Chapter 1

        The letter that changes her life. The girl living in the mountain along with her mother and three brothers heard a knock on their front door late in the night and wondered who it could be. Who would climb the mountains this late at night? Who would want to be here in the home of the outcast? No one has been here for over ten years after the family left the dynasty and headed for the mountains, but they were still under the emperor's orders, for they were still in the land of Duang.

           They heard the knock once again and Akiara Takahashi decided to send her oldest son to check on the door.

        “Kai, will you check the door if someone is out there”. She yelled.

 “Wait, a second mother, while I get dressed”.  The brother responds to his mother while wearing his clothes and jumping down the stairs to open the door. While he was in the process of jumping down the stairs to the doors, his brother look at him in curiosity and said.

            “Hey Kai, just now you looked like a hero going to save some princess”.

Kai ignores Rin because he knew his brother's attitude. Kai opens the door to a few guards.

      “What the,” he said stunned, totally wasn't expecting this sort of visit from the Emperor's guards. One of the three Guards raised his head and looked into Kai's eyes.

      “Well we are here, might as well say it,” He said as if he already wanted to leave the place.

      “It's dark here” the second one exclaimed.

      “Well duh, it's late at night, well hurry, and state your business”. Kai said with an annoyed face, and the guard looked up at him and clear their throat. And pull out a letter and start reading it.

**                                            The Letter **

Dear Takahashi household,

                                                     I, the emperor of the Duang dynasty, demand that all Noble Ladies from 18-21 in your household are requested to be at the palace by sundown tomorrow. Your daughter will have to participate in the selection. They will be choosing to be part of the Emperor's Harem and if you do not send your daughter or is hiding your daughters your family house will be burned down by the emperor's golden knights.

Yours truly, the current emperor.

“And that is the message, if you do not mind, we will be taking our leave.”

The guards said in sync and left to go down the mountains, when the Guard was nowhere to be seen, Kai gently closed the door and went back in to tell the family the Emperor's request.

Kai walked in the room where the family was sitting down in a circle around a table. This was a  night routine The youngest female would be serving tea to her brothers and mother and they would sit and talk over a cup of tea.

    “The Emperor demanded us to be down the mountain and head to the palace before sundown tomorrow, and I think we already know why”.

        “Oh we know what it is about alright, but like what are the consequences of ignoring the law”, Rin asked.

He was the family clown, The source of joy. He is the third-oldest child in the family. His 22nd birthday was yesterday, he was really close with his father, they got the same personality, when his father died he became less cheerful.        They could never understand it. They used to be frenemies, when the father would scold him, he would never stop being friends with dad.

          “I was talking to mother, you insolent man”, Kai exclaimed.

Kai is the second oldest he was 24 and he was always serious when dad died he became the definition of a serious man, too serious sometimes.

           “It's already that time ain't it, what a pity we cannot ignore the law, and you know this selection happens every 5 years and five years ago our baby was still 14, so we didn't even receive a letter”. Their mother said while she is seeping her tea and seemed to not have a worry at all.

   Kana stood up.

     “I don't get a say in this?”

“No you don't, you are not going so no need to worry you are still 19, we are going to see what the punishment is,” Riki says with no emotions looking at his sister while sitting on the head of the table next to his mother, he was the oldest, he was 27.

       He is the man of the household after his father died in the war between the Duang and the Ching Dynasty. The time when they escaped into the mountain 6 years ago when that family became broken and outcast to the city and was never heard from.

       “But I want to go, I haven't been out of the mountains ever since I was 13! All my friends are wild animals. All I have been doing is studying alchemy from mama and learning Martial arts from you, Riki”.

        So you are saying you want to go? Rin and Kai said in sync.

“Do not copy me, you insolent fool”! Kai glared at Rin.

“Settle down kids”. The mother said, pouring tea into her cup.

      “If you want to go I will not hold you back since you want to see the world, I will not be taking away your freedom”, The mother said.

       Riki looked furious, but he had no say he still wanted his sister to be happy, so he agreed to let her go.

 “You will descend the mountains tomorrow, remember to trust no one, nobody, no one in the empire like the Takahashi remember that child, remember don’t forget your mother’s words for she is the wisest of all the lands”.

       The mother packed her bags, kissed her forehead, and went to her chamber. The next day, Kana Takahashi left for the city of Duang.

Chapter 3

          Kana was riding a carriage to the palace, there were two beautiful white horses pulling the golden and silver carriage with emerald green and black flags that represented The house of the Takahashi household. She was mesmerized by the beauty of the outside world away from the mountains. She saw all the colors and everything, you could see the shine in her eyes. Her eyes were glowing, but she was ignoring all the people whispering behind her and all the people who were there to see what the young emperor’s harem would look like.

“Who is she?”

“What family is she from?”

“She is pretty?”

“Her hair is so silky and firm.”

      They were wondering who the lady was, but no one knew who she was.

“Silly, she is a Takahashi, look at the flag. I can recognize that silky black hair from anywhere”, the old lady smiles.

“Wait, are you sure”? Someone whispered.

“I might be 84, but I am not blind, Xue”. The old lady answered.

       “Old women get out of the way, there are carriages entering the gate you don’t want to get run over now, do you”? The old lady said.

     “I am your little sister, and I am only sixty-eight years old. You are in your eighties”, Xue screamed.

         The carriages with young women were coming in like crazy. And everyone was happy. Daughters of the rich, daughters of nobles and daughters of dukes and duchesses, daughters of Generals, Counts, daughters of archdukes, daughters of knights, daughters of Marquis, daughters of Baron, and daughters of Baronet who were eighteen to twenty-one were called to the palace. The whole city came together in the capital to witness such a moment because it will forever change the current empire for a young emperor sitting on his golden throne inside his Imperium and now selecting his concubines.

         It was time for the selection there were ten different palaces inside the Imperium for the newly selected concubines and five other palaces that contain the five most powerful concubines. But only three of them have concubines they are known as the 3 most powerful current consorts they were the three hire-ups, and they were Lady Azumi age twenty-one in rank number one. She is the daughter of Duke Ao of the west. Lady Bunko is the number two, and she is twenty and is the daughter of the Marquis of the south. Lady Chieko is twenty-one and is the daughter of countess Chiasa and the daughter of General Mendes of the southeast. They have been there for two years. They move ranks up, but today was the day when the emperor chose ten more concubines and saw who would move to the other ranks and will add two more until there are fifteen concubines in the Imperium.

There were a total of thirty-seven young ladies at the selection, some were going home and ten were staying.

      “The emperor takes all the ladies. What are we supposed to do as the sons of knights, Dukes, Generals, Count, Baronet, Marquis, Baron, and Archduke? What are we supposed to do? Who are we supposed to marry if the emperor takes all the noble ladies?” A guy screamed from the crowd,

        “Idiot, what are you talking about”. Another one said, dragging his friend to sit down.

“We are the sons of nobles. He is taking all the noble ladies". The other said in anger.

"That’s not how it works, he will only choose ten, do not worry". The gentlemen settle down and the ceremony begins.

            A man was standing in front of all the noble ladies wearing hakama pants and an upper loose garment with his deep shade of blue hair tied up in a ponytail with a sword at his waist and his eyes glow red with a defined jawline and his clothes were royal blue and black meaning he was somehow related to the royal family by blood. The man takes a step forward, cleared his throat and approach the crowd, and started to speak.

        “I am Anabus's son of the Archduke Anpu of the Southwest domain, and I am the so call decay man known in all the lands, you might wonder why am I here it’s because my idiot of a cousin the so call emperor wanted me to do this for him now you will duel with me if you lose you go home. I hate weak people you should all know that”. The girls at that time were taught martial arts growing up. It was time to show their skills.

"Are we supposed to be bodyguards"?

"Why should we duel with the Decay man, the son of the man in the southwest that earns the nickname of Death? What if he kills us all"? One of the ladies said.

      “Lady Chio, age 19, daughter of count Neimi you are going home and never coming back, canceled”. Everyone gasped at what Anabus was saying.

      “Anyone else has something to say if not the first person who wants to get in the Imperium has to come up here and battle with me?

      “I’ll do it, I will come up here and duel with you if that's what it takes. If you want strong ladies only, let me give it a try, your royal highness.” Someone said and jumped in front of Anubis.

    “I am out of here". A lady said turning around and leaving.

     "Me too", someone else said.

"I am going back to drinking tea", another young lady left followed by many others.

 "A lady is not born to fight”. Another one said.

        There were only twenty-three ladies left, for some left because they were not up for that.

    “I assume the twenty-three of you are up for it, but what’s your name, young lady".

        “My name is Lady Takahashi Kana, daughter of late Duke Takahashi Botan and Duchess Takahashi Akira of the East". She bowed down gently.

        Everyone gasped, she stand five feet and ten inches tall, Her hair was black and luxurious it shines under the sun, and her eyes glow, she was wearing a red qipao with a silver sword on her back she was wearing matching gloves and boots and looked super serious.

       “So you are Lady Kana your parents are the leaders who guard the southeast, northeast, and the entire east with the help of the Viscount and the count, but six years ago your father died your mother left with her four kids. Nevertheless, one of you has to take over and that sit It’s empty and the east is getting weak”.

    “Oh, no need to worry sir, my family is back to take care of the east, plus my elder brother is the heir”.

       “How amusing, my long lost best friend is the heir, not that I didn’t expect it”. He seems amused.

   He stepped back after saying that and say."Warriors draw your swords, let the battle begin".