The Emperor's Harem

Ch. 4 A Budding friendship

Elsie was on her way back from getting Vera her tea which was supposed to help with fertility, when she heard the crash coming from Vera's room. What she saw as she entered the room was everything was ransaked . The mirror of Vera's vanity was smashed, her clothes ripped, and her bed had been slashed with what looked like a dagger and the feathers from her pillows were everywhere. Elsie looked around and noticed that nothing was missing. Then a figure kneeling at the entrance of the bath caught her attention. Vera was pale and unmoving, her eyes wide in shock. Elsie ran over to her and gently shook her. "Miss Vera.....Miss Vera.....are you okay? Please say something." Elsie started to get scared. "Vera......Someone please help." Elsie screamed.

Cyprian had just finished having s*x with Mia when they heard the scream. Cyprian quickly got his clothes and so did Mia. "Mia stay here, I am going to go check it out." Mia quickly followed behind, not listening to what the Emperor had to say. She did not care if she got in trouble for her actions, but she was curious as well as a little worried about what had happened. By the time they got there, the guards had arrived and were looking around for evidence. Cyprian sees Vera and rushes to her, pulling her into a hug, trying to comfort her. "Elsie, is it? Tell me exactly what happened." Elsie took a deep breath. "I had left the room to go get Miss Vera her tea and on my way back I heard a crash and rushed over and I found the room and Miss Vera like that. I have not been able to get her to respond."

Cyprain continued to hug Vera and stroke her damp hair. "Hey.....Hey....Vera, it's okay everything is going to be fine." Mia walked over and placed a hand on Cyprian's shoulder. "Your Majesty...." Cyprian looked up at Mia. "I am okay with having Vera stay in my room, and I can let her borrow my clothes until she can get some new ones." Cyprian nodded and he lifted Vera in his arms at the protest of the guards. "Your Majesty let one of us take her you should not have to do it." Cyprian dismissed them. "I will take her send someone to go get the imperial doctor." One of the guards ran off to go get the imperial doctor while Mia led the way to her room.

Cyprain placed Vera on the bed as the doctor entered the room and examined Vera. "Doctor, is she going to be okay? The doctor looked at the Emperor. "She is just in shock. She needs to just rest and she should be fine in the morning." With that, the doctor took his leave and Cyprian prepared to stay. Mia walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Your Majesty....." Cyprian looked over at Mia. "Mia, please call me Cyprian." Mia smiled. "Your....Cyprian, it is not going to do any good for you or us girls if you don't get any rest yourself. I will make sure she is okay. Now go get some rest."

Cyprian nodded and made his way to the door. "Thank you Mia. For allowing Vera to stay in your room." Mia smiled and looked at Vera. " It was not an issue. Being in a harem is difficult. But most girls want the title of Empress and will stop at nothing to get it, but when there is someone who does not care about the title but truly cares about the people around her, it's worth taking the time to get to know them, because that is a kind of genuine friendship that can be created and that can last through the years." Cyprian looked at Mia an eyebrow raised in curiosity. "And do you Mia want the title?" Cyprian asked. Mia looked down and shook her head. "No I don't want the title, I mean it would be nice, but it's not important and not the main reason. I did it so I could start a family of my own. I want to have children so I can raise them with love and kindness, something I grew up without."

Mia paused and looked at Cyprian. "Don't get me wrong, I grew up with wealth but my parents were never around and they cared more about appearance and title. So, when I received the invite to join your harem, they made sure I had the nicest things and had a big dowery to impress you, but I saw the opportunity for something more than just the title, and now you know my reason for being here." Mia looked down once more. Cyprian walked over and lifted Mia's head gently. "I knew what your parents wanted but I chose you because I did not see that same in you. You were different and genuine as well, which I hold dear. Good night Mia and thank you again." With that, Cyprian left the room and headed back to his room.

Cyprian passed Vera's room when he heard noise in there again. He entered but saw nothing, the shadow figure leaving the room as the Emperor made his way to the desk. There was a note sitting on it. It read ~ I am watching. Beware the vixen who is trying to take something that does not belong to her." He crumpled the paper up and pocketed it. He walked out and went to his room.

~Vera's Dream~

Vera was standing in a hallway, with no doors. She looked around. "Hello, does anyone hear me? Where am I?" She walked down the hallway until she came to a door. She opened the door only to be at the entrance of the grand entrance to the door that led to the east wing. There was no guard but there was always one. What was going on? Suddenly, the figure of a woman appeared. She looked like the statue of the woman that was in the garden. Vera tried to speak but this time no words came out. The woman disappeared, walking through the closed door. Vera followed, opening up the door, still a little confused as to why there was no guard. The figure continued to walk down the hallway until it got to a room and then it disappeared. Vera made it to the room and she looked around and suddenly it changed.

A women was lying in bed holding a baby and singing. The words were really hard to understand. There was another women holding a little boy. "Congratulations, Lorena. She is beautiful." The woman lying in bed smiled. "Thank you, your Imperial Majesty." The Empress shook her head. "We are friends. Please call me Aemiliana. Do you have a name for her?" Cyprian looked at his mother, who was holding him, then back at the baby. He did not know what to make of this tiny little creature that had just been born. "Her name is Veralina, and don't worry, Cyprian, you'll..." There was sudden shouting coming from outside. The Empress was escorted out with Cyprian by guards, and an attendant came running into the room to help Lorena. "Leave me. Take Veralina instead. Take her to a village where she will be safe." Tears were pouring down the woman's cheeks. She kissed the baby. "I love you, my little Lina. Stay strong and be good to those who take care of you in my stead."

The shouting got louder as the attendant opened up a secret door in the wall and went through carrying the now crying baby. The secret door closed as a group of rebels entered. One of the men sneared at Lorena. "Tell me where the Empress and her son are." Lorena sat up straight. "They are long gone. You are never going to find them." The man gritted his teeth. "I think you are hiding something now. Tell us or we are going to find that precious baby of yours. Oh and don't deny that there is no baby. We heard it crying and there is proof." He pointed at the empty cradle that Veralina would have been sleeping in. "She is long gone and I would rather die than tell you anything." Lorena put on defiant expression.

A woman walks in. She had dark hair and a scare across her left eye. "General, she said that she would rather die than speak. We even threatened to go after her...." The woman glared at the man. "I don't care about some baby. I want the boy. If he is anything like his father, he needs to die." Lorena looked at the woman. "That boy is innocent and nothing like his father. Again I will tell you this. I would rather die than tell you anything. So long as Prince Cyprian lives, so be it." Gerenal pulled out her sword from her hip. "So be it." With that she slashed Lorena and blood splattered everywhere.

~End Vera's Dream~

Vera woke up only to notice that she was not in her bed or her bedroom. She sat up and looked around and that was when she remembered what happened. "Hey, you are awake. You had everyone worried, including his Majesty." Vera looked over to see Mia. Mia was sitting at her vanity brushing her hair. She had a smile on her face as she put her brush down and she got up and walked over to the bed and sat down. "Vera right I am...." Vera smiled. "Mia right? Don't look surprised, by the way, you are really talented." Mia smiled. "Well, when it comes to your voice my dancing is not that great." Vera shook her head. "You were great. I think the only one that did not perform was that girl. I think her name was Isadora." Mia cracked a smirk. "Yeah, what was her talent again? Shopping." They started to laugh. "I mean who would consider that a talent." Vera tried to quiet Mia. "Yeah, but on a more serious note. The whole thing about the first girl to become pregnant is going to have a son, ridiculously. There is a fifty-fifty chance of having a boy or a girl not realizing that Isadora was standing outside the door having overheard their conversation. She placed a hand on her stomach and gritted her teeth. She noticed Mia and Vera's maids coming. She walked away before they noticed her.

Elsie and Emma, Mia's maid, came walking into the room. Mia jumps off the bed and walks to the closet. "So, since you don't have any clothes and your stylist is waiting for some high-quality fabric to make them, you can borrow some of my clothes." Mia starts to dig into her closet, but not seeing what she wanted. "Emma have you seen that dress the baby blue one." Emma went and joined Mia as looking for the dress. "Miss you mean the baby blue dress with a Bandeau Grace sleeveless bodice, a three quarter circle knee length skirt with a petticoat, with large lace overlay and a sash in the center?" Mia noddeds. "Yes the one with the white flowers on the lace. Oh and Vera, don't be shocked. Emma is training to be a seamstress and stylist." Emma finally pulled out the dress and handed it to Elsie, who promptly guided Vera behind the changing screen to get her dressed.

Vera comes out from behind the screen wearing the dress. Mia looked at her with a big grin on her face. "I know I said you could borrow my dresses but I want you to have this one as a token of our new friendship." Vera sat in front of Mia's vanity so that Elsie could do her hair. She went with something simple. Her hair was half up and half down with babies breath flowers in the back. Mia's turn was next. Her hair was left down except for the two intricate barrettes that were placed on either side of her head. When both of their make-up was done, they left the room to go to breakfast.

Everyone was seated at the table but two of the girls had severe morning sickness, so they were still in their rooms resting. Isadora was fuming because she was told to go sit somewhere else. Ever since she became pregnant she had always sat right next to the Emperor on the left side. Now she was like five seats down from there. She looked at Vera and Mia as they came in and glared at them. Cyprian got up from his seat and walked over to them with a big smile. "Vera, I am glad you are awake. I was so worried." Vera and Mia looked at each other. "So I have been told." Cyprian offered one hand to Vera and the other to Mia and guided them to the table. He pulled out each of the chairs and then he himself sat down. Mia was now sitting on his left and Isadora was wondering what the girl could have done to get the spot next to the Emperor. Neither of them were pregnant.

"Mia, I wanted to thank you again for allowing Vera to stay in your room until hers is fixed." Mia smiled. "It was not an issue, Cyprian." All the girls gasped and Isadora smiled. "Looks like someone is getting in trouble." It was against the law punishable by being removed from the palace if you called the Emperor or any royal by the first name. Cyprain just smiled and Mia continued. "I would want the same thing to happen to me if my room was destroyed but it also allowed me and Vera to bound a little bit." Vera smiled. "I am glad the two of you are becoming quick friends. By the way, Vera, that dress is lovely on you." Vera and Mia looked at each other and giggled. "Thank you Mia gave it to me as a token of friendship." This made Cyprain smile even more to see them getting along so well.

The food was served and everyone started to eat except Isadora, who was just pushing the food around the plate. She glared at Vera then looked back at her plate. Mia was going to be a problem now because she was not only in good standing with the Emperor, she was best friends with Vera, which meant that it was going to be even harder to get at Vera. ~I am going to have to talk to Uncle Enzo about this.~ Ever since the gen-gen root fiasco, the Emperor has made it harder for anyone by Mia to get close to her but with the room incident he even made sure she had a guard with her at all times. "Isadora are you okay?" Isadora looked over at Vera. How can she be so nice? "I'm okay thank you for asking. Since I became pregnant, I have not had much of an appetite. Will you excuse me, I will take my leave and retire back to my room."

Cyprian nodded and Isadora stood up and made her way back towards her room. She was not sure when she would be able to go see her uncle. It may be weeks before she can sneak out or she will just have to come up with an excuse to go see him. One way or another, she was going to make Vera and now Mia's life hell. She goes back to her bedroom to make a list of excuses to go see her uncle if sneaking out was not an option.

The girls finished eating and Cyprian stood up. "Well, girls, I hope everyone enjoys their day. I am going to go check on Isolde and Annalise to make sure they are okay." Mia and Vera stood up. "Vera, let's go sit in the garden and relax." The girls went out and spent time together and did a few other routines, having lunch and had tea with the Doweger Empress. Then it was time for bed. They went back to Mia's room after dinner and Elsie and Emma got them ready. They climbed into bed. "The next three weeks are going to be interesting. I hope that nothing bad happens and only something good comes from it. Good night Vera." Vera smiled and closed her eyes. "Good night Mia. I am glad we have become friends." Mia closed her eyes and soon both were fast asleep.