5
When he woke in the morning, the bed was empty, and to judge by the sunlight, the hour was unusually late for him.
Normally he'd be scrambling to get moving, wondering why one of the servants hadn't woken him and hoping fervently his parents didn't find out.
Instead, he burrowed into the blankets for just a few more minutes, enjoying the warmth and softness, the lack of anxiety about his long, arduous and unforgiving day.
He didn't want to start his new life by lying about overlong though, so after his few minutes he pushed away the blankets and climbed out of bed, tying up the gauzy curtains from sheer habit.
It was only as he approached the table that he realized both food and a servant were waiting for him.
"My apologies, I hope I've not kept you waiting overlong."
"Not at all, Lord Nadir.
His Majesty said to leave you to sleep for as long as you needed.
I've been working on your clothes, and thought I could trim your hair as well."
"I'd be grateful," Nadir said with a laugh.
"I like the length, but there was no time for finesse when I cut it."
Smiling, the man resumed his sewing, quiet, easy company as Nadir quickly ate.
When he was done, he sat to have his hair cut.
It didn't take long, given how much of it he'd shorn with the mercenary's dagger.
When the deed was done, Nadir looked in the mirror and barely kept from leaping up and dancing around the room in excitement. "I love it. I really do. I know long hair is favored, but I love this a thousand times more than all that length. Thank you so much."
"I'm pleased to serve," the man said.
Nadir washed quickly to clean up the mess left behind by the trim, and then accepted the clothes the servant held out.
His heart pounded in his chest, leapt into his throat, as he took them.
Fitted black pants and over them a skirt that was slit all the way to the hips on both sides.
The mark of the royal concubines. "How do I look?"
"Beautiful, of course, Lord Nadir," the servant said with a smile.
"You do need jewelry, though, so everyone knows you're already being thoroughly spoiled by an adoring king." He winked and then knelt, retrieving a stack of jewelry cases that had been hidden by the table until then.
"His Majesty had these brought from his private vault and requested you wear whatever pleased you."
The servant spread the cases out on the table and opened them one by one, presenting a truly impressive collection of jewelry.
It was such a dizzying array that Nadir didn't know quite what to pick.
In the end, and with a great deal of help from the servant, whose name proved to be Tariq, Nadir settled on a wide choker of gold and rubies, with arm bands and bracelets to match, and long earrings that caught the light and sent shards of light dancing around the room.
It had been a hard choice between rubies and sapphires, but for now… for now he wanted the flashier rubies.
His eyes lingered on the rings meant for pierced nipples and belly button.
He'd never considered such things before, but… maybe he would do that soon.
Not right now though, when he was adjusting to his new position and… well, he was rather hoping that when the day came to an end, there was nothing to keep Shafiq from having whatever of Nadir he wanted.
"Thank you, Tariq.
I don't suppose my king left me any orders?"
Tariq laughed as he closed up the jewelry cases and returned them to the floor.
"Yes, Lord Nadir.
He said if you woke around this time of day, you were to find him in the public rose garden hosting a small party for a visiting guest."
Oh, gods.
He was being thrown right into it.
"Thank you again.
I really appreciate all your help."
"Always an honor to serve, my lord." Tariq bowed and departed, taking the jewelry and a bag of sewing with him.
Nadir took a few more deep breaths, then settled into the cool calm that had been trained rigorously into him.
He was a royal concubine.
Everything he did reflected on Shafiq.
Was he ready? Probably not.
But he was certainly not going to hide away.
Setting his shoulders, Nadir headed out, greeting the guards at the door.
As he walked, one of the guards along the wall stepped forward and fell into place just a couple of paces behind him. He really should have anticipated Shafiq would assign a bodyguard. He couldn't deny that after the past few days the presence of a bodyguard made him feel a whole lot better.
Given it was late morning, leaning into early afternoon, the palace was bursting with activity.
Which meant there were people aplenty to stop mid-step and stare, whisper poorly to their companions, sending the newly discovered news of a royal concubine racing through the palace faster than even the finest horse in the world could go.
By the time he reached the public rose garden, he was heartily sick of the not-so-furtive attention.
He'd have to get used to it, though.
He still hesitated at the threshold, taking in the crowd he was about to face, and the way Shafiq was of course clear across on the opposite end so that Nadir would have to walk the entire length of the garden.
"Pardon, Lord Nadir."
He turned and saw a servant bearing a tray of wine. "Yes?"
"I was about to take this to His Majesty…"
Nadir smiled.
"I can do that, certainly."
The servant laughed.
"Thank you .
It would have taken me ages to thread through that crowd, especially with how drunk many of them already are." He winked, pressed a finger to his lips about his speaking so boldly out of turn, and then turned neatly on his heel and strode off.
Still smiling, feeling more accepted and at home than he ever had in his own family, Nadir stepped out into the rose garden.
There was a lull around him that quickly spread as others took notice of the hush, and in its wake came a rush of whispers and exclamations.
Nadir ignored them all, his attention solely for Shafiq, who was locked in conversation with a man whose skin was so pale he looked more ghost than living person.
As he registered the shift in the garden, though, Shafiq looked up—and broke into the most beautiful smile Nadir had ever seen.
He didn't grin back, but only because he wanted to maintain a proper demeanor.
He would definitely be showing how much he liked it later.
What a thrill he could enjoy such thoughts without the wave of sadness that had inevitably followed before.
Reaching Shafiq, who still sat at his table, his pale guest trying and failing not to gawk on the opposite side, Nadir smoothly knelt and placed the tray on the table.
"I've brought your requested wine, my king."
"Thank you, Nadir," Shafiq said, brushing his fingers along Nadir's cheek, lingering slightly.
"Pour, would you?"
"Of course." Nadir took his place to Shafiq's right and poured the delicate pink-orange wine into one of the dishes provided.
Then he offered the dish to Shafiq and, after he'd taken a swallow, drank the second sip himself before pouring more.
Shafiq carried on with his conversation as though never interrupted, and after a moment of stumbling, the guest managed to get back into it as well.
Around them, the party slowly returned to its normal chatter and activity, but Nadir could feel eyes on him the whole time.
Thankfully, the party concluded a couple of hours later, and Shafiq was able to leave with minimal delay from those seeking his attention.
As they walked through the halls, Shafiq reached out and twined their hands together.
"You always look beautiful, but I admit I am particularly fond of this look."
Nadir laughed.
"That makes happy hearing, my king."
Shafiq's eyes burned, but he said nothing until they reached his chambers, where he ordered everyone, even his attendants, out.
Then he pulled Nadir close and kissed him until his lips throbbed.
"I like the way you say that."
"Say what?" Nadir asked.
"I haven't said anything." What had he said last? "Oh, of course." He licked Shafiq's lips and added, "My king."
Shafiq groaned and resumed the kissing, pausing only to drag Nadir to the bed and push him down upon it.
"I had intended to talk to you about your parents and—"
"I don't care right now," Nadir said.
"These past weeks have been one misery on top of another.
I would like something pleasant to happen."
Shafiq chuckled against his mouth, breath warm and smelling of sweet rose-flavored wine.
"Pleasant? I like to think I can do better than that."
Nadir responded with a kiss, threading his fingers into Shafiq's thick, soft hair.
Shafiq responded in full, hands between them touching and teasing, occasionally remembering to work on their clothes.
As Nadir's were far easier to be rid of, those went first, and he nearly died on the spot as Shafiq shifted down his body with clear intent.
"My king—"
"If your aim is to encourage me, that's the perfect way to do it," Shafiq said, kissing his way down Nadir's chest, teeth scraping, making him gasp and twitch, muscles pulling tight.
He dragged his tongue across Nadir's stomach and then bit down.
"I have wanted to have you beneath me like this for a long time."
"Have all you like," Nadir said breathlessly.
That got him another hard kiss, leaving him panting, his lips sore, and then Shafiq resumed his slow, delightfully agonizing trip downward, until he could sink his teeth into one thigh, causing Nadir to jerk and gasp.
Before he could remember how to speak, Shafiq's tongue was teasing along the length of his cock, licking at the tip, then doing it all over again, the best and worst sort of torment.
By the time Shafiq finally took him deep, sucking hard, tongue still working, Nadir was trembling, moaning and writhing on the sheets, already tangled and damp with sweat.
A thousand illicit imaginings did not compare to the reality.
He came with a cry of Shafiq's name, ragged and broken but unmistakable all the same, and lay there panting heavily as Shafiq slowly pulled off his cock.
Nadir might have whimpered then, at the sight of the usually perfectly neat and tidy Shafiq all mussed and sweaty, hair tangled, lips swollen and wet.
He beckoned with one heavy arm, and dragged Shafiq into a messy kiss, his free hand working through all of Shafiq's layers to get a hand around his cock, jerking him hard, in time with the movements of their tangled tongues.
He could imagine nothing finer in life than the way it felt as Shafiq came in his arms, saying Nadir's name against his lips.
Well, he could imagine finer, like Shafiq buried deep inside him at the time, but it was Shafiq in his arms that mattered most in the end.
When they could muster the energy and wherewithal to move, they discarded the clothes once and for all, cleaned up a bit, and settled into the clean blanket Shafiq drew from a chest at the foot of the bed.
Nadir sprawled over him, much like he had during their brief moment in the garden.
Only days ago, but it felt like forever and just yesterday.
Time was a funny thing.
"Are you going to get in trouble for sneaking away to indulge your concubine?"
"You think I'm indulging you?" Shafiq laughed.
"I'm pretty certain it's the other way around."
"Well, it is my duty to serve my king howsoever he pleases."
"You being here pleases me most," Shafiq said.
"I hate the circumstances that finally brought you here, but I'm happy to have you at last." He sighed.
"Though I do have some details for you, on the matter of your parents and the kidnapping…"
Nadir sat up, the bedclothes pooling around him, one hand still resting on Shafiq's chest.
It was only then he noticed he'd lost one of his earrings, lying amongst the sheets near Shafiq's arm.
He picked it up, removed the other one, and set them aside, then returned his hand to Shafiq's chest, liking the way Shafiq immediately covered it with one of his own.
"So tell me."
"The people responsible for your kidnapping were your parents' main connection in the city.
More specifically, the harbor.
Without your parents, their… supply chain… was severely disrupted.
Even more important than that, though, at least to them, was how much knowledge your parents had. Their aim was to either get your parents out of there so they couldn't talk or kill them for the same. They'd hoped taking you would force me to release them or kill them."
No doubt Nadir would have been killed one way or another, once his purpose had been served.
"I see," he said softly.
"What is to become of my parents? Actually, you know what, never mind.
I don't want to know. They made their choices, they'll have to suffer for them, the same as they handed out judgements all these years. It's over for me. My place is here now."
"Yes, it is," Shafiq said, and pulled him down so they could lie there together until the world once more demanded their attention.