Free The Harem Master by Megan Derr Page A

of the Sands."
    Meltem smiled and bowed. "An honor to meet you, Princess."
    "The honor is mine," Euren demurred, trying not to stare at her graceful movements, the way they flexed the tattoo like a snake moving across the sand. She had dark green eyes, freckles that softened her fierce, handsome face, and a small scar on one cheek that looked like it had been put there by some sort of blade, most likely a small knife. "You must be tired from your travels. Rest, refresh yourselves, and we can discuss travel plans over dinner."
    Bowing, Emre and his men let the monks lead them away, leaving Euren and her women alone with just one old, wrinkled monk who regarded them with a fond smile and bright blue eyes that seemed impervious to the years that had weathered the rest of his body. "It will be strange when you are no longer with us, Princess."
    "Peaceful again, I am sure," Euren said with a smile and held out her hands as he extended his. "You've been most kind to tolerate us all these years, Father Orhan. I will miss you, and all the others, when we are gone."
    Orhan kissed the back of her hands. "Princess, you will always be welcome here, as will your children's children." He let her hands go, drew his back into the depths of his voluminous sleeves, and then added wryly, "Not least of all because you are willing to overlook the methods by which we acquire funds to maintain the monastery."
    Asli snorted. "Overlooked or gleefully assisted?"
    "We'll never tell," Orhan replied. "The majority of your belongings are packed, Highness, which is fortunate seeing as your escort has arrived early. We are preparing a banquet to send you off, and you should be ready to leave as the sun rises. If ever you need to return, do not hesitate. We are honored to serve our future queen."
    Euren ducked her head, blinking rapidly. When she was relatively certain she had her tears under control, she lifted her head and cleared her throat. "Thank you, Father. I will miss you dearly, and part of me will always consider this place home. Thank you for everything."
    He patted her arm, then offered his own. "Let us go and get started on the wine. There is plenty of it, and the less that goes into my monks, the better—too much to do to let them lay about the place whining of headaches."
    "We'll do our very best to assist, Father," Euren said with a laugh. "I believe Gulden and Canan have out-drunk them before."
    Behind her, Canan and Gulden both snickered. Orhan shook his head, but his smile did not fade.
    In the dining hall, the rows of small tables had been cleared away so that only a few remained to form a square so they could all sit around and share a meal together instead of breaking up into smaller groups. Euren settled on one side, Asli and Gulden immediately next to her, and Canan next to Gulden. Monks took up the end of the table on Euren's right, and the side opposite, leaving the space on her left for the tribesmen.
    Asli poured a measure of wine into one of the small, shallow wine dishes stacked neatly in front of them. Normally a different set was used for every course, but the monks did not bother with such a formality. Often at normal meals they eschewed proper wine dishes in favor of ordinary cups. A terrible, disrespectful way to drink wine, many back home would wail to see such abuse, but it was the way Euren had grown up drinking it, sharing a bottle of cheap wine with her father while they ate dinner. When she was little it had been heavily watered down, but by the time she was fifteen she could drink it undiluted.
    Taking the sip offered her, enjoying the cool, sweet-tart bite of it, she watched as Asli took the remaining sip from the dish, then leaned in and tasted it on her mouth. Asli nuzzled against her when they drew apart.
    Euren could still vividly remember all the times she had sat awkwardly with her friends, wary they actually were her friends. They drank expensive wine from glass dishes; she drank cheap wine from clay cups.