Chapter 36


    The Diamond Pce


    The Imperial Concubine’s tone didn’t leave Cassandra with much of a choice. Seeing how her Prince


    didn’t react, the young Concubine walked closer to his mother, wondering what was expected of her.


    *Let’s see.”


    As soon as she was close enough, Concubine Kareen stood up to face her, and Cassandra realized


    how tall the woman really was. She looked a lot like her children too, with her tanned skin, straight


    nose, and angr jaw.


    “She is too thin. Even for a ve. And your skin is very white. Are you from the south, child?”


    “Yes, Imperial Concubine,” said Cassandra, bowing slightly.


    “Do not bow so low! You are an Imperial Concubine. Hold your rank. You look like anyone could


    trample all over.


    you.”


    Cassandra blushed and straightened her back. The Imperial Concubine slowly walked around her,


    scrutinizing everything for what seemed like hours.


    “These hips are so narrow. And you need to eat more. But, at least you’re pretty.”


    Concubine Kareen let out a sigh and turned to her son.


    “So? What is your excuse for not introducing her to your mother sooner, Kairen?”


    But the Prince remained silent, only walking up to Cassandra to put an arm around her. His mother


    pursed her lips as she turned to Shareen.


    “What about you, Daughter? Do you think I don’t know how you behave in the Pce?”


    Shareen stayed silent like a child caught misbehaving, crossing her arms and looking everywhere else


    but at her mother.


    “Mother. The egg.”


    Kairen’s cold voice got his mother’s attention. She turned to him with her hands on her hips.


    “Is that all you came for? Well, I’m not going to just hand it over that easily. You’ll all stay and have


    lunch with me for once. The one time youe to see your mother.”


    She pped her hands and a bunch of servants came in bowing.


    “Actually, let’s have lunch now. In the Courtyard.”


    Immediately, most of the servants rushed out to prepare their meal, only a few of them remained by the


    Imperial Concubine’s side. She let out a dramatic sigh and turned to her children again.


    “You two better behave. I am too old to scold you.”


    Cassandra couldn’t help but wonder how old she actually was. She didn’t look much older than her


    children! As Shareen and Kairen were probably in their mid-twenties, their mother could be about forty.


    Her make-up was lighter than what Cassandra had witnessed on other women of that age, too. She


    was a natural and overwhelming beauty.


    “Come, let’s go outside where it’s warm. You must be cold all the time, living in that dark ce.”


    Cassandra realized she was talking about the Onyx Castle. She followed after the Imperial Concubine,


    who was nonchntly walking through the corridors to arge open area. As they walked, Cassandra


    noticed Kareen wasn’t wearing shoes under her long pink dress, but her bare feet didn’t seem to mind


    the uneven floor where the stone was sometimes crossed with patches of wild grass.


    “Here, have a seat.”


    The Imperial Concubine’s outdoor garden was a beautiful space. It had walls and pirs around it, but


    no roof. A few branches covered just enough of the sky to provide some shade and relief from the


    direct sun. It was like something out of a fairytale. The floor was only flowers and grass, and every


    surrounding inch had some green on it.


    It seemed like the ce had been abandoned for centuries to the wild, as the stones had weathered


    and ivy had taken over. Cassandra instantly loved it. Though she was feeling a bit shy and stuck close


    to Kairen, she couldn’t help but nce at every little wild flower there.


    “Sit here, child. What is your name?”


    Concubine Kareen gestured to the seat right next to her, startling Cassandra a bit. As she took the


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    seat, Kairen sat across from her to his mother’s left. It was a round stone table of a decent size, not too


    big, but just cozy enough.


    “Cassandra, Imperial Concubine,” she answered.


    “Cassandra. You’ll call me Concubine Mother from now on.”


    “Yes, Concubine Mother.”


    Around them, the servants enthusiastically brought as much food as the table could hold. There was


    the usual cheese, meat, and fresh fruits, along with some dried fruits, vegetables, brown rice, and


    cakes. Just as Shareen was about to take some, a re from her mother had her pull her hand back.


    “Let’s drink first.”


    Without dy, a ss of wine was ced into Cassandra’s hands.


    “Mother, do not force her to drink,” said Kairen with a frown.


    “It’s fine. I had a cup once in a while when I was pregnant with you. This one isn’t strong anyway, it’s


    mostly juice. She can have some tea next.”


    Cassandra brought the smallest bit of wine to her lips and indeed, she did not taste the alcohol at all,


    only the


    sweet grape.


    “Where are you from?” Concubine Kareen asked, as she took a sip of her own drink.


    “From the Rain Tribe in the south. I was born there and was…brought to the Capital when I was a child,


    Concubine Mother.”


    “A Southern Tribe? How interesting. Your people were known for wonders in medicine and agriculture.


    How shameful that such bright people disappeared over those barbaric wars. Had you achieved any


    proficiency before that?”


    “I did. I use my medical knowledge at the Military Camp, Concubine Mother.”


    Immediately, Imperial Concubine Kareen red at her son.


    “You took your concubine to the camp? Among so many men? I thought you knew better, Kairen!”


    “She is my concubine. None of my men would dare to…”


    “Of course not! But a military camp is still no ce for a concubine! How selfish of you. You may be


    strong, but you underestimate others. Don’t you know how easy it is to die? You are being naive, my


    son. Your concubine doesn’t have the Dragon’s blood!”


    Cassandra looked down. The Concubine Mother seemed acutely aware of the struggle to survive that


    didn’t seem affected.


    “Anyway. Your concubine shall stay here from now on.”


    “No.”


    Cassandra was caught between a new exchange of res between mother and son, and they were


    totally overwhelming her. The Concubine Mother wanted her to stay here? Why? And for how long?


    Realizing her son wasn’t going to give in, Kareen turned on him.


    “You have grown up far too sheltered by your Father, Kairen. Do you know how hard it is to keep a


    child alive in this Empire? Your brothers will be after her like dogs after a bone! If she returns to the


    Pce, she will be killed within a day! If she stays at the Onyx Castle, I would give it a week before one


    of them sends an assassin after her. And the military camp? Even worse! They could bribe any one of


    your men to do the job for them!” (2)


    Cassandra felt her heart grow cold at the thought. The Imperial Concubine Mother was telling the truth.


    Sooner orter, this pregnancy would put her in grave danger; she turned her eyes to Kairen, who was


    looking at her too.


    “I’ll protect her.”


    “Kairen, I raised two children to adulthood, despite all your father’s other concubines. Do you think I


    don’t know what kind of world this is? I lost three of your siblings to those wenches!” (2)


    Three? Imperial Concubine Kareen had lost three children? The Concubine seemed to be a strong and


    powerful woman! But if she couldn’t even protect all of her offspring… Cassandra was even more


    worried.


    Cassandra turned to her, trying to control her fear.


    “Concubine Mother, please. I’m… I really want to protect this child. Someone has already tried to steal


    Krai’s egg, and…”


    “Did they?” asked Kareen, looking at her daughter.


    Shareen had a smirk.


    “Of course they did. Vrehan was furious.”


    “Then thank the Imperial Dragon, I got there before them.”


    “How did you know, Mother?” asked Kairen.


    She rolled her eyes at him.


    “Do you think I was born yesterday, my son? I know you. You never showed interest in any of the


    previous concubines your father gave you. Now you pick a ve, of all people, out of the blue? I knew


    it wouldn’t be long until I had a grandchild on the way.” 5


    For the first time, Kareen directed what could have been a little smile Cassandra’s way.


    “Do not worry. I know the ways of the Pce, and those wenches won’t get near you or my grandson.


    You’ll be safe here, in the Diamond Pce.”


    “She is not…”


    “She will stay here, Kairen. For her safety, and the safety of your child.”


    Cassandra was hesitant, but eventually she turned to the Concubine Mother.


    “Concubine Mother, I am not sure. I still have many things I would like to do at the Onyx Castle and the


    military camp.”


    “And what might those be?” asked Concubine Kareen, unhappy.


    Cassandra took a deep breath and told her about the hospital in the mountain and the farming issues


    at the Onyx


    Castle. She spoke about everything she had done and everything she wanted to do in the next few


    months. It was a lot for even her to think she could do so much with her current situation, but


    Cassandra had taken things to heart.


    The Concubine Mother remained silent, listening to her. Shareen was mindlessly eating in the


    background, but Kairen was listening to Cassandra too.


    “I see. Well, you certainly aren’t a typical ve.”


    Cassandra blushed a bit, wondering if this was meant to be apliment. Kareen stayed silent for a


    while, looking at her with an enigmatic expression. Her dark eyes were harder to decipher than those of


    her children, Cassandra thought. After her silent contemtion, Kareen turned to Kairen.


    “You picked well, Son. She has ambition, and the mind of an Empress.”


    She then turned to Cassandra again without waiting for him to respond.


    “Yet, that is a dangerous way to think. You are protected by this Empire’s War God and that is your only


    strength. Otherwise, this knowledge would get you killed. You know that, don’t you?”


    Cassandra nodded.


    Yes. Her knowledge and past were all too dangerous to expose in this Empire. Even with Kairen, who


    protected her, she had been hesitant to reveal the truth. The Imperial Concubine sighed.


    “Fine. Bring it in!” She ordered a servant.


    A few minutester, the elderly woman from earlier brought in arge case, and put it at their feet.


    Cassandra suddenly sensed a tremendous presence over them at the same time Krai’s curious head


    popped over the wall, watching closely. Was the dragon interested in its egg?


    The servant left and Concubine Kareen stood up and raised her hands to her head, plucking one of her


    hair pins out. Cassandra realized it was actually a very intricate key. Had she kept it there for safety?


    She opened the chest and Cassandra soon forgot her questions.


    “There it is.”


    The egg was simplyid on some soft leather, but it looked hard enough that it wouldn’t easily break. It


    was muchrger than Cassandra had expected too! Bigger than any other animal’s egg, and about the


    length of her forearm. It was not ck like she had imagined, but a shiny grey, almost silver-like. She


    had thought a dragon’s egg would be smooth, but it seemed to be covered in some strange substance,


    like a lustrous oily coating.


    Cassandra couldn’t resist the desire to touch it and, to her surprise, it actually reacted! Like a maic


    pull, something inside briefly moved at the slight touch of her finger tips. She was in total awe.


    “Amazing, isn’t it?” whispered Kareen. “Dragon Eggs are among the greatest wonders of this world…”


    “When will it hatch?” asked Cassandra.


    “When you give birth…if you do. Dragons are linked to their Masters. If the child dies before birth, the


    egg will use this coating to self-destruct.”


    “What if the baby dies…after?”


    Kareen’s eyes darkened.


    “Let’s not have such somber talk. For now, we just need to make sure that your child sees the light of


    day in a few months’ time. That is, if my sones to his senses and allows you to remain here


    instead of behaving like a headstrong teenager…”