His Favored Empress

Gloves Off

Jazzaaia and Dane's eyes widened. Malek raised a brow. The son of a general and a military man like Dane, he paid no attention to the happenings of the harem. If he wasn't practicing swords or fighting, he was training the guard, or tending to the war horses.

The empress took all the things they'd done in the dark and threw them out into the open for everyone within earshot to bear witness to. These were offenses that could get them kicked out of the harem if not sent for punishment. Just how much didn't the emperor know?

For a while, no one spoke. Who knew today's lunch would turn into this? Wasn't the empress embarrassed? What did this mean?

"You're not embarrassed to say all these things?"

Shaugn stood with his drink and took a few steps. He raised a brow and took a sip. "Should I be?"

Jazzaia frowned. "It shows you're incapable of running the harem."

Not one to take blame for anyone's deeds, Shaugn shrugged. "Or maybe the harem is filled with poisonous serpents who only know to bite and spew their poisonous tongues while robbing the palace and the people of money."

Sieh stuck her chest out and put on a proud look. "Aren't you embarrassed that the staff knows?"

"They already knew. I'm just throwing your secrets out in the open so that everyone knows what it is you are all about. " He started walking around the table. "Let people see what good, noble, benevolent consorts our beloved emperor was blessed with."

Ahta's brows were drawn over her dark eyes in confusion. She looked up at him as he passed her chair. "So you're doing this to expose us and yourself?"

Shaugn opened his arms wide with a brilliant smile. "For all to see."

"You be careful that we don't tell our families and they clean you up" Goren's words slurred as he looked up with glassy eyes. "You don't want to do this." He shrank his neck as Shaugn stood by his chair.

Shaugn tugged on his cheek. "Oh but I do and I have." He took another lap around the table raising his voice. "I want to tear the masks off every member of the harem. Let the proud noble families get a good look at their precious seedlings."

He finally stopped by Shilian's chair and place his juice down. The maid turned consort sat with her back straight and a look of disgust on her face. Sitting on the left of Shilian, Sieh wrinkled her nose at him.

"You don't want to tear your face with our families. They're powerful people. You can't afford it."

"Don't you worry about what I can afford." He took a few steps then stopped. He turned back with a smile on his face. "Since we are...'tearing faces' as they say, so be it."

Before anyone knew what was happening, Shaugn grabbed Shilian's arm and wrenched it behind her back. Then he grabbed the back of her neck and slammed her face into her bowl and held it. Soup poured over the edges of the bowl and onto the table. The violent banging of the table and rattling of dishes shocked everyone. A few people rose from their seats to scold but were frozen in place by the cold, murderous eyes of the empress. An aura filled with killing radiated out of him making the consorts break out in a cold sweat.

What was wrong with the empress today?

"Guards, anyone standing, you break their fucking legs for me! See if any of you dare stand against me in the future!" Shaugn ignored Shilian's struggling and pounding on the table. His voice rang throughout the dining hall making the guards tremble.

Before the guards could move, those standing retook their seats. Except for Sieh. Shaugn's gaze landed on her.

"If she doesn't retake her seat by the count of three, break her legs and throw her in the dungeon until the emperor returns."