The area was indeed crowded, people gathering in little groups to chat. Aria soon noticed most of the groups were concubines gathered around their man, or men talking between themselves.

A lot of them actually interrupted their conversations to greet her, much to Aria’s surprise. Whether it was her relationship to Darren, the Emperor’s speech earlier or her song, something had definitely changed in the way people looked at Aria. The women actively tried to befriend her, ...