Chapter 1: The Showcase

"Aye, Nara, you are out early today!"Sir Gilbert shouted above the din of the market.

I blinked, only hearing him after a few heartbeats."Yes, Sir Gilbert. The entrance examination is in two days. I will have to work extra." I said and gave the merchant the brightest smile I could.

"What?! I did not hear you, Nara!" Sir Gilbert shouted leaning forward. Poor Gilbert. Caducity was wearing his ears out. If I could make extra coins today or even one Silver coin, I would get him a hearing aid. Getting a Silver coin would be too much to ask. It was like getting blood from a turnip. In Astros, Gold coins were the highest denominations that only the Nobles possessed. By Nobles, I mean the higher-ups. Then the Silver coins which Nobles and Merchants possessed. Then the Copper coins, which the lower Nobles had. The lower nobles were different from the Nobles as they were not as rich as the Nobles or Merchants. Last of all was the brass coins. We, the Peasants worked a whole day to earn just two of those brass coins. A hundred brass coins make one copper coin. A hundred copper coins make a silver coin. A thousand Silver coins make a Gold coin.

Sir Gilbert was a lower Noble. He would be able to get a hearing aid if he wanted to but he was usually too busy to pay attention to details. It may not have crossed his mind yet. More so, I doubt his wife would let him take anything from me. Aside from the usual scorn I received from everybody, she felt I was out to steal her husband as Sir Gilbert had always shown me care and affection.

I shuffled my tin to my left hand and covered my mouth with my right hand. "Have a nice day Sir Gilbert!" I blew him a kiss before I continued walking the din streets of Astros.

The market roared with rage as it was now awake from its peaceful slumber. Its usual smell of smoky lanterns, fresh vegetables, and sewage filled the air. The crowd had come alive and was a huge one regardless of how early it was. Each person in the crowd moved as if unseeing hands dragged them this way and that, pulling their eyes on one thing or the other...and the merchants? While some were chattering away, a few were shouting atop their voices the price for their goods.

"Make way for me. Make way. Buy vegetables. One brass coin." I turned around and noticed a boy, possibly younger than my brother, Kevan, pushing a carriage full of fruits and vegetables. I backed away from him so he could get through. He smiled.

"Thank you m'l..." When his dark eyes landed on me, he gasped. "Witch!" He cried. His tiny childlike voice rose in the market rendering everyone else silent. I took my eyes off him and slowly, I looked around me. The crowd had stopped moving. They only stared at me and the people who were inches away from me took far steps from me. I looked away from them and moved my feet forcefully. I took a few steps awkwardly before I successfully steadied myself. I tried not to look up while I walked but my eyes refused to stay down. Their loathsome stares and comments shook me like they always did and I almost slipped. There was no getting used to it.

They avoided coming in contact with me like I was some plague and whenever I was in sight, they would hold their children like I was going to hurt them. Some women my age pointed at the scarf on my head and snickered.

Sometimes I feared they would get bold enough one day and pull my scarf off my hair. Then they would surely tie me to the stake above the Astros everlasting flame and burn me alive. My hair was as blue as the Assarian ocean...and my ear...the tips were sharper than the Emperor's finest blades. None apart from my brother had seen any of it and yet they hated me. Perhaps it was my eyes. They were as golden as the sun that radiated down on my alabaster skin. I remembered mother's words before she died.

“ I've shielded you from the world but I can't anymore. It won't be long now. ”

“Why mama, do you sound like you're leaving me?” I cried.

“Don't cry, child. Be strong. For your brother. For your father. Your ears, keep them hidden. You can't let anyone see them. They'll kill you.”

“Why mama? I haven't done anything wrong, mama. Why are my ears different from yours? Why is my hair blue and not black like yours mama?”

“You took after your grandfather.”

“But grandfather has brown hair mama.”

She'd smiled weakly and wheezed. “You're different Evanara. People will hate you for it. Keep it hidden. If possible, hide your hair as well. Only long enough for you to...”

I never got to hear the last of it. She'd drifted off and did not speak again. I dispelled the memory from my head and kept walking.

The more I tried to shut them out, their whispers grew louder like they were shouting and screaming in my face.

"Witch."

"She killed her parents."

"Poor Kevan..."

"She'll kill the poor boy soon..."

"Why hasn't she been killed yet?"

I clutched the tin I held tightly and the sharp edge dug into my palm. I ignored the pain and increased my pace, running from their words that stuck to me like leeches in a pool. I needed to get to the Circle. If the other dancers got there before me I would not earn as much as I needed to. I took the turn to my right and I found the shortcut I often used to get to the circle.

It was silent as usual and I followed the path on the grass until I found a clearing. I smiled to myself feeling very happy.

Upon arriving at the Circle, I noticed Gaia and Erika chatting with each other. Upon noticing me Erika whispered something and Gaia turned slightly. Gaia's dark eyes took me in and I saw a grin coming up and soon she burst into laughter.

It was probably my big gown. I was the only dancer who had so many clothes on. So much that I looked like a bag of beans.

Dancers in the Astros Empire were very much reduced to nothing. We were seen as no different from the courtesans. None of us danced for the joy of it. We were simply desperate. Peasants never got employed. We were regarded as spineless thieves that did not deserve a penny and that is exactly how we were treated. Now, every dancer in the Circle dreamed of one thing. To be recognized and taken before the Emperor. Previous Emperors would often take dancers as their concubines as they were said to have the strange ability to keep men happy...but that was how high we were allowed to dream. Not me though. I did not have dreams of my own. Who was I to dream? Kevan's dream became mine and I have struggled to make every one of those dreams come alive.

I ignored Gaia and Erika as I was unfazed by their attitudes. I was never one to go unclad on account of gaining a few brass coins. One look at them and I got irritated. Gaia's white gown had a transparent top and she was not wearing a corset today. Her nipples stuck out of the transparent material and I was forced to look away from her. Unfortunately, my eyes landed on Erika's exposed breasts that were spilling out of her bodice.

I looked down at my bare foot that stung on the hot grounds. I could not afford a pair of slippers so I was always on my bare foot.

"You have not heard, have you?"

I recognized Gaia's voice but I did not raise my head.

"There is no show today. It is the showcase of maidens today."

Then it was not my big clothes. I looked up from my toes. Maiden's showcase? I did not know about it. What did they need a showcase for? The emperor already had a wife.

"It is alright if you did not hear about it. You would not be noticed there." Erika said approaching me.

I felt my heart get crushed. Not because of Gaia’s words but for Kevan. I needed the money for his lessons. I had saved a lot but I needed a hundred more copper coins. I turned around and started walking home. Kevan. What would I do? What could I do?

*********

Gawain

It was dawn and the whole of Astros had gathered at the castle's front.

Upon my entrance, I was announced and the whole of Astros bowed before me. I raised my hand and the Herald shouted.

"You may rise."

I took my sit on the throne and sighed, tipping my head forward to rest it on my fist.

"Are you alright?"I looked up to see Empress Dowager settling in beside me on my left. I smiled. “It is nothing, Mother. I weary of these matters.”

She smiled back, looking at my people. “It will be over before you count a hundred breaths, my lord.”She reassured. A quick nod from me and she continued to observe the maidens before us, all vying for the position of Royal Consort for the royal family. My family.

The chair beside me was vacant and I searched with my eyes around for my Empress. Katherine emerged from the Palace doors looking as stunning as usual. Her delicate ivory shoulders were exposed and her yellow curls fell down her back. Her lips were tinted red and her skin flawless. Her grey eyes that usually sparkled with happiness was rather dull today.

“Come Katherine. It is about to start." Mother said rather gleefully. I could not understand how mother could be so insensitive in these kind of matters. She was a woman like Katherine. How could she not see Katherine's suffering? Asking a woman to choose a concubine for her husband was very cruel.

I did not want to come. Empress Dowager should have just chosen me a concubine like she chose me a bride but she cajoled me into coming as she saw an importance in me being there as the mother of my heir was to be chosen. Empress Dowager was a very pervicascious person. Once she had something in mind,there was no going back.

Katherine sat beside me and when I gazed upon her,she curtsied and gave me a sad smile. I only wished I could take away her sadness but I could not. As if it was not enough that I did not love her as much as she deserved, she was also barren. Very barren. The royal Physicians had tried all they could. They gave her the best treatments for fertility but it was a lost cause.

"Permission to begin,sire?" The herald's voice boomed across the frontier. I closed my eyes and nodded. I stared at the Herald blankly as he opened an extremely long scroll. Nice. We would spend the night here for sure.

"Lady Keres,daughter of King Haemon of Elwae, step forward."

A red head walked out of the crowd elegantly, flaunting her beauty and holding the hems of her gown high as she walked. Her breasts looked like they were going to spill out of her bodice and her face had a major disaster on it.

I caught Empress mother's glance with my side eye and I figured she wanted a reply from me.

"Nay mother." I said and she nodded. I gave the same reply to about ten more that were dressed the same way.

Over dressed?Nay.

Exposed cleavage? Fat chance.

Too much face paint? Pigs might fly.

Over confident? She could as well take my throne so that was out of question.

Too much poise? That was not a thing but I did not have a picture of what I wanted.

We sat there for hours and I noticed as worry etched on Empress Dowager's forehead. I almost broke into a laugh. Poor mother. I had no plan to choose any stuck up King's daughter to be my concubine. They were well trained thieves. Worse than the peasants that had no place to rest their heads.

My eyes caught sight of Imperial Prince Dameon. The older Prince,my brother. He was exiting the Palace gates with a few knights. I would give anything to be the one going on dangerous missions and not sit on the throne all day like a convalescent. Prince Dameon did not think so though. He had never liked me as I had posed a threat to his right to the crown. Well, he had been right because here I was, in his rightful place.

The Emperor, our father, had chosen me to be the Emperor on the grounds that I was very rational and unbiased. He totally trusts my judgement. Unlike Prince Dameon, who always acted without thinking about the future. If he felt someone was wrong, he would throw that person straight in the everlasting flames of Astros. If he was found guilty, he would not be remorseful. Yet,I always felt it was not right,what the Emperor did. Nothing could be done about it now.

I stayed quiet and gave negative replies until mother no longer sought my opinion. She made a few choices of her own and as per tradition, they would be welcomed into my castle where she would prepare them for the tasks for which they would perform to officially become my consorts. If she found any one of them lacking, she would send them back home.

I hated all of it. The traditions, the processions, my title, my prickly crown, the greedy members of my council, sitting and not even being able to fight my wars as Emperor. I hated my life as Emperor. There was not one person who treated me like who I truly was. A simple man. Except Orien, my best friend.

I stole a glance at mother. She sure seemed giddy and excited about me finding a consort and making babies. I sighed. The cut on her lip was nearly gone but still visible. She should know of all people that these things do not work out. Herself and Father were an example of a failed arranged marriage. Marrying Katherine was one thing. I cherished her. A lot but it was nothing more than that. Now I was supposed to have more women running around my castle with pretty clothes and sickening giggles. As if there were not enough of them already. The courtiers were annoying enough. Fake smiles and batting eye lashes at me constantly, snooping around for the latest bit of information to sell to the highest bidder, coming to seek the Emperor's favor with colorful and painted faces and indecent dresses, running around my court for their tea parties.

I really envied Dameon. I would do anything to switch places with him. He got to see the world and all of it’s fineries and i get to commune with clowns and laugh with them. When I sighed again, Katherine placed her hand atop mine. "It will be fine, my lord." She gave her broadest smile.

I watched her warily. Katherine was a lot of things. Kind was not one of them. I smiled back at her, mostly because I knew she was not going to make it easy for the consorts. Hopefully, she would chase them all away from my castle before I go insane. Aye. I needed a drink.