“Renate is the last of our acquisitions,” Arken said after the last courtesan was settled with the group. “You must all be prepared now for the emperor to call for each of you. He could call on you at any time so you must be ready to answer that call.”

“What’s he like?” Zarina asked.

“He is a very serious young man. He enjoys a good conversation, but he is still a young man, so do not expect anything less than the usual end to the evening when you are called for.” Arken looked at them all seriously.

“Will he be violent with us?” There was a slight tremor in Ji-Hye’s lightly accented voice.

“No, he will be as gentle as he can with you.” Arken smiled reassuringly at her.

“I hope he calls for us soon. I’ve been bored out of my mind waiting for him to call for me.” Angharad looked excited at the prospect.

“You are not going to be one of his favorites, Angharad. So do not expect to be called for very often.” Arken frowned at her.

“Why wouldn’t I be one of his favorites? I can sing and tell tales just as well as the others can.” Angharad seemed offended that Arken would even consider that she wouldn’t be as popular as the others.

“But you cannot hold a conversation on things like history, science, and philosophy. Those are the topics he is going to want to talk about, not music and licentious tales.” Arken looked at the other women.

“How boring.” Angharad pouted and smoothed out her skirt.

“Not to him,” Arken told her.

“That is why we kept telling you to read something, Angharad.” Marin looked at her with some exasperation.

“Why would I want to read when I could do something more interesting?” Angharad asked.

“Because it will make you more appealing to the emperor. I thought you’d have figured that out by now, Angharad. The whole idea is to appeal to him, not entertain ourselves.” Zarina shook her head.

“I can entertain him by singing to him.” Angharad looked at them all with a superior sneer on her face.

“Not as well as we’re going to entertain him with our conversation.” Ji-Hye looked around at the other women, who all nodded their agreement.

“We’ll see about that.” Angharad preened a little. “I was considered one of the most entertaining courtesans in my academy with my skill with music and tales.”

“If you were dealing with a normal patron, you might be able to hold his attention.” Arken frowned. “But the emperor is not a normal patron, and you are going to be working under a handicap because you refuse to do what you have been told will hold his attention.”

Arken left the ladies to their own devices as he went back into his office. It was raining outside, a common occurrence in the summer on the Throne World, and they were all trapped inside and couldn’t go out into the garden. Sayana and most of the others got their pads and started reading again. Angharad sighed and went to one of the game boards to play by herself.

Arken came out a little before lunch. “Angharad, you will get your chance to see if your talents can impress the emperor. He has called for you this evening.”

Angharad sat up with a broad smile. “When do I go to him?”

“Around our usual dinner time. You will eat a little earlier than the other ladies so you have time to prepare yourself.” Arken glanced at her. “You will have to eat quickly so you have time to get ready.”

“Yes Lord Arken.” Angharad quickly cleaned up the game board. She retreated to her rooms.

Arken called Angharad to dinner while the women were reading, and she came out to eat. She called for her servants and prepared herself for her night with the emperor. She left while the other women were having their dinner. Sayana and the other women sat down after they were finished and read while they waited for her to return, all of them curious as to what she’d say when she returned.

It was barely an hour later when Angharad returned. She looked more than a little petulant as she came in. She didn’t speak to the women. She headed to her room and a short while later her servants arrived.

“I think things didn’t go as she planned.” Zarina didn’t bother to hide her amusement.

“I agree. Perhaps the emperor was not as entertained by her as she’d hoped.” Renate stifled a giggle behind her hand.

“I think you’re right. She was only gone an hour and that can’t be a good sign.” Marin looked at Angharad’s door with some concern.

“No, it can’t.” Sayana was torn between amusement and concern for the other woman.

Arken came out. “Is Angharad back so soon?”

“Yes, she is. She went straight to her rooms and called for her servants.” Marin glanced up at Arken.

“I see.” Arken frowned. “Did she say anything to you ladies when she returned?”

“No, she didn’t speak to us and just went to her rooms.” Ji-Hye looked at the other women, who all nodded.

“I see.” Arken sighed. “We all warned her that if she did not improve her mind she would not be appealing to the emperor. It appears we were correct.”

“I really hope she’s all right.” Zarina looked at her door.

“She will be fine,” Arken said. “I think she is coming to realize she is not as special as she thought she was.”

Marin winced. “That will be a hard thing for her to accept.”

“Yes, it will.” Sayana stared at Angharad’s door.

“You ladies focus on your reading. I will worry about Angharad.” Arken headed towards her rooms.

“I’m going back to my rooms.” Sayana stood up. “We’re not going to hear anything from Angharad this evening.”

“I agree.” Marin stood up as well. “And I think I’ll head to my rooms as well.”

Sayana made her way into her room and called for her servants. “My lady, it seems Angharad didn’t please the emperor,” Ardatha commented as she helped Sayana dress for bed.

“We managed to figure that one out based on Angharad’s attitude when she returned.” Sayana waited to see what her servants had to say. They weren’t going to get the story out of Angharad. Ardatha and her sisters were the next best source.

“I heard the emperor was bored by her within just a few minutes.” Ardatha combed out Sayana’s hair. “She completely disregarded everything she was told to do to keep his attention and only tried singing and telling tales. I heard from the emperor’s servants that he asked her what she’d been reading and when she told him she found reading boring, he took her into his bedroom and finished with her at that point.”

“She was told what she needed to do. She chose to ignore us and go her own way. That was her mistake.” Sayana shook her head.

Once she was ready for bed, she dismissed her servants. She didn’t immediately go to sleep. She was curious what the emperor was like and Angharad was the only one who knew. She had a feeling the other woman wouldn’t tell her anything. Finally, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

A few days later, Arken looked over the women at their breakfast. “Marin, the emperor wants you this evening. The same thing as we did with Angharad will happen this evening. You will eat first so you have time to prepare yourself.”

“Yes Lord Arken.” Marin smiled and continued eating.

“Don’t expect much.” Angharad scowled. “He’s not very easy to please.”

“You couldn’t please him because you haven’t been reading.” Marin looked over at her. “I have. I’m sure I’ll have better luck than you did with pleasing him.”

“Don’t count on that,” Angharad muttered.

It was a pleasant day, so the ladies spent the morning in the garden and the afternoon reading. Marin ate early and retired with her servants to prepare herself for her evening with the emperor. As the other women ate, she left the wing veiled and elegantly dressed in the company of an Imperial guard.

It was nearly bedtime when she returned. Angharad glowered at her as she came sailing in. “The emperor is a great conversationalist, and we had a pleasant evening before we did the usual.” Marin smiled as she removed her veil. “He’s read so many more books than me and it was a real pleasure to speak with him.”

“What does he look like?” Zarina asked.

“He’s a very handsome man.” Marin sat down with the other women. “He has dark brown hair and eyes, and high cheekbones. He’s well built, and dresses very well.”

“I look forward to my turn with him.” Zarina grinned nervously.

“Did the, you know, hurt?” Renate’s voice was a little shaky.

“It did at first.” Marin shrugged. “He was very careful with me. It’s obvious he’s as new to doing it as we are. But he was very conscientious and did what he could to make it pleasant for me. He is not a cruel man.”

“That’s good to know.” Sayana was relieved. She’d had her lessons, and Kyndra had warned her that the first time was going to be painful.

“Enough gossip, ladies.” Arken came out of his office. “It is getting late, and I know at least one of you is an early riser.” The women took the hint and returned to their rooms.

Sayana called for her servants. “Well, Lady Marin certainly pleased the emperor tonight. His servants said the two talked for hours about history and their views on it,” Ardatha gossiped as she and the others helped Sayana dress for bed.

“There’s idle speculation on which of you he’ll call next among the servants,” Vai told her. “We haven’t said anything but we’re betting it’s you, my lady. You were the third to arrive and he seems to be going in order of arrival.”

“I will not speculate either.” Sayana felt a rush of fear fill her. “If he calls for me next, we’ll know for certain if he’s going in arrival order or not.”

“We’ll be ready to help you get yourself prepared if he does, my lady,” Faviola assured her. “Don’t worry about that.”

“Thank you, Faviola.” Sayana dismissed her servants and went to bed. Her night was filled with nightmares.

It was nearly a week later when Arken came out of his office as soon as they finished their breakfast. “Sayana, the emperor has called for you tonight. We will follow the same routine we have done for Angharad and Marin.”

“Yes Lord Arken.” Sayana’s mouth went very dry.

He seemed to sense her fear. “You have nothing to be afraid of, Sayana. You are one of the most well-read out of all the courtesans here. You will have plenty to talk about with him this evening.”

“If I can manage to get more than a few words out.” Sayana gave voice to her greatest fear.

“He isn’t intimidating at all.” Marin smiled reassuringly at her. “He looks just like an ordinary man. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw him.”

“I’m not as gifted in conversation as you are, Marin.” Sayana looked at the other woman. “I’m more worried I’ll trip over my words and lose my ability to hold a reasonable discourse with him.”

“You will be fine, Sayana. I have heard you converse with the ladies, and you manage quite well. I think you can handle it.” Arken put a hand on her shoulder, and she smiled up at him.

“I think she’ll end up making a fool of herself and end up sent back here in disgrace,” Angharad sneered. “She’s not nearly so clever as you all make her out to be.”

“Just because you were sent back in disgrace doesn’t mean she will be, Angharad.” Zarina gave the other woman a look of disgust. “Sayana is far cleverer than you, and she’s read so many more books than I have. I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

“Wait and see. She’ll come back to us in tears because she couldn’t please him.” Angharad snorted.

“Don’t listen to her, Sayana. You’ll be fine.” Marin glared at Angharad.

Arken consulted the weather. “The day is a bit too stormy to let you ladies outside. I am afraid you will have to remain inside this morning.”

Marin sighed. “Yes Lord Arken. At least it’ll give us more time to read.”

Angharad made a face. “Oh, you and your books.”

“You should be reading too, if you do not want to be sent away from the emperor in disgrace again,” Arken told her.

Angharad flushed and fell silent. The other courtesans went and got their pads. They settled into their favorite chairs and began to read. Lunch came and went, and Sayana continued reading and trying not to think about what she was going to have to do that evening.

Arken called her to her solitary dinner, and she couldn’t put off thinking about it any longer. She ate a light meal and returned to her rooms. She called for her servants.

“How do you want to present yourself this evening, my lady?” Ardatha asked. “You have several very nice formal gowns.”

“I think I’ll wear that one.” Sayana pointed to a dark green gown dotted with winking cats-eye emeralds and embroidered with gold thread.

“That’s a lovely choice, my lady.” Vai smiled. “I think I know how to do your hair to match, if you’ll trust me to do it for you.”

“Okay.” Sayana knew Vai could do amazing things with her hair, so she put her faith in the young woman entirely.

She took a quick shower and then put herself in the hands of her servants. Over the course of an hour, they styled, primped, and polished her until she looked every bit as elegant as a woman of the court. The final touches were a brush of sunfire rose perfume and a dark green veil to conceal her face as she traversed the corridors of the palace.

The other ladies were still eating when Sayana emerged from her room. “You look beautiful, Sayana.” Arken at least approved of her appearance. “The guard is here to escort you there, and he will bring you back when His Imperial Majesty is finished with you.”

“Yes Lord Arken.” Sayana tried not to show her nervousness. She saw the hulking guardsman standing just outside the door to the courtesan wing, waiting for her. She took a deep breath and joined him.

He nodded once and led her through the twisting corridors and up and down several lifts until they reached the Imperial wing of the palace. He showed her to a door guarded by two men in power armor. He spoke with the guards in a low voice and then touched the door buzzer.

A moment later, Sayana was ushered in. The room she was shown into was a richly appointed room with a warm amber plush covering the floor and wood paneling on the walls that was a few shades lighter than the floor. There were three chairs upholstered in turquoise blue and a long couch in a slightly paler blue, all trimmed with gold. Holo stills covered the walls, pictures of various wilderness scenes from different worlds in the empire.

Two men stood to one side of the room, talking in low voices. The younger of the two finally spoke loud enough for Sayana to hear him. “I do not care what you say, Vasco. I am not going to approve anything of the sort. Now take your demands and leave my private quarters before I have my guards remove you. And do not even think of having the council present this to me in the morning because I will turn you down then as well. Furthermore, I will banish you from the council again. I am certain you recall what happened the last time I did that.”

“Yes, Your Imperial Majesty.” Vasco bowed deeply with a scowl on his face. “I still think you are being unreasonable.”

“You can think that all you want, Vasco,” the emperor snapped. “I am not changing my mind.” Vasco stalked out of the room, sparing only a brief glance at Sayana.

Sayana took her first good look at the emperor of the known galaxy. He was a young man, only twenty-one years old. He had collar length brown hair with a bit of a natural wave in it and large brown eyes framed by dark lashes. He had a light tan complexion with high cheekbones and a finely shaped nose and chin. He was incredibly handsome, far more than Marin’s description had indicated, and his body was that of a young man used to physical activity. He had some muscle, though not an overabundance of it. It was obvious that, scholar though he was, he had not spent all his time idly reading books.

The emperor dismissed the guard and looked at Sayana. There was no one else in the room with them. Sayana dropped into the appropriate bow. “Your Imperial Majesty.”

“Hello Sayana.” His voice was warm and gentle. “I am sorry you had to see that.” He gestured to a chair. “Please, sit and remove your veil. We are alone and I would like to see your face.”

“Of course, Your Imperial Majesty.” She took a seat in one of the chairs and removed her veil, setting it on the table beside the chair. She hadn’t noticed it at first because it was set back in the shadows.

“Well, Tremere found another lovely woman for me.” The emperor smiled. “I am certainly not disappointed by your looks. Tell me, what have you been reading lately?”

“I just finished Ylon Hangrove’s Philosophy of Morality, Your Imperial Majesty.” Sayana tried not to stammer as she spoke.

“You enjoy philosophy then?” The emperor regarded her with curiosity.

“I enjoy all books, Your Imperial Majesty.” Sayana spread her hands wide. “I read whatever I feel interested in. I am planning on reading Flower of Inzyke next because Marin’s description of it intrigued me.”

“What else have you read?” the emperor asked with a smile.

Sayana laid out what she’d read, and the emperor asked her about what she thought of the books. Sayana grew quite animated as she discussed her thoughts on the various things she’d read over the years, even arguing points of interest with the emperor when he countered her on certain things. She lost her fear and simply enjoyed the conversation. It was obvious that the emperor was also enjoying the conversation because he was as animated as Sayana.

After a few hours, he sighed and she smiled. “I hope I have entertained you this evening, Your Imperial Majesty.”

“You have, but our time must shortly come to an end. I have an early morning and will soon have to retire.” The emperor smiled at her. “Come. We have one more thing to do before I send you back to the courtesan wing.”

“I had not realized it had grown so late.” Sayana was astonished by how time seemed to have flown by.

The emperor rose and held out his hand. Sayana hid her fear by adjusting her skirts as she rose. She took his outstretched hand, and he took her into his bedroom. There, he helped her out of her gown, and she slipped into his bed. The emperor joined her a moment later.

“I know I am your first, so I will do my best to minimize the pain.” He slowly began touching her, hesitantly brushing his fingers across areas that were both sensitive and ticklish in turn. He leaned in and kissed her and Sayana responded to the kiss.

As he continued exploring her body, she tried things Kyndra had taught her on him. She immediately saw when he didn’t like something she did and attempted a different technique. She gasped and writhed when his fingers found a particularly sensitive spot. They worked together to bring each other to fever pitch. Then the emperor slid inside her. Sayana gasped at the stab of pain on top of the pleasure that was running through her. The emperor waited for her to become comfortable with his presence and then began moving.

Sayana soon moved with him and as heightened as their bodies were, it didn’t take long for both of them to reach the ultimate conclusion of the night’s activities. Sayana let out a scream of pleasure followed moments later by the emperor’s deeper moan. He collapsed beside her and for a moment neither moved or spoke as they gasped for breath.

He called for his servants, and she was dressed again while the emperor was dressed for bed. “You have pleased me very well, Sayana,” the emperor told her with a smile. “I look forward to when I get the chance to call for you again.”

“Thank you, Your Imperial Majesty.” Sayana was handed her veil and after she pulled it back over her face, she was turned back over to the Imperial guard who took her back to the courtesan wing.

“Well?” Ji-Hye asked when she walked in.

“He is exactly as Marin described him. He is a brilliant conversationalist. I could barely keep up with him, and yet he did not make me feel like an idiot because I wasn’t at his level. He was very curious about what I’d read and the debate we had over some of the points was highly entertaining.” Sayana sat down with the other women.

“He didn’t send you away in disgrace?” Angharad asked, pouting.

“Not at all. In fact, he told me he looked forward to the next time he could call on me.” Sayana felt a little surprised at herself for being excited at the thought of seeing him again.

“He said the same thing to me. It seems Sayana and I both pleased him quite well.” Marin smiled at Sayana.

“Now I’m nervous.” Zarina looked at the other two women.

“You’ll be fine, Zarina.” Sayana reached over and gave the other woman a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “If I could keep his attention, I don’t think you’ll have any problems.”

“Thank you, Sayana.” Zarina smiled at her.

“No more gossiping, ladies.” Arken came out of his office. “To bed with all of you.”

“Yes Lord Arken.” Sayana headed to her room. She called for her servants.

“My goodness my lady.” Ardatha began taking her hair down. “You certainly seem to have made quite an impression on the emperor. He made it a point to ask his servants to note your name down, so he knew who to ask for again when he was through all his courtesans. He was very taken with you.”

“I’m sure he was just as taken with Marin. I’m not all that special, Ardatha.” Sayana shook her head at Ardatha’s hinting that the emperor favored her over Marin.

“If you say so, my lady.” Ardatha gave her a knowing look.

“Help me out of this so I can get some sleep.” Sayana set her veil on the table. It was a positive end to her evening, and she found she was looking forward to her next meeting with the emperor.