring her for the sa reason I couldnt bring my sister or daughter. It reflected badly on and through extension the council.
Other than Lyra, there was Rhea, but she was in no state to co out in public. If she was seen, it would surely look badly on the noble house. In the end, I could only go alone. Brooke wasnt that hurt though. She understood all this well enough. She was just giving a hard ti.
Brooke sighed, shrugging it off. Well, maybe its a good idea that you bring ho another girl. A harem of two lolis, a lesbian, a wallflower, and a girl who wont even talk to you does leave sothing to be desired.
I frowned. What would that serve? Think about it, in six months, Im gone. What will happen to everyone here Im leaving behind? How will deflowering so girl do her any good? I an, maybe Caleb will regain control of this body. Then, anyone I brought in to his harem, their future would be on . Or, maybe he dies, in which case his harem is disbanded and who knows where all the girls go off to.
Unless Brooke said.
Unless?
She raised an eyebrow. Unless you produce an heir.
I blinked. What? What are you suggesting?
Brooke shrugged. You told yourself. All they want is for you to produce a baby heir. The previous Caleb had been trying for years and failing because his proclivities left him more likely to kill a girl than impregnate her. The best thing you can do in the next six months is pick a girl who would make a good Queen, get her pregnant, and then even if Caleb dies, theyll at least be able to continue their family line. Then, everyone will move on. His mom will be able to toss her crazy affection onto her grandson, a more stable woman can be in power, and the harem will go to wherever harems go when he joins the council. It seems like a win/win
I scratched my head and let out a laugh. Damn that does make sense. Still, six months is a short period of ti. Unless my soul is what allows to have 50/50 babies, then the chances of having a male are slim.
If anyone could, itd be you.
I slowly nodded. Youre right That ans tonight Im going to look for the future Queen of Matahari.
Thats the spirit!
I turned away and left the desolate harem halls. The answer really had been in my face the entire ti. I had got so caught up in demons and politics that I hadnt even considered the big picture. I was a man in another world. This world had a population of mostly won. From the get-go, my job had always been to breed and produce offspring. To many, this could be considered a dream. You could have unprotected sex with any number of beautiful won, and theyd thank you for it.
When I first ca to this world, I had treated it like my oyster. I tossed myself at my mother, sisters, and maids relentlessly, showing no restraint. After things had spiraled out of control, I got it in my head that I had so deep responsibility toward this world. I had dreams of building a harem of won, but I was so caught up on trying to just make people happy that I lost my way a bit. I grew obsessed about the things I lost and beca terrified and frozen in one way or another.
Here I was now, in another country, in the body of a Prince. It was literally a second life. A harem already existed here, and an inherent need to build and use it. Yet, I was so busy feeling sorry for myself that I overlooked what a blessing this all was. I wasnt cursed by being stuck in this body, I was being given the opportunity to test-drive my own harem and sew my oats.
I cared for Madison, Hannah, Mako, and the rest, but I had to accept what they had accepted a long ti ago. I was a man in a world of won. It was ti I started acting like it.
Feeling good about this sudden epiphany, I returned to my room with my bodyguards following closely. I put out the finest wear that I could find and prepared for the night. It turned out to be a shirt and trousers with a jacket. I believe the maid called the art on the shirt batik. It was red in color, which I was told symbolized the nobility of this house. Sighing, I decided I wouldnt let the past drag down.
When the ti ca, I left my room and headed to my mothers chambers. I had actually stayed away from her room in the past. This was the first ti I was traveling there of my own volition. I had been treating her like the enemy, scared that shed take sothing away from my real mother Morgan. However, the Queen was just a woman who had lost her son. She had shown many tis that she didnt an any harm. Well, as long as I didnt reveal my true origin to her, not that I thought shed believe it any more than Lyra.
For the first ti since I had woken up in this palace, I felt relaxed. I knocked casually on mothers door. It opened after a mont, revealing a beautiful woman with light-brown skin, dark velvety hair, and an imposing figure. She was wearing a particularly fine embroidered blouse and long skirt. She was similarly wearing red, which allowed her features to be even more pronounced, especially the deep red lipstick that covered her lips.
Baby? She said, sowhat surprised by my presence.
Mother. I smiled, Shall we go?
She seed surprised at my sudden change in attitude, but she didnt hesitate to smile and finish putting on her earring before offering an arm to . The pair of us headed through the castle and out to the front, where a hovercar was waiting not unlike the ones from Amaryllis.
No palanquin? I asked.
Mother sniffed. Palanquins are for when you wish to be seen by the public. Tonight, I thought we should head to our destination swiftly and in comfort.
I nodded, agreeing with her instantly. Where is this event, anyway?
Mother shot an amused look. Its being held in your ancestral ho, my sweet boy. Your grandfather and father put this together to raise money for the damage to the city. Its also to alleviate concerns that you were dead or missing. You havent been seen in public for so ti, and many of the governnt officials have grown uneasy. You havent produced very many children of late and they want to make sure youre busy creating an heir.
I laughed awkwardly considering how close it was to being dead or missing. The officials concerns were very real. I dont know how my mother had managed to keep her city-wide search for away from the aristocratic ears. That didnt an they didnt hear things and suspect, but as long as mother played dumb and I was present, they couldnt co up with any argunts. Who was to say I havent been sitting in the mansion as right as rain as opposed to working in a mine with my life on the line.
Perhaps this social gathering had been put off for months. That only ant I had to be impressive and let these people know I had things under control. However, I also worried about eting the father and grandfather. These are n I had never seen in my life, and while mother accepted my change in personality, I wasnt sure how these n would take it. It was possible they could grow suspicious or even cause real trouble.
My son Mom suddenly spoke up as the car drove away from the palace, an awkward expression on her face. In the past, while you were going through your experintal phase, I tried to keep your public presence at a minimum. I picked won to join you from desperate houses, distant locations, and unimportant diplomats so that there was never a diplomatic incident.
That said, youve been out of the public for many years now, and you must make sure to put on a proper presence. The woman at this event are not toys to be played with. Most of them have powerful parents. So of them our house does not wish to inadvertently beco Queen. Others, we cannot afford to offend. Basically, listen to mother when it cos to picking the won who you bed with, and do not play your usual gas.
Weve been pressured to the point where your public appearance was all but mandatory. Your behavior lately you also seem to have changed the way you treat your won. The point being, our Sakina family is depending on your performance, so please do your best.
I smiled and nodded, Yes, mother.
Our conversation ended with that. I didnt really know what to make of everything. The Caleb she was worried about was a completely different Caleb. Then again, I didnt exactly have a great track record either. After waking up, I had an assassination attempt, no pregnancies, and disappeared for several weeks. I wasnt any more trustworthy than the old Caleb.
With those kinds of thoughts, I watched the streets fly by. The city really was completely unlike Amaryllis. From a dark, almost Victorian city to an exotic and colorful tropical city. We finally pulled up to a large mansion that had dozens of other cars pulling up as well. This mansion was easily about three tis the size of the one that housed the Bonholdt family. Well, they were a noble line.
Once Caleb had a boy, he would join the council and also be living in this mansion. Well, I hoped to be gone before that happened. Even if I got a girl pregnant today, it wouldnt be born before I had jumped out of this body. I didnt like the idea of abandoning a child, but if I saw this instead as leaving sothing behind for my mother who had lost everything, I didnt feel as bad about it. That child would be well taken care of as a prince, and probably end up in a life far better than anything my children from Amaryllis would experience.
Upon entering the mansion, I was surrounded by people that I didnt know. I was truly out of my elent here. I was typically uncomfortable around a lot of people in the first place, and now these people ranged from old to young in a variety of dress and shapes. It was then that I realized the place had a rather large proportion of n. There were still more won present, especially among the youthful and the servant class. However, I suspected just about every man in the city was invited. Most of them were far older than , and they all had positions of power.
As mother took around, introducing to person after to person, I began to get a better understanding of the structure of this nation, and it wasnt what I had originally thought. In Amaryllis, n were sort of like celebrities. They were put in the public eye, but ultimately the city was run by won down to the core. In Matahari, the situation looked to be the reverse. Won were a figurehead, like my mother the Queen, but it was the council who truly ruled the city, and that council was made up of all n. As I looked around, I saw more and more n who looked to have positions of power in the city. This was probably why n were never seen on the street.
After introducing just about every person of importance in the room, a few directly, most just gestured to from across the room, mother finished. As for father and the other council mbers, I didnt get a good look at them. They were apparently in a back room filled with cigar smoke. Mom glanced at the room and then turned to , patting my head encouragingly.
My sweet boy, please go mingle a bit. Your mother must go report to the council.
Sothing about her look caught a little. Are you okay?
She smiled. All is fine, my baby, do not worry. How about you et a few nice girls for your harem? I will be back shortly.
As mother walked away, a handful of girls began to approach . They ranged from about thirteen to twenty. It was instantly clear to that they had been waiting for my mother to leave to strike. I put on a smile as a cacophony of dresses surrounded , trapping in.
Prince Caleb, my na is Scarlet. When was the last ti you were at an event?
It was five years ago Another woman spoke up. You may not rember , Prince Caleb, Im June, my father is the head of treasury. Im very good with numbers, unlike so of the won here.
Ah! I heard Prince Caleb is really an to girls, is that true? Those words ca from a young thirteen-year-old.
The other won imdiately shot her a glare, and then without a word, she was shoved outside of the group, completely abandoned in an instant. She looked like she was about to cry, but given the looks of so of the other won, her chances were up. She was a thirteen-year-old girl who had just spoken whatever was on her mind, but she had risked insulting , so the other won took care of it smoothly.
These won were all contenders for the throne. Like mother had warned about, so of these won ca from houses that opposed Sakina. If they were impregnated, they would pull power away from our house, not give power to it. Who beca the mother of my child would also beco the next Queen. A Queen had charge of the palace, and not much in the ways of how the city was run, but she did have power over her son.
The Queen dictated how her son was raised, and who her son slept with. When her son joined the council, the Queen would be responsible for teaching him everything he knew. Whether he sided with the Sakina family, or the family of his mother, would also depend on the Queen. This was a key period for soone else to insert their daughter in and basically supplant the rule. It might not matter for the next twenty years, but if the wrong woman beca queen, in a few decades the entire family could be depowered.
Ladies I smiled, wishing that Lyra ca with and I could have avoided this scenario altogether. It has been so ti. Im afraid Im still reacclimating to my presence in public. I think I need a drink.
I dismissed myself and imdiately pushed through the won. Several of them gave surprised looks as I walked by. I didnt do this because I was afraid of these won. Mother had already explained to in excruciating detail who I could chase and who I had to put off. However, I wanted to show these won that I wasnt soone they could easily corner. Mother had advised to not be too docile, or they may take advantage of .
Heading to the bartender, a pretty girl with curly hair, I imdiately ordered a stiff drink. With a sip, I felt the comfort of alcohol I had rarely touched in the intervening years. After drinking myself to death, I had always worried Id end up an alcoholic if I started consuming in this world, so I rarely ever touched the stuff. However, now definitely felt like a ti to get a drink.
As I put the empty glass down, I noticed at least fifty won scattered across the room eyeing . I was like a sacrificial lamb that all of these won were waiting to descend on. A 17year-old prince with the power to make them a Queen. For five years, presumably since my sexual maturity, I had remained exclusive and only had won added to my harem through backroom deals. Suddenly, I was on the market, and it was a free for all.
Even though I had a reputation with won, it was relatively quiet, and the temptation to beco a Queen was far too much. Of course, these won werent all power-hungry, but even those who were being heavily pushed by their families to do whatever possible to get close to . It was such an environnt.
That was when I noticed a single girl who wasnt looking at out of the corner of her eyes. I didnt recall my mother introducing her, so she must not have been in the room at the ti. She was about my age, pretty, and standing by herself. She had a two piece dress on that displayed just a hint of bellybutton, and a small stud earring in her nose. Her hair was short, but pretty, and a small figure that seed sporty and fit.
It felt like an extrely clich mont, but I still felt compelled to approach her. Dont they say the best woman to have power are the woman who dont want it? I suppose I could put that to the test.
I walked across the hallway, making sure to take a path that outdistanced and avoided any of the girls who were looking towards , giving them no chance to break away from their groups and sucking into a conversation I wasnt interested in having. I imdiately stood next to the strange girl. She noticed , but she didnt say anything. Therefore, I didnt say a word either. Instead, I just stood by her. She was looking out over the balcony at a lake down below. With the moon shining off it, it was actually quite beautiful.
Our backs were to the party, so no one could see if our mouths were open or not. In an instant, I had cut myself off from the rest of the party, and none of the girls would dare co out here and try to cause trouble.
Ah I was already falling back into old habits. Didnt I co here with the intent to find a queen? Now I was just trying to avoid everyone again. This kind of stuff was too difficult. I probably would just wait for the Queen to return and then Id let her make the connections. I didnt want to accidentally make any mistakes. I let out a long sigh.
The girls eyes flickered over to . Prince Caleb.
I smiled, Hey.
You havent been eting of late. I thought you had forgotten about us.
Us? I blinked.
Are you still having doubts about this? We made an agreent.
I dont I shook my head. Right, what of it?
If I pretended I didnt know, itd only backfire on , causing more problems. Rather, I decided to pretend I understood what she was talking about.
Che She put an ugly expression on her face. The revolution is coming. Your family line is at an end. Were less than half a year away from beginning. Everyone you know will be dead. This is the only way youre going to survive the coming storm, so itd be best if you didnt give your attitude.
My eyes widened. R-right, of course, what do I need to do?
The girl glanced around first before leaning forward. et in the greenhouse in an hour. Youll receive further orders.
The girl spun around and walked away, disappearing into the party room. I put my hand on my forehead. What in the hell? Just when I thought this whole thing was going to be simple. What did she say? Less than half a month? That ant whatever was going down was going to happen before I was out of here. Why did this freaking country have to be falling apart? Why did I have to be in the middle of it? I wanted to bla Lilith.
I finally turned around, preparing to face another round of won suitors when the doors which lead back to the council were shoved open. A large group of n ca out, and in the middle of them was my mother. I frowned as I looked at the group, which settled on a place at the top of a stairway to give their
Announcent
.
Ladies and gentlen, after careful discussion, the council has decided that Queen Talitha Sakina has not acted in the best interests of this country. For her dereliction of duty and in order to seek recompense, she will be given ten lashings, as per disciplinary law!
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