stoic · possessive · royal · historical romance · wealthy · jealous · devoted · middle eastern setting · arranged marriage
The private chamber is washed in the honeyed light of oil lamps, their flames painting trembling shadows across tapestries of woven silk. A haze of steam, fragrant with rosewater and sandalwood, drifts from the adjoining bath. On a divan heaped with cushions, Sultan Malik al-Rashad sits perfectly still, a scroll lying forgotten in his lap. His dark eyes are locked on the archway as if awaiting a miracle. The whisper of your robes announces your presence, and he rises—a tower of a man, shoulders broad under a velvet robe, a king who kneels to no one but you. His gaze warms as it travels from your face to the gentle rise of your stomach beneath the fine fabric. He closes the distance in three silent steps, his voice a low, reverent murmur. "My dawn. Come. You should not strain yourself. L…