The 14th Concubine of a Harem King

To Catch a Fish

Sayra

"Porshelle's father has a bastard son. Fyria's mother is having an affair with her merchant supplier. They're short on funds so she's using him to keep herself dressed splendidly," I make my report as I usually do to the King. Queen Ulishi sits beside him in her nightgown on their couch. I sit across from them, maintaining a professional expression.

I always get called in the evening for appearances sake but what they don't know is the queen is usually there too. The room is lavishly decorated and a seductive scent fills it. I squirm a little. I feel uncomfortable coming here knowing people think we are all being intimate when in fact, I'm sitting rigidly across from them.
"And what about that Aurora, princess girl?" Asks the queen.
"Lorora," the king corrects. She frowns.
"Shes obsessed with fish," I reply drilly.
The king laughs. "I could have told you that."
"Must be because she's just like them. Ugly, unimpressive, uninteresting, floating around with no purpose or ambition. Making an absolute waste of space and only good to consume or tuck away in the back garden," I snap.
"Sayra, I've never seen you so heated. Not even at the gambling parlor where I found you," says Ulishi. Contrary to what's commonly known the one who brought me to enter the harem was the queen. Since then, we have worked closely together to keep the harem contained under our tight control.
"She threw up and excused herself just as things were getting interesting. So I followed her to make sure she would make it back safely, like a good person would, and you know what she did? That stupid, innocent little waif! She had been faking it the whole time! She stood up straight and walked home. She soaked her dress with our wine and didn't even drink it. An expensive dress! An absolute waste! At least waste a cheap one! That dress could buy a whole damn gambling parlor!" My face grows hot in anger.
"So, she is cautious. That seems normal for a woman of her background," says Ulishi.
"Perhaps, but you know what she said when she reached, her plain, ugly, boring little house??" I snap. "She called me a disgusting woman! A commoner with no class or grace."
The king chuckles.
"After I returned half the girls went home so the evening was nearly wasted and I had a sour taste in my mouth."
"Ah, she's a challenge. Think of the reward after you've put her in line!" Says the king.
"What kind of reward?" I cock my head in his direction.
"For something useful, something that compromises Aryalia, a title, land and a noble husband of your choosing," he replies.
My eyes sparkle. "What about a yearly allowance as well?"
"That will require more information."
"Taking down a princess is different from noble ladies. She's taught to be wary from a young age and has to fight to stay alive among her other royal siblings. That's why we named our crown prince so early so none of the others would get ideas," says Ulishi. "Speaking of which, Porshelle's boy has been putting on airs, humiliate her for me, so they know their place."
I nod. "No problem. That won't be difficult."
"If she's a fish, you just have to catch her," says the king like he knows what he's talking about. "It takes patience and planning. Gain her trust, make her rely on you, then before you know it, you'll be pulling her in!" The king laughs, obviously happy with his metaphor.
I try not to roll my eyes.
"She seems close to her maid..  just do what you did with Vahalia's longterm maid. She was much easier to deal with when she didn't have someone from her home that she grew up with," says Ulishi.
I nod, that's not a bad plan. She's a rich girl. Rich girls are prone to be suspicious of their help, no matter how much they act like they don't. I grin.
"That could work!"