The dozens of finely dressed men and women scattered throughout the spacious hall consciously avoided eye contact with their Emperor. They knew better. Catching his attention rarely ended well. The craftier of them would skirt the edges of the room and duck behind pillars whenever the Emperor’s gaze wandered in their direction. But this was only a brief delay. In time, all of them would feel the bitter kiss of Shinzan’s lips. They would experience the exquisite pain of his touch. No one was safe for long. The delicate sounds of the musicians reverberated perfectly off the vaulted ceiling. Though there were only six players, the acoustics made it sound as if they were twice that in number. Even so, no one was dancing. Shinzan considered ordering those in attendance to do so, but dismissed the idea. Better to leave them free to plot and jostle for position. That was far more entertaining. The two naked women at his feet ran their nimble fingers up his inner thighs.
