The Emperor's arm dropped heavily onto Teal's shoulder in warning and from the corner of his eyes, Jale tapped the base of his cup twice with his finger, an indication to stop, to not talk.

Teal closed his eyes, hiding them from the swell of light that was beginning to surge forth. No matter what, he could not let those around the table see that occur. There was something else too, a surge from within, a panic that was transforming into something else as the adrenalin started to pump. He had never wanted to attack someone out of hate, defense yes, but not hate. Never before had Teal felt the urge to hurt someone. It was so uncharacteristic of his nature.

The guards behind the Emperor shifted.

Teal didn’t even have to look at them. He heard their weapons being drawn, and he sensed a change in their stance and demeanor. They weren’t aiming their weapons at Prince Yernal. They were aiming them at him.

Teal swallowed down the pain in that truth. That the Emperor, sitting beside him with his arm over his shoulder, had given that order. There was another hard cold truth within his bones however. The guards would be useless in stopping him from reaching Prince Yernal in time. They might succeed in killing him after, but Teal would get to the Prince first.

All of a sudden, seemingly out of nowhere, a touch, gentle and friendly, settled on his thigh. He felt Lana lean briefly against his arm, and he caught the scent of her gentle rose perfume. It brought him back, grounding him to the party, and when he opened his eyes, they were normal.

Teal moved back into the space under the Emperor's arm. He was still fuming inside. It had been a long time since someone had insulted him to his face, and then, he caught Prince Yernal’s eyes glide over Lana, lust and want written all over his face. Teal’s chest continued to move rapidly, trying to steady his breathing. He would never let Prince Yernal get anywhere near her.

"I have come to realize,” the Emperor stated loudly, “that our knowledge of this race is quite limited and, in some instances, not that accurate. But you'll have to forgive my new concubine. He has not been at the palace for long, and he is still learning the ways of the court. Forget about him for now and enjoy the night. We have prepared such a celebration and I know," the Emperor stated with a smile on his face, "the women are plentiful."

"Tell me," Prince Yernal suddenly began. "You proudly claim that your father dismantled slavery throughout your empire, but what is the difference between the consorts at your side and what occurred before your father's dynasty?"

"Simple," the Emperor spoke evenly. "My concubines and consorts are with me by choice and their choice alone."

Teal was surprised at how the Emperor was able to stay calm as if the topic of the conversation was no different than that of the weather.

The Prince laughed, an arrogant scoff. "I could guarantee that there are many slaves in my kingdom who would also state they are with their master by choice. Isn't it a person's filial duty to be a concubine if asked? As if a person could say no? I see no difference between the chains of slaves and the tattoos on your consorts' arms."

Out of the corner of his eye, Teal saw Jale take a deliberately long drink from his cup. He was becoming familiar with Jale's body language, and Teal could tell he was not impressed with the direction of this conversation.

"They don't usually kowtow," Prince Vox added, a weak argument. It was also common knowledge that he was more than fond of several of his consorts. "They kiss the back of his hand."

"My point exactly," Prince Yernal stated. "Simply replacing one act with another. Where is the difference?"

"The difference is," the Emperor stated still calm and collected. "Is that there is a mutual attraction and desire to be in the relationship. If the other person is not interested, then I am not interested. I relinquish them of their duties. I do not brainwash my consorts to be with me. All my consorts are happy in this one relationship. Now," he nodded towards the stage before Prince Yernal could speak again. "We are wasting time when we could be enjoying our evening."

Right at that moment, one of the women dressed provocatively behind Prince Yernal, lowered herself skilfully into his lap and whispered into his ear. Prince Yernal chuckled and brought his hand round to cup one of her buttocks.

"You're right," he said to the woman. The Prince turned back to the Emperor one last time. "You're braver than me," he said, and gave Teal one last, disgusted look. "If I preferred men, I would rather have his throat slit than have him touch me." He turned away and faced the stage, but not before the woman on his lap made direct eye contact with the Emperor and bowed her head a fraction.

"Let us continue with the celebrations," the Emperor motioned to the stage and immediately attention was turned, albeit several people still passed Teal the occasional curious glance.

No longer the focus, Teal let out a slow breath and willed himself to relax. His chest was still rising fast, his body still stiff next to the Emperor, and he had no doubt the Emperor could tell.

Teal leaned forward to take a drink easing himself away slightly, but the Emperor's hand remained firm on his shoulder, making it clear he should not move. It was only then Teal considered the level of trouble he might be in.

Jale had reminded him that he was to be always impartial and neutral to what was going on around him, that with an audience, he was to remain silent. His only concern was to ensure the Emperor's happiness. He wasn't even meant to speak to anyone but the Emperor until he finished his training, and he had just gone ahead and threatened the Prince who they had a trading agreement with. Fear shot through Teal. The Emperor must be furious.

Teal chanced a look at Jale as he took another sip of his drink, but Jale didn't look at Teal straightaway. It wasn't until one of the performers walked off the stage ten or fifteen minutes later that Jale leaned for some fruit and placed a plate in front of the Emperor allowing him to look Teal directly in the eye.

His face said it all.

What had just happened was serious.

Teal had dared to show his emotions not just in his face but in his body. He had scared Prince Yernal and those surrounding him. And not only that, he had opened the opportunity for the Prince to try to publicly humiliate the Emperor.

His heart pounded in his chest again. Lana's hand fell back on his leg seeming to sense his distress again, and she began to stroke his thigh, calming and soothing. It worked, and Teal decided the only thing he could do now was to follow Jale's lead on how to behave and what to do. Teal always ensured the Emperor's drink was full, waving to servants when it became too low, and ensured that the fruit and meat on the table was constantly replaced.

The atmosphere turned light. Before long, the crowd was quite intoxicated, and the performances changed to more background music and dancing. People moved away with their personal entertainment for the night into little alcoves with drawn curtains.

Lana also became more focused on what was going on around her, and Teal obeyed Jale's instructions to not speak to her. She sat motionless, her back forever straight and poised.

Emperor Rathner stayed at his spot at the head of the table, talking to guests who stopped by, all the while keeping a watchful eye on his guests to ensure that everyone was still having a good time.

Later in the evening, Teal noted that while he had been attending the Emperor, he had consumed a significant amount of wine. He sat up suddenly to pass more fruit and found his head spun in the process. Ignoring it was going to be impossible. He swayed and put one hand out to steady himself, his hand landing on the Emperor's thigh. His eyes settled onto the Emperor who stared straight back at him, the first time since he had made his mistake. Newfound fear spun through Teal. Would he now be in trouble again for becoming intoxicated? This night really couldn't get any worse, and Teal was ready to admit defeat.

The Emperor reached out his hand and cupped Teal's cheek, holding him still while he leaned over the Emperor's lap.

"Never let that happen again," the Emperor said, his voice low and with an authority Teal had not heard before, even when he had been spoken to for his midnight walk. Teal nodded, his heart pounding and dropped his gaze.

"Look at me," the Emperor demanded. Teal raised his eyes. "People are ignorant of who you are and here in the court, they will say whatever they want because they can. They may fear you, but they know the guards at your back will defend them. They will anger you, but you are my concubine now. That is your job and that is who you are. That is all that is important when you are by my side. Understand?"

Teal wasn't going to argue. If this was what his reprimand was going to look like, he would take it. He had come up with plenty of other ways the Emperor was going to punish him and none of them had been very pleasant. Realizing the Emperor was waiting for a response, Teal nodded.

"I'm sorry," he said softly. "Prince Yernal took me by surprise."

The Emperor continued to stare, his expression firm. Never before had Teal encroached on the Emperor's space on his own accord, one hand on the Emperor's leg, leaning into his body and only inches from his face unable to move back as the Emperor held him in place. Teal couldn't help his eyes from falling to the Emperor's lips, full and plump.

Teal subconsciously licked his own.

The Emperor watched and when Teal lifted his eyes again, the Emperor spoke, his tone much softer. "Drink some more wine," he instructed, and he let Teal go.

Shaking, Teal sank back and took his advice. He picked up the cup that had already been refilled and drank half of its contents. From then on, he didn't shy or tense up when the Emperor continued to enjoy his evening with his hand either stroking Teal's thigh or draped over his shoulder.

Soon enough, there were only the stragglers left behind and by now, truly drunk and unable to sit up, Teal watched the events of the party through half-slitted eyes. The Emperor's hand sat precariously high on his leg, and Teal sighed contentedly.

"Who would have thought," Jale said from Teal's other side, right where Lana had been sitting earlier. "That a man so resilient to Ashkin darts, would not be able to handle his wine."

Teal blinked in confusion. He had no idea how long Jale had been sitting there, and he was now confused as to whose hand had been on his thigh all along. Where Lana had disappeared to, he had no idea.

The Emperor focused his attention on the pair beside him.

"Most importantly though, is he enjoying himself?" the Emperor asked through the sound of the music and the people still talking around them. He leaned over Teal's chest and gazed down at him.

"I think so," Jale replied, his hand now firmly resting on Teal's arm.

Uninhibitedly, Teal lifted his hand and stroked the Emperor's face and smiled. "Yesssss," he answered, the word coming out long and drawled. He heard the Emperor chuckle and he touched Teal's face, his thumb pulling down on his bottom lip until it popped back up. His hand continued down Teal's bare chest. Their eyes locked.

"Very soon I will get you to swear your loyalty, Teal."

"I would like that," Teal answered. "I would also like you to kiss me."

"Really?" the Emperor asked, his voice filled with mirth. "You want me to kiss you? Are you sure you're not confusing me with Jale?"

Teal's head turned to gaze at Jale. "I'm not that drunk," he stated stubbornly. "I know who is who and yessss," he slurred looking back to the Emperor. "I would love to kiss Jale, but right now, I would also like to kiss you."

"You are a whole different creature when you are intoxicated," the Emperor said.

The Emperor leaned down then and brought his lips to Teal's, and Teal had enough state of mind to freeze and to be aware of the Emperor's actions. To be aware of the Emperor's warm body over his, the heat of Jale's body at his other side, the Emperor's lips firm but guiding over his own, and his hand coming to rest on Teal's waist.

Teal responded and dared to move his lips in kind. He tasted the wine on the Emperor's breath and the sweetness of the fruit he had been eating on the tip of his tongue and then, just as Teal gasped mid-kiss at how wonderful it was, the Emperor pulled away living Teal's mouth open wanting more.

The Emperor brought his hand back up to Teal's cheek. "Enjoy the rest of the evening," he said quietly, stroking his face one last time. Without another word, he moved off of Teal completely and turned to Jale who, as far Teal was aware, was just as drunk as he was but far more experienced in such affairs.

He heard Jale laugh and turned his head to see Jale flat on his back with the Emperor lying on top of him. Teal wanted that. He wanted to feel that but instead, Teal closed his eyes and passed out.