Another evening, another attendance with the Emperor. Teal entered the Emperor's quarters. His conversation with Satner had given him more confidence, and he was resolved to let the Emperor know that he was ready.

He came to a standstill when he crossed the threshold onto the Emperor's balcony and sighed inwardly. Delba was also in attendance, lying on some cushions, her head resting on her hand with her long, tousled hair around her shoulders. The Emperor was copying her pose opposite her, their attention focused on a game that consisted of cards and small sticks. There was no way Teal was going to throw himself at the Emperor and risk rejection in front of her.

"The same book?" Teal asked, bending down to kiss the Emperor's offered hand.

"A different one tonight. It's on the table," the Emperor stated.

Teal settled himself a short distance away and tried to ignore the fact that Delba was there as well. He gave one last look at the way the Emperor was lying and opened the book at random not taking notice of where it fell open. Delba's eyes flickered his way curiously due to his silence, and he quickly looked down.

Teal flicked through the pages searching for a poem, unable to decide, his leg bouncing in agitation. Finally, with one last flick of a page and a lift of his eyes where he caught the Emperor staring back at him as well, Teal chose a page not wanting to make the Emperor impatient.

"Is there a problem?" the Emperor asked.

"No, no! Not at all," Teal responded quickly. He picked up the cup that the servant had put beside him and took a quick drink, anything to calm his irritated nerves.

The Emperor went back to his game, but Teal wasn't able to focus. He read the poem lacking a fluid rhythm and lost his place time and again as he continued to look up and gaze at the pair only a short distance away. The Emperor: his broad shoulders, his arms, his chest...

When the Emperor glanced back over to him again, a slight frown on his face, Teal took a deep breath and looked back down to the page to resume reading, yet again.

All of a sudden, Teal felt a presence, and his head startled up to find the Emperor sitting beside him.

"You seem distracted," the Emperor stated simply.

"I'm sorry, really, I'll read another poem," Teal said quickly, his heart thudding, and he began to flick through the pages although he wasn't actually focusing on the words.

The Emperor reached for the book, pulled it free from Teal's fingers and tossed it onto the cushions beside them where it landed with its pages splayed out and its spine bent back.

"I don't think it's the poems that are the problem," the Emperor said, leaning closer. "Is there something you want, Teal?"

Teal looked at the Emperor and remembered Satner's words. He took a deep breath and slowly nodded.

"Delba," the Emperor called out without looking at her. "Leave us."

Their eyes remained locked as Delba quietly rose to her feet and left the balcony. When they were alone but for the two standard guards and servants that were always present no matter what, the Emperor spoke again, his voice low.

"And what is it that you want, Teal?"

Teal swallowed, his eyes never leaving the Emperor's. "I've heard that the view from your private chamber is quite spectacular," he whispered.

A silent pause echoed between them and before Teal could stop himself, he leaned forward, closing the distance, and placed his lips over the Emperor's. He remained cautious but feeling brave, he lifted his hand and brought it to the Emperor's cheek. He repositioned his mouth to capture the Emperor's lips in a more secure way, and pressed forward knowing deep down, if this wasn't what the Emperor wanted him to do, he would have stopped him immediately.

The Emperor began to kiss back, guiding Teal's mouth open. He placed his hand on Teal's waist and squeezed firmly, and Teal took it as permission and leaned his body closer, deepening his kiss even further.

The Emperor however, swiftly took control, and Teal submitted, the Emperor's hand coming up to hold Teal at the back of his neck. The Emperor pulled away slowly.

"I will you let think on that for a day," he said. "And I will let Jale know that tomorrow you will swear your loyalty to me and that afterwards, I will be expecting you in my private chambers. The view is spectacular."

Teal smiled, a mixture of happiness and relief. "You continue to torture me," he said, the smile still on his lips.

The Emperor leaned over him and kissed him again. "It's all part of the fun," he said as he pulled away, and passed Teal the book again.

>>

Jale impatiently waved Teal's eunuch away. "Allow me," he said, and he reached up to the complicated ties on his shirt.

Teal's neck itched. The stiff material was uncomfortable on his skin. It was late in the afternoon, and he was enduring Jale and his eunuch preparing him to swear his loyalty to the Emperor. He shifted from one foot to the other.

"Nervous?" Jale asked, making fleeting eye contact before he continued with his work.

"Yes," Teal admitted.

Jale kept his attention on Teal's shirt. "I should have had this conversation with you a long time ago, but did you enjoy everything you used to do with your old lover? What was his name again?"

The sudden mention of Cokrin stirred something inside of Teal, and a fond memory flickered across his face in an instant, although in his head it was as if it was suspended in time for eternity.

They had experimented together and discovered things about their bodies, unafraid of whether something worked or not, their friendship meaning they could easily laugh off when things hadn't worked or graciously ignore and pass on things they didn't like. "I always liked everything that Cokrin and I did together."

"Do you miss him?"

Bringing up Cokrin relaxed Teal. "Not in the sense of a lover missing each other. I miss his friendship. We used to talk about everything. We understood each other."

"He was your first and only, wasn't he?"

"Yes," Teal responded, running his hands over his shirt absentmindedly. "It's not the sex I'm worried about, though" Teal continued. "It's never been about that. Yes, I'm sure I'm not as experienced as you but..."

"You are mature beyond your years, Teal," Jale said softly.

"Why would you say that?" Teal asked.

"Because you are not afraid to point out your possible weaknesses and you try to not look at things from just one perspective." Jale took a long, deliberate pause. "What was something you preferred to do with Cokrin, sexually?" he asked carefully.

Teal paused at the sudden direct question. "What does the Emperor enjoy?"

Jale sighed. "I think you'd be surprised by what the Emperor enjoys," he said with a faint chuckle. "But haven't I taught you anything? I was asking what you enjoyed."

"I liked a lot of things we did, and Cokrin and I tried everything." Teal doubted himself and then added weakly, "I guess."

"Hmmm," Jale stated, appearing to be deep in thought while he tied the final knot. "Do not worry, Teal. The Emperor is very experienced."

"Thank you, Jale," Teal suddenly said. "For everything that you have done to make me feel welcome here."

"It's been a pleasure, Teal. I would have happily done it even if the Emperor had not ask me to do so."

Teal asked, even though he already knew the answer. "You can't be there at the ceremony, can you?"

"No, I swore my loyalty to the Emperor a long time ago," Jale replied humorously.

Their eyes met and something danced over Jale's expression, something that Teal tried to grasp at.

Jale stepped closer and touched Teal's hand. "Remember, only do what you want to tonight, Teal. No one here wants you to do anything that you don't want to do."

Teal nodded. "I'll remember."

Jale turned back around and picked up a large gold chest plate to which Teal's eyes widened in surprise. "It's the last piece to the outfit," Jale informed him seriously.

>>

Teal had placed so much importance on the ceremony, he was actually disappointed when it finished. The elaborate costume he was wearing indicated that there was going to be more to it when in truth, the whole ceremony lasted merely five minutes. It seemed the Emperor was certainly more interested in what activities were to take place afterwards. As it was, he found himself standing for the first time in The Hall of Memories, next to Opelan, his shoulders easily taking the burden of the heavy plated armor now covering his chest. Before him, stood the Emperor and only a short distance away, sitting in a row, the Grand Council to bear witness.

Teal gazed up at the Emperor in awe. He was also dressed in an elaborate outfit, head to toe with his traditional brown and gold. Today of all days, he looked larger and stronger than anyone else in the room. His upper body wore the armor of an Emperor making his already broad shoulders even more formidably wide. A sword hung on his hip, the largest sword that Teal had ever seen the Emperor carry at his side. The Emperor looked intimidating and powerful, but there, when Teal braved to make eye contact, his brown eyes were warm and kind.

On Opelan's instructions, Teal took his last kowtow uncomfortably aware of everyone's eyes on his shoulders.

"Rise, Teal," the old man instructed.

The Emperor suddenly drew his sword, the sound of it sliding along its sheath, loud in the silence in the hall. He held it horizontally in front of his body. He was still yet to utter a word.

"This sword," Opelan began, "is the sword that belonged to Emperor Leath the great founder of our beloved empire, the sword that killed our worst enemy. It now belongs to Emperor Rathner, son of Emperor Leath. Teal, you will now swear your loyalty on the blade that began this empire."

Teal raised his hand to the sword, gazing up at the Emperor as he did so. He took the full weight of it as the Emperor removed his hand. Teal's strength balanced the sword easily in his one grip. He had no idea how Lana would have managed to hold such an item though. The Emperor's hand landed directly over Teal's, and their eyes locked again.

Opelan began to speak, sentence by sentence, and Teal copied.

"I, Teal, of Hulena, hereby swear my loyalty to Emperor Rathner as concubine. I willingly and freely do so. At any time, I betray or work against the Emperor, the Emperor has the full right to end my life by use of this sword. My life is devoted to his happiness."

Heart pounding, Teal lowered his head and kissed the back of the Emperor's hand. Once he was done, the Emperor removed his hand from Teal’s and placed it back on the hilt before Teal removed his hand from the sword as well.

The Emperor locked his gaze with Teal's and without uttering a word, turned and walked out of the hall. The Grand Council loomed into his view, Teal’s first time in their presence alone. Stone faced and cold, they gazed down back at him. Opelan walked away and joined their side, leaving Teal to stand in the middle of the hall with his two guards at his back. The thought that he was going to have sex with the Emperor with his two guards present, was a fact that he was constantly pushing to the back of his mind.

After several minutes of silence, where an annoying trickle of sweat persistently wound its way down his spine, one of the Emperor's personal servants approached.

It was time.

The arrival of the servant meant that the Emperor was ready and waiting for him in his personal quarters. Teal took a deep breath, turned and followed.