His Favored Empress

Mother Empress

Shaugn took a moment to return to his room to gather his thoughts. For the first time since he arrived in this world, he would be face to face with all the consorts and children. He quickly took out a sheet of paper and wrote the names of the consorts on one side and their children on the other. He reminded himself that in feudal times, the palace was a treacherous place. Not only did he have to be on guard against the consorts, but children could be used as weapons as well.

Xoan had twenty consorts but thirteen were untouched. They were easiest to deal with since they had lower status. four had children and three were men. The ones with children were slightly more problematic to deal with. Ancients put heavy importance on lines of succession so the mothers with sons were put on a higher pedestal than the others. Almost half of the consorts came from noble families, military families, or were children of allies. These would be the most difficult to deal with. They had strong backing whereas OG had been the son of a doctor; prominent though not as high up as the other families.

Shaugn searched through the memories from OG and wrote down descriptions for each of the consorts and their children. He took a few moments to memorize the names and physical descriptions before tucking the paper in a book inside his nightstand drawer. The door creaked open and Xoan strode into their bedroom.

"Done with court?"

Xoan nodded. "Aya." He held his hand out to Shaugn. "Ready to go?"

Shaugn clasped his warm hand and smiled. "Yes, your majesty."

Xoan snorted and kissed his cheek. He looked Shaugn over and adjusted his belt before leading him out of the room. Akechi and Kazim followed behind them. Radagar and the guards flanked them on both sides. Daga walked at Shaugn's side with his head held high.

Shaugn's stomach was twisted in knots and his chest felt congested. Not since he came out to his parents had Shaugn been this nervous. Remembering he was a modern man with more smarts and sophistication than those consorts he was about to deal with, he squared his shoulders and held his head high. He opened his fan with a swish as they made their way to the family dining room.

There was a small reception hall where people could mingle and have drinks or appetizers before the main meal. It was just as lavish as the dining room except it had sofas and armchairs for people to sit if they didn't want to stand. The s"sound of talking and laughter greeted their ears as they entered the hall just outside the reception area. Children running amok climbing and jumping on furniture while their mothers chatted away is what they saw when they entered. Shaugn frowned and snapped his fan shut.

What was wrong with these people? Did they not see what was going on? How could they let the children run around and not chastise them? Many pieces of furniture were expensive and brought from foreign lands. Some pieces were heirlooms. Not to mention the expensive and antique vases filled with the lovely florals that Shaugn asked the gardener for just hours ago.

These were children with royal bloodlines. They were supposed to be more reserved and respectful. Even his own nieces and nephews were more disciplined and knew running around indoors was a no-no. Shaugn pulled away from his escorts and stormed towards the children.

His eyes and tone were frigid. "What do you think you're doing?"

The younger children stopped in place and lowered their heads. A few of the other children kept playing. One of them was bold enough to reply. "We're having fun. Go away."

This was one of Shilian's children – Lian the third prince. Like mother like child. Gritting his teeth, Shaugn grabbed the back of the child's shirt and yanked him into the air so they were eye to eye. "Who do you think you're talking to? I am the empress. You will show some respect."