Intimacy

1st October 2000- Sunday

Harry entered his office the next morning, and it was obvious for Thomas to see that his husband was upset. He was hiding his emotions well, his mask having grown much more effective since entering the Harem, but Thomas was well-versed in his expressions. The slight downturn of his lips and the sheen to his green eyes told him the truth of Harry's feelings.

He set aside his paperwork, spelling it so that the words were illegible, to place his full attention on his husband. Thomas had been expecting his arrival, Elson was rather adept at keeping an eye out for Harry's moves, as well as the words he spoke, a subtle tremor to his voice.

"Did you know?" His husband questioned without bothering to adhere to etiquette, meeting his eyes, searching them desperately. "That she was pregnant? Did you purposefully not inform me in the morning so that I would be as shocked as the others? Merlin, Thomas, I seemed like a right idiot! She looked so smug, and I just sat there, and I had to congratulate her whilst she preened!" Harry ranted, his breath heavy, and he had to tamper down the immediate reaction to simmer in anger at being questioned. This was his husband, his favoured concubine, he would not react in anger.

"No, I did not." Thomas answered truthfully, and Harry's eyes widened, hopeful desperation filling them. "In fact, I was as in the dark as you. Consort Penny did not deign to inform me before she announced her pregnancy to the Harem, and with her already being ten weeks along, I am prompted to take such a decision as a slight. I have not deceived you, and take my word that she shall face consequences for this."

Thomas saw the moment the fight, the rage, drained out of Harry's body, as his stiffly held shoulders drooped a little, and his face relaxed in relief. The man nodded, breathing in deeply. "Good. I... I apologise for bursting in here and questioning you like that, Thomas. I was just..."

He bent his head, accepting the apology for what it was, and continued. "I will, however, say that I did have my suspicions. I was in the midst of investigating, but Consort Penny was keeping her pregnancy to herself, it seems. She must have realised I was growing suspicious, and revealed her state quickly. Unluckily for her, this decision has only furthered my annoyance towards this farce."

"You are not pleased that she is pregnant once more?" Harry doubted, and Thomas felt himself sneer a little.

"Not particularly, no. I had no wish to have another child with her, even if I made no moves to prevent one. It is partly due to her already having three children, and I believe that our union particularly only needed three at most. But, I also am displeased with her actions as of late. She has become far too ambitious for someone of her status. She is merely a Consort, yet she was attempting to use all of the power that is only afforded to the highest rank, an Empress, or perhaps Emperor Consort."

"That's..." The man began, face twisting as he realised how far Penny had been abusing her powers as of late. One of her most blatant was when they were in France, with their Minister, but there had been many such occasions where Thomas felt she had overstepped. However, now, with a new Primary Spouse, he could begin to show that disapproval. Starting with the morning meeting tomorrow.

"She only deigned to inform me personally earlier this morning. I let her know my feelings on the matter, but I am sure she will still be surprised later on when you read out tomorrow's announcements." He met the man's eyes, and saw the same vindictiveness he was feeling reflected within them. "Make Consort Penny pay for her actions, and let her know that this is only the beginning."

2nd October 2000- Monday

It took a while for the other concubines to settle, as all could feel the tension in the air this morning. It was the first meeting of the month, and by the thickness of the scroll Harry held, they had all recognised that there would be an announcement on the rankings this month. He watched as they shifted, Daphne sharing a smile with Dahlia, Merula pouting with a slight glare, Pippa watching it hopefully, Felix tapping his nails on the armrests of his chair, and others in similar states of unrest. Closest to him, the Consorts sat still, each with their eyes locked upon the scroll. Harry kept his countenance blank, despite the energy coursing within him.

Harry opened the scroll in his hands with a flourish, a beatific smile on his face when they all turned their attention to him. Clearing his throat, he took in Thomas' cursive, his smile widening as he read the words.

"His Majesty and I spoke yesterday and this morning concerning the recent events, and He has decided that his sentiments towards some of his concubines have changed. First, I must mention the shift in ranks due to the Posthumously named Concubine Erin Witt's recent passing, may magic bless her and care for her bereaved family. Brother Cedric and Sister Luna are to assume the ranks of Secondary and Third Noble respectively." The pair nodded solemnly, and Harry took a moment to compose himself, his heart still hurting at the mention of his friend, readying himself for what he had to announce next.

"Sister Penny, His Majesty congratulates you on your pregnancy, and expresses his surprise, as you were remiss to inform him of this news as well. He was not best pleased to hear of such second hand."

Penny's smile, which had been growing brighter with every word, turned brittle, and she chuckled. "Yes, I apologised to His Majesty yesterday morning. I was just so excited, Brother! I wished to inform you all of the newest gift he has granted me, that it slipped my mind in the midst of my excitement."

Harry let the disapprovement and disbelief he was feeling show clearly on his face, so that the other concubines would know he did not agree with her words, and that Thomas did not either.

"Ah, I see," He spoke shortly, and Penny seemed to realise that this meeting would not go the way she had envisioned. "Despite your excuses, however, I am to inform you that His Majesty regards your decision as a rather selfish one."

The look upon Penny's face was priceless as her eyes widened, a blush steadily darkening her cheeks.

"As you did not think of the Harem members, desiring for a fourth pregnancy whilst many of your Brothers and Sisters haven't a single child, and for announcing your pregnancy in such a way, despite this news, your favour with His Majesty has decreased." Harry continued, relishing in Penny's ever-growing look of horror. "His Majesty has been generous not to demote you, but he feels betrayed by your actions."

"There... There must be a mistake!" The woman muttered, staring up at him with bleary blue eyes. "I- the Harem is here to produce children for His Majesty, how can..."

Harry nodded. This morning, Thomas had instructed Harry on what to say when questioned on this decision, considering the implications. "It is not so much the number of children, but the pregnancies themselves. This is your fourth, resulting in your fourth child, whereas all other concubines, including myself, have given birth only twice at most, excluding the Late Noble Consort Evangeline. His Majesty is concerned that, having had so many, the public may begin to believe he intends to insert you as Empress if you give birth to a son, which he has no thoughts on entertaining at this time. He believes that your actions of late have caused a stir, and also wishes for me to inform you to keep a handle on that, as some may jump to conclusions. The Council, particularly, has raised concerns and questions regarding this matter."

Penny looked as if she wished to speak again, but Harry wished to move on to the next agenda. He would not allow her to dominate this meeting, no matter how much he relished being able to take her down a peg. He was the Head of the Harem now, he must show some form of impartiality, as he hadn't had the best mentors in the form of Penny and Bellatrix.

"Please, Sister, if you have anything further to ask, go to His Majesty directly. I am merely a messenger for His will."

The woman seemed to swallow back her words, nodding at him sharply. Her eyes still glistened, but they both knew that she needed to compose herself, lest she invite the scrutiny of the vultures surrounding her.

"Consort Slytherin-Black," Harry called out, catching Bellatrix's attention from where she was staring at Penny, hunger in her eyes. They snapped to him, dark and consuming like a bottomless pit. His shoulders tensed minutely at the rage barely contained within them. His words would only stoke that further. "For your outburst and callous words against His Majesty's children at the beginning of the month, you have therefore lost His Majesty's favour. You will retain your position as Secondary Consort, but know that a single misstep will see you demoted with prejudice."

Harry had never seen the woman so pale, the yellow of her robes clashing garishly with her white pallour. Her grey eyes stuck out starkly, wide with disbelief as she stared at the scroll in his hands. Contrary to his belief, however, she didn't utter a word of protest. No, instead, her face morphed, and she glared up at him darkly.

"Of course, Brother. I will take heed from now on." She practically spat, and a shiver ran up Harry's spine. He nodded, mind beginning to form a plan on how to catch the woman out when she attempted to harm him in some way, because there was no doubt in his mind that she would not.

5th October 2000- Thursday

Jasmine had become sullen and withdrawn ever since the death of her dearest friend. She still deigned to attend the morning meetings despite her palpable grief, but she refrained from the numerous social occasions the concubines took part in to pass the time, refusing each invitation.

That is why Harry was surprised to receive one from the woman herself one morning, the chill of late Autumn finally having settled in.

They were sat on the same sofa, and Harry couldn't help but feel a bit of deja vu at the scene, remembering Erin and himself mirroring the picture just a month before. He could only hope that Jasmine didn't have her own distressing news to share, although by the dishevelled state she was in, Harry wouldn't place any bets.

Jasmine met his eyes with her own red-rimmed ones, a sense of sombreness hanging over her like a shroud. "Before she died," She began. "Erin confided in me one last thing, and I just cannot-" Her breath caught in her throat, and it took the woman a few moments to begin again. "I cannot conflate it with the memories of my sweet, loving friend. I need to share it, but there are few who would listen to my words without abusing them for their own gain."

"What is it she told you, Sister? You seem distraught." He gently probed, understanding what went unsaid. She trusted him enough to tell him, and Harry would not prove her conviction mistaken.

"She... Erin confided in me that she had-" The words once more died in her throat, as if she could not speak them aloud, a fear of them being the truth. "She was the who- who stole my child from me. My little baby."

Harry sat up straight at her damning words, mouth forming an o of shock. Confusion, disbelief and horror warred inside of him at her unexpected words, and he couldn't voice a response for a few moments. "She did what?"

Jasmine gave him a wan smile, and he could see the exhaustion in her eyes and the way she held herself. These thoughts had been obviously weighing on her for a while now.

"I was as shocked as you when she told me. I nearly hit her. I did throw her out of my Palace, but after a day, I realised that anger was getting me nowhere. But then she died, and I couldn't get any more answers. And now, I am responsible for raising her children, sweet Serina and tiny Enis. It feels wrong that I must do this. I want to curse her name, for her selfishness and for her despicable actions, for making me raise her children whilst she took my first. I want to hate her, reveal what she did, so that His Majesty may remove that Concubine title, it would feed some of the spite that I still feel so deeply. But-" Jasmine drew in a harsh breath. "She was my friend, the only one I truly trusted here. We knew each other for so long, from the day we both joined and became Sisters. Fuck, eighteen years!" She suddenly shouted, and Harry closed his eyes as the pain in her voice made his heart lurch. "Eighteen years together, and she poisoned me! Killed my baby just because she saw me as a threat! She only let Atticus live because she felt so guilty over killing my first! Why, why would she do this to me Brother? Why would she tell me, and leave me alone without answers!?"

The woman curled into herself, her sobs wracking her body, and all Harry could do was pull her to his side, where she buried her head in his shoulder.

After spending several hours within Jasmine's Palace, consoling her and allowing her to vent some of the anger she felt, Harry had to rush off to make it to the Consort meeting on time, which he thankfully did. The time had been moved until lunchtime now that it was colder, so that the Consorts could share soup and tea with each other within one of the smaller, more covered Pavillions. This Pavillion didn't have a name, but Harry liked to call it the Green Pavillion within his head, due to the unique green colour of its wood, from a magical species of tree, ironically called the Speckled Greenwood.

Since the meeting on Monday, the air between the Consorts and himself had been wrought with tension. They were all attempting to ignore what had occurred that day, or at least both Penny and Bellatrix were pretending that nothing was amiss as they weren't demoted in a literal sense, but with the more intimate meeting this afternoon, there was no doubt the topic would be broached.

It came to no one's surprise that Penny spoke on it first.

"Me and His Majesty shared a conversation on Tuesday concerning my pregnancy and recent behaviour. Let me apologise to you all if I have in any way offended you, whether it be by acting above my station, or for my fourth pregnancy which seems to have caused a stir."

Isla scoffed darkly, but said nothing, and Regulus blankly stared at the woman. It was Bellatrix who spoke, before Harry could.

"I have been pregnant thirteen times in total," The woman began, her voice gentle. "Thirteen times. I only have one living child to show for so many years of pain and heartbreak. I would be the last to begrudge you for such a thing, Sister." Harry was surprised at her softness, but he understood as much as he could. "I hope you and your child have a healthy pregnancy."

If Penny was shocked, she surely didn't show it. "Thank you, Sister. Your words are kind, but I understand His Majesty's concerns."

Bellatrix nodded, and then her entire countenance changed in a snap. Harry tensed as she turned to stare at him, like a predator eyeing up a five-course meal.

"I too, wish to apologise, specifically to you, Brother." She began, and he straightened at the mocking tone she spoke in. "It was uncouth of me to speak of His Majesty's children in such a way, especially as one of those very children may be the next Heir to the Black Family."

Harry could not sense what made him so uneasy about her words, but he nodded, accepting them. "Thank you for your apology, Sister."

"It is such a shame, however," She continued, and his hackles rose. "That none have yours and His Majesty's black hair, the hair that all Lords of the House of Black have possessed. It is a staple of our House, after all, along with our eyes."

He could immediately sense what she was hinting at, alluding to the unexpected hair colour of all three of his children. Harry grew defensive immediately.

"There are many hair colours within mine and His Majesty's bloodlines, it is not as unexpected as you make out, Sister. Neither I nor His Majesty are concerned that Alsephina has my mother's hair, or that Julius and Lilaia possess blonde from both our families."

"Ah, I wasn't suggesting anything by it, Brother. I was merely comparing their hair colour to yours and our families. Perhaps next time, you may be blessed with a child that looks like His Majesty." She cooed, and his hands clenched into fists under the table.

"I will not be upset if they do not, if I am to have another of His Majesty's children."

The woman was bold, he'd give her that, to question his children's paternity to her face. It was just her luck, however, that he would be meeting with Thomas soon enough, where Harry would inform him of this conversation, and it would be yet another mark against her, another reason for the Emperor to see to her downfall.

10th October 2000- Tuesday

Sasha's tail gently batted at his leg from where she was sprawled on the floor at his feet, stretched out and content that he was in no danger. The Wampus cat had finally grown to her full size, and she was a massive creature, but calm and loyal. She lazed around the Palace all day, enjoying the extra space when she went out to patrol. Mostly, however, she spent her time guarding his three children, following a toddling Alsephina or hiding under the cribs of the twins. It was unusual that she was with him, but there was another concubine within his Palace today.

Theo was across from him, his eyes flitting every so often to stare down at the cat, before roving over the intricate patterns detailing the ceiling, and back to Harry.

"Your Palace is rather exquisite, Brother Harry."

Harry was still awed himself by how extravagant his new Palace was. It was nearly twice the size of his Consort Palace, with an apartment for each bedroom, the living room they were residing in now one of only two set apart for guests. And there were five bedrooms in total, obviously intended for the children of the Noble Consort residing within, completed before the Children's Palace existed. Harry dreaded the day he would have to let Alsephina go, and a year later the twins, to live with their siblings once they turned five.

"Have you noticed anything amiss since last Monday? His Majesty informed me that he wasn't exactly elated to be welcoming another child with Sister Penny." He sidestepped the small talk the man was attempting to draw him into and got a brash grin in return.

"I have not, I'm afraid. Everyone seems to be walking on eggshells at the moment, afraid that His Majesty is in one of his moods and that he will demote anyone if they so much as look in the wrong direction. Is three the limit for children then, Brother? You have recently had both your second and your third."

Harry sighed, knowing that was a question likely on all the concubines' minds, and that Theo would be relaying his answer to them. Harry did not falsely believe the man was loyal to him, after all. They had a mutually beneficial relationship, which was better than the antagonistic one Dahlia, Daphne and Zacharias seemed to be holding on to. "I do believe it has more to do with this being her fourth pregnancy, rather than a fourth child, alongside other matters."

"And let us hope that it is only number four, otherwise I doubt you have a chance of remaining Head of the Harem. It would be the shortest tenure yet."

Harry pursed his lips at the thought. "I suppose we will just have to wait and see, but I am rather confident in mine and His Majesty's relationship. Sister Penny and Sister Bellatrix are losing favour, whilst I am still called upon regularly."

"Has the Emperor called upon you to spend the night since the birth of your twins?"

"He has not," Harry admitted, shaking his head softly. "I believe His Majesty is concerned by the quick succession of my children, especially with having twins. And I agree, it is in my best interest to focus on my young children at the moment, without having to tax my body bringing yet another into the world so soon."

Theo hummed, nodding his head sagely. His grin was sharp. "Then, perhaps now is the time some of us will be graced with your luck. I have yet to have a child with His Majesty, I wonder if he would be interested in an even deeper connection to the Nott family."

Harry scowled at the man's words, but simply huffed at the blatant provocation. "I wonder as well. Good luck with that, Brother."

16th October 2000- Monday

Harry watched with his heart beating with love in his chest as Alsie babbled in Parseltongue to her siblings, holding up a teddy bear to show Jules its face. Lilaia was asleep, but her brother was content to be entertained by his older sister. The scene was adorable, and whilst he was focused on furthering his embroidery skills, he was paying enough attention that something alerted him, sending a shiver down his spine.

He frowned, listening closer to her hisses, his eyes widening slowly as some words began to stand out amongst the incomprehensible babbling of others.

"...Da...beary...'ook!"

Harry leaned back, bracing himself on his arms as he stared at the pair of them, bringing a hand up to his mouth to hide his gasp. His eyes flitted about the room, noting that there were no maids present at that moment. Harry relaxed slightly, edging closer to his children. Alsie was the first to look up, and she gave him a gummy smile, still missing the majority of her teeth. She held up the bear to him, gesturing for him to look at it, before babbling once more in the tongue only those of the Slytherin bloodline could understand.

"Da! Bear!" She giggled, saying more words afterwards that he could not understand, and Harry reached out to brush her red hair out of her equally startling crimson eyes.

"I see, sweetheart." The words didn't come out with a distinctive hiss, but the mere fact that he could understand Alsie's words meant something extraordinary.

The Slytherin blood in his veins, so many centuries diluted, wasn't as latent as he had thought.

Penny turned to the side, eyes soft as she examined the slight swell of her stomach, the proof that her fourth child was growing there, healthy and wanted. The Healer had unfortunately confirmed that there was only one child, so Penny wouldn't be able to repay Potter in kind for that lovely surprise of his, but she had also given Penny the good news that her child was as healthy as could be.

After the Emperor had revealed to her that he did not wish for another child of their union, Penny had been incensed, lost for what to do. There was little to raise her rank now that she had achieved so much, apart from giving birth to the man's children, so the Emperor cutting off that route had been an unexpected blow. And what else was the Harem for apart from producing heirs to the Slytherin Dynasty? It was a shame that many still hadn't proved their worth and done their duty, but that wasn't her fault. Penny had done more than her part, and she was willing to do more.

The most recent blow to her standing still had her reeling from shock. She had gone so many years with the Emperor's favour that she hadn't envisioned a day she may lose some of it, and for something as simple as announcing her pregnancy before informing the man. She hadn't even gone over the twelve-week mark, so that announcement at the beginning of the month, despite not resulting in a demotion, rankled her. Bellatrix, too, had suffered a loss of favour, for insulting the Emperor's young children, of all things. Penny would admit that her words had been callous and idiotic, and she was questioning her allyship with the woman. Who knew what mistake she would make next, with her mind so demented and clouded with anger?

No, perhaps it was time for Penny to cut her losses and move on to a more stable concubine. Bellatrix was a powerful witch, and her family name and rank as Consort gave her a lot of influence, but her position in both was growing precarious. She had already lost favour with the Emperor, and was close to demotion if she made another wrong move. There was also the fact that Potter was the heir to her house, and when he became the Lord, or if he could influence the current Lord enough, he could strip her of her name, rendering her Houseless. It was a cruel practice, painful and torturous from what Penny had heard, and Penny doubted Potter had that sort of vindictiveness within him. But it was something to be cautious of. If push came to shove, he held many cards in his hands, some that she was surely unaware of.

That was why she could not allow him to rise any further. Potter had surpassed her now, just barely, but his pregnancy had been enough. Her next child would most likely see her retaking her place as Head of the Harem, but that was only as long as he didn't fall pregnant again. And with his track record, it could occur sooner than she'd like.

Her fourth child may be her last, but she would do her damnest to make sure Potter didn't surpass that number, or the favourites that would follow him once the Emperor's interest waned.

24th October 2000- Tuesday

Harry had invited Leanne and Cho once again to share tea with him, as he was still working his way into adding them to those he could name as allies. They were in the Pavillion of Raining Flowers, the day warm for being October.

He was comfortable enough around the two of them, and neither seemed to have the sort of aspirations that Harry would be wary of. Cho seemed to be halfheartedly involved with most of the Harem activities, and didn't seem keen to advance past the rank she currently held. In fact, he was sure she wasn't too enthused to be a member of the Harem, but she had obviously joined on her own will, as there were measures in place to block forced admissions.

Leanne, on the other hand, was clearly naive to almost everything wrong with the system, wearing rose-tinted glasses whenever snide words were exchanged. He was truly confused about how she had joined the Harem without knowing the politicking that went on daily. However, Harry wasn't going to be the one to break it to her. Instead, he introduced her properly to Luna, and, so far, the pair seemed to be forming a strong friendship that would hopefully benefit them, staying on the sidelines and not appearing to be threats.

"Brother?" Leanne spoke up, her smile anxious. Harry was unused to such blatantly open displays of emotion after over three years of being surrounded by the most devious, cunning wizards and witches, and it took a moment for him to smile back in kind.

"Yes, Sister?"

The woman bit her lip, chewing on it as she eyed him thoughtfully. "If I may be so... bold. Can I ask, how do I... oh, Merlin, how do I say this?" Leanne fretted for a moment, wringing her fingers whilst Harry grew steadily more concerned. Her cheeks were darkening in colour as she forced herself to continue. "How... How would I go about requesting to spend the night with His Majesty? I believe that... um... I am ready to do so, now."

Harry had to tamper down the brief, hot flash of jealousy and anger that ripped through his veins, swallowing tightly and closing his eyes to compose himself. He could not be jealous of the mere thought of the Emperor spending the night with others, he should not be. He was a concubine as all the others were, he held no dominion over Thomas, despite now having the power to veto if a concubine wished to spend the night with him. Harry would have to answer the woman's question with as cool a head as he could manage, especially since the poor woman seemed confused as to how such things worked. A few seconds later, he refocused on the conversation, listening as Leanne fretted.

"Oh, that was far too bold of me! I'm so sorry, Brother, Sister Chang, but I've just been so confused! I thought His Majesty would have called upon me by now, but is that not the case? Do I need to ask him instead?"

Bracing himself, Harry spoke. "That is not how it works, Sister Leanne. His Majesty requests those who catch his attention, and he may entertain a request from a concubine on their birthday, but outside of that, it is unlikely to be called upon. The Emperor is a busy man, he has many tasks to complete throughout the day and night. You are, pardon me for my words, rather low in the rankings, and His Majesty has not called upon a member of the lower ranks in quite some time. You will find that most from my Selection have never been chosen in the three years they have been members."

If anything, Leanne turned a brighter red, and she began to fan herself with her hand. It was making Harry feel embarrassed for her. "I'm so embarrassed, I am so sorry, Brother!"

"It is no bother, Sister Leanne. You are new to His Majesty's Harem, you did not know. You have not slighted anyone with your questions."

But she had opened up a whole can of worms in his mind that Harry would prefer not to think about at this time. Mainly, his steadily growing feelings of hatred towards the Harem system, and his jealousy that he was not the man's singular spouse. He locked those thoughts in a box the moment they popped into his mind, feeling his chest squeeze tightly.

31st October 2000- Tuesday

Despite Harry's attempts to tamper his growing feelings, they became most clear to him a week later, when the Emperor met with him at the man's private Pavillion.

"I have something I wish to gift you on this day. I believe it is most appropriate." Thomas began, after they were settled and had run out of conversation. They had been resting in companionable silence, simply absorbing the other's presence. Harry looked at him then, eyes dropping to his hands as movement caught his eyes. Thomas was twirling a distinctive black ring around, obviously contemplating.

The man twisted the ring off his finger in a quick motion, holding it out, and it dropped into Harry's hand with a soft clink. He watched the way Thomas stared at the ring with hunger in his eyes, and looked down at it.

The ring was simpler than Harry expected the man to wear, a golden band with a single, large, black stone set in it. The gem had a familiar symbol etched on its face, a triangle surrounding a circle, cut in half by a line. He recognised it instantly, having seen the symbol many times throughout his childhood. He had always had a fascination with the House, after all, knowing that he was one of the few directly descended from it. The Peverell coat of arms.

Harry twisted it around in his hand, staring down at it in awe. It was one of the only remaining artefacts of the Peverell Family, alongside the cloak in his possession, and the Elder wand, also owned by the Emperor after he had defeated Dumbledore and reclaimed the wand into the Peverell bloodline. Between the pair of them, they owned all three, and the man had just gifted him one of them.

"I-" Harry began, eyes flitting up to unsurely meet Thomas' steadfast gaze. "I cannot accept this, surely. It is too valuable, and it's a family heirloom..." He held out his hand to give it back, but Thomas shook his head.

"It is, yes. But you are the father of my children, and I wish for you to have this, as they are of our union, two of the last descended from the Peverells. One day, a child of ours will reveal that they are the next Head of that long-extinct House, whether one that has already been born, or one yet to come. I want for you to hold onto it until them, as a token of my... affection." The last word, Harry sensed was spoken hesitantly, despite there being only a momentary pause, and his heart warmed that Thomas was beginning to grow more obvious in his admiration for him. "May I?" The man gestured, and Harry nodded, feeling his throat clog as Thomas took his hand gently, placing the ring on his finger. Harry admired it, the gold band glinting in the sunlight, contrasted by the black gem which seemed to steal all light from its surroundings. It was the opposite of his usual dainty, silver jewellery, obviously made for hands far more larger than his own, but he loved it. The Emperor spelled it smaller with a simple thought, and brought Harry's hand up to kiss it. "My Noble Consort."

Harry lunged for him, devouring the man's satisfied smirk with his lips, yanking at the lapels of his robe. They were lost within each other for who knows how long, but Harry was breathless by the time he was released. "You..." He breathed, staring into Thomas' eyes.

"Yes?" The man responded in a smarmy tone that made Harry want to equally hit him and continue kissing him.

"I love you." He admitted instead, feeling like he couldn't breathe. He didn't take stock of the man's expression, as his head fell onto Thomas' shoulder, body relaxing unmeaningly. "I love you so much, I can't-" Couldn't breathe, couldn't bear it, didn't want to think anymore. It felt as if everything was crashing down on him, all his thoughts and feelings, suddenly felt so starkly. It was terrifying, and Harry didn't want to lift his head, and meet the man's disapproving eyes. He'd known all along that he was just another concubine for the Emperor, despite all the favour he had amassed over the past few years. A concubine, that was all he could be in truth. The Emperor wouldn't allow anything more.

That was why Harry jolted so harshly when he felt the man's lips meet his cheek, a gentle pressure, breaking the line of tears that had begun trailing down.

"I know, my darling," Thomas whispered back in the language only he and his children were supposed to understand, and Harry curled closer to him, his smile hidden.