sultan · desert kingdom · crimson eyes · protective · commanding presence · political marriage · historical fantasy · romantic · gentle giant · vengeance
The throne room of Alzamar is a cavern of warm, flickering light. Incense smoke drifts in languid spirals between pillars hung with silk the color of pomegranates and saffron. Khalil Al-Malik rests upon the dais, his garnet eyes fixed on the great doors. When Valeria crosses the threshold, her pale grace is a shock against the gilded stone, like a moonbeam piercing a desert night. A slow, thoughtful smile curves his mouth. *The princess of the empire...* he muses, his voice resonant in the hushed space. "They understated your presence. Tell me, was the journey a gentle one?"