6

One afternoon as I was talking to Mariah, the prince came in. This was the first time that I had seen him since he had assaulted me. "Leave us…" he said to Mariah. I could see that she was reluctant to leave me with him. "I said, leave us, woman!" this time he all but dragged her and pushed her out of the door. All I could do was stare at him.

"Who do you think you are to meet my eyes so boldly?" but I would not avert my eyes. This angered him, and he grabbed a fistful of my hair and pulled mercilessly. The pain was so acute that I had to close my eyes. "Now that's more like it… you think you are better than me? That you are now an equal, because you have his bastard son in your belly?" he whispered menacingly in my ear. "I could relieve you of that just like that." He snapped his fingers in front of my face as if to make a point. As his palm grew into a fist I became sorely afraid for my child. He had already done it before and my poor child had almost died, and he could do it again.

As he raised his fist up in the air, I closed my eyes and prayed my child would not be harmed, but then the door suddenly burst open. I felt his struggles as men started to subdue him, then I felt my hair being released and as I fell back strong arms caught me before I hit the sand. It was him…

"You will not harm her or my son!" he roared at the prince… he was positively rabid with rage. If he was not holding me I know he would have probably wrapped those long strong fingers of his around his brother's neck and wrung the life out of him. As my eyes cleared I saw palace guards subduing the prince and Mariah crying outside. The Sheikh carried me in his arms as he started for the door.

"Highness, the people…" I protested. Being seen in public was damaging for his image.

"I do not care what they think or what they believe. I will not let you out of my sight again." He said as he proceeded to step out the door in full view of the people. His purposeful strides took us directly to the waiting helicopter.

We traveled back to the palace and immediately upon landing I was greeted by my nurse and the doctor. I was whisked away in a gurney and brought to a room full of medical equipment; it seems that one of the palace rooms has been converted to medical facility. They proceeded to examine me and treat the cuts and bruises I had received, but most importantly the doctor made sure my child was healthy. The doctor whipped out an ultrasound machine and proceeded to examine my belly. The moment the machine found my child the room filled with the sound of galloping heart beats.

"How is he?" the sheikh asked, it was the first time I noticed he had come in the room after us.

"He is fine, your majesty, he is one strong little fellow. Just like his mother." He pronounced.

"May I ask you to please leave us? I wish to speak to her alone." At this they inclined their heads and left. Rahim then firmly closed the door behind them. The silence grew deafening as I waited for him to say something. "I am so sorry…" it was so reminiscent of my dream that all I could do was look at him. I did not know what to say, so I kept my silence.

"I am sorry that I have put you in this position… you are the best thing that happened to my life." All I could do was stare in amazement at what he was saying. "I thought that Gerard would make everything alright. I thought that it would solve all the problems we had… all the threats… I thought it would give you a good life away from this country, even if killed me to see you go or to never know my son, I thought it would keep you safe…"

What was he saying…? What threats? What does he mean I'm the best thing that ever happened to him? "I do not understand. Why would anyone threaten me? I am no one. Surely there were other women? Why me?"

"Oh, you are but a babe… I have never had anyone other than you. I am not saying I have not known women before, but I have known none since I met you." I was dumb founded, but, I still don't understand why me? "You still do not understand do you?"

"Truthfully, no…"

"You see, we have been promised to each other since we were but babes. Both our mothers as, you know, are foreigners. They had come to this country together and they were the best of friends, and as such our fathers became great friends too. When your mother died of childbirth, my mother made my father promise that we would provide for you by making you my betrothed. Your father, of course, agreed; but, as a condition said that he would raise you himself within the Quasani traditions and that when the time was right you would be presented to me."

"But, that couldn't be true." I just couldn't believe it.

"Oh, but it is, my love. I had never agreed to such an arrangement and have long despised you for what I thought you were. I thought you were nothing but a cheap girl wanting in on the royal name. And so I went about to summon you to the palace to inspect you more closely." At this he couldn't keep eye contact and instead started to pace the room. "I thought that if my suspicions were true I could disregard my father's oath and be none the worse for not marrying you… but then that night, when I first saw you… I never intended for you to see me or for me to have taken advantage. I couldn't help myself. The moment I saw your beautiful hair, those deep eyes… I'm afraid I acted without thinking and I had ruined you. I had taken you by force even when you had assented." His voice almost cracked, his fists were balled into fists and I could see that all the anger in his voice was directed within.

"I thought if I dig deeper I will find the gold digger, that I will find my proof; but then, all I uncovered was more kindness and love… you would even help with the servants even when you were never obliged to do so; and you had not once complained of how I treated you, how I used you…" I couldn't say a word. A swirl of emotions assaulted me from every angle. "Then that swine assaulted you… if I hadn't changed my mind about leaving for that trip… if I had been a moment too late… he would have… if he did I would have killed him with my bare hands, brother or not…"

"You mean he didn't…" I couldn't go on… tears were now clouding my vision.

"No, my love… he has never touched you, and he will never touch you…" I was so relieved but he was still not finished. "And then I learned that I had gotten you pregnant and that he endangered that life... when I saw you in agony lying in a pool of blood, I almost couldn't breathe. I was so afraid I would lose you… after that I just couldn't keep it to myself anymore… I was prepared to tell you everything and leave myself at your mercy; but my advisers were dead set against it. They were worried over tradition and how it would look if I married a pregnant woman. Then the threats started coming… it seemed my brother had aligned himself with one of the factions in our country."

"Yes, Mariah told me you banished him."

"Yes, I did. After what he had done to you, if I were to see him again I would not be liable not to kill him. He had incited them into a frenzy. He told them of our betrothal and that you have broken such promise by falling pregnant assumingly from another man; but I knew it was my entire fault. So I tried to correct my mistake… I thought if you married someone else in the royal family, my oath would still be preserved and that you would be kept safe from the faction; but I hadn't thought you would run away. If Mariah hadn't sent that letter to the palace that morning tipping us where you were kept, I may not have gotten there in time… my son… our son, may not have had another chance." At this I couldn't help but keep my surprise as a single tear ran down his cheek. It pained me to see such a proud man hurt in such a way. "Please forgive me… I have wronged you in so many ways. I love you and I do not even deserve your kindness. I will give you anything you wish… but just please do not deny me my son."

"You still don't understand, do you?" I stood up from the table, went to him and wiped away the stray tear as I caressed his cheek. "I love you, and I would never deny you our son. I ran away because I could not bear to be married to someone else… for our child to call someone else father. I forgive you." I pressed a kiss on his lips. Soon the kiss turned into something more. Heat seared at our bodies as I submitted to his ministrations and for the first time we made love with each other with all our emotions shinning from our eyes.

"I love you."