The children walked into the dining room and found their seats at their table. Shaugn looked at them as they just stood without sitting.

"Sit down."

"The attendant is supposed to seat us."

Shaugn chuckled. "Are your hands broken?"

The younger ones looked at their hands then at the older children in confusion.

The first princess, Zoe, shook her head. "No, mother empress."

"Then pull out your seat and sit yourself."

"But-" the second youngest looked at the chair and scratched his head. "Mori didn't teach me this."

"Don't know how? Let me show you." Shaugn pulled out one of the chairs and sat down. "Now you try."

All the other children pulled out their chairs and sat down. The youngest ones were in awe. A few even struggled with the weight of the wooden chair. Some of the children were shocked.

"Wow."

"My nurse is so strong."

"Right, right."

Shaugn looked at the oldest prince who was standing with his arms over his chest and a sour look on his face. "Is there a problem?"

Sion was the first prince born from Sieh – the second consort of a royal family. This prince has been pampered and coddled since his birth. As the first in line for the throne, he was selfish, mean, and arrogant. No one dared speak a harsh sentence to him or they'd face the wrath of his mother. Many tutors and sword masters had been beaten or dismissed by her command if they displeased her precious son during trainings. After his poisoning, she became worse.

"This is beneath me. Servants are supposed to do this for this prince."

Shaugn fanned himself. "I see. It's beneath you."

"Yes."

Rotten children got under his skin more than shameless adults. Shaugn snapped his finger. Rou appeared out of thin air and knelt.

"Yes, your majesty?"

Shaugn pointed to Sion's seat. "Please remove this chair and put a pillow in its place."

Rou bowed and did as commanded. Sion's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. Shaugn smirked. "Now sit."

The defiant ten-year-old crossed his arms over his chest and stuck out his chin. "This prince will not sit on the floor like some lowly dog."

A creepy look crossed Shaugn's face as he walked closer to the child. Sion shivered and felt a chill up his spine. The empress was weak and easily bullied. No one respected him. This was not the empress from his memories.

Shaugn leaned down so they were eye to eye. "Do you really think you have a choice?"

Looking for help, Sion looked to his younger brothers and sisters who were watching with widened eyes. "I-"

"Rou, bring him out and give him to the kitchen staff to assist with washing pots and pans and scrubbing floors."

Seeing his options getting worse and worse, Sion bowed before he plopped onto the cushion. "This prince obeys the mother empress."

"Good." Shaugn looked at all of the children. "Let this be a lesson, none of you are above the emperor, empress, or the gods. You will treat everyone with respect and mind your attitudes. Your birthing parents are the only things separating you from the servants. Even a royal can fall from grace and richness. I will strip you of everything you own and let you live like a pauper while father emperor is away. Am I clear?"

The children nodded like bobbleheads. "Yes, mother empress."

Shaugn's eyes narrowed. "Sion, I didn't hear you."

Red-faced, Sion gritted his teeth. "Yes, mother empress."

"Good." Shaugn stood up straight and looked at all of the children. "I will be watching you during dinner. Anyone not eating properly will be punished."

As if he reached his limit, the second prince spoke through clenched teeth. His dark brown eyes blazed with indignation. "You can't do that."

Shaugn's lips curled in an evil smile. He leaned down so he was eye to eye with the little prince. His voice dropped to a whisper and his smile disappeared. "Watch me."

As if on cue, voices sounded behind them. Shaugn stood straight and fanned himself. Xoan entered the dining room with his consorts surrounding him. He had a look of annoyance on his face. A few consorts wanted to hold onto his arm but the chilling aura around him prevented them from doing so. The nursemaids walked over to wait on the children. Shaugn looked them over.

Most of the nursemaids were young women with plain appearances. They'd been with the children since they were born. In addition to the maids and servants, some of these women were errand girls for the mothers. He covered his mouth with his fan and narrowed his eyes. They needed to be regarded as enemies as well.

"What are you doing?" Shaugn asked the nursemaid for Xoan's third child.

The nursemaid paused. "I was tucking the napkin around their neck so they don't get food on their clothes, your majesty."

Shaugn cocked a brow. The child was eight years old. "Put it in their lap. They are old enough to eat without making a mess."

"But-"

Shaugn ignored her and spoke to the child. "You are a child of the emperor – a prince. You're not a swaddling. Even a toddler can be trained how to eat with dignity and elegance."

The child looked over at the younger children and saw that they were the only one with their napkin tucked under their chin like an infant. Their face flushed in embarrassment as they snatched the napkin off and laid it in their lap.

"Very good." Shaugn gave this little praise then looked at the nursemaids. "The servants will serve the food. Your only task here is to assist the small ones with cutting the food into smaller pieces. Everything else is up to the princes and princesses."

The nursemaids hesitated and looked at each other in question. Normally they had to do the serving of the children. This included cutting their food, filling their glasses, adding food to their plates, and wiping their hands and mouths. Now they were being told not to do anything.

A few nursemaids stepped back and folded their hands neatly in front. The only ones still hesitating were the maids from the most troubled consorts. Shaugn hid his smile behind his fan. As expected.

"Your majesty, my mistress has said I'm to stay by the prince's side at all times."

"Do you wipe his ass when he shits?" Shaugn glanced over at the second prince. "He's such a big boy. Does he not know how to hold his own parts to pee? Did no one teach him to wipe his ass?"

The nursemaid's eyebrows pinched together and her mouth opened in shock. "Your majesty!"

Shaugn turned to glance at the consorts. Sieh was red in the face. Her shoulders heaved up and down as she steamed in anger. Though he was talking to the maid, he looked her in her eyes. "Your mistress is a consort under the emperor. I am the empress. I am in control of the harem which includes your mistress, the children, and,"

He turned back to the nursemaid. "-you."

The nursemaid bowed and stepped back. "Forgive my ignorance, your majesty."

With a snort, Shaugn turned and walked over to Xoan and the consorts. The mothers looked like they'd swallowed lemons. A few of the others had faint smiles.

Shilian snorted with contempt. "Your majesty, the empress even picks on small ones. He is so unruly since his accident."

Xoan raised a brow.

Shaugn slowly fanned himself and looked at her with a trace of boredom. "Get used to it."

She gasped and put her hand over her heart. Her face turned red and her mouth flapped open several times without words.

Xoan took Shaugn's hand and lead him to their seats. He pulled Shaugn's chair out for him and pushed in his chair. He smiled and his eyes were full of love. Shaugn smiled and thanked him before he sat in his own seat. Xoan looked at his consorts who were still standing around the entrance. His eyes were cold and his voice filled with disinterest. "It's so noisy. This is how you behave before I leave? See if I decide not to come back."

"Your majesty!"

"Sire!"

"Silence. Sit or go in the yard with the dogs. I tire of the senseless dribble." With a wave of his fingers Radagar and the guards took a step forward.

Shaugn hid his smile behind his fan as the consorts looked at each other with wide eyes.

"Do hurry and decide," Shaugn took a sip of his water and looked over with a gloating smile. "The staff is waiting to serve."

As the consorts took their seats, Shaugn smiled with satisfaction. These bitches had no idea what was in store.