by Megan Derr
Kitt chuckled from where he sat on a cushion immediately to the right of Ihsan's chair. "You've only been in court three hours, my beloved king. You've got a long way to go."
"I was afraid of that," Ihsan said with a smile. "How long do you think the merchants are going to hate me?"
"I'm sure they'll be more forgiving once they realize you're lifting some of the bans your grandfather put in place," Sabah said from Ihsan's left. He lifted up on his knees, leaning over the low-set chair to offer up a dish of sweet, pale orange wine. "Honestly, Ihsan, I think they're impressed with you at the end of it all. Paying fines is a part of life for merchants; it's often cheaper for them to do what they want and pay the fines than find means by which to dodge the law. You're hard but fair. That's entirely different from your father and grandfather, who tended toward unreasonable."
"Tended toward, that's one way to put it, I suppose," Ihsan muttered, rolling his eyes. He took a sip of wine, then another. "Thank you." He leaned down and stole a brief kiss. Traced the lines of Sabah's face. The bruises had finally faded, but Ihsan remembered them acutely.
Sabah kissed him again before drawing back. "Stop fretting. It's over. The only thing you need to worry about right now is how out of hand the knife throwing contest is going to get at your wife's banquet in two weeks."
The reminder pulled a grin to Ihsan's face. "There's a lewd joke to be made in there somewhere, but I'm not foolish enough to make it while Euren is in the palace."
Kitt snickered and offered up a bite of food. "I'm sure she's making it herself, anyway."
"Mm," Ihsan agreed and kissed Kitt's fingers. "If only to keep her new council on their toes." Though they had worked together to approve all the people who tentatively formed the new council, assuming they passed the trial period, Euren so far had been the one to spend the most time with them. Cenk was rarely far from her side. The two were already becoming the most feared pair in the palace.
Ihsan, in the meantime, had taken over most of the court duties. Which suited him just fine. He was more than happy to listen to people and sort out their various problems. Even if he did hate it, anything was better than sitting and arguing with the council all day. "I suppose we should—" He broke off as a knock came at the door. A moment later it swung open, admitting Altan, Emre, and Ruth. That was odd. Why was Ruth with Emre and Altan?
Abandoning his seat, Ihsan climbed down the steps of the dais and met them halfway, embracing Altan tightly. "I assume from your dress that you are departing soon? I am sad to see you go, though I am eternally grateful you are taking up this duty. Merciful Divine willing, Havarin will have the sense not to argue with you. I hope your new wife will forgive me sending you away so soon after you've returned."
Grinning, Altan replied, "If Havarin had any sense, I would not have to escort bodies and prisoners and plan to take Havarin to task. As to Irmak, I think she will enjoy the peace and quiet. You will take care of her for me."
"I'm insulted you must ask," Ihsan replied. "Do not fear for her welfare, she'll be treated as the princess she's become. Have a care for yourself, and come home alive."
"I will," Altan replied. "And I plan to bring our sister home with me, so you may not see us for a long time."
Ihsan hugged him again. "I'll wait as long as it takes to see us all finally a happy family."
Pulling back, Altan clapped him on the arms. "So it shall be. I would apologize for stealing your Cobra friend here, but I'm not actually sorry at all."
"It's a good thing I wasn't expecting that apology, then," Ihsan replied. He beckoned Emre in and hugged him as tightly as he had Altan. "I will miss you as well, my brother of the sands. Lady guard your journey. I'll see to it your comrades make it home safely and your father informed of what's become of you and Meltem."
Emre nodded. "Thank you. Lady protect you all and shower you with her favor. Mind, body, soul, in all find harmony."
"Mind, body, soul," Ihsan repeated softly. Emre stepped back, and Ihsan turned his attention to Ruth. "Are you joining Altan's party, then, Lieutenant?"
Ruth nodded. "Yes, Majesty. With the harem hall closing, the harem guard is no longer needed. We are all being reassigned. Captain Fatih said Prince Altan's party required a bodyguard, and Lord Demir was gracious enough to recommend me for the position."
"Lord Demir would not have done so if he did not think you absolutely deserving of the post. I have every faith you will keep my brother safe. Thank you for taking up the task, Lieutenant."
Ruth bowed. "I am honored by your faith, Your Majesty, and will do all in my power to prove worthy."
Altan rested a hand on Ruth's shoulder, smiled at him briefly before turning back to Ihsan. "Speaking of Lord Demir, where is he? I wanted to thank him myself for recommending Ruth and say farewell, but he has been a hard man to pin down today, I vow."
"He asked for permission to go into the city to check on those concubines he returned to their families or recommended to various Houses last week," Ihsan replied. "I don't know when he'll be back."
"That is a shame." He gave Ihsan a quick, mischievous grin. "You'll just have to thank him for me."
Ihsan gave him a light shove. "Get to your ship already. Where is Lady Irmak, did she not want to make certain you got on the ship and out of her hair?"
Altan laughed. "She is waiting for me in the courtyard, fussing over the luggage." He shifted his gaze to Kitt and Sabah. "Take care of him for me."
"We will, Highness," Sabah said quietly. "Always."
"Good." Altan and Emre embraced Ihsan one last time, and then the trio departed, leaving them alone in the court room once more.
Ihsan sighed and returned to his seat. "Tell the guards court will resume." He needed the distraction, or he would spend the rest of the day fretting about Altan's journey and eventual confrontation with Havarin.
Or he would dwell on Demir, whom he'd barely seen since they'd returned to the palace after rescuing Demir and Sabah two weeks ago. There'd been little chance to see him, between their various duties and the general chaos of a palace slowly recovering from betrayal, violence, and death.
But the chaos had settled in the last couple of days, and Ihsan had still caught little more than a glance. Their longest conversation had been Demir's asking permission to go into the city, and he'd done so while the court was packed and busy and there was no time for Ihsan to do anything but say yes.
"Stop fretting," Sabah said. "I know what you're worrying about, and I'm telling you, as I have already told you a hundred times: you worry for nothing." He settled on his cushion and poured wine into a dish, offering it up for Ihsan to drink as the doors opened and people filed back in. "He'll come," Sabah said, so softly the words were barely audible before withdrawing to settle on his cushion.
Ihsan wasn't sure he believed that, but he still hoped. Lifting a hand, he signaled the guard at the foot of the dais that he was ready to begin. The guard bowed, then turned and consulted the papers he held secured to a small board. "Number one hundred and six."
A small man, a farmer by the look of him, slowly separated from the crowd and approached the throne. Pushing aside personal worries, Ihsan smiled in greeting and bid the man state his problem. He fell into the rhythm of holding court, working steadily through the people waiting their turn until the bells rang to signal the closing hour.
Those few people remaining were given new numbers so they'd be attended first in the morning, then slowly were escorted out, either to the cart waiting to take them back to the city, or to rooms in the palace allotted to those who could not afford to go elsewhere.
Ihsan scrubbed at his face, then stood and stretched, his groans filling the room. "I want a bath and then I may just indulge in a nap." He rubbed his eyes then looked at Kitt and Sabah. "Shall we?"
They nodded, Kitt leading the way, Sabah falling into step beside Ihsan and tangling their fingers together. "Do you think Haluk is free yet?"
"If the council is still trying to keep Euren
overlong, they're never going to live past their trial period." Since the council sessions had resumed, Ihsan had sent one of his men, rotated daily, to attend Euren during the sessions as a quiet, not-so-subtle reminder that everything she did had his support. There would be no playing queen against king or other such games.
He'd had all he could take of games, and while they would always be a necessary evil, he and Euren had every intention of keeping them to a minimum. "Do you suppose my beloved wife will kill me if I do not go to dinner tonight?"
"She was the one who said you looked exhausted at breakfast this morning," Kitt said, looking over his shoulder briefly, still talking as he turned to go down the hall that led to the royal suite Ihsan had finally moved into. "I'll tell the guards to send…"
Ihsan started to ask why he'd stopped, but the words slipped away as he saw the answer for himself. Demir, kneeling in front of his door, as though he had been there for some time patiently awaiting Ihsan's arrival. When he'd seen Demir earlier in the day, he'd already been dressed for the city, wrapped up in maroon and dark gold, beautiful but somehow untouchable. For a brief moment, Ihsan had been terrified Demir was running away. Not that Ihsan would have blamed him.
Demir was once again dressed in his harem finery, the pants and skirt shimmery and faintly, teasingly translucent. His eyes were lined with fine bands of black and red, flowing into tiny swirls at the sides of his face. A large, heavy gold choker set with rubies wrapped around his throat, connected by a chain to a belt of rubies around his waist. There were ruby and diamond bracelets at his wrists, ruby orchids hanging from his ears, gold hoops in his nipples. His hair was loosely bound, the tail falling over one shoulder, secured at intervals with ruby-studded gold bands.
He looked far too precious and important to be wasted on a new king still earning the trust of his kingdom—a king most people couldn't stand to look at very long, who still was recovering from the war that nearly killed him.
"Lord Demir," Ihsan greeted softly, fingers twitching with the urge to touch. "Join us, please."
Demir did not reply, save to rise smoothly and follow them into Ihsan's chambers.
Ihsan crossed the room to the sitting area and kicked off his slippers before sitting on his favorite cushion, Sabah beside him, Kitt close by. "How was your trip into the city?"
Demir knelt in front of them and bowed again. Sitting up, he said, "Well, Majesty. Thank you. I came to say that with this, my duties are concluded barring any further requests Your Majesty may have. Upon your word, the harem is officially closed."
The words were spoken levelly, and Demir's face gave nothing away, but only a fool would not mark the sadness that hovered about him like fog. "I am sorry, Harem Master. In all of this, I feel you have suffered more than most, and you were always the one who should have suffered least. Such unwavering faith and perfect devotion should not be rewarded with pain and loss."
"You owe me no apology, Majesty," Demir said. "I—" he broke off as the door opened, and they all turned and watched as Haluk entered.
Haluk went still as he saw them, then smiled faintly and hastened his steps. Sitting next to Ihsan, Haluk kissed him briefly then turned to Demir. "Greetings, Harem Master."
"Lord Haluk," Demir replied, looking at him briefly before dropping his gaze.
A fine tension seemed to fill the room, irritating and abrasive, like sand that refused to be brushed away. Ihsan rose, suddenly unable to sit. "If you say the harem is closed upon my word, then let it be so." He hesitated, the question he ached to ask burning his tongue, the memory of Demir's kiss still on his lips. But it seemed selfish to ask Demir to join his harem when he must be tired of the confines of a life that had treated him so poorly for so long. Biting back the question, Ihsan said, "You're a free man, Lord Demir, and you've more than earned the right to name your reward for your years of service."
Silence stretched on for so long Ihsan thought something was wrong. Before he could ask, however, Demir looked up, eyes sharp and bright with anger. "Respect, Majesty," Demir said, "I do not want a reward. And what I want is not mine to take, only accept, which I cannot do if the question is not asked."
Ihsan let out a burst of shaky but happy laughter. "Lord Demir, I am still confounded you do not want to get as far from this place as you possibly can, but I can only restrain my selfish desires so far." He drew a breath, smiled. "Lord Demir, would you honor me by joining my harem?"
Demir smiled softly, the sweetest expression Ihsan had ever seen on his face—the most unguarded. "Yes, Majesty. The honor would be mine."
"Then stop calling me Majesty," Ihsan burst out. "I cannot bear to hear you say it one more time."
Laughing, Demir rose, as flawlessly graceful as ever. He smiled, and the way it reached his eyes made him breathtaking. "As you wish, Ihsan."
Ignoring the cheers and calls around them, Ihsan surged into Demir's spaced and drew his head down, kissed him with all the want and longing he'd been holding back. Sliding one hand back, he tangled his fingers in Demir's hair and kissed him harder, deeper, tasting dark, spicy wine in his mouth, a hint of cinnamon pastries.
Demir's hands splayed heavy across the back of his shoulders, slid down slowly to rest at his hips, holding him steady as Demir turned the kiss into a slow burn. Ihsan shuddered and lifted his other arm to hold fast as he gladly succumbed to Demir's spell, that slow, devastating way of his that left Ihsan feeling melted.
He was panting when they finally drew apart. "On second thought, I'm not certain I'll manage to get anything done with you permanently among us. You were distracting enough when I couldn't touch."
"Too late," Kitt said cheerfully, coming up behind Ihsan, arms wrapping around his waist before Kitt's wicked mouth began to suck up a mark in precisely the right spot on Ihsan's neck.
Fingers brushed softly along his arms before Haluk and Sabah stepped past him to approach Demir. "Welcome," Sabah said and leaned up to kiss him, soft and lingering. He'd only just drawn back when Haluk turned Demir's head and drew him into another kiss. Ihsan groaned as he watched the three of them trade kisses and touches, Kitt teasing him all the while.
Ihsan let out another groan when Kitt abruptly stopped. "Get back here."
"No," Kitt said and practically climbed Demir before wrapping tightly around him and kissing him hard.
Freeing his arms from where they were still wrapped around Sabah and Haluk, Demir cupped Kitt's ass, Kitt's legs wrapping more firmly around his hips. Drawing back only when they were both left panting, Kitt said, "Took you long enough. I was beginning to think I'd have to sneak into your room and drag you here."
Slowly letting him go, Demir bent to drop a quick kiss on Kitt's swollen lips. "I am fairly certain you know that anything worth having is worth patience. I could not in good faith leave my post until my duties were truly complete."
Kitt grumbled but conceded the point with a nod.
Ihsan snickered. "I think the three of you will have to work harder now you've a proper concubine to set the example."
"So mean," Sabah said with a grin. "I bet we'll instill our bad behavior long before he can instill his good behavior."
They all turned when Demir gave a low, husky chuckle. "I was Harem Master for twelve years, and apprenticed to the post the day I turned ten. I am accustomed to troublemakers far greater than you and have many a trick you striplings have never seen."
"Oh, ho," Kitt said, eyes turning hot with anticipation, his grin challenging. "The old man plays his arrogance at last." He reached out and lightly wrapped his fingers around the chain that stretched down Demir's chest. Tugging Demir in close, he leaned up and nipped at Demir's jaw. "I know a challenge when I hear one, Harem Master."
Haluk chuckled. "Careful there, dragon. You've never seen our harem master unfettered."
"And you have?" Kitt retorted—then froze, fingers dropping in surprise as he stared at Haluk. "You have! Where—and you didn't share with the rest of us? You sly little bodyguard." He grabbed Hal
uk by the waistband of his pants and hauled him in, leaned up to give him a sharp, biting kiss. "Where have you seen our harem master unfettered?"
A faint flush darkened Haluk's cheeks as he looked at Demir. "I used to protect somebody who often visited the House of the Moon Orchid. She slipped away from me there one night, and I had to search. I, uh, opened the wrong door. I didn't linger or anything…"
Ihsan closed his eyes, biting back the unseemly noises that wanted out at the idea of Demir in a pleasure house, guard down, lost in lust. When he had himself under control, he opened his eyes again—and all his work was immediately undone as he watched Demir and Haluk kiss. Ihsan and Sabah were of average height and build, and Kitt was small and bone thin. Haluk and Demir were both built large and broad. Demir was the taller of the two, but not by much. All that strength and beauty together…
He was never going to survive the changes Demir was already bringing to his harem. "I hope there wasn't anything urgent I'm supposed to be doing because I've already forgotten it."
"No, Majesty," Sabah said, sliding over and twining around him, pressing idle kisses to his chest. "The only matter that requires urgent attention is right here." His hand slid down to palm Ihsan's cock.
Ihsan grunted, hips moving of their own volition, pushing into Sabah's frustratingly light touch, eyes still locked on the other three as Kitt replaced Haluk, both of them mapping and teasing Demir's body. "If only all my duties were so pleasant."
"You'd be too exhausted to carry them out," Sabah said with a soft snort. He pushed Ihsan back and down onto the myriad cushions and pillows of the sitting area, then straddled one of his legs as he leaned over Ihsan to kiss him, slow but hungry, the kind of kiss that always promised Ihsan would wake up sore. He reached up to grip Sabah's ass, encouraging him to ride Ihsan's thigh as the devouring kisses continued.
Tearing away, Ihsan flipped them around, pushed Sabah deep into the cushions, and gripped his cock through the layers of fabric. Sabah writhed and twisted, but Ihsan kept hold of his wrists in one hand while he continued to press and rub his cock, knowing exactly how to get Sabah mewling for him. "Give it up, my pretty little lord." He took Sabah's mouth, swallowed the cry that spilled out as Sabah shuddered and came in his arms.
