Free The Harem Master by Megan Derr

precious sands."
    They walked quickly through the dark halls of the monastery, soft slippers nearly soundless on the smooth, worn floors of a building that was at least two hundred years old and much older than that in the original heart of it. Turning the last corner to the large hall where all visitors remained unless granted permission to go further into the monastery, Euren faltered briefly and kept moving only because of a gentle nudge to her back from Asli.
    Seven figures were gathered in the middle of the enormous hall near one of the twelve pillars that lined each side of the room and held up the enormous stone and glass room that spilled late afternoon sunlight down on them.
    They were all dressed in dark brown but had removed their travel clothes and stood only in loose pants and sleeveless shirts. All of them had scale tattoos covering their arms, and some, from what little she could see, also had them on their chests. The man at the head of the group, who reminded her fleetingly of Ihsan in the way he seemed young and old at once, also had them on his throat, all the way to stop just short of covering his face. It was beautiful work. They nearly looked like real scales.
    "You are Princess Euren?" the man asked. His accent was strange, reminiscent of the far eastern parts of Tavamara, where it was rumored they still dealt frequently with the strange tribes of the Great Desert.
    Euren nodded. "I am. You've come on behalf of my husband?"
    The man swept a deep bow. "Yes, Your Highness."
    "Prove it," Euren said.
    Looking pleased by the demand, the man reached into the quilted shirt he wore and pulled out a folded piece of paper. It was sealed with Ihsan's personal crest, and her name was written in his hand above it… "When did he give you this?"
    "He left it with us some months ago, when he first spoke to us of this matter. He also said to tell you that he impatiently awaits your reunion and a chance to sit on the roof stargazing with you again."
    Euren laughed. Stargazing indeed. If they had looked at the stars at all, it was only to be absolutely certain it was dark out and they would not be caught. She opened the letter and read Ihsan's brief request that she go with them, that all was well, and he would see her soon at the royal palace. Euren handed the letter off to Asli.
    "So what has my husband requested of you?"
    "He once did the Cobra Tribe a great favor, and we vowed to repay the debt. He has requested that we escort you to the royal palace, and we are most honored to oblige that request." His words were old-fashioned, a style of Tavamaran Euren had not heard since her grandmother passed away, and even she had only spoken it in patches and turns of phrase. It was the kind they learned reading old books or studying law, not the kind spoken in the day to day. Pretty, though, used so comfortably.
    "I told you so," Asli said.
    "Indeed," Euren replied, casting her a look. She turned back to the desert man. "I appreciate your kindness, …?"
    "Ah, apologies." The man smiled, and it smoothed some of the hard edges of his demeanor. "I—"
    "He is Amir Emre, Son of Jafar, Son of Cobra, Son of the Lady of the Sands," said the man standing just behind and to his right.
    Amir… that meant he was the son of the tribe chief. "An honor to meet you, Amir. I appreciate your kindness and generosity to leave your home and come here to protect a stranger."
    "You are the beloved of a good friend," Emre replied. "That is not the same as a stranger. It is nice to finally meet the lovely woman about whom he so frequently spoke. Speaking of women, I was not certain you would be comfortable traveling with a group of strange men, so I have brought my sister." He half-turned, gesturing one of the other soldiers forward. She looked almost exactly like Emre, and was just as fierce as the men surrounding her, tall and heavily muscled, covered in the same tattoos. "This is Meltem, Daughter of Jafar, Daughter of Cobra, Daughter of the Lady