Lorcé Callora in the Academy of Loriostro

A dense gust of snow plunged the roofs of the palaces of the imperial harem into large white cloaks. Winter had come for the first time since the coronation of the current emperor about three years ago. All the wives watched from their palaces the entrance of the king to the inner complex. Little had the man entered the harem and this attitude was taken as the lost interest of the ruler for the women who composed it, the empress; his chief wife, consort Akil; Representative of one of the influential families of the empire and second-rate wife. And finally Mrs. Cadi; Woman of great intellect and first wife of the third category. The king advanced down the long corridor until he reached the palace that stood imposing above the rest, it was the abode of Empress Khatri.

The other wives saw the king enter the palace of his mortal enemy. No one helped together, each working individually to curry favor with the king. But it was almost impossible to win his approval by competing with a personality like the empress; Deceptive, conspiratorial and jealous. Although he knew very well to hide his shortcomings from the king.

"It is the first time in two weeks that his majesty has entered the palaces and met with the empress," Consort Akil said indignantly.

"Your Highness, you don't need to worry. Her majesty, she surely remembers, her maid tried to comfort her.

The woman, burning with fury both at the king's favoritism with the empress and at the stupid words of her maid, beat her.

"Sorry, your highness. I was careless with my words," she said fearfully.

It had been two months since the emperor had visited her and that was something that scared and bothered her at the same time. Without the king's favor, wives were nothing. She was not the king's favorite and had not borne him children, if a woman entered the palace and finally won the king's favor and also bore him children, that would mean her destruction. The consort would not sit idly by and invent something to get the king's attention.

⟦··· ⟧

The king walked down the long corridor of the empress's palace until he reached her rooms. When she saw him, she got up to receive him.

"I receive your majesty," the woman greeted him with a bow.

"How have you been?" The king asked as he offered his arm.

"Very well now that your majesty is in front of me.

"I've been busy and...

"You don't have to give me explanations, majesty. You are the head of state and those matters are more important than my whims—he stopped you in his speech.

Empress Khatri with actions as simple as those managed to win little by little the heart of the king.

She used her arsenal of charms very well in order to win the favor of man.

"How are the girls?"

"They were playing with the babysitter while I embroidered a little.

The man nodded and walked restlessly around the room.

"Is something wrong with you, majesty?"

"The queen dowager has heard the rumors about the supposed disinterest in my women and is organizing a selection of concubines.

The woman maintained a neutral expression before the words, although inside the blood burned her. The mere fact of knowing about the selection made the empress full of jealousy. In three years that would be the third time that a selection of concubines would be held, the first two gave scarce results being chosen only one woman in each.

The empress had demonstrated her many skills as the leader of the king's harem and one of those was her ability to keep the other two wives suppressed; one more ambitious than the other.

"Your majesty is still young, he has just turned 30. The wives who make up the harem can still give him heirs.

"There will be no way to persuade my imperial mother. You must help her, do not forget your obligation.

The woman nodded with no choice as a feigned smile appeared on her face.

"Your majesties, the room is ready." A maid entered the place.

The couple entered the room as the servants closed the doors behind them. The night augured to be short for those who slept, but long for those who guarded the chambers of the monarchs.

⟦… ⟧

Many hours had passed since the king had withdrawn from the empress's palace. When the presence of Mrs. Cadi damaged the morning of the young queen. Her character was well known among the other wives. But Mrs. Cadi didn't seem to care about the rudeness and rudeness that the queen frequently committed to her.

"Greetings to your majesty, the Empress," greeted the spiky lady politely.

"You know we are like sisters, you must not have such formality with me," Khatri said.

"You are the leader of the harem and you are above me. I owe her respect," she replied mellowly.

"What brings you to my palace?"

"News has reached my pavilion that the king will choose new concubines.

"Yes, the king needs an heir and we have only given him princesses.

"Your Highness, the princesses have already turned 7 years old. Would I allow Naya to be taken to my palace?

The third wife made the request with fear. 

The king had married very young. And only when he was a prince he  already had two wives, then when he turned 23, he acquired another, this was Mrs. Cadi. It was that same woman who bore him a first child, although to his misfortune, she could not give the king a son.

"Sure, Mrs. Cadi. You know how our deal is. If he fulfills what I ask, he will be able to take his daughter, Princess Naya".

"Your Highness, please, I beg you," she pleaded desperately as she fell to the ground with tears in her eyes.

The empress settled on her throne, while holding in her hands a beautiful white Persian cat, the woman stroked the animal while selflessly listening to Mrs. Cadi. In his ears the woman's words were a cheap and meaningless theatre, for it was absurd to let her go so easily after all the things she had done. I wasn't going to take unnecessary risks.

"I allowed you to have a son of the king and that's why you are an official wife. I allowed you to rise, but you will never rise above me".

"Your Highness, I cannot do what you ask. Please could I do anything but stain my hands with blood".

Mrs. Cadi crawled across the beautiful carpet of the palace until she reached the queen's throne of sorts. 

With the help of the empress, Mrs. Cadi had managed to become an official wife thus richly accommodating her clan. For the Empress this woman was her lackey of evil deeds, who committed all the conspiracies against the Consort.

Putting her aside with her foot, the empress stood up and advanced to the exit of the small chamber. Mrs. Cadi from the ground could hear the tinkling of the empress's tiger's eye earrings, a sound she had come to hate with all her might.

"You must be thankful that I am not rushing you, you can spend as much time as you want, only in the end I want the same result," the woman said.

Mrs. Cadi got up from the ground with the help of her maid and wiped away her tears. No matter how many tears she shed or how much she begged, the empress would never leave her alone.