The First Dance

The ride to the palace was a little too long for my liking. Just a minute with Laika and the General felt like an eternity. Laika constantly flirted with him throughout and I had to partake in their conversation and smile like I was enjoying it as well.

As we went up the mountain where the palace was located I looked down at the Imperial City which lay in the valley below. As we climbed higher and higher the rest of the empire ahead came into view. A magnificent and mesmerizing view. As we neared the palace I was taken aback by just how massive it was. From the Imperial City, when you looked up at the palace on the mountain from which it overlooked you could tell it was big but seeing it in person it seemed to look so much bigger than that.

"Why are you looking at everything like it's your first time going to the palace?" The General asked a curious expression on his face.

"It's been a while since I've been here I'm just appreciating the view once again." I lied.

When we entered the palace gates, multiple invited guests were also arriving. A carriage would arrive at the entrance to the palace its occupants would get out and go into the castle and the carriage would go off making room for the next one. When our turn came we all disembarked from the carriages and went up the stairs that lead to the entrance.

Imperial Knights were standing on either side of the stairs as everyone came in. By the large doors stood a servant inspecting everyone's invitations. They had the emperor's seal which he was using to tell if the invitation were real or not. The ball tonight was a private event for nobles but the festival tomorrow was for all including commoners. We followed the rest of the guests as we went down a grand hallway and eventually reached two large open doors. Inside was a massive room where the ball was taking place.

Bright lights from the multiple torches lit the entire room, they almost looked like chandeliers from the high ceiling above. The stone walls had all kinds of intricate designs carved into them. A band was playing traditional Turk music in the corner keeping the room lively. At the front of the room was a podium where a throne from the emperor would be seated during the event.

Dozens upon dozens of guests were in the ballroom, They were all nobles of various rankings across the empire. Not all nobles were attending though, for example, Ayan's parents who were nobles weren't coming. I recognized some of them from Ayan's memories, I recognized some other Generals who were present and they had also brought their harems. They were all engaged in conversations with each other. The birthday bash hadn't started just yet as everyone was still arriving and the Emperor and Crown were still to enter.

As we walked into the room immediately some of the other guests noticed the General.

"General Kang you're here," One man said to him as he approached him. He was a high-ranking duke and had two wives with him. The two engaged in a short conversation

After a while, a servant then came to stand at the front of the room. "Now entering the room is his excellency and royal majesty Emperor Arsen, and his highness and heir to the throne Crown Prince Teon!" Soon the two walked into the room. Both were clad in royal attire.

The emperor looked dashing as he confidently walked into the room, he wore a royal well-tailored suit that showed his well-built muscled body through it. Compared to the robes he'd worn before that covered him up. His hair was neatly styled and tied at the back the rest of it coming over his shoulders. His presence alone had everyone standing at attention as he walked by.

The crown prince looked very handsome himself. He looked literally like a miniature version of his father in a similar royal-style suit, his hair was styled back nicely. Unlike the simpler clothing he'd worn the other times I'd seen him, he looked like royalty now.

When they came in the prince was taken away by his governess and his personal knight to take him around the room. The Emperor then began to greet some nobles in the audience. It was then that his majesty noticed General Kang. He then came towards us.

"Just the man I was looking for," He said.

"Your majesty," we all greeted in unison as we bowed before him.

His Majesty turned his attention to the harem. "It's lovely to see all of you again." He said as he briefly looked at each of us before his eyes finally landed on me. They then stayed focused on me for a little while longer as they narrowed slightly. I swallowed hard as I became nervous why was he looking at me like that?

After a moment he then looked away. "Please enjoy yourselves this evening," he told all of us.

"Thank you, your majesty," we replied.

"And congratulations on your pregnancy." He told Laika. "I wish you a safe and successful delivery."

"Thank you, your majesty," she said with a blush.

"Zaryn, will you accompany me?" He then asked General Kang.

"Yes, your majesty," he answered.

"I'm sorry ladies, I'll be taking your husband from you."

" Please go ahead," Laika told him.

We watched as he and the emperor walked away heading towards a group of men at the corner of the room they were the other high-ranking officials of the Empire. They were probably going to discuss some

"When do you think he'll allow me to call him Zaryn as well?" Maris asked with a dreamy look on her face.

The whole harem laughed. It's when I realized no one at the estate called General Kang by his first name which was Zaryn including his wives. We either referred to him as 'My Lord' or 'General Kang.'

Left to socialize on our own we pondered where we should go first. "Let's meet with the other wives," Laika suggested.

We all agreed and went to the corner where many wives had gathered and were talking with each other, their husbands having left them as well. As we approached some of the wives immediately recognized some of us.

" Maris!" "Laika!" One of them called out cheerfully to us. She then turned to the rest group she was with. "Ladies, General Kang's harem is here. " Soon the group of around 10 women surrounded us. From Ayan's memories, 6 of them were another General's harem, 2 of them were wives to a duke and the same was for the other two that were left. Some of the wives had children with them.

"How have you ladies been?" one of the women asked us.

"We've been well," Maris answered.

"Is General Kang treating you well?"

"Oh yes," Samira answered. "How are things in your harem?" They exchanged their greetings for a little bit. I just watched as they talked, Ayan never used to talk to other wives when she attended events. All she wanted was to be at General Kangs side.

"Laika, I hear you're pregnant!" Another one of them screamed out.

"Yes, congratulations."

As they congratulated her something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. One of the women was kneeling down and kept adjusting and fixing the hair of their young daughter. She wore an adorable brightly colored dress and her hair which was well-styled had been adorned with all kinds of little flowers. She looked like a little fairy.

"Your daughter looks so beautiful," Laika commented also having noticed her continuously adjusting the child's hair.

"Doesn't she?" She asked us with a grin. "She's 8 right now. That crown prince might be a brute but even he should know beauty when he sees it."

My eyebrows shot up in surprise at how casually she had insulted the prince yet simultaneously wanted him to choose her daughter.

"I wish my daughter was old enough, I would have brought her here to have a chance to dance with him too." Another woman commented.

I looked around the ballroom for other mothers with young daughters they were fixing them up last minute to look perfect. They were all hoping the crown prince would choose their daughter.

The main ball hadn't started just yet the first dance had to take place first, then everyone would partake in a series of different traditional Turk dances. The first dance would be carried out by the birthday boy himself, Prince Teon.

The Crown Prince was expected to pick a young girl around his age from the members of the audience for the first dance. Which is why so many mothers were prepping their daughters. Everyone in the room would watch as the two danced bringing attention to the chosen daughter.

Once the dance finished they would go up to the emperor who would be seated on his throne and receive his blessing. The mothers were hoping their daughter would be chosen so, (as they believed) she could possibly be considered to be in his harem in future.

We continued to talk with the group of women for a while, well I wasn't really saying much to be fair. I was just drinking a refreshment a servant had brought and listening.

In time the emperor soon sat on the throne. His secretary Duke, General Kang, and another General stood at his side. Everyone soon became quiet as the emperor sitting on the throne was a sign that the ball was about to formally begin.

A servant then came to stand in front of the podium. "It is time for the first dance!" He announced.

The crowd parted in the ballroom creating the space that would be required for the first dance. All the mothers with their young daughters made sure to stand in front of the two parted crowds so the prince could see their daughters easily. I also stood at the front among the other wives in Kang's harem. The other wives wanted to see clearly who the prince would pick.

The Crown Prince who had been with his governess this entire time soon came to the front of the room. He still had that grumpy look of his. I sighed internally he was going to scare away the girl if he looked like that.

He first looked behind at his father first who gave him the nod of approval and then he began to move in the space created by the parted crowd.

As he walked forward he looked from one side of the crowd to the next side looking at each of the daughters he had to select from. As he got closer to where I was standing in the crowd I realized he looked nervous.

I felt touched, that was so cute was he shy to dance with a girl? It was nice he had other emotions other than anger and grumpiness.

He searched through the crowd nearly reaching the end of the parted crowd. He then turned around and came back up looking for who to choose. All the women looked anxiously at the prince as they hoped their daughter was chosen.

Then his eyes landed on me and then they stayed there. He hadn't noticed me the first time he'd walked by. I blinked why he was looking at me? He stopped walking as his gaze on me continued. Everyone in the crowd was struck by the Prince's reaction. They all looked in the direction he was looking wondering who he had caught his eye.

He looked like he was thinking of something for a moment. Then suddenly he started walking towards me?? No, no it couldn't be me. I was imagining things.

Then reality soon slapped in the face as the prince came to stand right in front of me. He then bowed his head before me. "May I have this dance with you my lady?" he asked me.