Intimacy

1st May 2001- Tuesday

Penny tutted as she swatted away the maid's twitching hands, glaring as the woman retreated reluctantly. She fixed her tiara herself, scowling at the yellow gem it held. When she received that crown with her promotion to Consort, Penny was overjoyed. It was the most beautiful thing she had laid eyes on, the symbol of her ever-growing power, the citrine at its centre gleaming and glowing proudly. Now, as she laid eyes upon it, it filled her with hate. It was now a symbol of her continued position as a Consort, when she should have received the news of her promotion to Noble Consort that morning.

It was supposed to be orange. Yet, the gem remained yellow, taunting her from where it lay balanced on her golden locks. She wore the crown now only to fuel her purpose, to remind herself of what Potter had stolen from her.

Staring down at her son, who Penny had thought would be the golden ticket to finally regaining her position, extending her power, she gritted her teeth and passed him off to her Head maid. The boy's cries were only worsening her mood, and she didn't wish to upset him further, no matter how much he enjoyed being in her arms. Darius' wailing quietened as he was taken away, and finally, she could release her frustration upon the room around her.

The walls shook, mirrors broke, and pillows shredded. The books upon the shelves fell to the ground, and decorations shattered under the pressure of her magic, her rage.

Instead of Penny's longed-for promotion, the Emperor had practically spat in her face, gifting her the 'honour' of a title. Such a useless, insipid thing was not equivalent to becoming a Noble Consort, not even the empty words of her allies could hide that glaring truth.

Penny had little idea what to do now. She had tried to regain her position peacefully, giving birth to another heir, but that had not succeeded. And she doubted she would get the chance to do so again. The Emperor had made it quite clear that he had not been pleased with this most recent pregnancy. Perhaps in a few years, it would once again be a viable option. She was still young enough, and not as damaged as some of the other concubines. But Penny did not wish to wait that long, under the rule of Potter, who could advance even further until he was out of reach. Already, he had progressed too far.

She could not allow him to snatch the title she had longed for for so long.

He could not, and would not reach it.

7th May 2001- Monday

"I cannot believe you could be so callous!" Concubine Alecto spat angrily, her teeth gritted. "I cannot have more children, so how dare you flaunt your son around me!"

"Well, what was I supposed to do?!" Concubine Felix responded harshly, his teeth bared in a mockery of a smile. It was violent and mean. "Leave my son when you had asked for me to bring my children over for tea?" He laughed humourlessly.

"You were taunting me! I meant your daughter, not the Prince, you know how I feel about sons!"

"And I repeat, you wished for me to leave my young son, whilst bringing my daughter? You would have me show favouritism?"

"The Prince wouldn't have known, he resides in the Children's Palace anyway," Alecto replied flippantly.

Harry's attention pinballed back and forth between them, eyeing their spat with intrigue as it only grew more heated. He enjoyed, for once, not being involved in the drama, and simply wished to sit back and avoid it, letting it come to its natural course. Or postponement, when he had to end the meeting within a few minutes.

Their argument also revealed cracks within Penny's faction, clearly on show to the rest of the Harem, which would create doubts about the woman's ability to keep the peace among even her closest. It reflected badly upon her aspirations to become Empress as well.

She was desperately attempting to save face by pretending to ignore the growing volume of the argument, discussing sedatedly with Bellatrix. This did not work, as neither Concubine appeared willing to let the subject drop. Finally, she could put it off no more as Alecto began to stand, clapping her hands together with force.

"Sister, Brother, please. May there be peace between you this morning. Whatever your quarrel is, it can be sorted in a more private setting."

"Well, I do not wish to meet with Concubine Felix in a private setting, so our quarrel shall not be quelled." Alecto spat, still half out of her chair. She did not remove her gaze from the aforementioned man, who was looking poisonously at her.

Felix nodded brusquely. "No, it shall not. But I do not wish to talk on this further, if you mind. Some of us respect the peace."

Alecto growled, sitting herself firmly back on her chair. "Quite."

Harry cleared his throat, smiling slightly awkwardly as he announced the conclusion of the meeting, watching as the pair hurried out from the hall whilst glaring at one another, Penny following soon after.

15th May 2001- Tuesday

"His Highness, the Noble Consort is a most gracious master. I am jealous of our Sisters who get to work under him, he must be so forgiving of mistakes. Do you wonder if a position may open up soon? I do so wish to put forward an application for the spot. Perhaps when His Highness gains his next promotion?" Betty, one of the maids within the Washing Department spoke to her neighbour softly, trying to keep her voice low in the echoing hallway. Of course, it did not work, so the other maids in the area heard her words clearly enough, Anya particularly.

The woman smiled slightly at the compliments directed to His Highness, feeling proud to work for a master who was so beloved by others. She saw Betty staring at her, nodding her way kindly in response. The young woman blushed slightly with a small smile, turning back to sorting through the basket at her feet.

However, as Anya walked further down the hallway, another conversation caught her attention, this one of a less considerate nature. "That man has gall. Her Highness, the Primary Consort is incredibly upset at how the morning meeting on the first proceeded. My Master Zacharias was called upon by the Primary Consort to console her as she was so shaken! Only a title given, oh, Mistress Penny is inconsolable! Even the newest Prince can barely gain a smile from her, and the Mistress adores him so. And, apparently, the Noble Consort had nothing genuine to say to her, no condolences or congratulations, only snide words and a smirk! I say, he has a nasty personality, not at all fit for the Head of the Harem. His Majesty must be informed of that man's sly nature, he is upsetting the balance of the Harem! Her Highness was a far more considerate and deserving Head!"

The maid next to her was nodding hesitantly, but her eyes were roving the hallway nervously, biting her lip in a way that suggested she either did not agree with her neighbours' words or was afraid of being overheard and the consequences that would follow.

Well, she should be, and she paled spectacularly when her gaze landed on Anya, who approached them swiftly with purpose. Anya frowned icily as the pair turned to her, having heard her purpose-filled footsteps.

"Would you repeat your words to me, Miss?" She practically spat, drawing herself up to her full height to loom over them. Anya attempted to keep the anger she was feeling controlled and tucked away, but hearing such slander had her shaking minutely with effort.

"Ah, Head Maid Anya." The maid who had spoken awkwardly hedged, shrinking back slightly. "I, um..."

"You were speaking so confidently a moment ago, do you no longer believe in your words?" She hissed with derision, watching the woman pale.

"I-" The maid began uncertainly, before seemingly growing some unfounded confidence, squaring her shoulders and meeting Anya's disapproving gaze. "The Noble Consort was insensitive to Her Highness, though, you cannot deny that! Your Master has shown his childishness, his want for revenge, kicking Her Highness whilst she was recovering from her disappointment. Am I not allowed to say such truths?"

Anya took a moment to consider the bold woman before her, before clicking her fingers. A pair of Knights appeared out of what seemed to be thin air, although she knew they had been concealing themselves in the corners of the corridor, waiting for the signal to intervene.

"Knights, would you be so kind as to take this woman to the Punishment Bureau? As you have perhaps overheard, she had besmirched the name of His Highness, and in the process, contested His Majesty's will."

The pair nodded solemnly, grabbing at the woman's upper arms despite her protests, and dragging her down and out of the hall. She yelled profanities, squirming uselessly against their tight holds. The scene was watched on by many maids and Eunuchs, who stared with fascination and nervousness. The maids who had been surrounding the woman looked away from Anya awkwardly, murmuring excuses and busying themselves with tasks to remove themselves from the situation.

Nodding firmly, Anya continued on her way, keeping an ear out for any further disturbances.

18th May 2001- Friday

Harry gripped the armrests of his chair as Zacharias Smith turned on him with a glare halfway through the morning meeting, his eyes blazing.

"Noble Consort, can you explain to me why your maid had mine sent to the Punishment Bureau? My maid was returned to me, very distressed and traumatised by what she was put through. She is now on leave until she recovers, which leaves me with one less maid to my already small team. How do you intend to take responsibility for this travesty?"

"Excuse me?" Harry tilted his head, staring down at the man. He was genuinely perplexed. Anya had informed him of her actions as soon as she had arrived back at the Palace, explaining her reasoning for calling upon the Knights and sending the maid to the Bureau instead of taking matters into her own hands.Harry had thought she had taken the best course of action, less likely to result in repercussions. If she had personally lashed out, Harry could understand Zacharias' concerns, but there had been many witnesses to attest that Anya hadn't laid a hand on the woman. And the Punishment, too, had not been physical. Smith had had the chance to have a hand in it, make it more lenient. But, the man had chosen not to at the time. Perhaps so that he could confront him today in this manner.

Zacharias scoffed, scowling. "Please do not think touse your position to brush aside my very true concerns, Noble Consort. I am requesting some form of compensation, this incident has distressed me greatly as well! What if this affects my health? Affects my ability to serve His Majesty? That maid is dear to me, and I do not have as many as you do. I wish for either monetary compensation to pay for another maid whilst mine is recuperating, or, in the aim of justice and not out of malice, for your maid who reported mine to face punishment. A whipping, perhaps, for she has caused mental distress to a concubine."

Harry started, magic sparking at the thought of Anya facing such a dire punishment. He snarled wordlessly, relishing in the flinch that drew from the man and others who were watching on with entertained, appreciating expressions. "If you dare to suggest such a thing... Why was your maid punished, I wonder?" He meanly pondered. "Did you not deign to find out? No? You just wished to slander me and attempt to harm my head maid? I shall tell you, then, and clear mine and my maids' names before the Harem with the truth. Your maid was caught besmirching my name. Mine, the Noble Consort. Do you not believe that constitutes a trip to the Bureau? And when an Eunuch headed to your Palace to inform you that there was a choice for you to take the punishment of your maid under yourself with input, you denied the chance. You allowed for the punishment to go ahead without input. Why? Why did you decide not to reprimand her personally, yet now you come to me, attempting to place the blame at my feet for her disparaging comments?"

The man huffed. "Noble Consort, surely you shouldn't be blaming me! I am simply taking this matter seriously-"

"I am taking this incredibly seriously as well, Attendant Smith! I have a mindtotake this matter directly to His Majesty, in fact! This is a matter of great urgency, you are requesting for the brutal whipping of my head maid! Have you no shame? Distress to yourself? And what, do you think, would your wished brutality against my maid cause me?"

Zacharias scowled impressively, shrinking back into his seat. "I suppose that the matter can be settled now, then, Your Highness. After all, there is no point in contesting this matter if His Majesty is to get involved." His voice was snide, and Harry raised an unimpressed eyebrow.

In a silky voice, Harry hissed his next words, narrowing his eyes into slits. "Are you implying that His Majesty cannot be impartial, Attendant Smith?"

The man practically jumped, hurrying to cover for himself. And, luckily for him, he had others of higher status to protect him as well, although Harry could not deign why anyone would want the spineless git as an ally.

"Brother Harry, peace. Brother Zacharias is simply distressed. His favoured maid had been punished and can not serve him for the time being, surely you can understand his plight? I believe it is very brave of him to bring up his concerns in this meeting, especially against the Head of the Harem. And, as the Head, surely you can show forgiveness to your low-ranking Brother?" Penny suggested in a coaxing tone, and Zacharias latched onto her assistance like it was the lifeline that it was.

"Yes, forgive me, Brother. I am incredibly distressed by this situation, and did not think that you would suggest taking the matter to His Majesty. Surely it is not something we should bother him with? I will let this matter go with no further contest..."

Harry fought a sneer. Backed into a corner, where advancing would mean appearing to be unforgiving and harsh towards such a low-ranking concubine, he nodded.

"Then I shall consider it settled. I will give you a small monetary donation to provide a new maid, as I am a concerned Brother, but there shall be no more talk of whipping, is that understood?" He spoke in disgust, reclining back when the man nodded his head, looking at Penny with starry eyes. Penny herself was staring up at Harry, her chin tilted up. Harry conveyed the contempt he felt towards her in his eyes, smiling charmingly when she quickly looked away.

Yes, he would provide the man with a small monetary contribution. But, that did not mean he would be rewarding him in any way. Harry was feeling slighted, so, the man would get his compensation. A maid, handpicked by Harry, with no chance to refuse his gift, for he was such a concerned Brother.

29th May 2001- Tuesday

Felix huffed as he recalled Alecto's words, his fists clenching by his sides, drawing a concerned look from Sister Penny. He pondered on how he should word his complaints for a moment, before throwing caution to the wind, and explaining himself. It set him off into a long-awaited tirade.

"And she had the gall to suggest I leave my son behind! That he would not hear of it! Elias may not live within my Palace anymore, but he is six, not two. He would have surely heard about it, he is a bright child. Alecto is thoughtless for proposing such a thing."

Sister Penny hummed consolingly, patting their linked arms. "Brother, please do not upset yourself so by thinking of the matter. Sister Alecto was wrong, but you must understand her situation. She is so torn that she cannot provide another child for His Majesty, especially a long-awaited son, that she lashed out. I am sure she will apologise within time, but for the time being, put it out of your mind."

Felix scowled at her advice, but nodded his head. Her words had merit. He knew that Alecto was mentally fragile when it came to talking about children, but he hadn't realised she would react so viscerally to seeing his son. His poor Elias had cried for an hour straight after the Consort had screamed as if dying when spotting him, unable to understand why she had reacted so angrily, and therefore inconsolable. That was why Felix could not forgive her, but he could understand.

They moved onto lighter topics followingthat, meandering about the garden and admiring the vibrance of the newly bloomed flowers. It was relaxing, and it made it easy to forget just where they were, until they turned a corner to see a woman wearing the distinctive white of the Council. Penny recognised her, because she was one of the few within the Harem who had had dealings with the Council before.

"Council Member Yu." Penny greeted cordially, smiling sweetly.

Felix scrutinised as the woman stopped observing the flowers, bowing appropriately low to the both of them. "Your Highness, the Primary Consort, Your Highness, the Primary Concubine, I greet you."

"How are you today, Council Member Yu? I am surprised to see you in the Court. Is the Council holding their session here once again? I had heard nothing about it." Penny inquired, still smiling.

"I am well, and yes, the Council has convened here today. His Majesty requested it." The woman replied shortly, showing not a hint of emotion as she blandly looked upon the pair of them. Before Sister Penny could question her further, having opened her mouth to do so, the woman... sighed. "If you'll excuse me, Your Highnesses, but I simply came out to the gardens for a little bit of air. I am refreshed now, so I should be swiftly heading back to the meeting. Good day to the both of you."

"Council- Um, good day." Sister Penny hesitantly replied, appearing severely put out. She hovered in place for a moment as they both watched the retreating form of the Councilwoman, before turning on her heel and pretending as if the moment had never occurred.

The interaction and the way the woman had treated Penny was clearly respectful, but cold. She had seemed uninterested in divulging anything to his Sister, or entertaining the thought of interacting with her further. The Council member had been cold and precise with her responses, unwilling to prolong the interaction. It was clear to Felix then that, somewhere along the line, Penny had lost all of her influence within the Council without realising.

In his mind, he momentarily entertained the thought of forming his own faction, if Sister Penny was only going to continue losing to the Noble Consort. She had no way of gaining her influence back, her tried and tested method of childbirth failing spectacularly. Felix, on the other hand, was not in such an uncertain position with His Majesty. Perhaps the man would even encourage a third child of their union. It had been nearly three years now since the birth of their daughter, enough time had passed that there could be no comments of overeagerness and hoarding as was sent Potter's way. He would make sure not to be as greedy as Sister Penny, and show that he truly cared for his children, as well. That was something Penny had always appeared to struggle with, as she viewed them as commodities, ways to evolve her position, and not simply as her beloved children. They were Royal children in her mind, not normal children, and therefore, she did not need to treat them as softly. He did not agree with her in that respect, even if he did see the boon children brought to a concubine's position. Usually. Penny had shown the opposite could also occur most recently.

However, that thought swiftly left Felix's mind. He had thrown his lot in with the woman years ago. Was forming his own faction, and severing ties with Penny indefinitely, truly the path he was willing to take? It had taken years to gain the woman's trust, to see beneath her sweet facade. Felix did not want for all that work to go to waste.

Surely, there had to be a way to bring that man down.

6th June 2001- Wednesday

Sylvania sighed as she surveyed the Great Hall, crammed full with what had to be the entire student population. It was raining today, and the Hall was the warmest area of the Castle, so the first through to seventh years had flocked to it. From her spot at the Slytherin table, she watched as a group of Gryffindors sent a pie flying up into the air, and several Ravenclaws shredded their gathered notes in a cathartic ritual that signalled the end of exam season.

Her time at Hogwarts was quickly coming to a close, and Sylvania couldn't wait to leave that chapter of her life in the past. She'd had fun at the school, and would miss being able to act like a normal teenager the most, simply going to class with her friends, giggling over boys she would never be allowed to marry, and moving about freely without a guard by her side. Once she was officially considered an adult, that would all change. However, the place was also filled with bleak memories, and remaining here was dampening her mood. It was here, in these very halls, that she'd had to deal with the weekly news of her mother's worsening condition, and then that final letter requesting her immediate return to the Court. It was at Hogwarts that she had first faced criticism and had her eyes opened to some of the less stellar aspects of her Father's reign. Her peers had not held back in revealing their grievances, singling her out.

She wasn't like Evana, popular, loud, funny, smart. Her older sister could make anyone like her if she tried. And even if she didn't, people seemed to fall at her feet anyway.

And she wasn't like Carina either, who was standoffish and brusque, but smart and powerful. Some had tried at the beginning to target her, but Carina had taught them quickly that she was not to be messed with. Her status as Princess, and the secondary boon of being a Black protected her from all sorts of derision.

Her other sisters at Hogwarts were all in their fifth year with Carina, meaning that they all had one another for protection. Evana's reputation helped Viviana, even though the girl was far less outgoing. Flora and Hestia stuck together, creating a barrier against the outside world, and no one wished to get between the twins. And Odelia, pretty, darling Odelia, twice over a Princess, could invoke spite from no one. That girl was as cunning as a snake, as sweet as she was, though. Sylvania was sure that the worst of her bullies had been taken down by her little sister, although the girl never divulged that information personally.

So that left Sylvania, a motherless girl whose other parent had been lowly ranked and sickly. She was different to her sisters in that she wasn't outgoing, or otherwordly pretty, or powerful and standoffish. She simply... was. An unassuming Princess with no ambition, an oddity within her House. The perfect target, until she had managed to surround herself with friends.

It was with some luck that Carina had decided to stick by her as well, which she was doing this lunchtime.

Carina huffed as she watched Sylvania pick at her food, and she smiled sheepishly.

"I'm not... that hungry." She explained out of habit, pushing the plate over to her sister. "Could you..."

Carina plucked the remaining tart from her plate, scoffing it whole in a vulgar display, uncaring of the many watchful eyes upon them. She admired that about her younger Sister. Her ability to not care about what others thought. Sylvania overthought her every breath.

"Thanks. Anyway, were you listening to what I was saying?"

"Huh?" She replied uncomprehendingly, and the other girl scoffed.

"Typical. Anyway, I was talking about Penny. Father didn't give her any sort of promotion this month either, despite her attempts to flirt with him. It's kind of funny, isn't it? Dad seems to think she's desperate at this point, as well. She's losing faith and the support of her allies fast. And, as much as I'm not fond of him," She scrunched her nose as if smelling something terrible. "Dad seems to be considering allying fully with Potter. Said about how the only thing making him hesitate is that Patricia and Bellatrix would never do the same, and he's slightly fond of them still. Bella's our Cousin, so, like, I get it, but Patricia? She's a bitch. Why should Dad care about her? She's never going to grow in power now, not at her age. I said he should just ditch her, but..." Carina shrugged, smiling sharkishly. "I put a Muffliato up by the way, no need to look so scandalised, I'm not publicly airing the Harem's dirty laundry."

Sylvania realised she had been staring slack-jawed at her sister as she spoke, and clamped her mouth shut quickly so as not to draw any more attention. "And you've made our lips unreadable?"

"Of course, that's the first thing I did. Merlin, do you think I'm stupid? Continuing, how's Evana? She spoken to you recently? Letter, floo... No? Well, I heard that she's almost ready to pop! Ready to be an Auntie? I hope it's a girl, otherwise that woman will never shut up. We need more women as Heads of Houses, anyway. That husband of hers said that their first child would be the Heir. I'd like to have a Queen for a niece."

Carina continued to ramble on about Queen's, Ladies and power, and Sylvania began to slowly tune her out, diving into her own thoughts.

Sylvania had no aspirations towards her Father's throne, not at all. The reminder that Evana was now one step closer, having created a line of succession after herself, only reminded her of the situation.

She knew many of her siblings did so, although took the ramblings of her youngest ones with a pinch of salt. But the elder of her siblings, Evana, Carina, Odelia, they surely did. Evana especially, which made the oncoming birth of her child only that much more significant. Carina had said before that she would be content as the Lady of a House, in her own right of course, and Odelia quite enjoyed being a Princess rather than a Queen.

It made her feel left behind. Her siblings had such big aspirations and ambitions, and here she was, on the verge of graduating, without a thought in mind as to what she wished to strive for. She was truly the odd one out.

14th June 2001- Thursday

"Her Highness, the First Princess and Crown Princess to the De Laurentis throne, Evana Slytherin de Laurentis, has given birth to a son, Your Majesty. Both the Princess and the Prince are reportedly healthy, with the Princess sending her love to you and requesting that you visit soon to meet your grandson."

Thomas leaned back in his chair, breathing out a quiet sigh of relief that both his daughter and grandson were safe and well. His shoulders relaxed slightly from the tense position they had held since he had received the news that Evana was in labour. "And what has my daughter named her Heir?" He questioned. He had given her permission to name her son his own name, but whether Evana had gone through with it was a mystery.

"Thomas, Your Majesty, as a homage to yourself, the Prince's Grandfather. Many blessings to Her Highness and His Highness."

He nodded, shooing the Eunuch away so that he could process his thoughts in peace.

Evana had created a succession for herself and produced his first grandchild. The boy, Thomas, would grow to become the next Crown Prince to the De Laurentis throne, and eventually the magical Italian States' King, bringing the Kingdom closer under his family's control. It was a milestone that required celebration, as well as contemplation. There was another generation to consider now for his own line of succession.

But, in the back of his mind, Thomas had already made a decision.

He wanted his heir to come from his and Harry's line, whether that be a child, a grandchild or another descendant if it came to that, and he would have it no other way.