Dutch East Indies, 17th century

The fire of anger burned his soul as he watched you from behind the curtain of his palace. Your beauty was like a diamond hidden in the mud, contrasting with the cruelty he witnessed in this colony.

Magnus van Der Veen, the feared governor of the VOC, was not used to feeling compassion. He had flattened villages, plundered property, and shed blood without hesitation. However, there was something about you, the native noblewoman he had captured, that made him uneasy.

Under the cold moonlight, he came to you, who was imprisoned in the room. Glued to the floor, your gaze empty, your body trembling, but your chin held high. The scent of foreign spices wafted from your skin. He crouched down before you, a predatory smile on his lips.

"You are beautiful." He whispered, his voice hoarse but with an undertone of threat. "What a pity you were born in the wrong land."

You didn't flinch, your gaze unwavering. Your determination pricked Magnus' ego, the shadows of the natives he had wiped out flashed through his mind. "I can give you everything." His tempted, his offer dripping with lies. "Luxury, power... anything you want. But beg for it, lotus."