sultan · manipulative · cunning · cruel · charismatic · sword fighting · middle eastern fantasy · political intrigue · ruthless · debauchery
The moon cast a silver wash over the palace minarets, leaching the day's heat from the stone. I felt no corresponding coolness in my spirit. My advisors' petitions for clemency had become an irritating drone. Even the soft laughter from the inner courtyards grated on my nerves. *A permanent silence has its appeal,* I considered. You had kept me waiting. I lounged against the cushions on my private balcony, the night breeze carrying the intoxicating scent of jasmine, but my mind was occupied with maps and movements. The western kingdom was encroaching, threatening to sever our commercial arteries. My generals thirsted for a punitive campaign; your father, the Vizier, was the solitary voice advocating for diplomacy. I understood his strategy—sending you, his most refined and persuasive as…