Mirages:

Several weeks passed and during them many things changed in Palace. Cítiê occupied Cassandra's former chambers, Zai and Mem each took separate rooms in the east wing, Burya insisted that she would settle for no room other than her favourite's, and Umara was moved to the Imperial quarters. Alessios refused to even try to sleep at night if he didn't have her in his arms.
Umara opened up, telling the other Moons and the Emperor, telling them what she had discovered. Cassandra did not plan to make them die with the poison but to leave them sterile. The news did not take them as much by surprise as Umara had hoped. Deep down, they had all suspected that something was wrong, it was inexplicable that a man as virile as Alessios, having so many wives, would not even have a descendant.
"Do you think our problem will be solved? Will we be able to give our beloved children someday?" Cítiê whispered, visibly dismayed.
"Perhaps in time." Perhaps in about five to ten years... - Umara ventured to explain, the truth is that she herself was not very sure, the mixture of two poisons made the predictions inaccurate. The only person who could give them a clear and sure answer refused to speak, taking a vow of silence since her brother's death: Cassandra.
"What will our beloved do with her?" Mem asked Cítiê.
"He hasn't told us yet, but I suspect he will leave her in prison for the rest of her days."
000
The Moons´ performance in their different positions was brilliant. Cítiê and Burya listened to the complaints of the people with great patience and fairness, trying to reach an agreement between themselves first before delivering a verdict.
Thus and Mem kept the army at bay, at first there were their frictions with the newly appointed generals, many of them had refused to be commanded by women but they had to swallow their pride and obey the orders of the twins, when one by one they were defeated in combat by them.
Of the Moons, only Umara remained idle. Alessios refused to give him duties beyond the marital ones.
"Your main job is to please me, little flower," he whispered smoothly, when she asked him.
"But, my beloved I could be of great help to the people, healing the sick and the wounded or how about advising about the crops and…?
"No."
"Why?" she protested, as he spun her around, grabbing her by the waist.
"Because... you'll be busy all day and you'll come back tired, and without encouragement or wishes for me.
Umara made a reproachful face at him.
"You are selfish, my Lord." she muttered. He just smiled, taking her into his arms.
´´Oh yeah. As far as you are concerned, my hot nomad, I am quite the possessive brute.´´

Umara:
It was not fair.
None of it was.
The other Moons spent their days in useful labor, greatly easing the burden of running the continent on the Emperor, and what did I do? Sleeping all day after he left me nearly paralyzed with pleasure every night.
However, I secretly chose to go out for a few hours during the day and offer my services as a healer in the main market, I was not willing to be just Alessios' concubine, as much as it made me happy to go to sleep every night bathed in his kisses. ; I also wanted to make a contribution for the people.
Some time had passed, and although it was not openly discussed, with their silences and cautious glances, the other Lunas communicated to me that they had understood what was really happening.
Not only had they been elevated to high positions and positions, they had also been made out of the harem, the twins and Burya adapted to the changes quickly, however it was not so for Cítiê.
One morning, before going out to the market, I watched her argue heatedly with Alessios in the throne room. I wasn't able to listen to their conversation because I was too far away, but she reproached him for his lack of sexual interest in the rest of the Moons, I'm sure. I don't know what Alessios would have answered, but his words made her cry inconsolably.
I was about to make my presence known to both of them, entering the throne room, but my intention died suddenly, seeing that the Emperor took Cítiê in his arms and kissed her on the lips.

Had he lied? I asked myself over and over again as I received the sick and suffering in my little office in the market, was it possible that Alessios was deceiving me again?
It was probable, what he had witnessed that morning was more than evidence, he had sworn that he would not touch the other Moons again, however he had kissed Cítiê, on the lips.
Jealousy wouldn't let me think, I spent the whole morning in the grip of a murderous rage. And all the time I carried out a terrible internal struggle with myself.
She is also his wife, she met him first, she loves him…you could say that she has more rights over him than I do. I can't wait that after years together, Cítiê will stop loving him in a few weeks.
And? I love him too, I am also his wife, and he has sworn that he loves only me, therefore she has no justification to put her claws in him.
She didn't…he was the one who kissed her.
My heart was heavy and my mind burned with spite and disappointment.
´´Mistress Cimbel, a nomad requests an interview with you´´.- the guard pulled me out of the mud of my thoughts.
Although I had disguised myself, hiding my face with a burqa, the people had ended up recognizing me and calling me by the name of the goddess whose reincarnation they believed me to be.
"Show him in." I muttered, stunned.
At first, I had offered my services as a healer in the street, but then the men from the market built a reed roof for me, making a portal for me, and under them I sat consulting every morning.
The Palace guard always demanded to accompany me, although many of the rebels and renegades had fled to the mountains of the East, many still retained a certain fear of the possibility of the outbreak of a new war.
The man who entered the portal made my heart clench in a painful fist, his face was more than familiar, more than familiar, and his wide smile made me faint with happiness. Getting up from behind my desk I ran out to greet him in a blind hug.
´´Father!´´