That landed like a slap.
"Your Majesty," Kieran said, voice strained, "we are not useless—"
"Then prove it," Heena said simply. "Stop telling me what you are and 'show' me. Because right now, all I see are five men who treat their marriage like a burden and their empress like an obstacle."
She picked up her pen.
"You have one week," she said. "Decide what you want. If you want to stay married and actually try to make this work, then come to me with a plan for how you'll contribute. If you want out, then start preparing your families for the political fallout."
She looked up at them one last time.
"But I'm done with this middle ground where you get all the benefits of being imperial consorts without any of the responsibilities. Choose. One week."
She went back to her paperwork, effectively dismissing them.
The five consorts stood there for a moment, clearly not knowing what to say.
Then, one by one, they filed out.
The door closed behind them.
