By the time the other concubines left, the Emperor was a strange sight.

He had gotten rid of his royal robes, which sat almost carelessly on the pillow set that made the tower. The man’s dragon crown was sitting on the robe. Samaya was sure Eunuch Li would have a heart attack if he saw it.

As for the Emperor himself, the man still had his inner robes - three layers of them - the outermost now being the black body-hugging robes that the man usually wore beneath his beautifully embroidered golden and black dragon robes. His hair was still up in a topknot tied with a golden ribbon but the golden crown was replaced with a flower crown. Surprisingly, it was Ning who weaved it and approached the Emperor with trembling hands and a nervous look on her face. Her siblings were right behind her, all of them looking up at him with wide, unsure eyes.

“We… we made it for you, Father,” Ai, always the most outspoken, piped up.

It seemed even the mighty Emperor was weak to his children.

Like the princess he was assigned to be, he gently knelt in front of them and inclined his head forward for them. Samaya could hear sharp intakes of breath from where the concubines stood. She couldn’t blame them. The Emperor kneeling - even if it was for his children - was a big deal. Not to mention, the man’s gesture was much like bowing his head.

Ning, still with trembling hands, placed the flower crown on his head.

The man straightened but did not move from his sitting position. “Well? How does this Princess look?”

Ning let out a nervous laughter and the others followed.

“You look beautiful, Father.” Fang. Another surprise. Her voice was soft, and reserved, but there was no mistaking the joy and excitement reflected in her eyes.

“The most beautiful Princess in the world!” Ai, already having come out of her fear of the man, threw her hands up. Her twin Mei nodded enthusiastically in response. The concubines had to hide their giggles behind their sleeves, lest they should get in trouble. Samaya had no such qualms. She nodded along seriously.

“Yes, yes, the most beautiful!” She raised her hands in the shape of claws. “I must capture her again!”

“No!”

The kids quickly came forward to “defend the Princess.”

The next hour was a blur of different kinds of games, including an intense session of checkers where the father and the kids sat around the board as the Emperor taught them and they listened. The crown stayed on the entire time.

Soon, though, the children were exhausted and the time was dragging on. So, the concubines came forward to draw the curtain on the activities, their keen senses understanding that any more attempt at spending time with the Emperor would be unnatural. For once, Consort Hou was cooperative, almost amicable, helping the other concubines convince the children to rest for the day. When leaving, she sent a nod Samaya’s way, her face carefully blank. Samaya supposed that was all the thanks she would get. She didn’t care much. As long as the kids got along.

She sent Manu off to take a bath and rest.

“Was this why you wanted to spend a day with Us?”

Samaya turned to see the Emperor leaning against some of the pillows, sitting on his own robes.

She gave a small shrug. “I believe you already have the answer to that.”

The man tilted his head, the flower crown tilting sideways as well. It should have been a comical sight but … it was not. If anything, it only made the man look more handsome.

“Why?”

Samaya knew what he was asking. She weighed her options. She could either play dumb or she could tell the truth. Part of it, at least. She did not think the former was a good option here. She walked and plopped down beside him, ignoring his raised eyebrow at the action.

“I grew up in the streets,” she started softly. “Not quite literally. But moving from one place to another, my mother kept me holed up in a tavern somewhere while she went off to work and earn money. Don’t-” she interrupted him just as he opened his mouth “-ask what kind of work it was. She used to be away for days and I would be alone. She would give me enough food and water for a week or so and leave. And when she did come back… she would just shove a trinket or something into my hand and go about her day, dismissing me without so much as a glance. If I tried to talk to her or play with her, she would get irritated. Angry, at times. So, there I would be, sitting alone, playing with whatever sticks or dolls I could find, craving the warmth and presence of a parent. And of course, I do not even know who my father is, so seeking him out was out of the question.”

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Why are you telling me this?” The man asked.

“Because I want you to understand that I know what it feels like to crave the affections of a parent and not get it. I do not wish for any child to go through it. It may seem trivial, but it leaves a deep scar on any heart that goes through with it.” She stared off into the distance, towards the entrance and exit of her residence. “They may grow up one day, understand all the politics you have to play to keep peace in the outer and inner court. But for now, all they see is a man who is supposed to be their father but is the Emperor instead. They wish to be near that man, be held by that man, be cradled by him, but everyone tells them that man is untouchable, unreachable. So, they stare from afar, wondering what it would feel like to have the warmth of that man surround you.”

There was a long pause.

“You speak from experience.”

She chuckled softly at the statement.

“I do.” She turned to the man. “Your Majesty, I understand that when you see the children, you see their mothers and their maternal families. Today, I wanted to show you that it is possible for you to see beyond that, and see the children themselves. They are your children. If you treat them as such, they will see a father instead of an Emperor when they grow up, when it’s time for them to decide which side of the line they would rather be on.”

Another long pause before the man let out a soft sigh.

“You do not have to try so hard to convince Us. We see that We have been neglectful” His eyes turned wistful. “I had not even known that Princess Ning had grown so much in the past few months.”

Ah, it seemed he saw Princess Ning even less than his other children. It was natural since those three children were always playing with Manu or coming to her residence with their mother.

He seemed to be lost in thought.

Samaya sighed and stood. “Well, that’s it for today. If you’ll excuse me-”

“Wait.”

Samaya blinked down at the man, a question in her gaze.

“There is still a few hours until sunset. The day is still young.”

“So?”

“So, We are here to spend the entire day with you, beloved concubine. We even cleared Our schedule today.”

“Well, can’t you just go back to it?”

“It is not quite fair, is it? We, the Emperor, make time for our concubine but she shoos us away the moment she wrings the use out of Us.”

Samaya sighed in exasperation, rolling her eyes at the amused expression on his face.

“Very well, what do you wish to do?”

The Emperor smirked and stood before calling for Eunuch Li, who arrived promptly. His eyes widened when he saw the man’s robeless and crownless state before his eyes went towards the pillows. He looked back at the Emperor, seemingly wanting to say something. But something on the Emperor’s face must have told him something. He closed his mouth, bowing low. "Your Majesty, how may I serve?"

The Emperor gave a small nod. "Fetch two sets of commoner clothes. One for myself and one for Lady Qing."

Eunuch Li's eyes widened briefly in surprise but he quickly masked it with a respectful nod. "As you command, Your Majesty." He hurried out, leaving the room in a flurry of motion.

Samaya watched the exchange with raised eyebrows. It did not take a genius to understand what was going on "Going out? Disguised as commoners?"

The Emperor leans back against the pillows, the smirk still playing on his lips. "Indeed. It's been a while since I ventured into the city. I think it will be... refreshing."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Really?" She sounded quite sceptical.

He chuckled softly. "Must you question my motives? Sometimes, a change of scenery is good for the soul."

Samaya huffed, crossing her arms. "Fine. But you will have to handle Manu’s whining when we come back."

The man chuckled again. “Worry not. We shall take care of it.”

Eunuch Li returned, carrying two neatly folded sets of clothes. He placed them on a nearby table and bowed before taking his leave.

The Emperor stood, his regal bearing momentarily softened by the flower crown still on his head.

"Shall we?"