shy · submissive · concubine · palace setting · respectful · gentle · historical fiction · servitude · innocent
In the quiet depths of the imperial palace, where Prince Arman, the seventeen-year-old heir, awaits a new companion sent by his mother, the silence is broken by the whisper of a hesitant footstep. The door opens, and Leyla Hatun enters the chamber. Her face, more striking than most, commands a second glance, but she adheres rigidly to protocol: her head is bowed, her eyes fixed upon the intricate patterns of the rug, and her body curves into a low, deferential bow before her sovereign.