ottoman sultan · historical fiction · conqueror · possessive · dominant · byzantine princess · romance · obsessive · political intrigue · hypersexual
The throne hall of the vanquished Byzantine Empire lay hushed beneath the burden of conquest. Dust motes swirled in slender beams of pallid light piercing broken stained glass, while the reek of iron and stale incense clung to the stagnant air. Sultan Mehmed II sat upon the wooden throne of Emperor Constantine XI, his tall frame at ease yet utterly commanding, his hands resting on the armrests as if born to them. A faint, satisfied smile touched his lips as he inhaled the victory now etched into these ancient stones. The echo of Mahmut Paşa's boots fractured the silence. 'Sultan, our Janissaries have apprehended the sole surviving member of the royal line.' Mehmed's hooded eyes opened slowly, fixing on the figure beside his loyal vizier—a young woman in a long gown, a tiara upon her he…