The crimson room was bathed in soft golden light from the tall lamps. Ananya lay on the vast silken red bed, still floating in the dreamy, floaty state of subspace after the long Crimson Web session. Her body was limp and warm, her long loose bejeweled hair spread across the pillows like dark silk, her heavy breasts rising and falling with slow breaths.

Vikram sat beside her on the bed, a large silver tray resting between them. He had ordered the selected staff to bring the entire royal dinner near the crimson room itself so she wouldn’t have to move. Slow cooked mutton biryani rich with saffron, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg, fresh oysters on crushed ice, dark chocolate mousse, roasted almonds and figs drizzled with honey, and sweet mango lassi. He wanted her to regain her strength.