Bedazzled

determined to show no fear no matter what happened.

Azura ignored her protests, drawing a brush through her charge's dark curls, instructing her to rinse her mouth with mint water, and then leading her from the harem into a dimly lit hallway at the end of which were two large arched doors, studded with brass nails and hinged with heavy black iron hinges. Azura pulled the doors open slightly, and said softly, 'Go in, my child. He awaits you.' Then she gave India a delicate but effective push into the chamber, drawing the doors shut behind her.

The room was softly lit by a large hanging lamp burning scented oil. There was the sound of a tinkling fountain that, India reasoned, was in the gardens she could see beyond the room, past the curved pillars with their pale gauze draperies, that hardly stirred in the warm night air. The floor beneath her feet was tiled. The furnishings were simple but elegant, of polished wood, brass, and tile; some chests, tables, and a single chair with a leather seat.

'Come here!'

India started at the curt, commanding voice, and her eyes went to a large dais of carved wood, decorated in gold and silver gilt, which harbored a huge mattress covered in coral and gold-striped silk. The dey, wearing only his white pantaloons, lounged arrogantly upon the mattress. Her eyes widened slightly. She had never seen a man so… so… unclothed. It was very disconcerting. His chest was smooth and golden. His one garment was worn low on his narrow hips, and cut low to reveal his navel. Without the small turban he had worn in his audience chamber, she could see that he was dark-haired.

'Come here!' he repeated.

India shook her head imperceptibly.

Caynan Reis let his eyes examine the girl as she stood, visibly trembling, her back pressed to the door. She was absolutely the most beautiful creature he had ever encountered. The flawless porcelain, ivory skin. He had noted it when he had whipped her earlier. Cleaned up, he could see the prize he had snatched from his brother. He wanted to kiss the full, lush mouth and run his long fingers through her dark, silky curls. He could see she was terrified. Her golden eyes gave her away, but her stance was pure defiance. He slid off the mattress, curious as to how far she would challenge his authority over her.

Seeing him on his feet, coming toward her, India swung about, her hands pushing against the door desperately. She bit her lower lip to keep from crying out as she felt him behind her, his body pressed lightly against hers. She could barely breathe, but she swallowed the cry in her tight and aching throat, standing perfectly still even as she heard his steady breathing next to her. When one of his hands slammed against the door by her head, she jumped in terror.

He laughed softly. 'You are afraid,' he said, his fingers pulling her dark hair aside, his warm lips kissing the nape of her neck.

'No!' India managed to grate out, her nose just pressing against the heavy oak door between brass nails.

'I will not hurt you,' he said, leaning around to nibble upon the delicate lobe of ear. 'Ummmm. As I suspected. You are delicious.'

She remained silent, although if the truth had been known, a succession of shivers was racing up and down her spine.

'You are a very disobedient little slave,' he told her, his fingers playing with her curls.

'I am not a slave,' India said fiercely. 'I am Lady India Anne Lindley, daughter of the duke of Glenkirk, sister of the marquis of Westleigh, the duke of Lundy, and Lord Leslie of Glenkirk. You have no right to hold me! I am a free-born English woman, and no slave!'

'Your lineage is impressive,' he told her softly, 'but you speak of what you were, India, and not of who you are now. You are a spoil of war, brought to me by one of my captains, and thus you have become a slave.' He pushed his body hard against hers. 'It is time you learned your place in this new world you have entered. You are my slave. Your sole purpose in life is to please me.'

'Never!' The brass nails in the door were pressing against her delicate flesh.

He laughed at her defiance and nipped the back of her neck with sharp teeth. 'What other choice do you have?' he mocked.

'I will die,' she replied grimly.

'Little fool,' he growled low in his throat, 'do you think I will allow that to happen quickly? First I would give you to the janissaries in the palace barracks for their pleasure. Do you believe they would accept your feeble refusals? They would strip you naked, holding you down while they took their pleasure of you again and again and again. You would be subjected to every kind of perversion known to man, my innocent little virgin, and when they had finally destroyed your spirit, and your beauty, you would become a common barracks drudge. It would take you some time, several years I suspect, before you would finally die of disease and starvation, India. Is that what you really want?'

The words he spoke were terrifying. 'No,' she whispered.

'Then you will yield yourself to me,' he said quietly.

Again she shook her head. 'You may ravish me, my lord, but I will never yield to you. Ever!'

'Ravish?' He tasted the word with his tongue, greatly offended. 'Ravish? I want to make love to you, little fool. I want to caress these soft white limbs.' His big hand slipped beneath her wide sleeve, and then smoothed down her arm. 'I want to love every inch of your body, and kiss that tempting mouth until it is bruised with my kisses.' His hands grasped her shoulders. 'I want to hear you cry with pleasure when our bodies join and we become one, but I do not want to ravish you.'

'The only way you will have me, my lord, is to force me,' India said stonily.

He made a sound of annoyance as his hands dropped away from her shoulders. 'Little fool,' he warned her, 'do you not realize that I could have you bound and then take my pleasure of you? You would rejoice when I had finished, for I would have shown you Paradise. No, you do not understand, and I will not coerce a mere girl in order to teach joy to a reluctant maiden. I will not allow you to drive me to such a thing.' Grasping her arm, he yanked her away from the door, and then, opening it, half dragged her down the corridor to Azura's private apartments. Entering, he pushed India to the floor, and put a firm foot upon her. 'This slave girl,' he told the startled Azura, 'is unmanageable, my lady. Keep her with you tonight, and then tomorrow Baba Hassan will come and prepare her to serve me as my body slave. I should give her to my janissaries, but I am too soft-hearted, and you know well the reason why; but she will service me in some capacity. If my bed is not to her liking, then there are other ways she may be useful.' Lifting his leg, he pushed the shaken girl toward the harem mistress, and then, turning about, departed.

India crouched upon the tile floor trembling.

'What happened?' Azura demanded, struggling to keep the anger from her voice. Was this silly little virgin going to spoil all their plans with her stubborn nature? I will not let her do this, Azura thought angrily. She roughly pulled India to her feet.

'I refused him,' came the expected answer from the pale-faced girl. 'I told him he would have to ravish me, but I would not yield myself willingly, and I will not!'

Azura shook her head despairingly. 'Do you know what might have happened to you?' she cried. 'Have you any idea how fortunate you are that he has shown you mercy? This is a fair man, but he is not an easy man. He might have killed you where you stood, and it was his right for you are only a slave now, India. Oh, I don't know what will happen to you! Allah! We must convince him to forgive your outrageous behavior and accept you back in his bed.'

'I will not be a whore!' India's voice broke, and, in spite of herself, she