Intimacy

27th January 2000- Thursday

Already, Harry had fended off three invitations to tea, lunch or a walk in the hour and a half he had been out of his Palace. The first had come from an energetic Erin, who had clung to his arm with pleading eyes and promises that she'd had 'premium mint sourced just for her Brother'. Then, whilst the meeting had yet to start, Jasmine had sidled up to him with an invite to lunch, with many Attendants- Dahlia, Daphne and Theo included- on the guest list. He had declined simply because he wanted a drama-free morning, and it would be a hassle to interact with his classmates who had been an annoying thorn in Harry's side since he'd joined. The third had unexpectedly come from Felix, who was also meeting with Patricia, Alecto and Lukas for a walk. For the same reasons, Harry had refused.

"Harry," The voice of Regulus rang clearly from the steps of the meeting hall, and Harry turned to watch as the man approached. He waited in place with folded hands, slightly anxious. "Have you any plans for this afternoon?" The man questioned when he was close enough.

"No, I do not."

"Then, I would like to extend an invitation to join me and the other Consorts in our weekly meeting."

"Your... weekly meeting?"

The man smiled, seemingly slightly abashed. "Yes, we meet every week on a Thursday. I apologise that it has taken us so long to inform you of this, Bellatrix was against your admittance for a while."

Ah.

"I would be delighted. Are you meeting presently?"

"Yes, we are gathering within the Pavilion of Light to discuss the meeting and the week's events in depth. Sisters Isla and Penny, and Cousin Bella should be on their way there already."

"Brother Harry," Penny stood, clasping her hands together. "I am so glad to finally welcome you to our company."

"I am surprised, I hadn't heard of anything such existing."

The woman chuckled. "Yes, well, we can't be having the lower concubines listening in on our private conversations. I apologise it has taken such a time to invite you into our fold, the months have just seemed to fly by since your promotion, and you were so obviously busy caring for your newborn daughter. Please, have a seat."

Harry sat on the seat next to Regulus and the remaining empty seat, Penny, Isla and Bellatrix on the other side of the round table.

"How is the Sixteenth Princess?" Isla questioned him as he settled, her expression curious.

"She is growing well, His Majesty and I are very proud."

"Ah, yes, I had heard of His Majesty's pride in his daughter, especially since it appears the Princess is capable of Parseltongue. How proud you must feel, Brother! Only a few other children have shown themselves capable of such talent."

"Such as my Delphina," Bellatrix announced proudly, puffing her chest out. "Her speech has been growing stronger now that she's older, His Majesty is most pleased."

Penny smiled briefly. "It is my hope that my children will also display an aptitude one day. They are still younger than Princess Evana was when she displayed her talent."

Isla hummed. "It is such a rare talent." She spoke pointedly, staring at Harry. "I believe I understand now why the Slytherins, and then the Gaunts, interbred."

"Sister Isla!" Penny gasped, affronted. "Please do not discuss such delicate matters so openly! His Majesty's family...." She pulled a face.

Isla continued despite her interruption. "Most Slytherins and Gaunts that intermarried bore parseltounge children. Those who married someone with no ancestral connection bore no parseltongue children. Of course, His Majesty is an outlier, but his children are seemingly not."

Penny coughed pointedly, frowning. "As I said, let us not discuss such matters at this moment. I am-"

Bellatrix interrupted her by leaning over the table, grinning. "The birth of your daughter just confirms our theory that only those with Slytherin blood somewhere in their line can have Parseltounge children. The Potters are descended from the Peverells, which married into the Black family, and the Peverells married Slytherin women many times over the centuries, of which the Gaunts are descended directly from." Bellatrix seemed giddy. "We all had our suspicions when both Princess Evana and Prince Alexus spoke, their mother being distantly related to an offshoot of my family, but with the birth of our daughters, it has almost been confirmed."

The frown on Penny's face had only been growing deeper as Bellatrix continued. "But as you said," The woman spoke, sounding affronted. "His Majesty himself was an outlier. That means that all the children have a chance-"

"But none have shown it." Isla drawled. "I am honestly surprised that your daughter has not shown an aptitude for it, Brother." She spoke to Regulus, who did not comment in return. However, Bellatrix was quick to support him in her own way. She waved her hand flippantly.

"Carina could be taking a while. And besides, I said most children inherited, not all."

Harry sat back, having much to think on whilst the other Consorts delved into trivial matters that he had no interest in discussing in what he thought was supposed to be a serious meeting. But, it had been useful to attend, Harry had discovered a lot in his time here.

That there were additional conditions for inheriting the ability to speak Parseltongue, which apparently lay in his blood and awakened within his daughter with the addition of the Emperors. And that Penny, for all her haughtiness, was as vulnerable as the rest of them, with the knowledge that she had no control over the situation, and wants she had no hope of obtaining that her rivals held just by being born into the right families.

30th January 2000- Sunday

The morning of his first scan dawned on Harry quicker than he had anticipated. Already, he was a quarter of the way through his pregnancy, and the time since he had learned of it seemed to have flown by.

He leant back on the sofa, trying to relax himself as his Healer knelt on the floor, her wand tracing along his stomach gently as she cast the spell to begin the scan. Harry let out a heavy breath, tensing as the screen popped into existence.

The projection was static at first, slowly focusing until a grey image began to form, solidifying. His baby, still a tiny little thing, appeared on the screen then, a clear speck of life in the midst of darkness, and Harry gasped emotionally. It filled him with the same, heart-wrenchingly strong feeling of love as he had been when he had seen his daughter for the first time, and relief that the baby was still growing strong.

His Healer smiled at him, shifting her wand a little. "From my first observations, I'd say that your baby is growing well, Your Highness. I'm just going to check for any-" She stopped then, and Harry's eyes widened as the screen shifted, and yet another blip appeared. A second area of darkness, with a pulsing star of light within.

"Is that..." He trailed off, feeling as if the air in his lungs had escaped him.

Clearing her throat, just as shocked as he was, his Healer nodded. "Another baby, yes." She confirmed, and Harry sank back further into the sofa, his breath leaving him shakily.

Licking his lips, he brought his hand up to wipe at his face, covering his eyes from the woman watching him carefully. Her hand was a steady, grounding presence on his arm, and Harry breathed deeply, wiping at his eyes.

"Are you well, Your Highness? May I continue?" She asked him carefully, her voice steady and filled with empathy.

He nodded, breathing in sharply, trying to control his rampaging emotions. "Yeah- Yes. Yes, please. I want to know if-if my babies, if they're okay."

She nodded, eyes compassionate. "Yes, Your Highness." Turning their attention back to the scan, they both observed the image with scrutiny. "From what I can see, both babies appear to be growing well, although baby B, the baby placed further down," She pointed to the second baby, and Harry focused on them with a sharp pinch of concern. "Is measuring a little behind of baby A. However, this is not of great concern, Your Highness, as with twins, there are often discrepancies in their growth rate. You can expect, also, there to be a difference in the way the twins grow compared to Her Highness, the Seventeenth Princess. As twins, they will most likely be smaller, as there are two babies sharing the same space. Therefore, I implore you, Your Highness," His Healer looked to him, expression serious. "To take care during this pregnancy, as it may take a further toll on you than your previous."

1st February 2000- Tuesday

"The favour you have gained over the two years you have had a place in the Court, and the attitude you have shown in the face of all situations you have encountered, has assured His Majesty that you are most deserving of your promotion. Therefore, the Emperor proclaims you are to become the Secondary Consort. Congratulations, Brother." Isla smiled at him, looking strangely gleeful at the news.

It was obvious to everyone then that this was why both Penny and Bellatrix were absent from the morning meeting. Bellatrix, because she had been replaced once again, now the third Consort compared to the Primary position she had lauded for years.

And Penny, because she was finally seeing Harry as the threat he was.

They had obviously caught wind of his promotion beforehand, perhaps from the mouth of the Emperor himself. As the Primary and Secondary Consort's, they were entitled to more than the rest of them. A position which Harry had just usurped from Bellatrix, sending her yet again further down the ranks.

"Thank you for your congratulations, Sister." Harry received it genuinely. Isla had been far more open with Harry ever since he had surpassed her, something he had not been expecting. Perhaps she had foreseen something such as this occurring, and her dislike of the Bellatrix outweighed her disappointment and ire at being displaced. "I am thankful that His Majesty has honoured me with this promotion, it is unexpected yet honestly welcome. I hope that I may surpass His Majesty's expectations, in gratefulness of this opportunity."

The woman continued despite the attention of the harem now being focused on Harry, each concubine staring- eyes filled with warring emotions as they gritted their way through congratulations.

"His Majesty would like to remind everyone that the world tour begins tomorrow, and to ensure that all preparations have been made. The Emperor has also requested to ask whether you still wish to participate, Brother Harry. Given that you are pregnant."

"I do."

2nd February 2000- Wednesday

Despite his pregnancy, there was no chance that Harry was going to sit out on the World tour, a perhaps once-in-a-lifetime occurrence specifically to celebrate the turn of the new millennium.

Of course, as recompense for his involvement, Harry was under constant supervision from both Healers and Knights. His personal Healer was by his side from the moment they exited the floor, and there were far more Knights accompanying them on this trip than there had been the last one. Of course, this could have been due to the fact that the tour circumstances were different, but it made Harry feel warm inside all the same.

One of the reasons he felt comfortable going on the tour as well was that they were allowed to return to the Court whenever they wished, something which Harry would be utilising hopefully daily to ensure Alsephina was properly cared for and wouldn't go ignored. At six months old now, he was risking missing vital progressions in her development with every hour that he wasn't by her side, so Harry hoped that she'd wait just a little longer before she began crawling. Luckily for him, his Healer had assured him that it could take until she was ten months or older for that. He had given his maids express orders to contact him if his daughter asked for him, no matter if he was at a banquet or in the middle of greeting the leader of the country. His daughter came first- his children would always come before anyone else.

They had just exited London, having started the tour there. They were now in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, for their second stop. Today, they would be visiting the Capitals of each Country within the British Isles, starting in London, then to Cardiff, Dublin, Belfast and finally Edinburgh.

Already, there seemed to be tension between the Emperor and the Magical Minister of Wales, a short, stubby man who was plainly inferior compared to His Majesty. The Emperor seemed highly unimpressed, staring down at him with a blank expression, which the man seemed not to notice, or perhaps disregarded entirely.

By Harry's side, Bellatrix made a noise of disgusted amusement that echoed. Penny, from her position at the right of the Emperor, shot a look at them, her glare poisonous and sharp.

The purpose of the tour, foremost, was so that the Emperor could discuss in person with the leaders- muggle and magical- of each country, whilst also publicly displaying himself and his Harem in all its glory to the masses. It would, hopefully, leave a lasting impact on the populace, and entice them further into the festivities the Emperor had planned for the year.

Already, many countries had held their own contests on a national scale to select the champion that would represent them in the tournament to be held in the upcoming months, and the whole world seemed to have dissolved into a fanatic frenzy surrounding it. Harry had even received letters with his Dad's enthusiasm for the upcoming event, and James usually avoided speaking to him on matters that concerned the Emperor.

The man in question, whilst Harry had been preoccupied with his thoughts, had headed towards the offices of the Ministers, and Harry and the other concubines were ushered to where they would be staying whilst the discussions were taking place, and to prepare themselves for the feast that would occur later, after the discussions had taken place.

Sighing, Harry allowed himself to be guided into a large communal room with several offshoot apartments, readying himself for the hours of tedious discussions they would surely be having.

By his side, Luna leant her head on the window, staring out at the bare trees and cloudy skies that dominated the landscape during winter. She seemed lost in her thoughts, and he settled next to her with a book, dressed in his decorated robes although missing his accessories for the time being. They were within one of the smaller rooms, just the two of them with maids guarding the door from the outside, as Harry had wished for privacy. His friend, despite being a royal concubine, could not stand crowding any more than she had at Hogwarts.

After a little while, Luna shifted, blinking her eyes rapidly. It drew Harry's attention, and slowly, he closed his book, giving his friend his full attention as she stared at him intensely.

"Luna?" Harry probed gently, watching as her eyelids fluttered a few more times, before settling, her blue eyes losing the sheen of mist that had covered them.

"Two." She breathed out gently, reaching for his hand. He drew in a sharp breath, understanding before she looked towards his stomach, the bump there already visible. It had only been a few days since his scan, he had told no one, only his Healer knew of his twins' existence, yet Luna seemed certain. Hesitantly, he nodded.

"Yes," Harry whispered, cracking a smile. "I know."

Reaching forward, her hand steady, she hovered it over his bump, and Harry drew her hand to rest on it. She smiled, fond and gentle. "The first will be your star. Small, but bright, and so strong. The second your serpent. Larger than life, protective." Luna's tone was firm, and she met his eyes with a nod. "They will be strong."

Clasping a hand over her own, Harry stared down at his stomach with wonder, Luna's words ringing in his ears.

3rd February 2000- Thursday

They were in France bright and early on the morning of the third, and Harry sat at Bellatrix's side, already dead tired. Greeting after greeting, banquet after banquet, he was beginning to tire of them, and they had only just left the British Isles for mainland Europe. He was already regretting his previous enthusiasm to attend, having not known it was going to be quite as boring as it was.

The French Minister was a pompous man who put the Welsh one to shame, flaunting himself like a peacock- except, he didn't stand out quite as much as he'd hoped, far paling in comparison to the Emperor and his harem.

"Ah, Your Highness, you are looking as radiant as ever, may I say. Your golden hair of woven gold, your bright blue eyes as breathtakingly clear as the sky, you are an angel on earth! May I congratulate you on your promotion to Consort, and the birth of your third child? His Majesty obviously adores you, It is clear for all to see, and how could he not!" The Minister lavished Penny with praises as they sat at the main table, the man waving his hands about theatrically as he did so, drawing unsavoury attention.

In between them, Thomas looked amused as he ate, and Penny was blushing as she twirled her 'woven gold' hair around her finger, sending coy looks towards the Emperor.

The Consort, sounding demure, giggled. "Thank you, Minister Garnier. Your compliments are most appreciated. His Majesty chose me for my beauty, and perhaps my intelligence as well."

The man blushed, and Harry spluttered a little into his glass at the blatant attraction the man was exhibiting to the woman whilst sitting next to her husband. "You honour me, Your Highness. I see every reason to comment on your marvellous beauty-"

The Emperor's goblet thudded onto the table then, cutting the Minister off, and the man wisely shut up after that, cowed under the man's blank stare.

The man's attention now on her, Penny giggled yet again, and Harry's mouth fell open at the blatant informality she was displaying as she wrapped herself around one of the Emperor's arms, blinking up at him. "Your Majesty, Minister Garnier is rather bold, is he not?"

The man hummed, staring down at her with lidded eyes. "As are you, Primary Consort. One would think you weren't sat at your husband's side, to accept such flirtation so readily." His tone was light, but there was an undercurrent of darkness within it, showing especially within his eyes.

Rearing back a little, sensing his hidden ire, Penny bowed her head. "My apologies, Your Majesty. I simply did not know how else to respond. The Minister is such an important man, how could I reject his sincere compliments and jeopardise your relations with France?"

The Minister, at her praise, puffed himself up, opening his mouth.

"Powerful?" The Emperor scoffed. "You jest. If you do not wish to accept advances from another, don't do so. Your position is second only to mine as my Primary Spouse."

Penny brightened at the Emperor's public acknowledgement of her powerful position, smiling as she picked up her goblet. "Of course, Your Majesty!"

To the man's other side, the French Minister deflated, staring at the man's back with terrified eyes.

6th February 2000- Sunday

Erin exited his temporary office, a skip in her step and a bright smile on her face. Behind her, her maids were shuffling after her, both keeping close to support her if she stumbled in her daze.

She had finally decided to inform the Emperor of her pregnancy, now that she was assured of their continued health at her most recent scan. Erin was now eleven weeks and four days along, further along than Brother Harry surely, even though he had announced his long before she gained the courage to do so.

In fact, after weeks of mulling over his announcement, Erin had decided that she needed to announce hers before twelve weeks, despite her previous reluctance.

Her previous pregnancy ending in such a disastrous and painful way weighed heavily on her mind since this pregnancy had been unveiled, and Erin was unendingly cautious. She couldn't allow this baby to face the same fate.

She stroked over the small swell of her stomach, a fond smile forming. She was ready for another baby. Her Serina was older now, having turned six, and it had been far too long since she had proved herself to the Emperor. Their main purpose, of course, was to bear him heirs. The fact that most of the concubines were childless baffled her, as their objective was unfilled, yet they remained so haughty.

Shaking off those thoughts, Erin focused on herself once more.

Finally, she was pregnant yet again, and carrying this baby well. Erin would ensure this baby would make it to birth, and give her Serina a true sibling, one that would assist her attainment of the throne once the Emperor saw how smart her daughter truly was.

20th February 2000- Sunday

They had finally entered the North American portion of the tour, and their first destination was the United States, one of the most anticipated destinations- politically wise.

The Emperor headed their company, a dashing figure in black and gold that drew every speck of attention towards himself. Harry and the other Consorts directly followed behind him with the rest close on their heels, the man's presence invigorating and attracting.

Evana had joined them for the day, having expressed interest in meeting the presidents of the United States. As her wedding date drew ever closer, she was becoming more and more involved in political matters- a queen-to-be once her future husband ascended the Italian throne. She was by the Emperor's right side, a space usually reserved for the Head of the Harem. Penny had instead been pushed back, so she was standing beside Harry, internally fuming as she stared longingly at the man's back.

Harry, too, watched on as they came to a halt, Thomas' imposing form towering over the congregation ahead of them. It took every ounce of restraint to pull his eyes away from him, especially when they began to lower, entranced by the patterns of gold adorning his robes.

The President of MACUSA was standing next to her Muggle counterpart, a surprise as usually the parties were split, with the Magical Minister meeting them first, followed by the Muggle President.

The man beside her was a blond man of average stature, straight-backed with a no-nonsense expression on his face. Harry disliked him immediately, the way the man's eyes drifted over them as if they were dolls in a display case sending chills up his spine, but kept his thoughts to himself as the muggle bowed deeply to the Emperor.

"Your Imperial Majesty," The man rasped, his voice surprising in comparison to his youthful appearance. "I am honoured to welcome you to our great nation. May the relations between His Majesty and our country last for many centuries to come."

"President," The Emperor accepted his cordialities, his expression revealing nothing of his thoughts. "And President Knowles."

The woman, now acknowledged, greeted the man amicably. "Your Majesty, I am delighted that you have deigned to visit despite the weather conditions. The people are most honoured to welcome you."

Nodding, the man shook her hand, which she scrambled to clasp, awe in her eyes. "Of course, this is a world tour, after all. And there are matters I must discuss with you both, although separately."

They dispersed soon after that, the meetings occurring before the banquet would take place later in the evening. It was to allow the concubines to dress in their finest robes, which had been planned out according to the country they were visiting. For the United States, Harry had chosen robes of white, with the merged crest of his houses adorning its back in yellow. Paired with citrine jewellery, his rank as a Conosrt was obvious, but much less jarring than the pure yellow or gold the other Consorts decided on. 

As Secondary Consort, the emphasis of his position as the Secondary spouse to the Emperor needed to be bolder. Now, Harry was directly competing with Penny, and the woman's agitation seemed to have increased sharply after his promotion earlier in the month. She had become snappier, quicker to rebuke him and make snide comments.

The daily meetings had become scarce since the beginning of the tour, now one every few days, so Harry wasn't forced to interact with her all too much. A blessing, especially since his pregnancy was becoming more and more obvious as the weeks passed, and he entered his thirteenth week.

He hoped that their time within the United States would be as uneventful as many other visits had been. Although, the muggle President, perhaps, would make that difficult, as he would later learn.

The door closed behind them, clicking shut as the Muggle locked it. On the other side, he felt his Knights shift, their magic revealing their anxiety with being separated from him. Invisible as they were, this meeting needed to be witness-free.

Thomas glided towards the desk situated overlooking a splendid view, settling himself in the plush seat behind it. He took in the papers strewn across the desk his haphazard piles, capturing glimpses of words here and there. Of course, nothing incriminating would be left in plain sight. He was glad those who despised him were at least minutely intelligent. Gesturing without breaking his consideration of the paperwork, Thomas ordered the muggle to take the seat before him.

The man was stiffly standing by the door still, shifting from foot to foot in a highly suspicious way. Calmly, Thomas observed him, his arm dropping from its place under his chin to grasp the wand in his robe pocket.

"Are you not going to obey me, President?"

There was no response from the man as he continued to stare at him, and Thomas tutted as if responding to a misbehaving child.

"I am a rather impatient man, I must admit. I am being far more lenient than perhaps I should. But, I will allow you another chance to listen to me. Now, sit." Turning back to the scenery, Thomas stared at the snow falling heavily, and despite his bored facade, a part of his attention remained on the insolent, idiotic muggle, who had placed a hand within his pocket at Thomas' dismissal.

The man slowly slid his hand out, and Thomas watched out of the corner of his eye as the man brazenly lifted his gun to point it directly at his head. The President had a smug, satisfied look on his face, gleeful as he stared down the barrel at him, confident enough to begin speaking before shooting.

He barely refrained from rolling his eyes but deemed it a plebian action. No, this was perhaps one of the most entertaining events that had occurred on this tour yet. And Thomas had thought perhaps that the French Minister would remain the Minister to irritate him the most.

"I received a little advice from a dear friend of mine. He told me, that for all the magic you hold, a bullet is fast enough to avoid any spell you may attempt to cast." The Muggle spoke, a condescending drawl to his words. He took a step closer, eyes shining with anticipation. "He said it would be the best way to get rid of you, to finally free my country from you and your freakish fiends!" He spat the word, sneering. "Magic has no place in America. I'm going to enjoy this, you bastard!"

"Perhaps," Thomas drawled, staring at the gun in the man's hands, his eyes not leaving the object as the muggle steadied himself.

The gun clicked, and the bullet shot at him, faster than his eyes could see. Thomas had no time to blink before the bullet was upon him, staring as it approached his head. He could make out the bloodthirsty grin that had overtaken the President's, and savoured the expression, before the bullet slowed to a halt in mid-air.

It spun lazily for no more than a moment, before reversing.

Silence fell over the room as it hit the wall opposite, cracking it with a dulled thud, and Thomas gleefully stared down the now sweating, squealing man who was staring at the bullet hole just above his head.

"I-I-" The man stuttered, staggering backwards, gaping like a fish.

"Perhaps it may hit." Thomas continued, leaning back in his chair. "If I had no warning, of course. And even then, I would never leave myself so defenceless. Are you an imbecile?"

The man fell to his knees, eyes wide, pupils shaking as Thomas' magic swelled with his contained fury. "Please, Your Majesty! I was only doing what I was told! I-I have nothing against you, I assure you!"

Standing slowly, Thomas made his way leisurely over to the man's sobbing, shivering form, tutting as the President shrank beneath his gaze. With a smooth movement, he slid his wand out of his holster, lifting it with clear movements. The man lifted his head, only to shrink back as he locked gazes with him, eyes dilating as his entire form trembled.

"Plea-Please! Please, Your Majesty! I-I didn't, I-I-"

"Crucio." He muttered, watching boredly as the Muggle keeled over with a squeal, already frothing at the mouth after only a few scant seconds. The unforgivable curse of torture, Thomas had found, was far too much for such an ordinary creature to handle. Thomas loomed over his viciously writhing form, watching as the man's eyes dulled as his mind gave out under the intense torture, and smirked.

He dove into that cracked and open mind and peeled from it all the information he had expected to find, and so much more.

This global conspiracy was, in fact, quite large. His enemy had been thorough.

But not thorough enough.

1st March 2000- Wednesday

The Harem had remained back at the Court on the first, as it was the first of the month, and there were important announcements to be made. The Emperor was in Senegal, on the third day of the tour in Africa. He would be visiting several other countries nearby in the afternoon, which some of them would be joining him for. Harry was remaining in the Court, however, to spend a full day with his daughter, who seemed on the verge of a major development.

"His Majesty is delighted to announce the pregnancy of Noble Erin, whom he promotes to the rank of Secondary Noble." Penny smiled, looking tired. As the Emperor's Primary Spouse, she was subject to much more attention than the rest of the Harem, as the mindless masses seemed to think that the highest-ranking spouse was the shoo-in for Empress. That couldn't have been further from the truth, as the Emperor currently showed no interest in promoting any of the Consorts, Penny included, to even the rank of Noble Consort. "Please, let me congratulate you, Sister. I am overjoyed for you, especially as you have waited for so long for another child."

Erin smiled giddily as she accepted congratulations from the other concubines around her, the simpering and pandering already starting. Harry had disappointed them by ignoring their attempts, not even entertaining their false flattering.

The interest surrounding his pregnancy seemed to have finally dimmed down in the two months since his announcement, his lack of flaunting, paired with the two weeks he had spent isolated from the Harem and the distraction of the tour taking much of the attention away from him. Harry was glad for it, the lack of whispers and stares settling his mind and allowing him to focus on his daughter and his twins without the overarching worry of taking a fall 'on accident', or perhaps suffering yet another poisoning. Anya tested all his drinks and food these days, and he used a detection spell on everything he and his daughter consumed.

And with Erin's pregnancy, Harry would hopefully have a few more weeks of peace before he began to show in earnest, already larger at a few days passed fourteen weeks with his twins than he had been at twenty with Alsephina.

Erin tried to keep the smirk off of her face when Jasmine congratulated her earnestly, simply smiling back at her, before turning to accept congratulations from Cedric.

She was now the Secondary Noble, a position so close to the rank of Concubine that she could almost taste her impending graduation from the lower ranks.

It wasn't the promotion her friend had earned when she had announced her pregnancy, but Erin had yet to give birth to her child. When she did, surely, they would be on the same level once more, and they could forget their discrepancies, putting the last few months of hostility and coldness behind them for good.

But Erin couldn't let go of her ire just yet. Jasmine was still a rank higher than her, and until she was also a Concubine, she could not find it within herself to make amends.

At fifteen weeks, there wasn't much of a belly to flaunt to the jealous stares observing her, yet she still puffed herself up and preened under the attention.

Yet, she hadn't joined the harem yesterday. She knew the harem could be dangerous, they had already taken four babies from her, her third pregnancy the only one she'd ever carried to term due to her hasty announcement of the gender soon after the formal statement. Serina had been born without issue, her gender the only thing that had saved her.

She had lost her first at five weeks back in 1985, two days after announcing. Her second had made it to eight weeks, but a fall in May 1991 had ended in a miscarriage. Her fourth, a baby only known to her and her maids had made it to a mere four weeks, and her fifth and most recent baby still rested heavily on her mind. Erin was still a week away from the stage she lost her son, the only baby other than Serina she had carried for long enough to know the gender of.

Clasping a hand over her belly, she flinched at Bellatrix's questioning. "And how many weeks are you? I assume you informed His Majesty in prudent time?"

"Yes, I told His Majesty in early February. I am fifteen weeks."

She blinked as Brother Harry spoke gently to her, once they were leaving the hall. She had endured a full hour of questioning from the other concubines, internally seething that they seemed to have forgotten she wasn't a first-time mother. They were curious, staring at her stomach, proclaiming that the way she was carrying seemed to point to a daughter. As if she was showing enough for them to tell.

"You are further along than I am then." He spoke, smiling slightly.

"Pardon?" Erin questioned, forgetting all formalities at that moment.

Brother Harry, however, unlike some of the other official spouses, didn't bat an eyelid. "In your pregnancy. You are fifteen weeks, I am still within my fourteenth."

Erin hummed, looking down at his stomach. She had thought she was, although perhaps not by as much as she had assumed. He appeared larger than she was, but perhaps that was due to this being his second pregnancy in quick succession.

Brother Harry was admittedly a little intimidating. He had joined the Harem not even three years ago, yet he was already the Secondary Consort, the father of the Seventeenth Princess, and carrying his second child so soon. She wished him well with his pregnancy, she really did, yet carrying children to term back-to-back had a considerably low success rate within the Harem. In fact, only the late Noble Consort Evangeline and Penny had done so before.

The concubines didn't allow for His Majesty's attention and favour to remain unpunished, after all.

She smiled at him gently. Despite his high position, the man in front her her was only nineteen, competing with Consorts a decade or two older than himself. At thirty-six, she felt strange for a moment, discussing pregnancy with a man nearly two decades her junior. "Our babies have the chance of being born very closely then, perhaps even on the same day." Erin laughed with him, feeling something twinge within her chest.

Something was telling her that wouldn't be the case.

12th March 2000- Sunday

On the first day back from the tour, Harry, in a move unlike himself, ordered for a section of his garden to be prepared to receive guests.

His Consort Palace sported an absolutely massive garden, incomparable to the one he'd had as a Concubine, and it made his Noble garden seem laughably small. At its centre stood a small Pavilion, where he and those Harry had invited would be taking tea, with a cushioned area surrounded by gates set up for Alsie to crawl around in.

Luckily for Harry, he had been present when his daughter had begun to crawl a week ago, just passed the seventh-month mark. Now that she had passed that milestone, all his daughter seemed to wish to do was escape his eyesight and strain his heart with panic, so the acquisition of a playpen had been the first agenda on his list.

She was rolling about in it at the moment as they waited for their final guest to arrive, content to self-soothe, enamoured by the clouds passing overhead and the multitude of toys scattered about. Kia was hovering over her, and Tabitha wasn't far away, two of his most trusted maids.

"Brother Harry, thank you dearly for inviting me!" Cedric greeted him as he arrived, the last to do so. The man was smiling brightly and went in for a hug.

With the spring months finally upon them, the weather was agreeable, and it lightened his mood enough that Harry replied with his own enthusiasm.

"Of course, Brother. We haven't talked for a while, and over tea is the best setting to do so."

They weren't alone, however. Harry had invited all those he could tentatively call his 'allies', a pitifully small collection.

Luna was sat on one side of the table, and Regulus on the other. Apart from them, only the maids they'd brought along and those he had watching over his daughter were present.

Luna had already eaten half the plate of cookies Maia had prepared for them, and Harry grimaced internally as he met Regulus' bland stare.

Cedric continued to babble, turning to Regulus occasionally to question about him and his daughter. Luckily, it seemed his uncle was receptive to the conversation, as he humoured the man, although not without shooting Harry a suffering look.

"And how is your second pregnancy progressing, Brother Harry?" Cedric smiled at him, and Harry couldn't help but tense despite the innocent line of questioning. He was incredibly protective over the tiny lives growing inside him, enough that even the man's attention set his instincts off. He was now sixteen weeks, and very obviously showing, so comments were to be expected, but it still internally grated him.

He tried to relax his posture to appear as if he hadn't tensed, but Regulus seemed to have noted his defensiveness already. "It is progressing well, thank you for your interest, Brother. They are healthy, and so am I."

"That's wonderful!" The man cheered, his smile as sunny as ever. "It is so wonderful that you are carrying His Majesty's child once again, and so soon. It seems as if it was just yesterday that we were both Nobles, discussing over tea in the Noble Garden. Now, you're a Consort, and well on your way to giving His Majesty another child." His smile changed then, turning conspiratory, and he leaned in to whisper into Harry's ear, who refused to flinch back despite his discomfort. "Do you know if you're having a boy or a girl yet?"

Harry drew back, frowning. "No. His Majesty has requested we do not, and I will respect that, especially knowing his reasons."

Cedric was still sporting that grin. "Aw, Brother, but everyone else finds out. Some keep it a secret just to themselves, but haven't you heard? Apparently, Sister Erin is having a girl. She and Sister Jasmine were talking, and Sister Jasmine is so excited for her. The others are relieved, despite their constant chatter that His Majesty needs more sons. I wonder if you'll have one, you've already given him a daughter, I'm sure he'll appreciate a son as well."

He shook his head. "I won't, it will be a surprise. What's the need? I'm going to have a baby in the end anyway."

After having shared the news of his pregnancy with the Emperor, and therefore the Harem, so early on, perhaps the fact that he was carrying twins, at least, could remain his secret for just a little while longer. Harry would tell Thomas eventually, of course, but the other concubines?

Well, perhaps Harry wanted to blindside them further. And seeing their faces when they walked into the room and saw a second baby would be priceless.