Welcome To The Fold

[hybrid_prince]

"We do it so they feel hope for the power their people can attain."

That was what Emperor Dorrek had been told when he was a teenaged prince and found himself expected to take the first member of his imperial harem. One person of each people of the empire, on the idea that some day he would choose his consort from among them, would sire a child and heir upon them. It was his duty, and the people's they ruled would know they were close to power through the subject who might one day rule next to him.

The problem with it all was that Dorrek found the whole thing repugnant. Most of those given to his 'imperial consorts' were women, which was a problem for him. Which made every instance of these moments in the court tiring. Here he sat, upon his throne, awaiting the presentation of the newest offerings for his harem. He would have to choose one to take into his family, someone he would no doubt eventually send back to the others, trying not to feel disgusted by the whole process.

"You are before his Imperial Majesty, Emperor Dorrek-Vell. Kneel before his splendor and know you are close to greatness," his herald calls out to the assembled and Dorrek tried not to yawn.

Comments

[tighnauri]

Tighnari's race is nearly extinct. His appeal it appears had been that, his pleasant looks and the fact that he was a he but he was born assigned as a female. While he had been able to go through a series of surgies for the top, he was still fertile for all intents and purposes. And he didn't have many qualms about his own parts as long as he was treated as a male.

Still, he had reservations about being presented as basically someone to be bred by some spoiled royal. There hadn't been many options to get out of it, though, and so he's left wary as he's presented to the Emperor.

As he was presented he was dressed in light silks, very clearly presenting male and very much looking anything but cowed by the experience even if there's an air of annoyance about him.

He supposes... at least the emperor is attractive. But he scoffs briefly at being told to kneel and it's clear that he has a war with his pride over the whole affair. Still, his people, his family are relying on him. If he's chosen it could... help all of them. So he swallows his pride and kneels down properly before the Emperor.

[hybrid_prince]

At least this group has a number of people around who stood out. And that was always something to enjoy. People that were different were easier to consider.

"Your name?" he asks as he stops before this one with the ears. The one who clearly wasn't the normal human.

[tighnauri]

Tighnari's ear flick when the other's attention seems to stop on him. He supposes that he does stand out a bit with his tall ears and his tail.

"Tighnari."

[hybrid_prince]

Not one he has heard the like of before.

"You don't seem to be a normal human," he says, considering the one before him. "Why are you here?"

[tighnauri]

”I’m not,” Tighnari says simply and raises a brow. “I would say it’s for the same reason that all the others are here.”

[hybrid_prince]

The Emperor rolls his eyes, clearly not impressed with the answer.

"You are not like the others, and to my knowledge Earth does not have multiple species. So either you don't belong here, or our intelligence was wrong."

And someone needed punished in the latter case.

"That is the explanation you must give me."

[tighnauri]

Tighnari sighs. “You didn’t ask how, you asked why,” Tighnari points out. He contemplates the answer to, how, though he doesn’t fully understand it himself because he’s not exactly from Earth, hasn’t heard of it before.

“They must have stumbled upon something that brought them to Teyvat long enough to decide they had to bring someone here for your... harem.”

[hybrid_prince]

Ah. That explained it. Well, not well or much but explained. Dorrek sighed.

So for now he moves away. He has to pick a consort from Earth. Except his eyes keep returning to the strange, non-human. So he ends up back in front of them.

"Tell me why I should pick you."

[tighnauri]

It's about as good of an explanation as Tighnari can give as he doesn't really understand it completely himself.

"Apparently, I interest you since you keep coming back and you seem otherwise uninterested in the others."

[hybrid_prince]

Oh now there was a point. The Emperor laughs.

"Do you think you could fulfill the duties?"

[tighnauri]

"I can,” Tighnari says simply, his tail swishing behind him. “As long as you can as well.”

[hybrid_prince]

Oh? That's some challenge.

"And what do you think my duties to you are?"

[tighnauri]

"To please me and be a good mate," Tighnari says simply even if that might not be what the official line is.

If you're up for a second pair

[millenniumpharaoh]

The circumstances that had Atem appearing in another ruler's court are murky and full of betrayal and shadow games. He doesn't bother to hide his anger at being brought to his knees in front of another ruler. He'd been told what he is there for, they'd even performed a magic spell to make sure that if he is chosen he could bear children for the Emperor. The indignities seem endless for the pharaoh but what is worse is not knowing the fate of his kingdom.

He had been stripped of all that would denote him as a ruler himself and placed in simple trousers and peasant shirt.

Even if he's kneeling he looks up at the Emperor directly. He might be angry but he's not afraid.

[hybrid_prince]

At least with them kneeling it means it's time for Dorrek to do his part. He rises to his feet and descends from his dais. He moves down to evaluate the selected group. Most of them seemed... cowed. Which was so common. And that always made this whole process harder to deal with.

He moves down the line and finds... Anger. He can see it there, anger and defiance. HE stops and looks down at the man, raising an eyebrow at him.

"You have something to say?"

[millenniumpharaoh]

Atem doesn't hide his scowl in response.

"These are the actions of a weak ruler," he says simply. Even if it had not always been so in Egypt, Atem had believed in freedom and this... was not freedom.

[hybrid_prince]

As if Dorrek could even begin to disagree with him. He hates it, and it's something that he has to do anyway.

"And you've experience with what it takes to be a good ruler?" he says, definitely not amused by being called out like this by someone who doesn't know.

[millenniumpharaoh]

"I am Pharaoh of Egypt," Atem says, his chin lifting with pride. He knows now his Egypt is ancient Egypt but after returning to the spirit world it had felt so much like the present for him again and now he was pulled through space and time again.

"Freedom and peace are the hallmarks of a just leader."

[hybrid_prince]

What's a Pharaoh? Was Egypt the name of this world? It didn't matter.

"There will be more peace under Skrull rule. No more conflict will come on your world," he points out.

[millenniumpharaoh]

"I already achieved peace!"

Atem snaps and it's with great effort that he remains on his knees.

"You cannot come and create conflict to pretend to be the one to bring peace."

[hybrid_prince]

"And there you are wrong," Dorrek said, frowning down at the man. "We evaluate before we approach a world. There was quite a bit of conflict between nations. Because humans don't bother to see yourselves as a single people. You will see yourselves as part of us now."

And this man was loud enough that clearly he wasn't suitable to the harem.

[millenniumpharaoh]

"We will never," Atem says simply. He's stubborn and the fate of his people now feels out of his hands and the last time that happened countless tragedies happened.

"What do I have to offer for you to leave my people alone?"

[hybrid_prince]

They will. They always do.

"They are my people now," Dorrek said. There's fire there. A sort of fire he's not used to in the ones put before him. It's almost refreshing.

"Why do you think they will not accept their new peace? Is it because of how we look?"

[millenniumpharaoh]

"They will never be yours. You have not lived their struggles. You don't share their experiences, our losses and our triumphs," Atem counters. He knows his people. They didn't cower in the face darkness incarnate and they wouldn't simply accept another invading force even if this time Atem hadn't been able to win the battle for them.

"What you look like has nothing to do with it. We have seen worse. It is your actions. It is even what you are doing right now. No person kneeling before you desires to be here or to be... your... whore."

Atem doesn't usually use such vulgar language but it seems appropriate for the moment.

[hybrid_prince]

Whore? Really? Dorrek glares at him for that. The guards of course take the insult poorly and move forward as if to strike Atem for his presumption. It only takes a twitch of Dorrek's fingers to wave them aside.

"If you cared for their well being, then you would care about presenting yourself well here," he points out. "Earth is of the Empire now, and they will be cared for. And if you were wise you would be attempting to do more to represent your people better before their emperor."