His Favored Empress

Identity

A cloth appeared in his hand and he pressed it to his nose. Shaugn felt like he was having an information download like a computer. So many images. Emotions. The people. The knowledge. Everything that made this person him.

The pressure inside his skull was excruciating. He took deep breaths trying to absorb the information he was being shown. His name here was Shaugn as well. The last names were different but the looks were almost identical. He was still thirty-six only he was married and his husband was the emperor named Xoan Longwei. That meant he was the empress. The empress of a nation. A royal. 

A royal with a young ass husband.

Shaugn was the oldest son of a talented but reclusive physician and a midwife. He was an only child after many years of trying; spoiled and doted on. Surrounded by herbs and the healing arts, he had been a physician at a young age. A simple man who loved nature, he spent most of his time away from his clinic in the mountains or in his garden.  He didn't leave home until he was married.  

 Shaugn tried hard to grasp how he ended up meeting the emperor but that memory seemed to float away. What he could figure out was, after a courting period of a year, the emperor asked for his hand. To show his sincerity to Shaugn and his parents, the emperor made Shaugn his empress. This angered most of the ministers, generals, consorts, and the fathers of his consorts.

Consorts. Plural.

The pressure on his skull began to ease up. Shaugn removed the cloth and dabbed at his nose a few times. This sort of thing was common in many ancient societies so Shaugn thought nothing of it for Xoan to have multiple wives or husbands. So many things could happen. A ruler needed as many children as they could get.  What shocked him most was that his body was something special. He had the ability to bear children.

The man and woman knelt down on the floor as Shaugn opened his eyes. "We are sorry your majesty. Forgive us for our ignorance."

These two were almost as fussy as his mother. Shaugn rubbed his forehead and sighed again. What was there to forgive?  "It's fine, it's fine. Before the emperor returns with the physician, please tell me everything you know. Help me...jumpstart my memory."

The three looked at each other and shrugged. The guard took one step from the door.

"My name is Radagar." He put his right fist over his chest and bowed. I am your personal guard. There are four regular guards and a dozen shadow guards with you at all times. This is Kazim-bo and Akechi-nan."

The older man and woman touched their foreheads, then put a hand over their hearts, before they bowed at the waist. Shaugn raised a brow. How elaborate.

Radagar continued his spiel. "They are your personal attendants. They take care of your daily needs and any special requests. They handle communications from you to the servants from the gardener, to the cooks, maids, accountants, and so on."

Shaugn gave a slight nod. "How many servants are there?"

"In your palace, twenty."

Worried he wouldn't remember all their names, Shaugn let out a breath of relief. That wasn't so bad.

Radagar continued. "In the entire palace, there are over six hundred."

Shaugn's mouth dropped open. Six hundred! He could barely remember half the students in his class without his attendance sheets. How was he going to remember the names and faces of six HUNDRED servants?

"Why so many?" he muttered. His frown deepened as a thought crossed his mind. That number was just the servants. "How many guards?"

"They number in the thousands. Just in this palace. Outside the palace there are more."