Rendezvous in the Romanowskian Empire

54. Temptations

Julian

She too twirled around like the concubine, her hands above her head, and this time, she was facing me. Twirling and twirling to the beat of the music, her bare feet tapping the ground at every pluck of the instrument.

I forgot how to breathe as I watched the woman, who had been ruling my fantasy land for months, moving gracefully like a skilled dancer.

This was too hot for me. The jealousy that was surging like fire through my body. Was she a dancer before? Did she dance for other rulers, who'd entertain themselves by her presence?

The way her hands moved, her bare waist curving delightfully at certain beats and the skirt that flowed all around her as she swirled, had me gripping the handrail in fervour.

Oh my sweet Mila, you really know what all to do, to get me intoxicated on you like this.

She was facing Helaine for most of the time, but when she'd face me, I could see what playful expressions danced on her gorgeous face, as her lips synced the song, kohl swiped eyes darted left and right, eyebrows moved. She was so fucking perfect.

I let out a ragged breath. My gaze immediately moved around if any men were ogling at her. Good for them, there weren't any.

She was in the midst of a step when her gaze fell at the entrance and she immediately sat amongst the women, giggling.

My eyes shot down at the group of men who'd started entering the hall. Then I glanced back at Althea. She was whispering something to her sister, Alexander's concubine, who looked down at her, annoyed. Althea looked at the men again, then retreated her gaze as she laughed with the other women.

Who the fuck had caught her attention?

I wasn't even drunk, keeping myself completely away from the cursed drink that was alcohol. Still, I'd never felt such rage rushing through me at any instant, except on the battlefield. And then I knew.

Whatever I was feeling for this woman, all this time was coming out stronger like never before. So much that it made me afraid that I could feel such strong emotions for anyone.

I looked at her again. Drank in her appearance because I couldn't get enough. Ditching the light, frail colours she used to wear, she had worn a turquoise green ensemble, symbolising Alexander's bow to the Persian culture. But her flowing skirt bordered with gold wasn't what left me breathless.

It was what she wore on the top. An off-shoulder, low enough for me to see her cleavage where my given necklace sat on her milky skin. Her delicate collar bones peeking out. The sleeves were short and puffed, sliding down on either side of her shoulders, teasing me relentlessly, endlessly.

What she wore wasn't even standing out in the crowd, compared to the concubines who'd worn plunging necklines. Caspara, in a heavy skirt and a single piece of gold cloth tied around her chest with more heavy jewellery on top.

Glamorous, flashy, lusty repulsed me like never before.

I was only hooked on my effortless blue-eyed fantasy, who wore minimalist jewellery, her attire decent than the others.

Like all the women, she too wore a wreath of ivy over her head, which was the last spell on me that made her look like Aphrodite herself had blessed her. Her hair tumbled past her shoulders, curling softly at the end.

I breathed in and out, calming myself that they were just my warriors who'd come to sit with the women. It was their duty to make sure they were safe.

And Althea. Oh, my Althea. She was just following the rule I'd warned her about. Of not attracting attention to herself that she'd stopped, the moment the men came in.