"I am Xiaochuan," he managed to say, though he felt incredibly small under the collective, icy gaze of the other eleven omegas.
Wei's silver eyes flickered over Xiaochuan's features, settling on his pink hair with a hint of disdain. "Xiaochuan." He tasted the name on his tongue. "Come, sit. We were just discussing the Emperor's return. It's been so long since he's favor ed any of us with his presence, I suppose we have you to thank for bringing him home so quickly, even if he didn't see fit to bring you here himself."
The other omegas shared a knowing, quiet titter of laughter, and Xiaochuan realized then that it was going to be a battle to survive right here, in the
heart of the Emperor's own home.
And right there on the spot, Xiaochuan took a deep breath, his mother's words from that morning resurfacing in his head.
"Just remember, Xiaochuan, that you are more than whatever the emperor sees you as, do not let anyone dull your fire. If you come across anyone trying to ruin things for you, don't be so empathetic with them, I did not raise a coward. Do not let the palace walls make you small."
With new found confidence, Xiaochuan stepped forward and sat the table, joining them.
Xiaochuan felt the weight of their scrutiny eyes dissecting him like a specimen as he sat, but he didn't let their sharp gazes faze him, he's been under far worse gazes.
He didn't shrink, instead, he adjusted himself in his seat and sassily flipped his hair to the back. The suddenness of his confidence made the omega to his left blink in surprise.
"So," a petite omega with sharp features and amber eyes began, leaning forward. "How old are you? You look….." the Omega regarded him briefly. "....ummm. Are you even of age to be in a King's bed?"
"And where did he even find you?" Another chimed in, flicking a fan dismissively. "The scent of pine and cheap soap is practically clinging to your robes. Are you from one of the border slums? Surely you aren't from a noble House."
Xiaochuan didn't blink, infact he found these questions so funny but he held in his laugh. "I am from the forest. And yes, I am not a noble, my status is exactly what you see."
"So, a commoner," Wei hummed, his silver eyes tracing the lines of Xiaochuan's pink hair. "How….. unusual. Tell us, did he actually touch you, or did he just keep you around as a pet for the journey?" He asked and the table immediately erupted into hushed, murmurs.
"Is he even an A-class?" someone whispered loud enough for him to hear. "Look at the dullness of his pheromones. He's a B-class for sure, hardly a worthy competitor I'll say. I'm not even nervous anymore."
Xiaochuan felt the sting of their words, but he didn't let it show. He looked around the table, at their luxurious dressing and the desperate, hungry eyes of eleven omegas. He thought about the way they've all spent their days in the palace waiting for a man who hadn't even looked at them in months.
"It is quite absurd," Xiaochuan said, his voice cutting through their mumurings like a sword. He noticed the way they all stopped what they were doing and looked at him. He felt a tiny smirk fighting to bloom on his face but he fought it.
"What's absurd?" Wei asked, looking at him curiously.
"That you are all sitting here, dressed in the finest silks, yet you behave like children fighting over a piece of candy. I come here for the first time and the first thing you're all thinking is if I'll be a worthy competitor or not. Is the Emperor a man to you, or just a prize to be won?"
The courtyard went deathly silent. From the corner of his eyes, he saw two omegas looking at each other in disbelief. He looked at Wei and felt satisfaction, Wei's smile didn't just fade, it vanished, replaced by a cold, sharp line.
Just at that moment, a servant scurried forward, placing a delicate porcelain cup in front of Xiaochuan. He looked down at the cup and saw the tea inside was a dark, murky green.
"Drink," Wei commanded.
"Why?" Xiaochuan questioned immediately. And he could see the way Wei's eye twitched at his question. Someone doesn't like being questioned.
"It is a welcome ritual. Every omega who enters this wing must drink the Tea offered by the Head Omegas. It is a sign of your submission to the order of this house."
Xiaochuan looked at the tea, then back at Wei. "I'm not thirsty."
SLAM!
Wei's palms hit the table with a violent crack that made the other omegas jump. He stood up in rage, glaring hard at Xiaochuan from across the table.
"Listen here, Strawberry," Wei spat, his voice dripping with venom. "Don't think for a second that because you shared a carriage with the emperor, you are special. You are not the first omega to catch his eye, and you certainly won't be the last. You are just a B-class omega, you're nothing compared to us. Now, shut your mouth and drink, or I will make sure your stay here is a living hell."
Xiaochuan didn't flinch, he didn't even move. He met Wei's icy silver gaze with the steady, unyielding fire of his own.
"The Emperor didn't bring me here to follow your rituals," Xiaochuan said calmly.
The omega two seats away from him scoffed. "Then what do you think he brought you here for?" He asked tauntingly.
"Whatever reasons he brought me here for is none of your business-"
"I will tell him of this insolence!" Wei hissed, his face contorting in anger. "I will tell him you refused the traditions of his own harem! He will have you thrown back into the mud where you belong."
Xiaochuan stood up slowly, smoothing the front of his robes. He looked Wei dead in the eye, a small, defiant smirk playing on his lips.
"Go ahead, tell him. I don't care what the Emperor says. If he wanted someone who followed orders, he should have stayed at the table with the rest of you."
A collective gasp echoed through the garden. To speak of the Emperor with such casual disregard was almost the same as treason. But at that moment, Xiaochuan didn't care, and he didn't even wait for a reply before he turned around and walked away, his head held high, leaving the eleven omegas frozen in a state of absolute shock.
As the attendant from earlier lead him through the long corridor toward his room, the sounds of their frantic, hushed whispers slowly died down.
Let the games begin. He thought.
If they want a fight, I'll give them one they'll never forg et.