Chapter Text
“That’s the Pleiades, isn’t it?” Liana pointed to a cluster of stars. “The Seven Sisters. It reminds you of your family.”
“You remember,” Prince Hamid nodded, beaming.
How could she possibly forget? It was the first time she laid in his arms underneath a blanket of stars. The first time she felt at home since leaving Grovershire. “I remember every story.” She returned his smile. “You must be excited to see your homeland.”
“This time even more so.” His eyes sparkled and it made her think of a Turkish word he had taught her: Yakamoz. The moonlight reflecting on water. “Because now, I get to make that journey with you.”
“How could I resist going on an adventure with you? Also it wouldn’t be much of a wedding if the bride wasn’t there, would it?” She teased.
He smiled briefly before he turned a wistful gaze towards the sky. “Thank you. A ceremony over there means everything to my mother.”
“I look forward to hearing more stories of you,” she added, leaning her head on his shoulder. “I want to know who was Prince Hamid of Constantinople before he was Prince Hamid, an ambassador in London.”
Her head sprang back up when he didn’t answer.
“I hope you will like what you find.” He looked about self-consciously and added after a pause, “And I hope you will remember there will be situations where you’ll be served what doesn’t agree with your palate, whether it’s food, custom, religion. I pray you can keep an open mind.”
“Of course.” She stroked his cheek and made a face. “However, I’m still on the fence about this beard you’re growing.”
“You know I have to grow it back or my own mother wouldn’t accept me!” He grabbed her hand and kissed it, laughing as she squirmed from the foreign sensation of the coarse hairs on her skin. “Give it time, it will soften later.”
“We still have a long journey ahead of us. Tell me a story about…” Liana’s fingers twirled in the air before landing on the most dazzling star, “that one.” Her hand came back down and brushed against his before it claimed a spot next to him on the railing.
“The morning and evening star, al-Zuhara, meaning the brilliant one.” Prince Hamid said. “She is called the wandering star, because her movement shifts in the morning and evening. She has an ancient name, almost lost in time, al-Uzza. Pre-Islamic, when polytheism was widely practiced. Would you like to hear her story?”
Liana nodded. Hamid cleared his throat and began.
“Once upon a time, there were three goddesses known as The Cranes. They were Manat, Al-Lat, and the Mightiest One, Al-Uzza.
“The prophet was tasked to end the worship of these false idols. And so their temples were destroyed until only one remained; Al-Uzza. The commander of his army found a temple. He smashed the idol and returned to the prophet with the news.
“'Did you see something unusual?’ The prophet asked. The commander shook his head. ‘Then you have not found it. Seek again.'
“The commander searched city after city, crossing oceans and deserts, until he caught wind of its hidden location. He stormed the temple with his army.
“In his path stood an unearthly creature like black smoke in the guise of a female form. She wore a zulfiqar, a curved sword, around her neck and wailed as he approached. The commander struck her down, splitting her in two with a swing of his sword, and smashed the idol.
“He returned to the prophet, who said, ‘That was Al-Uzza. Not a deity, but an infernal jinn, an Ifrit.’”
Liana clapped and cheered as he bashfully took a bow, “Is this a true story?”
“I may have embellished. I am a storyteller after all,” he winked with a mischievous smile.
“Why do you know so much?”
“Part of an Ottoman Prince’s education. I had to learn a great many subjects, such as mathematics, geography, religious studies, music…” he shrugged, and waved a hand dismissively. “The list goes on.”
“Aw, poor Prince. Nose stuck in a book all the time.”
“It wasn’t!” He protested as he playfully bumped shoulders with her. “We also learned horseback riding, archery, wrestling, sword and gun-play-”
“Well this explains your physique,” she said with an appreciative sideways glance.
Hamid laughed and pointed back to the star. “Al-Uzza was a goddess of protection and love. The Greeks connected her to their heavenly Aphrodite Urania.” He lowered his voice, leaning closer, his lips almost brushing against her ear. “You may know the star by another name; Venus.”
“Does that mean Al-Uzza is born from the seafoam of Uranus’ chopped up genitals that was flung into the ocean?” Liana quipped as she gestured to the open waters before them.
“No,” lips quirked with amusement. “However, one of her symbols is the dolphin, and so the Nabataens believed she guarded ships on ocean voyages.”
“How fortunate she is accompanying us tonight.” The ship lurched and Liana stumbled into his arms as sea spray showered upon her. Laughter bubbled to her surface as she tasted the salt on her lips. “I hope this is a blessing. We have a long journey ahead of us.”
“Indeed.”
The intensity of his voice startled her. Her eyes searched for his, and found that glint in his eye she was getting intimately familiar with. One he didn’t bother to hide behind a bland smile anymore. Her cheeks warmed as she followed his gaze and realised her dress was damp and she was indecent.
“As much as I love showing off my beautiful wife, I’m not willing to share,” Hamid said as he calmly took off his cloak to fasten on her. She caught her breath when his nails grazed her decolletage, was it deliberate? He placed his hands back on the railing. “It’s unfortunate passenger ships don’t have private cabins.”
She pulled his cloak tighter, catching the familiar scent of oudh and bergamot, his scent, mingling with the sea breeze. She shivered, but not from the cold. “What would you do otherwise?”
“Get you out of those wet clothes. Or perhaps not. It looks quite becoming on you,” he said blithely, eyes trained on the sea. “And then I’ll ravish you of course.”
“With my clothes on?” She choked.
“You’re not wearing a chastity belt or the likes,” he replied with a brazen smile, the wind playing with his dark hair. “It’s not difficult. I just have to lift up your skirts and…”
“And what?”
“What do you want me to do?” He chuckled, and gave a slight bow. “This Prince is at your command.”
She reddened. It was one of his little games, wasn’t it? He loved to shock her, make her blush with his suggestive words and double-entendre. Two can play the game.
“I want your honeyed tongue between my legs.”
“Good,” he replied unblinkingly. “Because I always crave you. I could taste your sweet lips all day and not get enough.” His eyes flicked up and down as he gave her a rakish smile. “Either one.”
She turned away, her cheeks burned even hotter. He had bested her again. Her eyes stopped, transfixed by the waters lapping against the ship, picturing his hands parting her like the sea, that smile before he went down to explore her depths. Her fingers wound tight into the soft, warm material of his cloak enveloping her.
He was not going to win this time.
“How soon before we reach Calais?” she whispered.
“Several hours at least. Then our carriage awaits.”
“In the carriage then.”
“What of it?”
“In the carriage. I want you to kiss me breathless. While your lips are on mine, I want your hands to creep up my thighs and tease me. I’m aching for your touch. Start with one finger, gently work your way to more until we get to our lodgings. And then to the bedroom. You’re right, it takes too damn long to get these wretched layers off. I can’t wait anymore. My legs will spread readily for you.
“Make good of your words, put that tongue to use. And after you have satisfied both our cravings, I want you to put your…” she ducked her head, struggling to let the word out. Blasted self inhibitions.
“Cock,” he said.
She gave a curt nod in thanks and drew a quick breath for courage. “I want your cock inside me.” A thrill snaked down her core, even as the flush spread up to her neck. She closed her eyes. “Slowly, inch by inch, your cock filling my walls. It still feels so strange. But I like it. The more I get, the more I want.”
It felt stiflingly hot in that cloak now, she was caught between longing to rip it off or wrapping it tighter so she could continue breathing him in. She chose the latter, wishing it were his hands roaming instead of hers under that cloak.
“You feel so good, I can’t get enough. I want to pull you in deeper. My hands dig into your hips. I am begging for more. Your warm breath on my skin becomes more ragged the harder you thrust in me. You slide in and out, going faster, even as I close in on you. You put your lips on mine so no one can hear me scream your name when I…”
Liana stopped, lips parted, breathing hard as she blinked. Her heart was pounding like the ocean’s roar so loudly upon her ears as a cold wave of shame doused her.
She was mortified. And frighteningly aware of her arousal; her dress was not the only thing wet. Oh God, she had gone too far.
She looked at the sky, swearing Venus must be silently laughing at her. She should throw herself overboard and into the mercy of the goddess.
This was unbecoming of a lady. Was it true, a bastard’s blood ran hot and therefore no matter how accomplished or if she dressed the part, that’s who she was? She didn’t dare look at him even as she heard him exhale, long and slow.
“I don’t think I can be as patient.” He placed his hand on hers, gently pulling her away from her distress. He pressed her hand on his chest, his heart raced like hers though his voice was low and deliberate.“What would you say if I bribe the captain into letting us use his private cabin for a bit?”
Her eyes swept his face. Her heart danced giddily when she saw the sweetest smile on his lips, his eager eyes both dark and burning like the distant stars for her.
She lowered her lashes demurely, as a lady should, before boldly meeting his gaze with a fire she didn’t know she had.
“I would say, that would be a delight.”