Chapter 7: The Concubine

She came to him alone through the green gate. She knocked quietly on the window and he opened it to let her in. She pulled open her cloak to show him she was naked under it. A smile lit up his face as he pulled her into his chamber.

"When you said you wanted to see me urgently I hadn't realised the nature of the urgency," he laughed.

He drew her into his arms and they kissed for a long time. He ran his hand round her naked back, then swept her legs from under her and carried her over to the bed. With only a brief kiss to her breasts and a gentle tickle at her button, he was in her. They rode slowly and gently for a long time. They savoured a long, lazy, married coupling. He came with hardly a change in his rhythm and she came with a gentle spread of heat upwards from his presence in her.

As he held her in his arms afterwards, he studied her face. "Do you ever wish that it was you who summoned me to your bed?"

She looked up at him for a while, not knowing how to answer him. "I am always happy to obey the command of the king." She paused. "But sometimes I would like to invite my husband to my bed." She watched him for fear she had said the wrong thing.

"I understand. I think I feel the same way. It pleases me when you come to me through the green gate when I have not commanded you. It excites me to feel that you want me and that you do not simply come to me as a duty. I like the thought that you could summon me to your bed to pleasure you — as your husband and not as your king."

She gave a little sigh. "But it would be frowned on for the King to visit a wife in the harem. Your courtiers would be dreadfully shocked. They will tell you to take more wives who will come to you."

"I could come secretly. They need not know."

She shook her head sadly. "The Queen is too well protected. I have a dozen eunuchs on duty in the harem. One of my women sleeps in the chamber outside my bedroom every night and another sleeps in the nursery on the other side. We would have no privacy if you came to me."

The King lay thinking for a while, absently stroking her breast and kissing her hair.

"I think I have an answer," he said, sitting up suddenly, "but I shall have to make some arrangements before I tell you about it."

He pulled her back against him and before long fell into a sound sleep.

She was to accompany him the following day on a short local engagement. As they sat together in the official car, he whispered to her that he had a surprise for her and that she must come through the green gate immediately after dinner so he could show her. The visit proceeded and the journey home seemed endless because she was excited to find out what his surprise would be.

They had dinner as usual with the senior members of the court. Most evenings it was their habit to retire to a sitting room after dinner for entertainments or just conversation with their friends at court and, at the end of the evening, the King and Queen would withdraw, leaving with their escorts for their respective apartments. A little while later, the Queen would make her progress, whether formal or informal, along the Queen's Path to join the King in his chamber.

On this evening, they both retired immediately after dinner and once in her rooms she looked in on her sleeping infant, then immediately made her way across the garden and through the green gate. He was waiting for her just beyond and led her through his apartments towards the wing of the palace in which guests were usually accommodated.

He led her into a small courtyard and through a door into what looked like a guest suite in a western country house. He showed her round the suite of sitting room, bedroom and bathroom and waited for her reaction.

"It's very nice. Why have you brought me here?" she asked.

He explained to her that generations of Kings had filled the harem with their wives and had also taken many concubines. By his father's time, the practice of taking concubines had become less frequent, since these women were not protected by marriage and in the past those who had fallen out of favour were often left to return to their families, with no prospect of marriage thereafter. His father had taken no official concubines, but had entertained a string of "unofficial concubines" — or rather mistresses — in this suite. It was located in the guest wing, but the only door was the one from the courtyard and the King and his concubines were able to come and go unseen by the court.

He saw that she was puzzled. "Don't you see? We could meet here when we want real privacy. In here we need not obey the rules."

"Do you mean that in this room I could be your concubine?"

"No, my beloved. In this room, I could be your concubine. If you should ever wish to summon me to your bed, you could do so from here. From this day you will be the Queen in this room and I will be your obedient concubine. I promise you I will always come to you."

She stood frozen for a moment. "I could not summon you, my lord."

"Not your lord - your husband, your lover, your concubine. Please. It would excite me and please me."

She nodded a little shyly, then smiled as she thought how good it would be to have this private place together.

Later in the evening, the eunuch came to her with the King's command and she walked the Queen's Path quietly with her escort of handmaidens. Once inside his chamber, she found the King was not there, but there was an envelope on his bed with her name on it. She opened it and found a note from him, saying that she should go to the Concubine's room.

She pulled her wrap close round her, let herself out of the French window and crossed the gardens to the gate into the courtyard. But the King was not in the pretty rooms when she arrived. There was another note.

"Ring me in my office and summon me — if you want me to come to you." It was signed with the pet name she used only when they were in bed together. She read the note several times. He really meant for her to do this and she felt her body respond to the idea of having him come to her.

She took off all her clothes, pulled back the bed clothes and climbed into the vast four poster bed. She picked up the phone by the bed and dialled the number of his office.

"Yes?"

"It's me," she said very quietly.

"Who is this?" he asked.

"It is your wife, my lord."

"And what do you want?" he asked gently.

"I would like you to come to my bed," she said, her face flushing with excitement and nervousness.

"Ah, but I cannot go to my wife's bed. I am the King. You must be mistaken."

Confused, she was silent for a second. "You must want someone else..." he prompted her.

Understanding what he wanted from her, she said in a more confident voice. "This is the Queen. Command my concubine to join me in my bed immediately."

"Majesty, I am yours to command," came his answer.

She put down the phone and lay back against the pillows to still her heart as it pounded in her chest. Within seconds, there was a tiny knock on the glass and he came in, naked to the waist and barefoot.

She heard him close the door behind him and pull the curtains shut. As he appeared in the doorway of the bedroom, she turned back the bedclothes, revealing her naked breasts.