Passion and Sand 3: Empire of Desires

by Andromeda -

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Epilogue

  PASSION AND SAND 3:

  EMPIRE OF DESIRES

  A Novel By,

  ANDROMEDA

  © 2017 Published by After Hours Publications, Inc.

  www.afterhourspublications.com

  All rights reserved.

  Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage without express permission by the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Contains explicit language & adult themes suitable for ages 16+

  Your Face Would Look Better

  Between Our Pages!

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  Other Novels by

  Andromeda

  Love Contract

  Sugar Love

  A Royal Affair; Craved by a King

  Captive Bride Series

  Warrior’s Heart; A Viking Romance

  Dedication

  To all my friends and fans.

  Thank you. Without your support and patience, I would have never achieved my dream.

  Chapter One

  A rabbit poked its head out of its hole one bright and clear morning. The air was crisp today, as the large mammal looked around, then climbed out of the hole where it began to feed on the grass, sweetened by the morning dew.

  Hidden in the bushes, downwind, a young woman slowly pulled the string of her bow back, the sharp metal tip poised as she took aim. Quickly, she released it. The rabbit didn’t even have time to move as the arrow pierced its eye and stuck the brain. It was dead instantly.

  Smiling with triumph, she emerged from the bushes and walked to where the rabbit lay, pulled out the arrow and put it back in her quiver. Another one to take home and show to her proud parents of her hunting prowess. She walked back to her horse, which was hidden in the dense bush, put the rabbit into the bag that was on the side of her saddle, swung herself up and kicked its sides. Before long, they were galloping down the roads.

  Her waist length, light brown hair looked golden in the early morning light. The thick, glossy locks flying in the wind as she always loved to have it loose. She had spent almost nineteen years upon this earth and had experienced things that no girl should ever experience. Her family had moved along when she was young. Their lives were constantly in danger, but her parents always stood strong.

  Every day when she woke up, however, she reminded herself who she was and the blood that flowed in her veins.

  She was Alina, only daughter of Kaiser and Ayanna, the King and Queen of Freiundedel, a city they made with their own bare hands. In nineteen years, they had turned a seemingly unimportant bog into a powerful city.

  Her parents were known as Rome’s Bane, the two people who sparked rebellion by escaping the home of the emperor himself. They took his best gladiators and had declared war on all the Roman empire. When they were done with it, Rome would be a distant memory in the minds of all.

  Kaiser instilled a deep hatred of Rome within her and her brother, Bo. A hatred that burned hotter within the girl than the boy. For Alina, being a woman, she knew Rome had a habit of using women to bring nations to their knees, and not in an honorable way. They were the enemy, and her parents were going to be the one to, in turn, bring the so-called ‘all mighty empire’ to its knees.

  ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯

  The city of Freiundedel sat on a man-made island in the middle of a mixture between a bog and a lake. It was large and took them well over five years to make the foundation. The rest of the time was spent building the city. Construction was still going on as her father’s friend, Artemus, suggested that it would take almost thirty years to get it fully fortified, but they wouldn’t stop until it was finished.

  From above, it would look like a spoke of a wheel with the main city inside of heavy walls, followed by seven high roads that connected them to the mainland. Between the roads was water, which, if need be, could be drained and made into pits for defense. The only way to the large city was on the roads, which had a toll booth at every end.

  Normally, there were long lines to get to the booths, as merchants, traders and others all wished to gain entry to the city. To get in, you had to pay one silver coin per person you brought with you, and one gold coin per ten items. They did not care who was on the gold and silver, as it would be melted down anyway and turned into coins with her parents’ faces on them.

  As their child, she did not have to wait in line, and instead kicked her horse forward to gallop up the roads. Within minutes, she was at the front gates of the city that were built into the eight-foot walls, and once she passed those, she was back home.

  It was hard to believe at times that former slaves and the escaped daughter of the Emperor of Rome had designed and built something as magnificent as this. It had a bit of the Roman concept with tall stone columns and marble being used for the most important buildings. Yet, her blood, the blood of Germania, showed as well in the gothic designs and structures.

  When she was in her seventeenth year, it was built enough for them to move in under the orders of the designers, Artemus and Aurora, her parents’ chief advisors. The palace that was built for her parents was a true vision of beauty, and she could see the mixture of the two cultures that flowed in her blood: Kushite for her mother and Germanic for her father.

  She rode to the stables that were on the side of the palace and gave her horse to a caretaker before she walked inside. Her bare feet slapped gently against the marble tile floor, her golden anklets making music with every step.

  The first stop for her was the kitchens, where she delivered the rabbit to the cooks who thanked her. Roasted and honey-glazed rabbit was her father’s favorite food, and she hoped that he would love her catch. Then, she had to hurry to her chambers and get clean.

  Covered head to toe in mud and blood from her hunt, her mother always told her that a princess must look presentable at all times. Her mother, who was a real princess and daughter of a queen, always said that she wanted her daughter to be what she never could be. There was intense pressure on her. to be the ‘face’ of this new kingdom, one founded and run by escaped slaves. She and her brother were the future of this new royal line that had been created solely to destroy Rome, but could they destroy a seemingly eternal empire?

  ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯

  Ayanna’s head was bent over the scrolls before her, the contents both worried and annoyed her. They were all marriage proposals for her two children, thought it was cl
ear that her daughter was the most desirable. She was afraid of this.

  For years, Ayanna had tried her hardest to rebuff any proposals or would-be contracts that came her way for her children. They started when they were twelve, as several local Germanic Chiefs wished to ally themselves with the Banes of Rome, but Ayanna did not want it.

  To her, Alina and Bo were still her babies, the babies she prayed to the gods for every night. They were her heart and soul, and she would not think of a day without them. Yet, she knew deep down that they needed to grow up. Both were nearing their nineteenth year in the world and were prime ages to be married. But she did not want an arranged marriage. Ayanna wanted them to choose their future mates and marry for love.

  All she had to do, however, was convince Kaiser.

  She put the scrolls in her desk, then left the chamber she shared with her husband and king to head to the small dining chamber where they normally ate. Unlike most royals, they preferred intimate dinners with their children to sit around a smaller table to laugh and talk about their days.

  When she arrived, she saw that Kaiser and Bo were there, but also just like she, Alina was late. She arrived almost the same time she did, and Ayanna noticed that her hair was damp, no doubt from just getting out of the tub.

  “You’re late,” Ayanna remarked, a smile tugging at her lips.

  “As are you, Mama,” Alina said back, though she was smiling.

  “About time you two got here,” Kaiser’s loud voice boomed. “Bo and I here were starting to get worried! The food is getting cold!”

  “Oh, Papa.” Alina giggled as she skipped over to where her father was and kissed his temple. “You know I love roasted rabbit as much as Mama does.”

  Ayanna laughed as she went to take her seat next to Bo. Her son was her unspoken favorite, as he was like her in almost every way: quiet, well thought, and cautious in his mannerisms. Alina was completely different.

  Undeniably spoiled by her father, she was quick-tempered, sharp-tongued and hard headed. Yet, also like her father, she was highly skilled in combat. Kaiser trained her himself, and though she did not like the sword, archery was her weaponry of choice. Bo liked his mother’s weaponry: twin daggers.

  They shared a womb, yet could not be more different.

  “Papa,” Alina said as she took her seat next to her father. “When can I do my trials?”

  Ayanna’s head shot up, and her grey eyes narrowed when she looked at her husband. “I thought we talk about that, Kaiser.”

  “We did,” Kaiser said with a nod, though he knew he must choose his words carefully. “We said that we would let Alina choose if she wished to go through her trials.”

  Ayanna frowned. That wasn’t all that she had said, but she did not wish to argue with her husband in front of her children. So, she looked to her daughter. “And, do you wish to do the trials?”

  Alina eagerly nodded. “Yes, I wish to do them. Not only that, but I know that I can pass them. But…I will not do them if you are not happy, Mama.”

  Ayanna’s frown was deep, but after a couple of moments, she sighed and nodded her consent.

  Chapter Two

  Alina could not be more excited as she jumped up and down on her bed. She was supposed to be getting a good night’s sleep as her trials were in the morning, but she could not find the time to sleep. She was just too excited.

  The trials were not something to be taken lightly, however, because if she did not pass, it would only mean that she died. Yet, if she completed them and came out alive, then she would be a full-blooded warrior. Ayanna did not like the trials, as she thought it too ‘barbaric’ for her taste, but Kaiser encouraged it.

  When they found the land to make this ever-growing city, several other Germanic tribes were already settled nearby. Several of the slaves they had freed were of Germanic blood, and Kaiser wanted them to continue to practice their cultures and religions. It was one of the founding factors of Freiundedel: freedom of both religion and culture. Unlike Rome, they did not pressure others to assimilate to what they deemed to be the ‘right way’ to live.

  Unable to spend any more time in her chambers, Alina opened the door and left it, heading to the kitchens for a quick snack. Hardly anyone was there, just servants kneading dough for the bread that was to be cooked in the morning. They smiled at her, as she had always been greatly beloved by those who worked for her family, before going back to their work.

  She walked to where the cheese was stored, took out a thick chunk, got a slice of bread and some sausage slices. Putting the bread on a metal platter, she then put the cheese and sausages on top of it, before then putting the platter in the dying fires of one of the ovens. Within minutes, the bread was toasted, the cheese melted and the sausages warmed. She then took out the platter, let it cool a couple of moments, then picked up her snack.

  Grabbing a small bottle of honeyed wine and some grapes, she was leaving the kitchens when she bumped into someone and couldn’t help but smile when she saw who it was.

  “Eryx!” she said when she saw her best friend.

  Eryx smiled down at her, though he had to lean down a bit because he was so tall. Now twenty-two years old, the young man had made quite a name for himself by being a great warrior. Though some made fun of his Roman blood that came from his mother, Eryx did not let it get him down.

  As he looked down at his childhood friend, he found himself staring at her beautiful face. Growing up with she and Bo, people used to call them the Terrible Trio. because they always seemed to get into mischief together. Well, it was normally he and Alina. Poor Bo normally had to clean up the messes they had made. Yet, there was no secret that he cared for her, loved her. In fact, they were each other’s first kiss. There were times when they might have gone further than kissing, if Eryx was not afraid of her mother.

  “What do you have there, little Alina?” he asked, in his normal deep voice.

  “A quick snack to tie me over, as I am too excited for my trials in the morning,” Alina answered. “And I am not little!”

  He chuckled, the sound seeming to come down deep in his chest. “You are little, compared to me. And it is funny you came here for something to eat. I came here to try and find something as well.”

  “Want to share?” she asked, nodding to the platter of fruit and the toasted bread she had made. “I might not eat all of it.”

  He smiled. “Of course, I don’t mind.”

  They went back to her chambers and sat on her bed, talking, laughing, joking, tossing grapes at each other and the like. They were always easily comfortable in each other’s presence, and it wasn’t a secret that she shared feelings for him, the same way he shared for her.

  His hand rested gingerly on her thigh, stroking the light brown flesh as he listened to her tell him about her thoughts on the trials in the morning. He had already completed his own and knew that they were not for the faint of heart. They would tax her heavily, though he knew she would succeed when it was her turn.

  “Mama is worried,” she said a couple of hours later, as her head rested on his chest. “She worries for me.”

  “She is just doing what mothers do,” he said, gently stroking her back. “My own mother worried until I awoke. But, in the end, I think she believes in you.”

  She raised her head and smiled at him, and then began to lean closer. He accepted her kisses, and his body pressed against her. Before long, the gentle kisses became ravenous, and he was on top of her, his hand up her dress, his fingers slipped inside her.

  Alina moaned and bucked her hips in hunger, wanting more, but they both knew they could not go further than this. Though they loved each other, would die for each other, her virginity was something he could not take. It would have to be given to her husband, and her husband would be decided by her father.

  Yet, they could partake in secret moments such as this.

  If word really got out, then her reputation would be ruined, and no one would want her. Eryx wondered if that was really a
terrible thing, because then, the only person who would want her, would be himself.

  Their lips never parted as her hand reached down and gripped his shaft, rubbing him at first through his tunic, and then slipping under to touch him bare. She could never get her full hand around him, and she wondered at times what he would do with such an organ. Though when she asked him, he would quite naughtily whisper in her ear that it would be for her to find out and use to her pleasure if she ever wished.

  “I want you inside me so bad,” she whispered as she rolled them over so that she was on top of him.

  “Alina, we cannot,” he said sadly. “You know that.”

  Her lips puffed up in the pout she normally did when she wanted her way, and then she smirked. Lifting her gown up a bit, and pushing up his tunic, she gently lowered herself down until her lower lips were on top of his shaft. Then, she began to rub against him.

  His head tilted back as he groaned deeply. It did not feel the same as being inside of a woman, but with her, it felt good enough. Her hips rolled, and before long, her nectar began to coat him as she moved. With a smirk, he lifted himself up, her plump rear firmly gripped in his mighty hands, and then he began to bounce her.

  Burying his face in her breasts, his breath hot on her flesh, he bounced her hard and fast, making sure to have her love pearl, brush his shaft with every stroke. Shivers were sent up her spine as he did this, though she had to bite the back of her hand to keep from moaning out loud.

  One last bounce and she shattered. Burying her face into his shoulder, she cried out his name while he buried his face into her breasts and roared as they both came. Panting heavily, and both covered with sweat, he gently released her, and with shaky legs, she rolled off him to lay at his side.

  For a moment, neither of them said a thing until she rolled over and smiled at him, pulling him close for another kiss.