PORCELAIN ── men of the harem

𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐍.

PORCELAIN, © silkenpearls
MEN OF THE HAREM ▋ . . . ＃
( BLACK BACKGROUND, ANY FONT ; SMALLEST SETTING )

ooo. ⠀ ⠀ The House of Ambrose was one of the founding families of the Tarium Empire. A Family so deeply rooted in the history of the empire, they were practically the second Imperial Family. And known as the House of Empresses ── generations and generations of empresses had belonged to the intricate and pedigreed family tree of the House of Ambrose. And Emperor had chosen young Araminta Ambrose to be the Empress of his son and the crown prince, Raean.

ooo. ⠀ ⠀ Raean and Araminta had been the most darling pair of lovebirds in all of Tarium, the perfect emperor and empress. That was until Raean stepped down. Araminta had been completely and utterly shattered. Like a porcelain doll, she had taken quite the fall. 

ooo. ⠀ ⠀ And when given the choice to step down as crown princess consort to live a peaceful life with Raean, or to continue to be the crown princess consort regardless of who would be next in line, Araminta had chosen the reasonable thing to do, which was to keep her position. She had always been taught by her mother that she must be selfish in order to survive the cutthroat world of high society. And Araminta knew well there was no other option, what would people think of her? As the pitiable deposed crown princess? No, she would rather a hundred people scorn her for being selfish than one person pitying her. 

ooo. ⠀ ⠀ To the surprise and delight, the emperor had chosen Princess Latrasil to be heir ── as tradition went, after the son of the empress, it would be the daughter of the empress. But there were certain rules when it came to a female emperor. 

ooo. ⠀ ⠀ It was rare to have a female ruler of the empire. One of the many different circumstances is that there would be two consorts ── an empress and a royal consort. While the royal consort would be the husband of the emperor, the empress was more of an official partner than a wife. It had been something created since the first female emperor of the empire, something to keep the political balance within the court. That way, an empress would keep the royal consort in check and the royal consort could do the same to the empress. And the royal consort and the empress would share the same responsibilities and the same jobs. 

ooo. ⠀ ⠀ Araminta did not mind this new arrangement ── she secretly much preferred it. Because if Raean had become the emperor, he would need to have consorts and concubines to keep the empress in check. And Araminta would much rather be a spinster all her life than watch her husband love another woman.