Beyond the Will of Transcendence

CHAPTER 13

Since its establishment at the inception of the Nairaland empire, the imperial harem covered a fitting expanse of land on the far east side of the palace. But it was not just a scenic location that housed the women of the royal family. Beyond its opulent facade, it was a labyrinth where the scent of jasmine and other sweet aromas mingled with the thick air of ambition and intrigue; where alliances were forged and broken among its female inhabitants who were either vying for the Emperor's attention or the right to wield influence over the empire's affairs. In that place, amidst the silken tapestries and marble columns, each thread was always carefully spun to secure one's place in the annals of imperial history.

Nonetheless, the era under the current emperor ushered in a shift in the dynamics of the harem.

Let it be clear- it was not that the present generation of royal women did not manoeuvre through the intricate hierarchies, hidden agendas and unspoken rules as their predecessors did. Rather, Emperor Kene's reluctance to govern his household akin to his father, the founding emperor, prompted precautionary measures which aimed to tame this realm of delicate politics as it played a pivotal role in the overall power struggle within the imperial court.

One of such measures was his decision to choose his consort himself, instead of following in his father's footsteps of having his marriages decided by the ministers of the imperial court. By following the counsel of those greedy old men who had an insatiable appetite for political benefits, the founding emperor ran a full house of several women and numerous children who were always at each other's throats, fighting to gain power and protect their interests within the seemingly luxurious confines of the imperial harem.

Back then, Crown Prince Kene would not have any of that and revealed his stand by getting married to his formerly betrothed and childhood sweetheart, Ini.

Even before the official commencement of their union as husband and wife, the couple faced disapproval from the imperial court for some reasons. The openly problematic one being that Ini's father, the Grand Preceptor at the time, was on trial for being a national traitor. But, despite this opposition which continued until the death of the founding emperor, the Crown Prince stood his ground, maintaining his decision not to inherit the throne if he would not be allowed to marry the woman of his choice. And, as was customary, an heir could not become the new monarch without getting married first.

However, inspite of his heartfelt desire to have only one spouse by his side throughout his reign, he still ended up having to give in to the pressure by taking a second wife, in the person of the daughter of the affluent Niru clan, Ada. All thanks to his mother.

Like the ministers, the Empress Dowager, Aisha, was not in support of her son's choice, but because she had already taken so much effort to secure the throne for him, she was willing to work on a mutual agreement instead of engaging in what could turn into an unending discordance, given his stubbornness. This same stubbornness was what made him strive to gain more from the so-called agreement; regardless of the political repercussions, he insisted on crowning, Ini, the daughter of a treacherous official, the Empress of Nairaland.

In the imperial harem, Aisha did not see eye to eye with her first daughter-in-law. But after the latter's death, when she had taken full control as the royal matriarch for the second time, she had to acknowledge- inwardly at least- that in the one decade Empress Ini ruled, the web of rivalries and coalitions that entwined the lives of consorts, concubines and princesses during her own reign was not so complicated.

Following tradition, the Second Lady, Ada, became the Regent Empress. It was a temporary designation reserved for the consort who would succeed a deceased or ousted empress, pending the official coronation. And ever since Ada started bearing the nominal title, the Empress Dowager's vision became sharp enough to see her prized daughter-in-law for the brazen-faced vixen that she was.