"Let me bathe and get rid of my siblings, and then you can do whatever you want to me. You can even teach Reza what to do."
Kurosh went from angry to pleased. "You asked him, then?"
"Yes."
"Good. Now you've only to ask your pretty little lordling. He fell asleep waiting to read a new book of poetry to you. Get your bath. Farrokh is already handling your siblings. She didn't hit you too hard, did she?"
"No, she pulled the punch."
Kurosh kissed him, hard and biting, a little bit mean, then let him go and strode off.
Letting out a shuddering breath as the whole ordeal and all the requisite exhaustion started to really wash over him, along with the expected pain, he went to finally get clean and soak in the hot water for as long as he could.
By the time he returned to the main area, his room was suspiciously empty. Only one other sleepy, confused occupant remained. "Your Highness!" Taher bowed low. "We're so happy to have you home. Are you all right?"
"I'm fine, thank you," Bakhtiar said. "I am sorry to have worried you, and kept you here so long."
Taher looked up, smiling faintly. "Where else would I go, Highness? To my uncle to be ordered around doing things he'sperfectly capable of doing himself? To my empty room? I prefer yours."
"Bold little thing when you want to be," Bakhtiar said and knelt in front of him. "We've not known each other long, Lord Taher, merely two weeks. I would hate to steal you from a promising life on so little."
"My life is little, Your Highness. All you've done since we met is expand it."
"Then would you be mine?"
"It would be my honor."
Bakhtiar rose, pulling Taher with him, ignoring every ache and pain protesting his continued refusal to rest. He cupped Taher's face and bent to kiss him, immediately addicted to those lush lips and his sweet taste. Taher's hands fanned across his chest, then slid to wrap around him, as he pushed up on his toes to deepen the kiss, steal command of it, feasting on Bakhtiar's mouth like an antidote he needed to live.
He really,reallyliked the feeling.
When they finally drew apart, it was to find the expected audience.
"I have to commend you, my prince," Kurosh said. "I thought impressive when you claimed Farrokh and I just a couple of months apart. But two concubines in a single night has to be some sort of royal record."
"Shut up," Bakhtiar groused as they all laughed. "I am in pain, I am going to bed, you can make fun of me in the morning."
Four pairs of eyes looked at him with heat and promise as Farrokh said, "We're going to do much more than that, beloved. Much, much more."
"We'll just see," Bakhtiar taunted as he climbed into bed. Moments later, the others crawled in alongside him, and it was the first time in his life that his enormous bed had ever been so full.
Smiling, happier than he had been in what felt like years, Bakhtiar finally succumbed to sleep.
Predictably, he woke while it was still dark out, though judging by the muffled talking outside the change of guard was taking place, which meant it was two hours before he normally woke up. Getting up, he relieved himself and washed his face, not really feeling like going back to sleep.
As he wouldn't be leaving his room anytime soon, and he didn't feel like getting in trouble if he used the secret passage to so much as go get additional work to do—not, now that he thought about it, he was in any hurry to see his office.
What did it even look like right now? Was it all cleaned up and repaired? Looking the same as always? The idea of changing it, at least a little, held sharp appeal. Getting rid of that bookcase for a start. The idea of ever again being trapped in a space made thorns spread through his chest, sharp and piercing. He took several slow, deep breaths until the thorns retracted, at least mostly, then left the washroom in search of further distraction. Once more of the palace was awake he would—
He was grabbed from behind, a familiar hand wrapping around his throat, a long lean body pressed against the length of his. "Well rested, my prince?" Kurosh purred in his ear.
Bakhtiar shivered. "Would it matter if I was?" He knew that tone of voice. Kurosh was on a mission and there would be no mercy.
Kurosh squeezed his throat tighter, just enough that Bakhtiar would have moaned if that was possible, then let go and pushed him across the room to the large lounging area where they spent most nights now reading and relaxing before bed.
Before tonight though, Reza and Taher had not been part of his harem.
"Were you all just waiting for me to wake up?" he asked.
