Book One: The Awakening

Chapter One

Somewhere in the Indian Ocean, 1793

Rose lay quietly in the darkened room, unable to move or speak. Three times a day, a pretty young concubine came to feed her and, once a day, at first, to bathe her. After a few days, the frequency of the baths increased, and eventually, she began to sleep in Rose's rooms, bathing her whenever she pleased, which was often. Rose hated the baths, because the concubine always took the washcloth after she used it to bathe Rose and caressed her with it, stopping to kiss and admire Rose's high firm breasts, watching her pink nipples harden as the dampened material passed over them, slowly stroking the soft, pale blond hair between Rose's legs. Because Rose wore a gag, the concubine was unaware that the captive had no desire to be touched, mistaking her wild eyes and tossing hips for passion; and as a result, she would become even more enthralled; increasing her ministrations, sometimes for hours on end; one bath time blurring into the next. Rose always tried to fight the rising pleasure but in the end, all she could do was give in; orgasming over and over again.

No one ever stopped the concubine, although they surely must have heard Rose's muffled cries, because this was the way of the harem. It was common to walk through the seraglio at night and see a great many women being pleasured by their servants and sometimes, by each other. More battles had been fought by concubines over the favors of a female lover than the favors their owner. More often than not, their master was fat, ugly and old and many concubines spent their entire lives being overlooked by their master. Some never even saw the man who held life and death over them and the pale marble walls of the harem became their entire world. The slavers liked to keep their captives well-pleasured because the rest of the time it kept them quiet and content, so they often ignored the antics of the women as they played their erotic games with each other.

Frantic to flee her captive state, Rose tried to escape one day. Her capture resulted in a beating given by a man who obviously enjoyed every excruciating moment of his job. He didn't leave a mark on her body, but she had never been able to put from her mind the kiss of the lash as it had flamed its way across her buttocks and thighs. She had never forgotten how he had beaten her, lashing her nipples and labia repeatedly; or how she had begged him to stop. But most of all, she had never forgotten what had happened next. When Rose started begging him, her voice trembling with shock, he groaned, falling to his knees; gripping her with shaking hands and burying his face between her thighs. She strained against her bonds, screaming to be free but his lashing tongue followed her every movement even as his fingers opened her wider, his lips tenderly caressing the wet pink flesh that his eager hands exposed. Rose whimpered, tossing her head from side to side as his tongue rubbed against her and his teeth gently nibbled on her clit. Gracefully, he used the fingers on one hand to hold her open as he slid the other hand beneath her buttocks and pulled her closer, pressing her unprotected flesh tightly against his face. Abruptly, the nibbles ceased as his lips engulfed her sex, sucking hungrily. Rose cried as out the guard to her right took up the whip and unfurled it, continuing the motions her dark tormentor had ceased. With seemingly no effort, the two began to play a symphony of pleasure and pain. The lash and her tormentor's burning tongue stabbed at her tender flesh unceasingly. Her tormentor's mouth burrowed deeper as the fingers of his left hand ceased holding open the soft petals of her labia to thrust inside of her vagina, pumping vigorously until the pain, the shame and the pleasure all mixed together in her mind and she screamed, burning with an ecstasy she could never have imagined.

Humiliated and shocked, Rose never attempted to escape again. She didn't understand why she had not been raped that day and considered herself fortunate; but then, Rose did not know the rules of the slave trade. If a woman was a virgin, she would remain a virgin until purchased by her owner, at which time he would see to her deflowering. But that did not prevent the concubine's eager mouth from tasting the delights of Rose's body, over and over again, as often as time would allow.

Time went on, one day blending into the next, and Rose began to wonder if she would ever be anywhere else except in this room.

Chapter Two

Unfortunately for her, Rose had always had the kind of beauty that caused poets to weep and painters to go into raptures of energetic creativity.

As a child, it brought sweets and dollies when she would rather have been playing tag with the village youths. When she became a young lady, her beauty turned her into a bargaining chip for power and wealth. Her parents fought like snarling dogs over who would purchase her in the marriage bed even as her suitors growled at each other and circled her silver-blonde perfection like ravening wolves. And now look at what the curse of her beauty had wrought.

How long had she been here? It was so hard to remember now. Time passed so strangely. Why, one day might last for a thousand years and the next but a mere moment. It was very disconcerting. Part of which was due, no doubt, to the quantity of drugs that they gave her in her food and water. It was designed to make her soft and sweet; docile and amenable. She never caused trouble anymore. Not since her attempt to escape. That was when they had started giving her drugs. Now she lay in a mindless stupor, dreaming of strange worlds and impossible creatures; her daydreams periodically interrupted by the concubine, whose silken lips and clever tongue always succeeded in waking Rose from her dreamlike state; making her scream and groan and cry out even as her own body betrayed her.

*****

She was learning their language. The concubine saw to it that she had more freedom. Rose almost lost her freedom the first time that Lela attempted to touch her in a sexual way. But when the concubine understood that Rose wasn't interested, the overtures stopped abruptly. At first, the concubine was deeply distressed by Rose's disinterest, fearful that she had, in some way, failed to please her. But as Rose learned simple words and phrases, she was able to explain that in her country, women didn't do that sort of thing. After that, although somewhat disappointed that her affection was not returned, Lela seemed content just to be Rose's friend.

As she learned more of their language, Rose began to understand that she was a prisoner on a huge slave ship. The reason that she wasn't in the hold with the other women was because she was a pampered guest, the daughter of royalty, and an unusually beautiful virgin as well. Fortunately for Rose, she would not be taken with the others to be auctioned off at the slave market. Instead, she was to be a bride gift for the sultan himself. Trembling inside, Rose asked Lela what the sultan was like. Lela replied that she did not know, but that she had heard he was very young, perhaps in his late twenties. He had no wives, nor did he have any children. Rumor had it that his father had despaired of him, threatening to disown him and give the kingship to his younger brother instead if he didn't marry and make heirs for the throne, but the King's son had just laughed in his father's face. The rumors were much closer to the truth than anyone could possibly imagine.

The Glorious Kingdom, Northern Iraq, Palace of the Sultan Ishama Banseim, 1788

"Go ahead, father." He chuckled as he flopped on the colorful cushions filling the room. "I would prefer not to rule this kingdom, anyway. You already know that. I'll probably never get married because I won't marry someone that I don't love. And since I don't believe in love, marriage doesn't seem imminent." Then he crossed his arms over his chest and grinned, his eyes mischievous. "Besides, Tiki would make a much better sultan than I would. He loves sex more than he loves to sleep or eat. He's like a cat, fucking 2 or 3 women a night with no preference for one or the other. He already has 4 sons and 12 daughters. Put him on the throne and you'll have a ready made kingdom."

London England and Northern Iraq, 1792

Rumor or no, the stalemate ended abruptly when Kalim's father died. Leaving his law classes at Yale, where he was an honor student, Kalim returned to his homeland and ascended the throne with a great deal of reluctance.

Somewhere in the Indian Ocean, 1793

Wanting to know more, Rose protested. "But why a bride gift? Why not just a gift, instead? Why could he possibly want to marry me? He doesn't even know me!" Rose was scared. She was also very angry. She had really wanted to be lost in the crowd of the harem. Now that hope had been dashed.

Lela giggled, her voice tinkling like a bell. "You could never be anything less than his bride, lady Rose. It would go against everything that our country believes in and his people would be angry with him. You are the daughter of a great and mighty king. He is the sultan. He has no choice. He has to marry you."

Rose blanched. "But I'm not royalty, Lela. My father is not a king. He is a very powerful man, but still, he is not a king. Our country only has one king and his name is Edward."

Lela giggled again. "Lady Rose, I have been trained in the ways of your land and I know that a duke is a 'small prince'. The only one who has any authority over him is the king of your land. He is like the princes of our countries, who rule different provinces and only answer to the sultan himself. You ARE royalty, lady Rose, because you are your father's daughter."

"But......"

Lela smiled and patted Rose's hand. "Lady Rose, why would you seek to be a mere gift when you could be the prize? When you could, perhaps, win not only the favor of the sultan, but his heart as well? I hear that he is a handsome man and a magnificent lover who...."

"Stop! I don't want to hear anymore! I don't want to be his prize. I don't want to be his anything ! I hated my beauty because it made me a slave; now it seems that I have exchanged one yoke for another."

Covering her face with her hands, Rose wept bitterly.

Chapter Three

A few days later, Rose asked Lela what had happened to the man who had beaten her that night. He seemed to have vanished altogether. When she was allowed up on to the deck for fresh air, she often craned her neck, looking for him. His touch had left her strangely unsettled somehow; as though there were another her; one that was decadent and evil.

Lela frowned and whispered, "Lady Rose, please do not speak of him."

"Why?"

"He has been executed for his transgressions. He dared to kiss your yoni, the part of you that is sacred and meant only for the hands and lips of the sultan himself." Lela grabbed Rose's shoulder, her eyes filled with terror. "Please, lady Rose, do not ever speak of this to anyone or surely it will ascend to the ears of the sultan. If he learns of it, he will kill not only my owner, but myself as well, because you were in my care when it happened."

"But won't you be punished anyway, Lela? Won't the guards tell the sultan that..." Rose was so embarrassed that she couldn't continue.

Lela giggled softly. "That, until you told me stop, I feasted on the sweetness of your body whenever I bathed you? That I made up reasons to bathe you every few hours because I could not go longer than that without wanting to taste your sweetness again?"

"Do you have to be so explicit?" Rose complained, trying not to blush.

"Iiiieeeehhh!" Lela screamed softly, her eyes amused. "Lady Rose, you truly have no concept of life here in my land, do you?"

Rose shook her head. "I'm not sure I even WANT to know."

Lela smiled at her. "Lady Rose, here in my country, it is not forbidden for a woman to pleasure another woman. In fact, it is encouraged. It prevents dissatisfaction and restlessness within the harem; in fact, in many larger seraglios, each of the women is assigned a slave. Although that slave fulfills many tasks for her mistress, the most important role she has is that of providing pleasure. At every moment, unless the lady is with the master, the slave stays with her mistress so that, if the need arises, she can pleasure her mistress whenever it is required of her. It is for that reason alone that the women of the harem have no desire to leave or to stray."

Lela smiled to herself at that point, thinking about her own harem, where the women often sat around talking, being pleasured by their servants as they lounged by the pools.

Lela blinked abruptly when Rose's voice intruded in her thoughts.

"Do you mean to tell me that, should their mistress require it, they will do whatever she tells them to?" Rose looked shocked. "What if she is in a room full of other women? What then?"

Lela laughed again, thinking with longing of her home and the concubine who loved her and awaited her touch when she returned to the harem. She shivered with pleasure at the thought of it.

"Do not worry, lady Rose. You will come to understand and even appreciate our ways in time."

Rose grimaced. "I don't think so…" she said, shaking her head with repugnance. "I don't like to touched."

Lela smiled, allowing Rose the lie. "Of course, Lady Rose. Whatever you say." She changed the subject, knowing that Rose would find out the truth about herself soon enough. For all that she denied it, Rose was a born houri.

Chapter Four

The day of their arrival grew near. Rose began to grow nervous, lashing out at everyone around her. Desperate for any chance to escape her fate, she argued with Lela until her voice was almost gone. But Lela was adamant. She would not help her escape and she couldn't find someone else to go in Rose's place because the Sultan already knew what Rose looked like.

When Rose questioned her, all Lela would say was that he had visited England at some point in time, had seen Rose at a party and decided in that moment that she would be his. Rose's father had refused his suit, Lela said and so the Sultan had decided to take her in the age old tradition. Now, here she was, making her way to him across the ocean.

According to the rumors, which were traveling from city to city like wildfire, the Sultan paced his rooms as he waited for her arrival. Others, caught up in the fantasy, sighed and said that he must have seen her when he went to England to study at Oxford. Perhaps, they whispered, he had chanced to catch a glimpse of her at some function and had ended up falling head over heels in love with her.

Those who knew the Sultan best stated that it was all quite ridiculous; rumor and conjecture; complete and utter nonsense.

They were wrong.

England Countryside, Worthington Manor, 1792

"Let go of me, you oaf!" Rose growled at she attempted to remove the man's hands from her breasts. She kicked at him, finally succeeding in locating the right place. The man fell to the ground, holding his nuts and howling like a banshee. Rose sniffed at him, trying to reconcile the picture of him rolling around in the grass with the one he had presented earlier. 'Oh, how quickly the proud are fallen', she quoted to herself as she turned to walk away.

She whirled at the sound of applause.

The younger of two gentlemen, clapping vigorously, winked at her. She frowned and amended the term. They were not gentlemen; anyone of breeding could see that . She relaxed as she realized that they were not potential suitors fighting for her hand. A thread of irritation remained, however, because she really did deserve the applause, and instead of getting the recognition she deserved for bringing a foe to his knees, all she would get was a night in her room without supper. Just by looking at them, she could tell that these two oafs would inform her parents of her unseemly behavior just as quickly as they could.

Angrily, she strode toward them, coming to a halt several feet from their massive, muscular bodies. Good lord, they were giants! The older one looked at her coldly. Completely undaunted, she put her hands on her hips and stared back at him.

"Sir, I am a lady and I demand that you treat me with respect."

The older one cocked a brow at her and turned to the younger one. "I don't see any ladies around here, do you, Tiki?"

Tiki tried unsuccessfully to smother a laugh as he replied, "Ignore my older brother, madam. He is a scoundrel."

Rose ignored him , instead. Her rage escalated as the words that the man had spoken began to sink in. She glared at him as a reluctant smile twitched at his lips. "Who are you and what are you doing on my property?"

The man arched an eyebrow, crossing his arms across a massive chest, his gaze raking her body slowly and deliberately. His eyes were heated and intense as he met her gaze. "I was invited."

Rose shied from that hungry glance and then his words sank in. Invited? She sighed heavily. Oh, god. He was another one.

"Don't tell me. You're another suitor for my hand."

"Perhaps." He admitted, his eyes undressing her as he spoke. My god, he was gorgeous. He cocked his head, his eyes curiously flat. "Would you be pleased if I were?" he asked in an overly casual voice.

"Not really." She said boldly. "No man could ever live up to my expectations."

"Which are?"

"Nothing you could give me, I assure you."

He smiled boldly, his eyes warming with humor. "You might be surprised at what I can give you, ma petite."

She glared at him. "Look, I'm not interested in your property, your kisses or your declarations of love. I have no intention of marrying, not ever , and even if I did, I certainly wouldn't choose a filthy, stupid, disgusting foreigner like you." She looked him up and down slowly, her eyes showing her distaste. It was a pretense, but as she trembled imperceptibly, she hoped that he would accept it at face value.

His brows lowered and his nostrils flared with anger. "Very well, madam. I would not want to get your hands dirty." He spoke quietly, with an odd sort of dignity, in spite of the rage vibrating in his voice.

Rose was filled with shame as he looked down at her for a moment, his eyes flat and hard. He cocked his head as though considering something and then he shook it, his lips tight with some unknown emotion.

"Adieu."

Turning, he strode away, his brother walking quickly behind him, yelling at him angrily in some language that she couldn't understand. Tiki looked back at her over his shoulder, smiling and shrugging, his eyes filled with regret as he followed his brother. He jerked on his arm, trying to stop him, speaking loudly. Tiki's brother shook his head, turning to look at her again, his eyes filled with something that she couldn't explain. Then he turned away, dismissing her, and Rose relaxed.

She began to shake. Dear God, he was the most beautiful thing that she had ever seen, and she had almost fainted when he had turned those hot, spicy eyes on her. When he had looked at her like that, she had wanted to press her lips to his and rub herself against him. She couldn't afford that kind of a marriage. It was too dangerous.

Turning, she wrapped her arms around her waist. She didn't want to end up like her mother, waiting for the crumbs of affection her husband deigned to give her in between mistresses. If she had to marry, it would have to be to someone whom she liked…like her childhood friend, Andrew. He would let her have her own way and leave her in peace. She would never allow herself to be like her mother.

She would die first.

Rose sighed, closing her eyes briefly, and wondered what it would have been like to kiss him.

Chapter Five

The Glorious Kingdom, Northern Iraq, Palace of the Sultan Ishama Banseim, 1793

"O, great and mighty Lord of the East....."

"For god's sake, please stop groveling, Tiki." Kalim groaned, covering his eyes with a weary hand. "I was up late last night and I am too tired this morning to listen to a roomful of platitudes. Leave me." He waved a hand wearily and the lot of them departed. "Except for you, Tiki." Kalim growled fiercely as the rest of his advisors quit the room.

As the door closed behind them, Tiki threw himself onto a pile of silken cushions and burst out laughing. "I couldn't resist, Kalim." He chuckled, flinging his arms over his head as he sprawled across the pillows. "You looked so cranky."

"Shut the hell up." Kalim growled at him, slumping on his chair, his long black hair falling over his shoulders and spilling across his chest as he bent his head and rubbed his eyes. "I am so damned tired. I wish you were the sultan instead of me. Why did you have to be the younger brother, for god's sake?"

Tiki closed his eyes, sighing elaborately. "Oh, wise and radiant one, who causes the sun to shine and the moon to give up its brilliance......you came out of our illustrious father's pecker before I did."

"Very funny."

"Ahhhh...but true."

Kalim jumped up from his throne and stalked to the door. "Where in the hell is she!" he muttered to himself, hands fisted at his sides.

"Where is who?" Tiki responded lazily. When he got no answer, he sighed in irritation. "Kalim, send Blossom and Sasha to entertain us. I'm bored."

"You're always bored." Kalim responded as he got up from his chair and walked across the floor. "And did I mention lazy?" he added as he stepped over Tiki's sprawled limbs.

"I think you did, but who gives a rat's ass?" Tiki snorted, eating another sweetmeat.

Kalim flung open the door.

A short, funny looking little man scuttled across the floor like a lobster on dry land, his face brightening with expectancy.

"Send Blossom and Sasha immediately."

"Where should I send them, oh great one?"

Kalim sighed loudly, rolling his eyes at his brother. "I liked England much better. There, I actually had a name other than 'oh great one'." He turned back to the open door. "Don't be an idiot, Saji. You know I want them right here in this room. And don't let the harem do all those rituals that they usually do. I want them here in less than 15 minutes."

The vizier looked shocked and he scuttled backwards slightly.

"But, great one, we must prepare...."

"I don't care about all that right now. I happen to know that they have already been bathed today. That will have to do. Just send them. Quickly!"

He closed the door and the guards resumed their vigil.

Tiki was grinning. "You know, Kalim, our esteemed Father would roll over in his grave if he could hear the way that you talk. You don't sound like a sultan at all. You sound more like a rugby player."

Kalim crossed his arms over his chest. "Ask me if I care."

"See what I mean?" Tiki crowed, looking delighted. Then, like a bloodhound, he went after the scent again.

"Where is who?" he asked, closing his eyes to a mere crack, trying to looked bored and disinterested. Kalim looked down at him and smiled. His younger brother was a handsome devil with his black hair and blue eyes. All of the women adored his muscular form and talented hands. But he was incredibly lazy. And not very good at pretending.

Kalim remembered the days in England well. Tiki had never once pursued a woman. He had merely smiled, cocked his right eyebrow, and waited for them to come running. And they always did. Perhaps it was because he had been raised in a harem. Being surrounded and adored by hundreds of willing women day and night could spoil a man, he supposed.

Tiki reached his hand out to the tray laden with sweetmeats and took another one, biting into it with relish. He paused and then sat up abruptly. "Is it a new girl?"

Kalim frowned, his eyes shuttered.

But Tiki knew he was right. He pounced quickly, leaving no room for retreat. "Why didn't you tell me?" he said, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. His brother had never followed the old traditions. He shared his harem with his brother, scorning the ten thousand year old rule as though it had never existed. He didn't care about the women in his harem. The majority of them had belonged to his father long before he died and while Kalim had sent some of them home and given others advantageous marriages, he kept about 40 of them for himself and for his brother; primarily for his brother, he had to admit. And they shared them equally. Sometimes they even shared the same women at the same time, which was always interesting. Once they had even shared one woman and a vial of aphrodisiac all night long, taking turns competing with each other to see who could make her the wildest.

Kalim walked towards his brother and poked him with his foot. "Move over, you lazy slug." Tiki obliged him, moving a foot to the left.

"Join me, oh light of the morning."

"Shut the hell up, Tiki. I'm warning you."

"Okay, okay. I'll stop if you tell me about the new arrival." Tiki's eyes opened wider, twinkling with interest. Kalim ruffled his curly black hair fondly. He lay down beside Tiki and closed his eyes.

"You can't have this one."

Tiki's eyes widened. He rolled over to face Kalim. "Why not? You share all of your women with me."

"Not this one."

"But what if I want her?"

"You can't have her."

"Why not?!!?!?!"

"She is to be my bride."

"You, married?" Tiki hooted with amusement. Kalim had never allowed any woman to get close to him. He took them exquisitely and then discarded them. Even in England, he and his brother had shared all of their women. They always chased Kalim first but his coldness drove most of them away. Tiki's warmth assuaged the sudden chill. Tiki had fallen madly in love with all of Kalim's rejects and with his own conquests as well, only to lose his heart the next week to a new bevy of beauties. But Kalim had always kept his distance from entanglements. The women loved it, of course; each of them vying to be the one to warm his heart. But none of them ever did.

Was the ice finally melting?

"Well, tell me about her, at least, Kalim...."

"No."

The door opened. The beauties walked forward, eyes lowered as they removed their clothing, revealing exquisitely formed bodies. They fell at his feet, heads bowed. "No." He told them. "You are here to pleasure my brother."

They crawled across the floor towards Tiki, removing their clothing as they came. Tiki could hear the whisper of silk as the darker one, Blossom, opened the clasp of his robe to bare his body. She kissed him on the mouth and he kissed her back, his tongue ruthless and hungry as Sasha slithered lower, taking his stiffened manhood into her mouth. He groaned with pleasure, arching his back as she rhythmically sucked him, using her dainty hands to softly knead his balls. He could feel the pleasure rising and broke the kiss, whispering a word, his voice sharp and urgent. Blossom scrambled to obey, grabbing a silver ring with small, hill-like protrusions encircling it. "Quickly!" he gasped, arching his hips as the pleasure surged higher. She hurried, clasping the ring about the base of his cock and tightening it swiftly. He sighed with pleasure as he felt the urgency abate. Now he could enjoy himself without spending. The tightness of the silver ring would keep him from ejaculating until he removed it and he wasn't planning to take it off for a long, long time. He motioned to Blossom to hand him another object and this one he kept. Then he pulled Blossom to him, giving her nibbling little kisses on the mouth as he played with her nipples. "Fuck me, Sasha." he demanded impatiently, using one of the vulgar yet effective words he had learned during his sojourn in England.

He took Blossom's mouth, kissing her deeply, their tongues intertwining. He slid his hands into her hair, wrapping it around his wrists as he deepened the kiss, slanting his mouth across hers urgently.

Sasha slid her mouth from his enormous erection reluctantly, lashing it with her tongue as she lifted her head from his lap. Sitting back on her haunches, she admired the huge monument that she had created. Then she mounted him, riding him slowly and dreamily, her head thrown back, face taunt with pleasure as the protrusions on the silver ring repeatedly rubbed against her clitoris.

Tiki ground his mouth against Blossoms, groaning as his balls tightened and his hips lifted involuntarily. This was what he loved best about the ring. He could stay on the verge of orgasm for hours; on a precipice of incredible pleasure and tension. He concentrated on the slippery friction of his manhood as it slid in and out of Sasha, moaning as the pleasure rose and crested in the head of his cock and then, unable to release itself, rose even higher. Each movement of Sasha's hips began to produce incredible rapture and his whole body became sensitized; his skin rippling and flinching as the already over stimulated head of his penis rubbed against the walls of her vagina. He broke the kiss and threw his head back, gasping and shivering with reaction. A new, urgent need arose within him.

"Climb up here and give yourself to me."

Blossom quivered eagerly as she approached him, her eyes filled with excitement as she clambered up onto his chest.

"Now," he groaned out feelingly as Sasha continued to ride him, "spread your legs wide and slide upwards." She spread her legs slowly, sliding her lower body teasingly towards his face, stopping every inch or so to giggle softly. As he watched her wet, pink, flesh move closer to his mouth, he lost control. Grabbing her buttocks in his hands, he pulled her towards him swiftly, kissing her honeyed treasure deeply, tongue swirling and nibbling as he pressed closer still, lost in the taste and texture of her wet, hot flesh. Finding the treasure he sought, he used his thumbs to spread her completely open, pushing back her engorged flesh so that he could expose her clitoris. He took a long, slow lick with his tongue. She moaned, her thighs tightening as she pushed against his face. He pulled back slightly so that he could admire what he had uncovered. He took a deep breath, delighting in the slightly pungent scent. The moist bud pulsed as he traced slow, lazy circles around it with his finger; as he lapped at it with his tongue; as he covered it with his mouth and sucked steadily, his eyes closing in contentment and pleasure. He pinched the base of her clitoris with his right thumb and index finger, preventing her from orgasming as he burrowed deeper, his tongue lashing at her relentlessly. Blossom screamed softly, feeling the pleasure rising higher and higher with no release in sight and she clutched at his head, begging for mercy. But she knew that he was denying himself and because of that, he would deny her as well for a very long time.

Kalim observed the trio after that for well over two hours. He watched as both women finally orgasmed. Tiki allowed them no respite, immediately placing Blossom on his cock for a ride even as he pulled Sasha up his chest towards his mouth. Then, he watched as Tiki lay them both on their backs, pressed closely together so that their mounds lay side by side. Tiki lay on his stomach, kissing first one mound and then the other. Then, as he settled his head deep between Blossom's legs, Tiki's hand drifted to Sasha's mound, fingers sliding into the crevice to slowly rub up and down. When at last Blossom bucked her hips, screaming, Tiki simply slid over to Sasha and continued his ministrations, his fingers gently stroking Blossom back to a level of excitement again. Then Tiki rolled over on to his back again, his erection huge and thick. Sasha climbed on top of his cock and began to ride him as Blossom slid up Tiki's chest, her fingers spreading the petals of her labia as she pressed her throbbing clit against his open mouth.

Watching them, Kalim grew hard in spite of his weariness. It was interesting to observe the sex act when it was performed by others.

The act of love between a man and woman was always different when the partners were switched. A woman in the arms of one man might be soft and sweet and in the arms of another, be a tigress. He had learned that in the school of pleasure that his father had created. That was why he had been at the top of his class. No one had ever beaten his score. No one had even come close.

Blossom groaned loudly and Kalim sat up abruptly as he watched her ride Tiki frantically, throwing her head back in ecstasy. Tiki must have decided to have mercy on Sasha as well for at that same moment, she howled, thrusting her yoni against Tiki's mouth as she came. He couldn't believe that Tiki still hadn't removed the silver ring, but he admired the artistic patience it must have taken to make such a perfect portrait. They collapsed, breathing heavily, until Tiki spoke.

"Sasha, Blossom, come over here."

Tiki sat up, pulling Sasha forward to rub the contents of a bottle over her mound and into the crevices. He thrust his finger up inside of her and rubbed there as well. He did the same to Blossom. Then he turned her to face Kalim.

"Blossom, go to my brother."

By the time Blossom made her way shakily over to Kalim, the aphrodisiac was already raging through her body. Her nipples were hard and erect; her skin flushed a lovely pink color. He didn't want to do this. But when she looked up at him, her eyes clouded with misery, he sighed. What else could he do?

Picking her up and carrying her to the mound of cushions, he lay her down gently, then sat on the floor in front of her. Sliding a number of thick pillows under her until her hips were level with his upper chest, he carefully lifted her legs and put them over his shoulders. Lowering his head, Kalim spread the soft, pink petals with gentle fingers, opened his mouth, and took the pain away.

Hours later, after Blossom had fallen into an exhausted sleep, Kalim left the room, his arousal throbbing. He had pleasured her for hours but he hadn't been able to bring himself to fuck her. All he had been able to see was a white face and red lips, surrounded by pale blonde hair.

The rest of the evening, he paced in his bedroom, smoking and thinking. When he finally lay down, he used his own hand, for the first time in 10 years, to spend himself. As he stroked his turgid flesh and arched his back against the mattress, he groaned, pretending that Rose was touching him as he licked her pale pink nipples. And after he came, his orgasm sucking the breath from him, he dreamt of rivers of silver blonde hair wrapping themselves about him in a silken embrace.

Chapter Six

Approaching the shores of Northern Iraq, 1793

Rose shivered as the shore grew closer. She wrapped her cloak about her tightly, straining to catch a glimpse of her new home. After days of raging against her fate, she had finally accepted the truth. She would never be able to escape the destiny which she had been handed.

Briefly, Rose considered jumping into the ocean, but, as always, she ended up rejecting the idea. Whatever else happened, Rose would never allow herself the luxury of giving in to cowardice. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, preparing herself as the boat scraped against the shallows.

They were here.

Lela took her back to her cabin. She brushed Rose's hair and smiled, hugging her. "You'll be fine. You'll see."

Rose smiled weakly, her heart sinking into her shoes. Nothing would ever be right again.

Northern Iraq, The City of the Glorious Kingdom

Kalim waited impatiently for the boat to dock. He knew that he wouldn't get to see her right away. She had to be taken to the harem, where she would be bathed and prepared for his pleasure. But he had to see her! And he only knew of one way to do it.

The Glorious Kingdom, Northern Iraq, Harem of the Sultan Kalim Banseim, 1793

Rose fought them as they undressed her. She didn't like them touching her body and when they held her down to scrape the hair from her privates, she fought them even more violently. But they were stronger than she was, at least in numbers, and at last she gave up, trembling with rage and fear.

Kalim gazed down at her from his hiding place and was suddenly glad that he had not given himself to Blossom. Dear god, Rose was even more beautiful than he had remembered. When they had dragged her into the bathing room, screaming and cursing, he had smiled, glad to see that she had not lost her spirit. But when they tore the clothes from her body, his breath caught in his throat. The white perfection of her figure held him enthralled. If he had only known of her treasures, he would never have walked away that day, no matter how enraged he had been. Instead, he would have grabbed her, binding her with her hair. He would have taken her, struggling, onto his boat and down into his cabin where he would have tied her to his bed, undressed her and kissed every inch of her body. He would have worshipped her, sucking her soft, pink nipples, caressing her silken stomach with his cheek, trailing his lips down into that dark and secret place where he would have stayed until she came at least a thousand times, until she was begging him to fuck her and then he would have, over and over again, until he had nothing left to give. Then he would have sailed away, taking her captive forever. He would have made her love him.

And now, he would have to live with her hate.

They unloosed her hair. As it tumbled about her body and veiled it from his eyes, he remembered his dream and smiled, his face hard with determination. Hatred would not sway him in his decision. Her hair would cover him this very night.

Turning, he nodded to the eunuch. "Prepare her. I will call for her when I am ready."

He went back to his rooms and called his man servant. A few moments later, Ma'har Jabad left the palace for the city.

Kalim wanted to be in complete control that night. He wanted to take Rose and make her his sexual slave. He wanted her to beg him to take her. Then he would walk away. His dilemma was that he couldn't allow his passion to get in the way of his plans. There was only one way to make that happen.

Ma'har Jabad reached Jades House of Pleasure 45 minutes later and made a selection consisting of 8 women. The details of what was going to happen in the King's room that day must never reach the harem. If Rose happened to overhear such rumors, it would show her a weakness that His Royal Highness was not prepared to reveal. Jades House of Pleasure could be relied upon to keep such secrets.

There was a knock at his bedroom door. "Enter".

"They are here, Oh, Great One" Ma'hara Jabad said quietly.

"Bring them." Kalim ordered, shedding his clothing as they entered the room, falling to their knees in obeisance

Grateful that he didn't have to waste the time that he would with a concubine, he leaned over the edge of the bed, grabbing the arm of the nearest woman.

"Tie my arms and my legs down. Don't let me up, even if I beg or threaten you, until you are completely sure that you have succeeded in the task that I am about to give to you."

He waited until the woman had completed her task and then he commanded all of them to rise and face him.

He looked at each one of them as he spoke. "I want you to drain me dry until I have nothing left to give. Make completely sure of that before you untie me. Do you understand what I am saying to you? No matter what I say or do, do not untie me until you are sure that you have succeeded. I do not much care HOW you succeed, just make sure that you do and you will be rewarded with your freedom and returned to your homelands unless you choose to stay here, in which case a suitable husband will be found for you."

The women looked at each other, smiles breaking out on their faces as they whispered excitedly among themselves. They argued back and forth, each fighting for the right to be the first one to pleasure the king until at last, the decision was made. A tall, muscular redhead stepped forward, bowing respectfully before she reached the foot of the bed.

She crawled up onto the mattress, took his stiffening cock into her talented mouth, and proceeded to earn her chance at freedom.

She sucked steadily as his manhood distended, throbbing and turgid with rising pleasure. When she began to massage his balls, his nipples hardened and he groaned as he came, violently.

"Again."

She made Kalim come 2 more times, and when she began to tire, another one took her place.

The new slave's mouth was soon sliding up and down his cock in a slow, leisurely motion. She was very inventive and he groaned softly as he felt the pleasure begin to swell inside of him again. Her mouth moved faster and faster as he closed his eyes and shivered, his heels digging into the mattress when he felt her index finger enter him and press against his prostate. "Oh, god...Oh, god...Oh, god..." he groaned, jerking his hips reflexively as he jetted into the wet cavern of her mouth. He sighed with pleasure, arching his back as she gently sucked him back down to earth again, using her dainty hands to softly knead his balls.

"Again…." He whispered unsteadily.

He concentrated on the slippery friction of his manhood as it slid in and out of her mouth. Even though there was a purpose to this self-inflicted orgy, he was determined to enjoy every moment of it. He moaned, realizing that she was using the ancient T'blacht technique, because his pleasure was rising very quickly, cresting in the head of his cock. But he had already come a number of times and the semen was unable to release itself, so his pleasure rose even higher still. His whole body became so sensitized that when she began to suck specifically on the head of his penis, rubbing her tongue on the tender skin underneath the crest, sobs of ecstasy welled up from his chest. He threw his head back, cursing and gasping and shivering with reaction. He grasped the sheets underneath his hands with trembling fingers, jerking his hips rhythmically, over and over again as her mouth followed him relentlessly and continued to suck him dry.

When he finally came, he screamed, his mouth wide, his eyes blind and unseeing.

When she tired, another joined the path the others had taken, seizing him with an eager mouth; bringing him back to life again.

The others whispered amongst themselves, trading techniques and ancient family secrets. And when it was their turn, they tried hard to outdo each other.

Kalim responded to each one of them. They would be rewarded greatly for the incredible pleasure they were giving him, he promised himself as he arched his back like a bow, over and over again, his hips pumping, his manhood distending, his balls tightening, his fingers cramping as they repeatedly gripped the sheets.

Then he told them that it was enough, but they just smiled at him, coming to him in a continuing stream. He was in their power and it was a heady feeling. They applied every talent they had to giving him more pleasure than he had ever dreamed of. They expressed their amazement at his virility, for it seemed that no matter how many times they took him, he kept responding. He started to beg them to stop, tears beading in the corners of his eyes. They bided their time with busy mouths and hands, ignoring his bellows for mercy and his ominous threats to have them executed. They just kept on with what they were doing and at times the pleasure was so overwhelming that his heels drummed against the mattress and he howled at the moon.

When he began to grow unresponsive, they made love to each other in front of him, lying on the bed beside him with legs spread wide so that he could see everything they were doing to each other, bringing him back to life with their groans of pleasure even as eager mouths tormented him, tongues lapping the head of his stiffening member. As they teased him, they continued to play with each other, mouths eagerly exploring as their rounded hips jerked up and down in languid, pleasured movements . Finally, one of them took mercy on him, her mouth engulfing his turgid penis and sucking it rhythmically while he watched a lovely red head bobbing between the legs of a whimpering blonde with closed eyes. At last he came again, shouting at the top of his lungs. He even blacked out for a moment.

When that no longer worked, they gave themselves to him instead, sliding up his chest to press themselves against his hungry mouth, jerking their hips against his face with enthusiasm as they came, one after the other, while they took turns sucking his throbbing erection. Then they fucked him, moaning eagerly at the pleasure he inadvertently gave them. And when one of them rode his mouth while another one rode his cock, he was very enthusiastic and extremely interested for quite a while.

When he had nothing left to give, they untied him lovingly, each women stooping to kiss him on his lips.

When they left him, naked, trembling and deeply unconscious, sprawled out on the sweat stained sheets, it was 5 o'clock at night. 6 hours had passed since they had begun.

On their way out, they informed the guards that his Royal Highness, the sultan, wished to be awakened at 9 o'clock.

And when he awoke, rested and refreshed, his passion was completely gone.

Chapter Seven

Rose fought them when they dragged her into the baths again, where they washed her, shampooed her and groomed her some more.

They carried her into a smaller room off of the baths. Two strong young eunuchs held her arms firmly and when she started to kick, two more were called to hold her legs as well.

So she screamed instead. She called them every name that she could think of and then she started to make some up. It was strangely satisfying to see their faces looking at her blankly as she cursed them and in spite of her anger, she started to laugh when she called one of the eunuchs a white, lily-livered coward and he just smiled, nodding his head at her pleasantly.

She grew tired, finally, and stood there, shivering weakly as they put a sweet smelling scent on her skin and smoothed it onto her flesh. They lingered over her, staining the tips of her nipples but when their hands ventured lower, she slapped them away. They had no need to embellish her full lips, which were already a soft, vibrant red. She refused to let them apply the kohl to her eyes and they gave up, motioning to the bath slaves behind her.

The slaves brought forth shimmering cloth and dressed her in it. When they were done, she sneered at them, baring her teeth. They smiled and laughed softly as they quietly led her to the mirror and when she saw herself in it, she gasped. The silvery blue material was transparent, the little jacket exposing the lower halves of her breasts and the dusky rose of her nipples. The pantaloons dipped low on her hips, leaving her stomach and abdomen bare. They billowed about her legs and then tightened again at the ankle. Her yoni showed plainly through the delicate cloth and Rose covered it abruptly.

"I won't wear this. It's indecent!"

The slaves could tell that she was angry but they didn't understand why until she tried to remove the jacket.

The eunuchs held her firmly again as the slaves fastened ropes of sapphires around her neck and waist. They held her head as her ears were pierced and sapphire earrings inserted. Then they let her go.

She attempted to take off the jacket again but it was too late.

They had come for her.

The tall, turbaned enuchs grabbed her arms, ignoring her puny efforts to escape. They lifted her by her arms and carried her, kicking and screaming, down a richly appointed passageway that ended at a doorway made of hammered gold. They lowered her to the floor, pushing her in front of them as they knocked. Rose panicked, trying to turn to run but they crowded against her, making escape impossible.

The doors were opened from the inside. The enuchs shoved her into the room and slammed the doors. Rose stumbled over the threshold and stopped abruptly, trying to see in the darkness. Although she couldn't make out many details, she couldn't miss the huge, canopied bed in the center of the room. Oh, no. No, no, no!

Rose turned back to the door and grabbed the doorknob but it wouldn't turn. "Dammitt!" she growled as she spun in slow circles, trying to find another exit in the darkness.

"There is no other way out, Rose." A deep, vibrant voice spoke quietly.

She turned at the sound of the voice, but she couldn't see anything.

On the other hand, Kalim had eyes like a cat.

He watched as her long silver hair caught the moonlight, twisting and tumbling in riotous curls down her slender back. He gazed at her eyes, hugely blue in a soft white face, as they tried to pierce the blackness. He smiled. Didn't she realize that she was standing directly in a patch of moonlight? He admired the way that the transparent little silk jacket fit her. His eyes slid down her legs, coming to an abrupt stop at the place where her thighs met. Although he experienced an aesthetic appreciation for her beauty, he felt not a shred of passion. He silently thanked Allah. Yes, he would definitely have to reward those who had come to his rescue this afternoon.

"Who the hell are you?" She demanded, anger coloring her voice.

"Come here and I will tell you." He whispered to her. In the blackness, it seemed though he was everywhere, but Rose knew better. He was in the bed and she wasn't going anywhere near it.

"Come." He whispered again, this time sternly, his voice filled with command.

"I am not a dog. Do not call me like one." She responded, not even attempting to hide her displeasure. Kalim smiled. Always spitting and hissing, even when she was afraid. He liked that about her.

"You don't have a choice, my dear. You will either come here to me or else I will call the guards to come and strip you and tie you to my bed."

"You can try , you bastard!" she growled, backing away from the sound of his voice.

"Come." He demanded again. "Come here to me."

"I don't think so." She muttered, trying to find the door in the darkness. She took a hesitant step, uncertain of which direction to go.

"I have the only key, Rose. Without me, you cannot escape this room."

She jumped as she felt the warmth of his breath against her neck. Before she could move away, he wrapped his arms around her and carried her, struggling, to the bed, where he dropped her unceremoniously.

Rose sat up immediately, her hands resting on the soft, velvet coverings. She heard him chuckle and she peered into the blackness, trying to see his face. She reached out a hand, startled when she touched him. He had been so close to her. She backed up on the bed until she was pressed up against the headboard.

"Touch me, Rose." He whispered, bringing her hand back to his face.

"Let go of me!" She ordered, trying to pull her hand out of his grasp.

"If you touch me, maybe I'll think about letting you go."

Rose snorted. "Why should I believe you? Men are liars and users and they only care about their own needs."

She tried to pull away again but he was just too strong, so she gave in to the urge to touch him. Boldly, she allowed her hand to wander, her fingers memorizing planes and angles, rubbing the wavy texture of his hair between her fingers. Then she gave it a hard yank and pushed him away.

"Your hair is too long." She lied in a flat voice. "And you're horribly ugly."

The warmth of his soft laughter wrapped itself around her and when he didn't retaliate, she relaxed, deciding that he was no threat to her. "Why is it so dark in here?"

"Because I wish it."

"Do you always get everything you want?" she asked rudely.

Sternly, he reprimanded her. "It is not your place to ask questions. You only have one task."

Rose blinked in the darkness. She had a task? Like hell, she did.

"Alright. Let's get this over with. What is it?"

"What is what, my Rose?"

"What is my task? And don't call me YOUR Rose. I'm not your anything."

He chuckled again, hugging her briefly. She pushed him away, annoyed by his rudeness. Who the hell did he think he was, touching her like that?

"Why, Rose, surely they trained you on the voyage far better than that."

"Bugger off." She retorted angrily, shocking herself with her crude words even as she crossed her arms over her chest defensively. His hand snaked out into the darkness, grabbing her about the waist and pulling her against his body. As she struggled to free herself, his hands wandered, sliding under the scrap of silk she was wearing to the warmth of her breasts. One hand slid downward beneath the other, equally flimsy piece of material as she fought him, crossing her legs against his inquisitive probing.

"Ahhh. So that is how it is to be. Very well, then." He ignored her efforts, sliding his legs between hers; using them to spread hers; pressing her limbs into the mattress. Quickly, he pounced, his fingers scissoring through the silken hair until they encountered wet warmth. He rubbed gently, slowly, relentlessly, ignoring her efforts to dislodge his hand as she pulled at his arm with desperate fingers. He slid his other hand from her breast and snaked his arm across her waist, trapping her beneath his iron grip, his weight holding her elbows immobile. She cursed at him, attempting to reach him with her hands but she couldn't bend her arms enough to reach him. She was trapped.

"Oh, and Rose? In answer to your earlier question, your task is quite simple."

He paused, watching her struggle to free herself, her fingers clenching uselessly against the silken sheets as he continued his ministrations. He listened to her reluctant moans with a slow smile as his fingers gently, relentlessly stroked her silken cleft.

"Your task is to please me, Rose."

Her head fell back in utter defeat as his fingers flickered across her flesh, rubbing in slow circles. She groaned as his thumb found the kernel of flesh at the juncture of her thighs and began to massage it.

"And right now, you do please me very much, Rose. But I think that I want to hear you say my name. The sound of it would be so sweet."

"No." She whispered, turning her head away from the sound of his voice.

"My name is Kalim. Say it." His mouth nuzzled her breast.

"N-n-no" she whimpered.

"Why not?" he asked coaxingly.

"Can't". She shuddered as his mouth found her nipple, sucking it hard. "Have to…fight you."

He lifted his head. "My name is Kalim. Say my name."

Rose turned her head away from him again, her body trembling.

"Say it." He demanded as he pressed her body against the mattress, pinching her clitoris and rubbing it slowly between his thumb and forefinger. "Say, I need you, Kalim. Make me come, Kalim."

Then he groaned with frustration, moving his hand away from her and rolling across the mattress to reach for something.

"Alright…" She moaned, "I'll say whatever you want me to if you'll let me go."

"I'm afraid that that just isn't good enough anymore. Something has happened that I hadn't anticipated." As a flame appeared and he lit the lamps on either side of the bed, revealing his face; her eyes widened.

"YOU!!!!"

Book Two: The Reckoning

Chapter Eight

She tried to sit up but his grip on her was far too strong. Her body bucked as she tried to escape. He came down on top of her, pressing her into the mattress.

"Let me go, you scum!"

His long black hair tickled her shoulders as he shook his head, smiling crookedly at her. "Regretfully, I find that I cannot. I still can't believe that it's happening, but right now I am quite determined not to let you leave this room until you have scratched my…. itch ." He rubbed against her teasingly and she felt something hard press into her stomach. "But, please," he added politely, "ladies first. And I must tell you, my dear, that I'm much more talented with my mouth than I am with my hands."

Her eyes widened as she realized what he meant.

"NO!"

Ignoring her, he slid down her body, the arm slung across her waist anchoring her to the bed. He kissed her woman's mound, his tongue insinuating itself between the slick folds of her femininity. Using the thumb and forefinger of his right hand, Kalim spread the plump petals of her labia, exposing the tender nubbin hidden beneath the succulent flesh. Rose froze, her neck arching as the tip of his tongue softly stroked its way to the top of her cleft and then made its way back down again; repeating its meandering trek over and over. Her mind shattered, and all she could do was lie with spread legs, moaning and arching herself against his mouth as he lapped her pink flesh with catlike finesse.

Kalim could not believe what was happening. He had been so sure that he was immune to her charms after the decadent orgy at which he had just been the main course, but evidently, it didn't matter where she was concerned. His cock was so hard that it felt like he hadn't fucked a woman in a thousand years. If he didn't get inside of her soon, he was going to die.

He sped up his ministrations, bringing all of his talent into play. He gently pinched the base of her clitoris between his fingers, watching as the tip of her nubbin slowly slid above the protective covering of the clitoral hood. It lay there, the most sensitive, nerve ridden part of the entire morsel, out in the open; soft, sleek and utterly defenseless. He touched it with the tip of his tongue. She shrieked, arching her hips at the intense spear of pleasure. Smiling with satisfaction, he licked her again, just to hear her make the sound and then, he enveloped the trembling nubbin within the wet cavern of his mouth. Stroking the engorged flesh with his tongue, Kalim gently sucked. Sliding a finger inside of her, he began a pumping motion as he listened to her sobs of pleasure ringing in his ears. Later, he would linger over her body, but for now, his only interest was getting his cock inside of her pussy and fucking it until he came. Hopefully, she would come with him but if not, he would at least make certain that she experienced the fullness of her pleasure before he went any further. Kalim sighed inwardly, realizing that his need for revenge had vanished. She was in his blood and she had spoiled him for other women. There was just no getting around that.

There was no need to let her know that, however.

As he felt the first ripples of her orgasm against his mouth he slid up her body quickly, rupturing her maidenhead with one powerful thrust. Rose whimpered, her pleasure cut short by the sharp pain of his abrupt entrance.

"Oh, my, god", Kalim breathed reverently as her vaginal walls rippled, massaging the head of his cock with gentle fingers. She was so tight and wet that he could barely breathe. He tried to wait ; tried to let her get used to having him inside of her; tried to make sure that she was with him, but he just couldn't stop himself from moving. Groaning, he began to thrust, faster and faster, the strength of his movements shoving her against the mattress. His eyes widened as he realized that he was going to have to slow down or else it was going to be finished before it had barely begun but his brain was too late for his body because by the next thrust it was already too late. Kalim threw back his head and roared, caught in the throes of the most intense orgasm he had ever experienced. His hips jerked against hers over and over again as he rode out the spasms of what seemed like an endless rush of pleasure. But finally it was over and he collapsed on top of Rose, falling into a boneless heap.

Crushed beneath his crumpled body, Rose stirred, feeling restless and unsettled. At first, his movements had been painful but then something had started to happen and the feel of him sliding inside of her made her want to move with him. Her skin had started to feel tingly and itchy all over and the throbbing between her legs had expanded until it filled her whole body. Then he had yelled and fallen on top of her. The scum. He was just like the rest of them; taking what he wanted without asking for it. Filled with an inexplicable surge of rage, she poked at him. "Get up, you bastard. You're crushing me."

Kalim stirred sleepily and complied, rolling off of her onto the mattress. He began to snore softly. Rose turned over on to her left side, inching her way slowly off of the bed. An arm snaked out and pulled her back to the middle of the mattress.

"And just where did you think you were going?" Kalim asked in a drowsy voice, idly playing with a strand of her hair. Rose looked up at him. He was relaxed and looked extremely content, like a big cat. 'Don't even think it!' she scolded herself. 'The man's not a cat…he's a lion and he has a deadly bite. If I let myself care about him, even just a little, he'll make me his slave. I'll be just like my mother.' In that moment, Rose hardened her heart against him.

Kalim was feeling extremely good so he was surprised when Rose shoved against his chest, trying to free herself.

"You bastard" she hissed at him. "Let me up, damn you!"

Kalim looked down at her, his eyes unblinking. "What seems to be the problem?" he asked her in a mild voice.

"You had your way with me so now you can just let me go, damn you!"

"Oh, ho! So I can, can I? Well…" Kalim purred, running an index finger down her pert little nose. "What if I wasn't DONE with you yet?"

Rose shrieked, trying to throw him off. Kalim started to laugh. She looked so adorable…just like a spitting kitten. He grinned at her. "The truth is, I plan to keep you here with me all night, so unless you want me to call those guards in here to assist me, I suggest that you stop fighting."

Rose bit his finger. Kalim howled, releasing his hold on her to suck the injured digit. She sat up, trying to free herself again but Kalim rolled over quickly, trapping her body beneath his.

Rose shoved, slapping, punching and biting wherever she could reach but she couldn't budge him. He captured one flailing hand and then the other, pressing them both to the mattress. Then he rubbed his pelvis against hers, blatantly; his mouth lifting at one corner in an amused smile as his eyes sent her a message that she couldn't fail to comprehend. She wasn't going anywhere.

Rose couldn't let him do what he wanted. Not again. So she struck out at him in the only way that she could.

"Tell me, oh great lord and master, exactly what does my job entail?"

Kalim could not disguise the satisfaction oozing from his words. Pressing the length of his manhood against her cleft, he continued his languid movements, rubbing himself against her. He could feel the gathering moisture which told him that Rose was not as indifferent as she seemed. "You already know the answer to that question, little Rose."

Her voice was shaky. "Do I? Pray then, lest I forget my duties for some odd reason, remind me of them, my lord; in minute detail."

He sighed with irritation, momentarily ceasing his motion. "Quite simply put, it is your duty to please me in all things at all times. What is so wrong with that? It is an easy enough task, isn't it?"

"Everything is wrong with that, my lord!" she sneered, looking up into his face with angry eyes. "Even the lowliest slaves have but one primary task. Some garden; some clean; some sweep the filth from the stables. Those lowly little slaves get up, do that to which they have been born and when the day is done, those same slaves sup, wash and go to sleep. But I have to spread my legs for you whenever you ask it. Where is the fairness in that?"

Kalim frowned and decided to ignore her. Reaching between them, he thrust his hand deep, searching out the hollow between her legs. Despite her struggles, he began to stroke her. Rose tried to close her legs, but he wouldn't let her. Her body betrayed her as his fingers explored, her excitement coating his shaft with moisture. He thrust forward, impaling her.

Rose shuddered, trying to ignore the chills racking her body as he pressed closer. "If you will not speak, then I can only assume that you realize the unfairness of the task you have set before me. Either that or you are in shock, having thought me to be both docile and stupid. Men are all the same, rutting creatures at best, thinking of only one thing: their own pleasures."

Rose saw his eyes blaze with anger but she ignored the racing fear and even as he continued to thrust, her desperation and mounting excitement made her continue.

"They know nothing of what a woman wants or needs. They don't even realize that most of us can think for ourselves. Men are the same the world over. Even you, a great king, with all your knowledge and proud heritage, choose not to consider the women in your harem as anything but property. To you, they are without minds or hearts; simply bodies to use in any way that you see fit. Like most of your kind, you seem to have no interest in the mind and heart of a woman; your only concern is what her body can do for you. I find myself unsurprised by that sad fact, though I know not why I should be. " Rose shuddered, trying to think of her mother to keep her mind off of what was happening to her body.

Kalim began to realize what kind of game she was playing. He decided that he would rather fuck her than listen to her, since her screams of pleasure were much more interesting than her cries for feminine equality. He swooped, taking her mouth with his to stop her flow of words. He watched her as he kissed her, smiling to himself as her eyes continued to spit unspoken insults at him despite the fact that their tongues were entwined. His pelvis hovered against hers as he rotated his hips, keeping his thrusts quick and shallow as he rubbed the tip of his burgeoning erection against a spot inside of her directly above her pelvic bone. He watched her closely, gauging his movements based on what her eyes told him and despite herself, Rose moaned out loud against his mouth. Intense pleasure streaked through her body, making her lose her train of thought.

Kalim lifted his mouth from hers, arching his back and increasing his pace. Rose cried out, her hips jerking against his as he pushed his cock deeper, still rubbing it against that secret spot. He reached down and grasped her knees, shoving them against her chest. "You are mine." He growled as he slammed his pelvis against hers again and again. "You are mine and you always will be."

"Never!" Rose cried, even as her head fell back and she arched her hips against his, sobbing openly.

"You belong to me!" Kalim said crudely. Sliding his hand beneath his thrusting manhood to burrow his fingers into the silken delta between her spread thighs, he proved his point. She moaned loudly, wrapping her legs around his waist as his manhood battered against her womb. Her pleasure mounted and Rose threw her head back, gasping at the answering tempo of his hand.

"No!" she replied angrily, even as she groaned aloud at the gliding stroke of his fingers.

Kalim gritted his teeth as he thrust, determined to win the battle. "I can fuck you anytime I want and you will always beg for more."

"That may be true, " Rose gasped, her hips jerking against his as the tempo of his hand increased, "But I will never give you my heart!"

"I never said that I wanted it." He lied.

They cried out together, their bodies pressed against each other despite their allegations. Kalim recovered first, still angry, his eyes sparking as he countered her earlier remark by answering the comment that had started the sexual battle. " Be warned. I will not stay my hand forever. You will bow down to me and please me in all things or you shall suffer the consequences. I cannot think why I put up with your disrespect, little Rose," he continued crudely, "I am sure that I will grow quite tired of your charms in time. Beyond the juicy sweet taste of your pussy and the hot, tight feel of it surrounding my cock, you mean nothing to me."

"You are a crude, unfeeling bastard." She hissed.

His eyes were flat as he slid his hand down Rose's struggling body "Perhaps I am a crude, unfeeling bastard; but if I am, I am also the bastard that just made you come over and over again." Crudely, he leaned his body into hers, pressing her against the mattress, rubbing his thumb and forefinger against her cleft. She sobbed brokenly, her hips rising and falling against his fingers until she cried out, the dampness of her orgasm coating his hand.

Only then did Kalim let her escape his embrace. He watched her as she jumped from the bed, stumbling into the doorframe. She grabbed the handles and turned, then pulled them. When they would not open, she screamed with frustration, pounding her fists against the door over and over again; shouting until she was hoarse.

He leaned back against the headboard, his body replete; his eyes filled with admiration. What a fire she possessed. He thought about grabbing her shoulders; pressing her against the door and fucking her again so that the one thing she had considered to be her avenue of escape became her trap instead; but he changed his mind at the last moment.

He knew that he should punish her, but he wasn't sure that it was the best solution to the problem. Rose was the sort of woman who held a grudge for all eternity and he didn't want to have to wait that long to win her. He shook his head. With any other woman, he never would have had to go this far to get what he wanted. Any of the other women in his harem would have dropped to their knees and begged for the pleasure of sucking his cock, much less the honor of winning his hand in marriage. Kalim grimaced, his lips twitching with reluctant humor. Why try to muddy the waters? That was why he had wanted Rose in the first place, wasn't it?

Getting up from the bed, he padded over to the door.

When Rose felt his chest against her back, she stiffened. "No."

"Rest easy, little one." He whispered, opening her hand to place something in it; something cold and thin.

The key!

She trembled as he closed her hand around it, the warmth of his skin seeping into the icy coldness of her fingers. She struggled briefly until she realized his purpose. She was shaking too hard to put the key in the lock. He was trying to help her achieve her goal.

He leaned against her, the hardness of his thighs pressing against her buttocks. She started, attempting to pull away from him; "Be still or I will drag you back to that bed and fuck you again." he muttered harshly, his lips pressed against her ear, his breath tickling her neck. "And do not think that you have escaped me so effortlessly. I have a taste for you now and I will not be that easily appeased. Expect my summons tomorrow; and know that I will not be willing to wait until the evening to call for you. Nor will I allow you to leave before morning as I did tonight. So save your strength. You're going to need every bit of it."

There was a click and the doors swung open. She stumbled slightly at the sudden burst of light, turning to look back over her shoulder with frightened eyes. But he had melted into the darkness like a dream fading away in the sunlight.

Rose allowed the men to lead her back to the harem without a fight. But she couldn't stop thinking about him. Why had he let her go? As big and strong as he was, it would have been so easy for him to force her to his will again. She shivered with reaction as the doors of the harem opened to admit her. No protest issued from her lips as the enuchs undressed her. When their soft, brown hands bathed her naked skin with a bowl of rose water, even when they drifted down to her loins to cleanse her there, she remained silent and still. The moonlight flickered against the fullness of her breasts and the roundness of her hips, turning them to milky alabaster as the enuchs dried her damp skin with swathes of soft silk. They dressed her in transparent robes of lavender and led her to a small alcove off of the main gardens where a room had been prepared for her upon her arrival. Exhausted, Rose snuggled up in the large pile of fragrant satin pillows scattered across the mattress and drifted off to sleep, dreaming about a dark man whose slightest touch could cause her skin to burst into flames.

Chapter Nine

"What do you mean, you let her go?" Tiki shouted with amazement. "Are you crazy? She's your wife, isn't she? Why aren't you in bed with her right now, making an heir for our illustrious father?"

"Shut up, Tiki." Kalim muttered, looking bored. "She's not my wife yet."

"SO? What does that have to do with anything?" Tiki shook his head. He had never seen his brother acting so strangely. Thank the gods that he didn't have to answer to Kalim; at least, not very often. Especially now that he was acting so crazy. Who in their right mind would send a women away? Kalim should have fucked her all night long. Tiki certainly would have. That's what women were made for. Everyone knew that. The whole situation was crazy. What was the real story behind all of it?

Suddenly, Tiki grinned. "Alright, Kalim; what's really going on here? I know that you're hiding something from me. You've never reacted to a woman this way before, especially one who is a complete stranger."

"She's not a stranger."

"What do you mean, she's not a...." Tiki frowned, pondering the strange turn of events. He plopped down on the cushions and stared into space. Then, a chuckle whispered its way past his lips as he slowly raised his head again, his eyes sparkling with delight.

"Wait a minute. Perhaps I know the answer without even having to ask the question. There is only one woman I know of who ever had the power to affect you this way. You were furious at her refusal of your suit and so taken with her beauty that you spent a fortnight in our rooms at school getting stinking drunk, fucking every woman in sight and cursing anyone who had the misfortune to cross your path. It was the first time that I have ever seen you show real emotion where a woman is concerned."

Kalim shifted uncomfortably. "So what? That was a long time ago."

Tiki couldn't believe it! Rose was a gorgeous, desirable woman and if Kalim hadn't been so angered, Tiki would have stayed at that long ago party and stolen Rose away for himself. If it hadn't been for Kalim's unfortunate interest, he would have taken her back to his harem and made his first wife. He would have screwed her brains out every single night and made her scream with pleasure for hours on end. He couldn't believe that Kalim had been stupid enough to leave her bed so soon. Something was going on that Kalim wasn't telling him. "Obviously not long enough since you went to the trouble of bringing her here, brother. No, wait…." Tiki reconsidered, cocking his head as he thought. "You didn't BRING her here….you stole her, didn't you? And that's why you left her bed so soon. She's giving you the cold shoulder, isn't she?" He crowed, eyes dancing with delight.

Kalim grunted unconvincingly, his eyes widening with reluctant admiration.

Tiki shook his head at his brother. "Do I look that stupid? Of course I figured it out. It was obvious. I can't ever remember you reacting to another woman that way. Not that I blame you; she is an amazingly beautiful woman." He paused, a finger to his lips as he pursed them, eyeing his brother consideringly. " So, am I to assume that revenge is your motive?"

Kalim frowned, ignoring his obvious attempt to get some sort of information.

" What are you planning? Torture? It appears to me as though you've miscalculated greatly." He looked down at Kalim's obvious erection. A huge grin slowly spread across his face. "I think that your plans just might have backfired, brother. Or did you miss her altogether and hit yourself instead?"

Kalim sneered at him. " I don't see YOU volunteering to race me to the throne, little brother."

"Come, now, brother." Tiki protested laughingly. "You and I both know that's an impossibility."

"The hell it's not!"

Tiki fell back onto the cushions and closed his eyes, rubbing the space between them with the pads of his thumbs. "Are we back to THAT subject again?" He sighed resignedly before continuing. "Kalim, the law of primogeniture is very clear. You came before me, therefore, you are king. There's no way around that."

"And again I must beg to differ with you, little brother. If you had been willing, I would have gladly stepped down and given the throne to you."

"Something which our people would never have accepted and you know it."

"Fuck the people."

Tiki stared at his brother for a moment, a grin slowly washing over his face. "Hmmmmmm……" He eyed his brother consideringly. "Do I detect a bit of sexual frustration in your voice?"

Kalim's glare grew hotter and he sneered at his brother, baring his teeth in a snarl of rage. "Fuck YOU, too, Tiki." Rising to his feet, Kalim stormed across the room and flung open the door. Turning to face his brother, he looked at him with disdain, "And since you have decided that I should be King whether I want the blasted honor or not, try showing me a little more respect or I might be tempted to do away with the royal competition." He stepped through the door- way, his wide shoulders brushing the frame as he slammed the door behind him.

Tiki fell back onto the cushions, a grin of delight on his face. He stretched out more comfortably, crossing his legs at the ankles. Putting his hands behind his head, he remarked, "Oh, Kalim, you've really got it bad. You went and fell in love with the girl. I just hope that she feels the same way that you do, or I predict that there's going to be a hell of a lot of screaming going on around here." He chuckled. "Perhaps I should help move things along. Kalim obviously needs me, whether he's willing to admit it or not."

He contemplated the situation. Then he laughed out loud. "Rose, you have just acquired a new best friend. I'm going to help you fall in love with my brother whether you want to or not. And you probably don't," he grinned, chuckling at his own observations, "not if my memory serves me correctly. But first," he continued, the grin widening, "we're going to drive him crazy for a little while." Tiki clapped his hands together with excitement. "Oh, what fun this is going to be, Kalim. You really were beginning to turn into a bit of an ass."

************************************************

Kalim paced, wondering what Rose was doing. Had she slept well? Was she thinking of him? Did she hate him? Or was there something there inside of her that she couldn't explain? Something soft and warm; something birthed at the touch of her skin to his?

He wondered how she felt about him. He hoped to God that she didn't hate him too much because he had no intention of giving her up now. Not after last night. He couldn't go back to the way that things had been. They had gone too far and he didn't care if she hated him or not; she was going to belong to him.

Yes, he did care, he corrected himself. He cared too much. Dammit. How in the hell had THAT happened? He shook his head and sat down, burying his face in his hands. Dear god. He was in love with her. Now what in the hell was he going to do?

Rage filled him, building inside of him until his fisted hand struck out, smashing the fragile porcelain on the table beside him. He felt the coldness swelling inside of him intensify as he watched the blood drip from his lacerated palm onto the scarred wooden surface. He smiled grimly. Rose was going to learn her place.

Tonight.

Tiki peeked into the room. It was empty. "Damn and double damn". Filled with disappointment, he turned and began to walk away. Suddenly, he stopped, backing against the wall until he was hidden in the shadow of the archway. It WAS her!

He couldn't believe it. Kalim really HAD kidnapped the girl. A grin spread over his face as he contemplated the possibilities. He couldn't resist. Like it or not, the wench had just acquired a new best friend. His head began to spin with possibilities.

Pushing away from the wall, Tiki strolled into the open area, a wide smile on his face. He snickered as he approached, amused at the girl's useless struggles to free herself. As a troublesome youth, he too had once been under the jurisdiction of the harem and the tight clasp of Amadenuse's hands. He knew for a fact that there was no escaping them. Amadenuse did not loosen his grip easily. Tiki stepped quickly into their path, his eyes sparkling.

"Hello, my fine friend" he greeted the enuch. Amadenuse looked back at him, unsmiling. "What? No hello for an old friend?" Tiki said, a tinge of false surprise and anger in his voice. This was all part of the play. Enuchs liked their rewards, and nothing pleased them more than capitulation, whether real or feigned. Money changed hands with fierce regularity, and enuchs soon became wealthy in their own right, although, other than hoarding their riches and buying sweets, there was little else that they could use their riches for.

Amadenuse fell into the role with long remembered ease. "My young master, in all my years of knowing you, never have you been my friend, old OR new."

Tiki gasped loudly, his eyes sparkling with glee.

"How can you SAY that, Ama?" he teased, using the childhood nickname that he had given to the enuch at the age of 6. "Why, you are the best friend that I have ever had!"

Amadenuse grinned knowingly. "And how might you show me this loyalty, my young lord? For my bones are old and my heart is weary."

Tiki chuckled out loud. "I will show you my love and fidelity by gifting you with this purse." He threw the bag of coins at Amadenuse's head and the old enuch caught it with surprisingly limber fingers.

"And what can I give to you in return?"

Tiki's grin grew wider. "The girl. You can give me the girl."