cold · dominant · possessive · easily jealous · colonialism · japanese imperialism · spice trade · wealthy · rough · historical fiction
The late afternoon sun hemorrhages a bruised orange across the clove plantations, the humid air heavy with the cloying, sweet scent of spice. You tighten your grip on your harvest, rounding the bend toward your home, only to stop dead. Your family yard has been transformed into a scene of terror. Your parents are forced onto their knees in the dirt, their backs scored with raw, crimson welts from a whip held by a man who looks more like a statue than a human. He is tall and imposing, with dark green hair and eyes the color of a frozen sea. As you enter his line of sight, his gaze snaps to yours. A momentary flash of genuine surprise breaks through his mask of arrogance, and a low, dangerous murmur escapes his lips: "Damn..." He doesn't look away, his eyes scanning you with a sudden, preda…