Thalia leaned back against Sinbad's chest, sinking deeper into the hot water of the bath. She was glowing, waves of pleasure still washing over her as she inspected the bruises between her thighs. Seeing the love-marks he had left with his mouth filled her with pride. It gave her the distinct feeling she'd been claimed, not as a slave but as a lover— his lover. These were proof of his devotion, offerings left to appease the object of his worship. She felt divine.

"You keep staring at those," Sinbad observed pensively. "Was I too rough?" His hands worked to massage soap into her breasts. Those were littered with markings too. As per their agreement, any place where the bruises wouldn't be seen had been fair game.

Thalia twisted so that she was facing him. "No." Tenderly, she gave him a kiss on the neck. "I love them."

"You love them?" He cocked an eyebrow. "Or the person who gave them to you?"

Giggling, she wrapped her arms around his neck. She knew he just wanted to hear her say it again. His need for attention was unending.

"I love you," she obliged him, "so I love the bruises by extension."

Seemingly satisfied, he drew her up into a kiss. Her appetite for him had been beyond satisfied back in his bed, but his sensuous lips were threatening to awaken it once more. Sighing happily, she shifted onto her knees as another ripple of pleasure sent a shiver up her spine. Her hands plunged down into the hot water, searching for his length, that wonderful thing that had stretched her in ways she'd never imagined possible. Maybe there was time for one last round before he had to get ready.

Sinbad grabbed her wrists, guiding them back to his shoulders. "You can't seriously want to go again. Aren't you sore?"

"I am," she agreed. Her body was so wonderfully sore thanks to the things he had done for her, done to her, the things they had done together. Nothing she'd been able to do to herself even came close.

Chuckling, he nipped at her ear. "I'll tell you what. After the fireworks tonight, I'll take you back to my room and we can stay up all night if that's what it takes to make you happy."

She pressed one more kiss to his lips before sinking back into the tub and closing her eyes. "I can't wait."


Sinbad stared at his reflection in the mirror, adorning himself with the last of his kingly regalia, his goofy smile ruining the austerity of the ensemble. He looked ridiculous, but he couldn't help himself. She'd said it. She'd said the one thing he hadn't known he'd wanted so badly to hear. She loved him.

He'd always taken it for granted that she loved him. How could she not? After everything they'd been through, after how relentlessly they'd pursued one another, after the sacrifices they had made, it was obvious. He'd never even thought to bring it up because he didn't think it was important. Hearing those three words from her lips had changed his mind.

Those words were no ordinary phrase; they were an incantation with the ability to amplify the warmth, tenderness, affection, and elation she brought out in him. They had made him happier than any man should have the right to be. It was then that he understood the power behind them, and he told her what he wished he'd said sooner. He loved her too.

They had spent the next hours making love. He didn't know how long he'd spent coaxing her into a state of relaxation, stroking her hair and letting her explore, but every agonizing moment of restraint had been worth it. Just to touch her, to be touched, to finally, finally act out his fantasies with her and then become a king on the same day… it almost felt greedy, like he was asking for too much. What right did he have to be so blissfully fulfilled when so many others strove for their dreams their entire lives?

He wished his parents could see him now. Had they ever imagined their little boy would become a king? That he would find someone to love the way his father had doted on his mother? If they saw him like this in his white robes adorned with rubies and that beautiful, stupid grin Thalia had given him, wouldn't they be proud?

From outside, the sounds of revelry and clanging bells grew louder, signaling that it was nearly time for him to make his speech. Taking a deep breath, he concentrated on relaxing his cheek muscles. He needed to look like a king, not a jester. Then, he stepped out of his room to where Barbarossa and King Ceylan were waiting for him.

"You clean up well," Barbarossa greeted him. "I was starting to think you were insistent on dressing like a peasant forever."

King Ceylan nodded. "Those clothes suit you. The people will be thrilled."

Sinbad scratched the back of his neck and let out an awkward laugh. "I don't know about that. This is all still so new."

"You'll get used to it." Barbarossa did an abrupt about-face. "We should get going. It will be better to arrive early and get it over with."

Sinbad hung back, glancing toward the end of the hallway where Thalia, Ja'far, and the others waited to make their entrance. "Wait a second. I'd like to talk to my friends for just a moment."

"Friends?" As he looked over his shoulder, Barbarossa's eyebrows furrowed as though he'd forgotten the meaning of the word. Turning back to Sinbad, he frowned. "Very well then. Be quick."

Sinbad walked the long, marble pathways toward his friends. His heart pounded in his chest, and he had to concentrate to prevent his feet from matching pace. This was the most important moment of his life, and all those he cherished, save for the ones that had returned to their countries at Barbarossa's request, were gathered in one spot.

Thalia spotted him first— she had been looking for him, it seemed. She whirled around, straightening her dress as she drew in a deep breath. "Sin…"

Though she had fixed her makeup and re-styled her hair, she was still thinking about earlier; it was written all over her face. When her eyes met his, she averted her gaze. Her hand reached up to brush a lock of hair behind her ear, and her lips tugged upward into a shy smile. He adored that smile. Every time he saw it, he wanted to kiss her, and today, that urge was stronger than ever.

Focus, Sinbad. People are watching.

Like his friends, who were standing right there. He couldn't let himself get so caught up in Thalia that he forgot about them. Drakon, Hinahoho, Mystras, Ja'far, Vittel, and Mahad were all part of the reason he was here today. If even one of them hadn't turned up in his life, he couldn't have made this dream come true. Clearing his throat, he tore his eyes away from his girlfriend and looked at them each in turn.

"Guys, you've done your best up until today. This ceremony is a big step toward changing the world. Thank you."

Ja'far nodded in agreement while Dinarzade, taking Thalia's hand, gave a fragile smile.

"It's time, Sinbad." Sinbad spun around to find Barbarossa standing with his arms crossed.

King Ceylan tilted his head forward. "With this, your country is a good friend of Parthevia. As the thirty-second emperor, I give you my word on this."

"Don't worry, Barbarossa," Ja'far's voice carried over from behind. "As you requested, the invitations to the seven seas alliance members were canceled and security will be careful during the ceremony."

Instead of responding, Barbarossa sighed, looking out the window into the crowd. "As expected. Inferior species are everywhere. None of them are worthy of our Parthevia. At this rate, the enemy forces will be walking right in."

"Inferior species?" Ja'far was surprised, and Sinbad couldn't blame him. He'd carefully avoided bringing Barbarossa around his friends because when that man talked like this…

"Yes. Inferior species." Barbarossa turned up his nose and sneered. "Ugly and lacking in intelligence. I cannot even call them humans. I thought I rid myself of them as far as I could see, but it seems they've escaped here—"

Sinbad's blood boiled until he could no longer bite his tongue. He was a king now. The people down below were his precious citizens, and he would no longer tolerate Barbarossa's fanaticism. He opened his mouth to speak when Thalia cut in.

"Have you still not grown out of that nonsense?"

Barbarossa narrowed his eyes at her. "I wasn't going to give you the satisfaction of acknowledging you, but you give me no choice. Go home, Thalia. Your sister has been worried sick, though why she would care for such a lowly piece of trash—"

"With all due respect," Sinbad loudly interrupted him. "Thalia is my citizen and this is her home now. I will ask you not to speak of her in that way."

"It's fine, Sin." Thalia crossed her arms over her chest defensively. "Let him embarrass himself if he wants. I rather enjoy it."

Despite her front, the slouch that touched her shoulders told him she'd been rattled.

"The kingdom of Sindria accepts anybody. We do not tolerate discrimination here." Sinbad inserted himself between Barbarossa and his girlfriend. "Regardless of your politics, this is my country and it will operate on my beliefs."

Barbarossa's lips twitched as he held back whatever retort he clearly wanted to give. No matter what he said, this was Sinbad's country. He was well within his rights to establish his own philosophy separate from Parthevia's. That had been part of the terms when setting up the special administrative district.

"I get careless with the trash and look where it gets me." Barbarossa pivoted and marched away. "One day you'll have to obey Parthevia. Don't forget the position you're in."

Thalia muttered an expletive under her breath. She still hated Barbarossa for what he'd done to her people. Sinbad suspected the only reason she had shown any restraint was for his sake.

"Thalia, are you okay?" Ja'far took a step toward her. "What he said was—"

"Nothing more than the ramblings of a fool who needs to blame someone else for his own problems." She squeezed Dinarzade's hand. "Let's not allow him to ruin such an important day." She turned her reassuring smile in Sinbad's direction. "Go out there and show him how a true leader behaves, okay?"

"I will." Sinbad held his head high. "I'm going to go out there and declare that the birth of the Kingdom of Sindria will change the world."

As the gongs rang out and the announcer called out Sinbad and Ceylan's introductions, Sinbad approached the edge of the balcony, revealing himself to the screaming crowd. Ceylan stood by him as his equal, two kings of vastly different backgrounds. From here, he could see the faces of the crowd, an elderly man, a father with a child sitting on his shoulders, a woman with her hands clasped hopefully over her breast… They stirred in him a passion of a different nature than Thalia, but still just as strong. They were his citizens, and he would protect them.

As the cheers died down, he opened his mouth to speak. "I am Sinbad. In the past, I have been known for traveling the seven seas. Thanks to Ceylan, I was gifted these lands and have been able to build the Kingdom of Sindria. This country is unique because it was created from the efforts of a company. This is a country whose existence is centered around trade, and as a result, the social status of its citizens is irrelevant. Everyone here is free! Free to choose your own paths! In this world, a country exists where we can all coexist without conflicts!"

As Sinbad raised his fist in the air to end his speech, pain flared in his head. It was as though an ax had been driven into his skull, tearing it in two. He grimaced. Something was wrong. It hurt. What was happening? Was he dying? The world flashed white, and then…


"But how well will that really go?"

"Sin?" Thalia took a hesitant step forward. He hadn't rehearsed this part of the speech, not around her. What the hell was this? How could he do something this reckless without at least telling her?

"Think about it. No matter how much this country insists on preaching equality and freedom, nothing will ever change as long as there is an existence that threatens the world. What if, by chance, it was in Parthevia? That person, for his own selfish reasons, assassinated the emperor."

Thalia looked to Ja'far for help. This didn't sound like Sinbad. He believed in peace at any cost. What was he saying now? Since when did he care so strongly about what had happened to Serendine's father?

"He ended the royalty and bureaucracy, taking away the authority of the palace! He made the country's system go down! All of this so he could take over! And now that person has power in his hands! He's trying to control Parthevia!"

"Sin, what are you saying?" Ja'far looked to her, and she realized he knew as little about this as she did.

Something was wrong. Thalia lunged forward, trying to stop him from finishing his speech. She crashed into a pair of spears as two guards prevented her from approaching.

"Sinbad, don't do this," she told him, just loud enough that the audience wouldn't hear. As the guards roughly pinned her arms behind her back, she struggled against them. Their weight pressed down on her, and the stone scraped through her dress, tearing at her skin. She didn't give up. He had to be stopped no matter the cost.

"What about your dream?" she cried. "Are you throwing that away so easily?"

… because it sounded like…

"And that person is the president of the National Independence Party! Barbarossa!" He pointed toward her mortal enemy sitting in the box for the guest of honor. "You are the source of evil and a foul enemy of my country!"

...a declaration of war.

"Sin!" Ja'far had gotten farther than Thalia had, but Sinbad ignored his attempt to pull him away from the balcony, continuing the tirade.

"And that's not all! This man has been conducting purges against massive numbers of citizens! This evil has already spread from the royal palace and affected the citizens! I cannot excuse a tyrant any longer! I cannot entrust Parthevia to a killer! If this isn't stopped, world peace will never be reached."

"We had a plan to deal with him!" Thalia kicked one of the guards as he pinned her face to the ground. "Why are you doing this?"

"So I'm making the declaration now. The legitimate heir to the throne is the last person in the royal family's lineage." He roughly put his hand on the small king. "So King Ceylan and I will defeat the enemy Barbarossa! We will return Parthevia to what it was! I promise to create a new Parthevian Empire!"

As his speech wrapped up, the guards let Thalia go. The crowd burst into a chant hailing the new Parthevia, but Thalia ignored them. She rushed to Sinbad's side, only to have her path blocked by more armored men.

"Let me through!" she demanded. "This is my country as much as it is his! Let me through!"

Sinbad glanced over his shoulder and frowned. "Take her and Ceylan somewhere safe. Don't let them leave until the war is over."

"I demand you let me go!" Thalia stomped a guard's foot as he began to lug her away. "I didn't give you my blessing so that you could throw everything away like this! Sinbad!"

"I'm sorry, Thalia. It's for your own good."