“Go away,” she whispered fiercely, not daring to turn back to face him. “If anyone knew you were here, do you think the sultan would pay to get me back?”
“You forget that this is my house, beauty.”
“Even your house has its quota of spies,” she answered. “Go away!”
“If it will reassure you, I entered the room through a little-used interior passage-the existence of which is known by no one other than me. Besides, your son sleeps the sleep of the innocent and your slave drank a cup of wine tonight that had a sleeping draught in it. Even now she is snoring like a pig.”
“You dared?” She was incredulous.
“My very existence is a dare,” he replied. “Come, beauty, do not turn from me.” Reaching out, he turned her to face him. “Christos!” His voice was awed. “The body more than rivals the face!”
She shrank from him. “You can rape me,” she said quietly, “and though I cannot hope to overcome you I will later find a way to kill myself. I swear it, Alexander!”
“No, beauty, no,” he protested, drawing her into the circle of his arm. “Do not speak such foolishness to me.” His hand moved boldly, with assurance, making her tremble with a terrible mixture of fear and open desire. “I will not force you, for you are a guest in my house. But, ah, these sweet breasts will be very sad to go unloved this night.” Ever so gently he fondled the soft swell of flesh. The coral nipples sprang erect, and a little moan escaped her throat.
“Ah, beauty, you want it as much as I do! Why do you fight me?”
“Please!” She pushed his hands away. “You say you will not force me because I am a guest in your home. Your honor forbids it, does it not? Think then of my honor, Alexander. For though I am but a woman, I too have my honor. I am Orkhan’s wife, the mother of his son. I do not love my husband, and I will not deny that my body hungers for a young man’s touch. But as long as my lord lives, it will not be! You see, captain pirate, I too, have my honor to consider. Even if no one but us knew, I should feel that my honor was compromised. Can you understand that?”
He smiled ruefully. “I had heard that John Cantacuzene had an overeducated daughter. You reason like a Greek, beauty! Very well. I am bested for now, and I will leave you in peace this night. But I cannot promise to stay away forever. My baser instincts may overcome me.
“I will, however, exact a small vengeance before I go, for I do not think I shall quench the fire you have raised in me.”
And before she understood his intent he had clasped her tightly in his arms, their bodies touching from breast to thigh. They sprawled across the length of the bed, and she felt the softness of his chest hair tickling her bare breasts, the hardness of his manroot butting against her shaking thighs. His lips captured hers in a searing kiss, his tongue raping her mouth with a naked passion that left her nearly fainting. She wanted to yield to him. She wanted his hardness deep inside her!
Releasing her, he smiled and stood up. “May you and your honor enjoy your stay in my house, Theadora, wife of Orkhan,” he said mockingly.
Frozen with shock, she watched as he disappeared behind a wall-hanging. Only when she was sure he had left the room did she weep. He had reminded her of something she had managed to hide from herself for all these years. He had reminded her that she was a woman. A young woman. With the same hot desire running through her as any young woman had.
She had no outlet for her hunger. Her husband’s touch disgusted her, and the memory of Murad burned deep within her secret heart. She almost regretted sending Alexander away. His body had felt wonderful against hers, and she sensed that he would be a magnificent lover. Was he right? Indeed, who would know? Could she live with her guilt if she allowed the liaison? Theadora wept bitter tears, for she could see nothing but a long and loveless future stretching endlessly ahead of her.
Chapter Nine
The man who called himself Alexander the Great was not a reckless gallant, but a shrewd businessman. His main base, the city of Phocaea was located between the emirates of Karasi and Sarakhan, opposite the island of Lesbos. Though Phocaea had a ruler, it was Alexander and his pirates who brought prosperity to the city and who really controlled it. Alexander also had bases on the islands of Chios, Lemnos, and Imbros. He had spies and coast-watchers on the smaller islands as well, thereby effectively controlling the shipping lanes in the Aegean and the areas leading to the Straits of the Dardanelles, into the Bosporus, and beyond into the Black Sea.
Merchants whose vessels regularly traveled these waters paid him an annual tribute plus a percentage of the proceeds of each voyage. There was no chance of cheating Alexander-for they were required to stand for inspection prior to each voyage. Without the inspection there was no pendant issued for their top masts. And ships without Alexander’s color-coded pendants were considered fair game and usually had their entire cargos confiscated.
Alexander preferred to receive his tribute in gold, but he would accept merchandise. Twice yearly, several of his ships sailed west into northern Europe where their cargos of silk, perfumes, and spices brought the highest possible prices. They returned bringing their master gold and fair-haired, fair-skinned, light-eyed young slaves of both sexes. There were many large landholders who were willing-for a length of silk or a packet of precious spices or a silver coin-to send attractive, healthy, young serfs from their holdings into slavery. These young people were then sold to the highest bidder in private auction, attended only by wealthy connoisseurs. Alexander thus realized a double profit on his investments.
It was the Byzantine military intelligence service, known as the Office of Barbarians, that brought Alexander the Great to the Empress Helena’s attention. Her current lover was the officer who ran the service. Knowing that her sister would be returning by sea from the Springs of Apollo, Helena sent word to Alexander that she would like Theadora and her son killed. For this service she agreed to pay a large sum of gold. Alexander was many things, but he was not a paid assassin. And he knew more about the Byzantines than they knew about him. Helena could not afford the money she offered.
But he was greatly in her debt for the information she had unwittingly tendered him. The sultan’s wife and son would fetch a very high ransom. He had therefore arranged to know when and by what route their ship was sailing. He would have lost them but for the storm which so kindly deposited them off his city’s coast.
One glimpse of Theadora had cost Alexander his heart. She was lovelier than any woman he had ever known. It did not bother him a bit that she was the sultan’s wife. He was a ruler in his own right and what he wanted, he took. But he had miscalculated when he assumed that she would be eager enough for love to forget all else. He had pushed her too far and too quickly. To win her he would have to out-think her. Alexander was a hunter by nature, and the thought of the chase was quite stimulating. It would be weeks before his council could agree on a ransom price for the princess and her son. After that further time would be spent in negotiations. Several months would go by before the ransom was settled and paid. He had time.
For the next few days Theadora saw little of her captor, and she was quite relieved. It had not been easy to withstand his assault. She remained in her apartments, and for exercise she walked out several times daily, in the garden, with Iris for company. She rarely saw Halil. He was busy with his new friends, Alexander’s several sons by his concubines, even eating and sleeping with them.
“It is better this way,” she told Iris. “To him it is simply an adventure. He will bear no scars from the experience.”
After several weeks Alexander appeared in her apartment one evening, carrying a chess set. “I thought we might enjoy a game together,” he said pleasantly.