Sheikh Khalid bin Aaban reclined on the sofa in the spacious living room with his feet propped up on a low stool, his head leaned back against the head rest, his hands crossed over his abdomen, his breathing calm and even and his eyes were closed but he was well awake and well aware of what went on aroung him, his ears picking up every sound of movement around him. It had been almost a month since the failed attack on the palace and on the King's life and each time he he remembered it, he became bitter.
For seven years they had gathered, for seven years they had met and for seven years they had planned and all their sacrifices for Prince Aazim had now been all in vain, their efforts had crumbled down hard and Khalid couldn't exactly place the blame on any one. Since the death of Aazim which Khalid knew had been his son's doing, the rest of the members had not met as every man feared for his life and Prince Aazim's palace in Riyadh had been abandoned and forgotten. Khalid stThe drive from the airport was a long one even though it took less than an hour but still, for Omar bin Khalid, it was a long drive. He buckled in the back seat of his car to keep himself from jumping every second because of his racing heart, he couldn't keep himself stable and if he had the powers to, he would super speed to where he needed to be."Hurry up please." He beckoned to the driver who nodded and stepped on the accelerator.They weren't on a free way and couldn't go more than 80 kilometers per hour according to the speed sign but Omar knew that if he was the one behind that wheel, he would break that speed limit and damn the consequences, but this wasn't Saudi Arabia and being the Sheikh's son didn't hold as much importance here as it did in Saudi, this was America, he would face the consequences and face the law. He nervously tapped his feet on the floor of the car and kept looking out the window, bringing his fingers to his mouth. He had last seen Megan a mo
The wind which blew across the middle eastern desert slapped sand particles painfully against the skin and blew ferociously hot, but somewhere in the vast Arabian desert not far from the city, in the tent of Omar bin Khalid bin Aaban, the wind outside was like a cool winter breeze compared to the tension that stretched thin within and fanned a burning heat which was slowly developing. He stood tall a little distance away from his father who sat on a soft cushioned pillow, legs crossed and eyes closed, anger evident on his old wrinkled face. Omar was being impossible.Again."I called you to come home and you bring to me an American?" Sheikh Khalid spoke to his son with calmness although he could not deny the fact that he was greatly disappointed."I am sorry if it upsets you father, but I am going to marry her and I will!" Omar voiced out, his back to his father and his palms in a fist."Marry her?!" Khalid fumed and his eyes shot open. "Hav
Megan only left the tent when Omar had asked her to and that was when he had been called by his father."I'll need you to wait a few minutes first before you head out." He had said."Head out, but why? Is there anything wrong? Why am I to leave?""You're not leaving dummy." He laughed and caressed the back of her hand. "I want to take you out!""Take me out? Out where?""Shhhh..." He hushed her. "It is a surprise.""You don't tell me you want to take me out and say it's a surprise Omar." She laughed."Ok, then it's a secret place."She had been confused. "There is nothing but sand out there.""Remember the small cave I had showed you yesterday? You still know how to get there?"She nodded."Head to that place, after I must have finished with my father, I'll come meet you there then we can go sight seeing, how about that?"She smiled and closed her hand together in excitement. "Really? I would def
Omar grabbed Megan to himself as soon as he heard his name and raised his head. It wasn't his father who had called, it was him, Taheem, the head of the Sheikh's guards. He stood menacingly, one hand on the hilt of the sword that hung on his waist and the other hand by his side in a fist. His gurtha flapped wildly around his head, disturbed by the desert harsh winds. Omar eyed him, his presence was never a good sign, nothing about him was a good sign."What is it?" Omar asked, clearly disturbed by his unwelcomed presence.Taheem had been around for as long as Omar could remember. The man was strict and never smiled, carrying out the Sheikh's orders without questioning and without falter even if it meant to take a life. He was as loyal as he was scary and he was the only one bold enough to look Omar in the eye and give orders like he was about to do now."The Sheikh orders..." Taheem began but Omar interrupted him with a hand."Tell my father that I won't be r
The room was tidy, much too tidy. It was supposed to be this way, she was supposed to be used to it and she was, this was her room after all but today she didn't like how tidy the room was kept. This was how her life was right now, like how it was supposed to be; neat, arranged and perfect as expected of the only daughter to the King of Saudi Arabia.Things were to be placed in accordance, to the taste of the beautician, to be arranged and coloured to perfection, that was how spotless her room was and that was the exact way she felt her life had become, she being the room and her father the beautician. She had been set up and arranged, ready for someone to come and move into her life, continuing from where her father had stopped as her husband, to rule and control and order her about, but Mariam was not used to being ordered about.She knew that being a girl, being a woman meant you had little or no freedom, you couldn't wear whatever you wanted to wear whenever yo
Omar stared out the window of the black Mercedes as it made its way through the streets of Jeddah, heading to the Sheikh's mansion. Frustration was evident on his face and anger was boiling in him towards his father who happened to be riding in the same car and chose to remain silent throughout the journey. Omar did the same, not uttering a single word, his mind went to Megan who rode in the car behind theirs along side Taheem.The fact that she was in the same car with Taheem made him uneasy and he wondered what was going on in there. What conversation were they having if at all they were having any. He was sure they weren't, Taheem wasn't one to indulge freely in conversations, most especially if it happened to be with a stranger, much less someone he was to hate.Omar had agreed to marry Mariam in exchange for Megan's safety and now he wasn't sure he should blindly trust his father, the man was unpredictable and had so many secrets surrounding him. Although the
The car she was in felt tight and stuffy because she had to ride with Taheem. His presence made her feel vulnerable, made her feel like a prey caught by a hunter's trap and left out in the open for the predators picking, so when the car continued driving past the car Omar was in, heading to the back of the mansion, she panicked."Get down." Taheem had said when the car came to a stop as he himself got down, but Megan who had been thinking up the different ways they could butcher and hide her body, hadn't heard him at first.They would let me live for Omar's sake. I can't...no, can't be killed. The Sheikh had promised. I'm not.... where is Omar!Her mind swam wildly and her heart beat was so loud she felt she would have a heart attack. She panicked, she needed to breathe and there was no air in the car, her hand came to the window as she struggled to find the handle.Taheem, who had stepped out since and was already heading for the back door, stopped when he n
The day came too fast and Omar was up and ready even before his father was but he remained in his room. Today he would be going to the palace with his father, to be introduced to his bride to be. He was to behave sensibly and maturely to get the approval of the king to be his daughter's groom. He could not help but feel like a ram being led into the market to be sold, and honestly that was what it was. He was literally being sold off and this marriage was the payment.The only person gaining from this was his father, the Sheikh and Omar couldn't help but feel that there was more to this. He knew that his father was a greedy person and his greed had always been for power and he was hard to satisfy. The man always craved for more and his marriage to the princess was that more that the Sheikh had been yearning for.Omar wondered for how long his father had nursed this in his heart, for how long he had planned for him to get married to the princess. The plan was