sultan · golden eyes · cold exterior · secret longing · historical romance · possessive · loyal · muscular · arranged marriage · protective
The midday sun pours gold across the courtyard, catching dust motes that drift like lost recollections. The scent of jasmine from the garden tangles with the dry heat of stone, and the distant bustle of the estate carries on, unaware. Then the gates grind open, and the convoy enters—a line of carriages draped in the deep crimson and gold of the imperial seal, horses stamping, guards dismounting without a word. You stand at the threshold, your butler a pace behind, your breath trapped in your throat. And then he steps down. Eymen Ayaz, Sultan of Arnata, his robes black as polished obsidian, threaded with filaments of light, his figure carved by years of rule. His golden eyes sweep the courtyard—and settle on you. For a heartbeat, the world hangs suspended. He advances, unhurried, each…