16th July 1997- [Around 8:00 am]

The roses turned out to be poison-free, so Harry allowed them to stay, although he had them moved downstairs to the front room, to brighten it up a little. He had the feeling that it was the room he'd be spending the most time in, with all the socialisation he was expected to do as a Noble.

It had changed since the day before, his trinkets giving the room a more personal touch and making it feel more relaxing to be in. The pillows Harry and his mother had sewn together were propped up on the window seat, the previously bare bookcase next to it now containing a few books and the potted plants Sirius and Remus had forced him to take now stood by the door.

He ate his breakfast in the front room, a lavish meal full of foods he'd only ever seen served at the dinner table. There were slices of bread from a myriad of loaves, and a cheese board with a shocking amount of variety. The fruits, 'a typical breakfast food' Harry thought to himself, were an exotic and unusual selection, such as the Dragonfruit sat nearest to his plate. He disliked most of them. There was even a platter of thinly sliced meats such as turkey, ham and beef. He picked at the meal, unused to such excess.

Harry frowned. He didn't have to eat this. He was the head of this part of the castle, he could eat what he wanted at meal times. " Anya, please prepare me some pancakes. I'd like to have some with my strawberries. Oh, and cream."

" Yes, master. I will inform Maia." 

" Maia?"

" The Cook, master. She is one of the maids the palace has assigned to your care."

" Ah, thank you." Harry saw one of the new maids frown slightly out of the corner of his eye, and lean in to whisper to the maid working next to her. They gossiped to each other with disapproving glances sent his way, and Harry noted that he'd have to watch what he did around them. He tapped his fingers slightly as he sat there in silence, feeling too exposed to eat.

" Master, your pancakes."

" Thank you, Anya." He smiled, less genuinely than before, and handed her a few Galleons, which she took without a word. He knew that he'd find them added to his pouch later on.

After breakfast, Harry decided that it was time to explore the rest of his quarters, as he had yet to see the back room properly or even step into the kitchen. He started with the kitchen, which was behind the door on the left side of the room. It was a quiet place, with only a singular maid inside. He presumed this was 'Maia'. She was a tanned woman with curly hair and a bright smile that she flashed at him as she rose from her bow.

" Master, what can I get for you?" Her accent was similar to Fleur Delacour's, so distinctive that Harry assumed she was from France. Maia made her way to the fridge as she waited for a response, opening the doors with a searching look.

" I was just having a look around, there's no need to make anything else." He smiled, circling the marble island in the middle. It was white, like every surface in the kitchen, including even the cooker. Harry supposed that it would be easier to spot any mess, but at the expense of causing a headache.

The woman pushed on. " Are you sure, I have no problem with whipping up something light quickly?"

He smiled a bit more. It was nice that she was concerned. " Positive, I was only curious. I hope you have a nice rest of the day."

" And you as well, Master."

Afterwards, he headed towards the back room which was separated from the front room by an oak door, carved with vines and flowers. Pretty, he'd have to ask for more.

The back room was a more personal place, with a dining table for any future children and himself to dine at, a larger library-like area where bookcases took up both walls and a lounge with a TV. Behind the sofas was the staircase that led upstairs to his bedroom. Overall, it was much bigger than the front room and kitchen combined.

Harry wandered over to the library area and sat down on the window seat to observe the garden, which looked no different to the day before. He sighed. There wasn't much to do when you were the Emperor's concubine.

Unless he started on a flowerbed?

---

11:00am

Digging a flowerbed whilst his maids fretted or judged him was not how Harry had imagined he would begin life at the Palace. However, his garden did look a little more lively now, with the beginnings of a flower garden and a small herb patch underway.

Still with an hour left until lunch was served, Harry decided to explore the rest of the Palace of Noble Handsomeness. He knew, from the whispers of his maids, that there was a courtyard in the middle of the Palace, filled to the brim with flowers and blossoming trees in the mid-July climate.

Exiting through the front door that connected to the back room [Why was it the back room whilst being connected to the front door? Harry didn't really know.] with Kia in tow, he was greeted with the fresh scent of nature and the sight of thousands of flowers in bloom.

It was beautiful, each flowerbed carefully arranged and trimmed not to hang over the marble footpath, overhanging canopies of trees just shy of brushing the top of his umbrella, and birds fluttering about within them.

Harry observed the garden peacefully, taking it all in as a brief moment of reprieve from the stress he knew was soon to come. He wondered what it would be like in the wintertime, whether it would still be as beautiful, or even more so.

Footsteps broke Harry out of his thoughts, and he lifted himself from where he was watching a butterfly, turning to face the newcomer. He was an incredibly handsome man, perhaps a few years older than himself, with golden-brown hair and a dazzling smile that grew when he turned to face him fully.

Noble Diggory, the Emperor's Sixth Noble, and the other inhabitant of the Palace. Although Harry knew him personally as Cedric Diggory, a friendly Hufflepuff he remembered from his early Hogwarts years, and admittedly had a crush on at some point.

" Greetings, Brother, it's wonderful to meet you. I welcome you to the Palace of Noble Handsomeness. I wondered when I was going to gain someone to share it with." Diggory's grin grew wider, and he held out his hand. Harry watched it for a brief moment, before realising what the gesture was for. He reached out his own, and they shook hands, Diggory's smile stretching even wider. Harry stared, unsure of the other. He had a different air to him than when they had last met, less soft and more like a hardened shell. It was... disconcerting, to say the least.

" It is a pleasure to meet you too... brother." Harry offered his own, slightly muted smile in response. Not that he had anything against his fellow Noble, he just seemed... a bit much. Especially on his first day.

Diggory laughed, a slightly gruff sound that suited him perfectly. " I spotted you through the window and thought I'd come and invite you to have lunch with me." The tone he spoke in was light, but the look in his eyes had grown slightly heavier. It wasn't a question, but a demand.

" Of course," Harry replied smoothly. " My maids have yet to begin preparing lunch, so there won't be any hassle. I'll send Kia to inform them that I won't be returning for a few hours."

" Great! Well, follow me then. My rooms are on the farther side." He chuckled. " His Majesty granted me one of the corner rooms for my third year here, you see. I've only recently gotten settled in, but, oh, do I love it! There is so much more that I can do with the garden now-"

---

" Brother, there has been something on my mind since I first arrived here and had my audience with the rest of the harem." The man hummed, showing that he was listening. " If It isn't too rude to ask, could you define the groups in the harem for me, so that I may know who is allied with who?"

Cedric hummed once again, this time consideringly. " Hmm, well, alliances in the harem aren't really defined by groups, as such. Consort Slytherin-Black is on pretty bad terms with Sister Isla, not to the extreme, but they do squabble often in and out of the daily meetings. However, Sister Penny, who is close to Sister Isla, gets along with Consort Slytherin-Black well. Sister Penny is on good terms with most people, that's just who she is. Consort Slytherin-Black does have close allies who are around her most often though, such as Concubine Slytherin-Black, her cousin. I guess you could say that is her 'group'."

Concubine Slytherin-Black, also known as Regulus Black, Sirius' younger brother. Harry had grown up hearing from his Godfather about him, and how close they had been when they were younger before Regulus began to take their mother's side of things. The last time Sirius had mentioned him had been right before he'd headed off to the selection, and that had been a warning about the man.

" Harry, about Regulus... Don't get on his bad side. Whilst he may be seen as relatively tame compared to cousin Bella, he didn't escape unscathed from the madness that runs in our blood. He may be lenient on you, due to your status as my heir and a Black by blood adoption, but don't rely on that too heavily."

He had glimpsed Regulus out of the corner of his eye at the welcoming earlier, the man looking much more fairy-like than his roguish, older brother, but the dull expression he wore on his face nullified the otherworldly air that hung around him. The Concubine looked, for lack of a better word, soulless.

Harry didn't think the man would be up to help him get acquainted with the harem at any time, his status as his older brother's adopted son be damned. Luckily, it seemed that Cedric had seen it fit to take him under his wing. However...

" Sister Penny's pregnancy has been progressing smoothly, and she believes that she's carrying a boy! I'm certain that his majesty will promote her straight to the rank of Noble Consort were she to give birth to another son so soon after her first." Harry hummed politely in the face of Cedric's enthusiasm, absorbing the information he was so freely giving him. A boy would bolster the position of a concubine in any harem, if only because their birth assured the continuance of the family name, and in this case, the continuity of the Slytherin Dynasty. 

Harry would need to have a child if he was to get any sort of standing in the harem, a boy if he was aiming for the higher ranks. As of the moment, however, he was underage, and would therefore leave the childbearing to the other concubines. Besides, currently, the thought of having a child at the moment was just...

He shivered at the thought. No. Best wait until he was at least twenty, perhaps even older. Most, if not all concubines of his majesty hadn't had a child below the age of twenty.

" I wish her the best, and hope that she delivers a healthy prince for his majesty."

Cedric chuckled, sipping some of his tea. Harry mirrored him, if only to not look awkward. " Of course, most signs are pointing to the baby being a girl, which she wouldn't be disappointed in, but she dearly does want to give his majesty another son. The Emperor already has fifteen children, and only four of those are sons. The first Prince, Alexus, is still much too young to be of any help to his majesty in official matters, but the sweetheart does try his best. The other day, he apparently burst into the Emperor's office, and demanded a duel with him! The Emperor was reportedly not amused, as he was working on important legislature at the time-"

He was a bit too much.

Cedric blathered on all afternoon until, finally, dinner time was upon them and Harry convinced the man that they should part ways for the day. He didn't know how much longer he could go without attempting to hex him into silence.

" It was lovely to see you again, Brother." Diggory grinned, clasping their hands together. " I would like to make these meetings a daily occurrence." Harry smiled blandly, nodding his head.

" Yes, thank you for your aid, Brother. This afternoon has been an informative one. I look forward to tomorrow." If he had the strength to make it out of bed come morning.

All in all, his first true day as the Emperor's concubine was uneventful.

---

 17th July 1997

Harry and Cedric, however, did not manage to meet up the next day. Cedric was invited by Consort Isla for tea, and with an apologetic smile, called it off with the promise of definitely meeting for the next. Harry was secretly glad, as he didn't know if he possessed the mental fortitude to listen to the man talk for hours on end, two days in a row.

He also had his own matters to attend to, such as the Emperor sending gifts to him that needed inspecting, and tea with the other new arrivals in his harem. Speaking of the man, Harry had yet to glimpse him in the Court, and from what he had heard from Cedric, his majesty was preoccupied with state matters. Not preoccupied enough to not send gifts, however.

" Noble Potter-Black, the Emperor bestows upon you gifts chosen by his esteemed self. His majesty welcomes your Lordship into his glorious harem." Behind the Eunuch stood many others, arms laden with the apparent gifts. He observed each of them with assessing eyes, before bending at his waist.

" His majesty is gracious to his harem."

" His majesty, the Supreme Emperor bestows upon Noble Potter-Black the following: brocades of material supplied from the Empire's finest weavers, flowers handpicked from his majesty's private gardens, beautiful jewellery sourced from around the globe, books full of key knowledge, decorations to adorn his Lordships rooms and shoes his majesty believes will suit his Lordship well."

" I thank his majesty for his benevolence. May his reign last for more than a thousand years." The gathered murmured in agreement, bowing lowly as he straightened up. He stepped forward, examining each item thoroughly. However, Anya's whisper of the time was more urgent than inspecting gifts. " Please allow my maids to guide you where is wish everything to be placed. I have another affair to attend."

That affair was meeting with Dahlia, who had sent a maid over to the palace earlier in the morning, their accommodations being on opposite sides of the court. She, along with whoever else she invited along, would be arriving in his private garden shortly.

He walked out of the back entrance, Kia guiding him by the arm, and into his mostly bare garden. Apart from the small pond, a couple of trees and bushes, a few flowerbeds and the table they would be taking tea at, it was empty. Harry sighed softly, hoping that the lavish assortment of foods would be enough to distract his visitors.

Just as he was beginning to bore, the garden gate, guarded by a darkly robed man he'd barely met the day prior, swung open, a large group filing in orderly. Dahlia was at the front, smiling softly at him, closely followed by a maid he recognised as Jane, who had taken care of her since she was young. Another maid, with dark hair and equally dark eyes, followed solemnly, face blank.

Daphne and Theo came after, each attended by a singular maid. Luna was pursued by a haggard-looking woman who carried a cloak, trying to persuade her mistress to wear it. Luna, however, ignored her in favour of staring up at the sky in rapture.

The last was a concubine he recognised intimately, looking underdressed next to his schoolmates. Second-Class Attendant Clearwater, the concubine who had been his examiner for the fifth test. She walked slowly, head down, an anxious maid that he identified as Lucy by her side. Her long, curly blonde hair was done up simply, and the robes she wore were, whilst elegant, plain in comparison to Dahlia's.

" Brother Harry, thank you for accepting my request. I hope I didn't bring too many people, Sister Luna joined us on the way here."

" Sister Dahlia, there's no trouble. I have plenty of seats and food to go around." He reached for her hands, and they walked arm-in-arm to the ornate table situated underneath a blossom tree."

" This place is beautiful, Harry. I'm so jealous." She whispered into his ear with a grin, pulling away to stand near a chair. Anya pulled out a seat for him, and the other maids did the same, all sitting down once he was comfortable. 

" Brother Harrison, this is quite a magnificent place. As is expected from his majesty, he keeps all of his concubines in grandness." Daphne smiled thinly, her fan fluttering about in front of her face, obscuring most of her features.

" It is, Sister Daphne. The garden in the courtyard is by far my favourite feature so far, although the towers do make the Palace feel more magical. I heard his majesty took inspiration from Hogwarts." He allowed that bit of information, although he was sure that their own sources had probably told them more. Theodore hummed theatrically, confirming his thoughts.

" Ah, I apologise for my rudeness, Brother, I forgot to introduce you both. May I introduce you to Second-Class Attendant Clearwater, she has been a member of the harem for six years now. Sister Penelope, this is Noble Potter-Black, a close friend of ours from Hogwarts."

The attendant bowed as low as she could whilst at the table, muttering. " It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, your Lordship. Thank you for allowing me to attend." Harry had to wave his hand to usher her straight, the woman acting utterly deferential towards him, despite her being his senior. He could understand why grudgingly. Whist she hadn't been outright horrible towards him during the selection, she hadn't treated him well. And now, he outranked her.

" It's quite alright. I was meaning to get to know more of my fellow concubines." Harry smiled, attempting to diffuse some of her tensenesses. It didn't work, the woman curling further into herself.

" Speaking of, have you had the chance to speak with Noble Diggory as of yet?" Dahlia turned to him, ignoring Clearwater entirely. Both Theodore and Daphne were doing the same, and he was sure that Luna wasn't even mentally present at the moment.

" Yes, he invited me to lunch yesterday and arranged that we'd meet most other days for the same. Earl Grey?"

" Yes, please. How wonderful, I'm sure he'll be a big asset in helping you learn the intricacies of harem life. I must say, you're rather lucky, Brother, the only other First Attendant is First-Class Attendant Erikson who lives in the other building."

Harry chuckled, taking a sip of his tea. Mint, grown from his own herb garden back at home. He had left it there, with express demands towards his parents to care for it and not allow it to die whilst he was gone. Just thinking about his mum and dad made his eyes sting. The chances he'd even return home now were slim, and that was something he couldn't quite acknowledge at that moment. So, he shoved the thought to the back of his mind. " I am thankful that his majesty took notice of me. It is a blessing, to be a part of his harem and bring eternal glory to my family name."

It wasn't a lie, but not quite the truth. And he doubted he'd ever be able to freely speak his thoughts in company ever again. 

Dahlia giggled, the noise tinkling softly like sleigh bells. Harry hated that sound because he knew it was fake. " Yes, this is such an opportunity for us all. Long live the Emperor."

" Long live the Emperor." He echoed blandly, staring at his competitors with sharp eyes.