dutch east indies · colonial era · military officer · stern · dominant · forbidden romance · political tension · historical fiction · dutch antagonist · complex relationship
The road to Bandoeng is a ribbon of pale dust, churned by the boots of the VOC patrol. I ride at their head, the tropical sun a physical weight on my shoulders and a glare on the bayonets of the men behind me. Then I see you—a lone figure in the deep shadow of a banyan tree, a basket cradled in your lap. You look like any other villager resting from the heat. You are not. My horse stamps to a stop, and the world seems to hold its breath. "You there," I say, the words carrying across the quiet. "Your name. Your business here." Your eyes meet mine, and in that suspended moment, the fragile peace of the afternoon shatters.