The Sheikh's Furious Prisoner

by Leslie North

  Everything was extravagant. The living room was large and furnished with leather cream sofas with a gold base. The flat screen television was at least one hundred inches with an amazing cinema system. The floor was Carrara marble. The bedroom had a 4-poster, king-sized bed with lace canopy and drapes, which were pulled back. There were so many pillows on the bed; this was a plus for Saja. She loved pillows. The walk-in closet, which on it’s own was the same size as her bedroom in London, was filled with expensive clothes and shoes.

  The bathtub could easily fit three people. The shower was also large with multiple sprayers. The sink was glass and shaped like a bowl. Two entire walls were mirrored and the remaining walls and the floor were tiled in a beautiful stone pattern. Saja was amazed at how beautiful her quarters were. It was unreal. The one thing that made her the most happy was the kitchen. It was fully stocked with food. Back home she was always so busy; she never had time to eat properly. Here, she had her own maids and a full kitchen. She sighed deeply; it's not as if she was going to stay here for long.

  “What is your name?” Saja asked the maid.

  “I am Mona and I will be serving you. If you need anything do not hesitate to ask me,” the maid replied.

  “Thanks, Mona. Who was that man I just met?”

  “That was Prince Basil Al-Qadir.”

  “Right, okay. Apparently, that's my betrothed. Tell me about him.”

  Mona hesitated for a second, unsure if Saja was serious. “You truly don’t know about him? He is the third prince and has control over the south of Basrat. He’s extremely powerful.”

  Saja placed her hands on her hips. The situation was not as simple as she thought. The only thing she was sure of was that this was a marriage of convenience. And since he is a prince, this meant that the situation was going to be harder to get out of than she had anticipated.

  * * * *

  Prince Al-Qadir sat in his office. Badir, his friend and head of security walked into his office, bowing before he sat down.

  “Is there something on your mind your highness?” Badir asked him.

  “I just met my betrothed,” he replied flatly.

  “Ah yes, Miss Saja. What was your first impression of her?” Badir asked. The Prince sighed deeply and rubbed his temples. “It can't be that bad,” Badir added.

  “There is a lot to say already.”

  “Please, enlighten me.”

  “For one, she did not even know who I am. She walked in here wearing improper clothing, behaved inappropriately and had no idea why she was here.”

  Chapter 3

  “That's preposterous! Who in this country does not know you?” Badir said.

  “Her father told me that she grew up in London.”

  “Oh, she's westernised. I assume that does not sit well with you either.”

  “No, it does not. She was wearing tight fitting trousers and a sleeveless top. She's not full Arabic either.”

  Badir's jaw dropped. “An illegitimate child?” he asked. Badir knew El-Tamar's wife and she was full Arabic. The Prince nodded and picked up the phone. He pressed a button and asked his assistant to call El-Tamar. He wanted to speak to Saja's father. He was not pleased with the situation. A few moments later, Sheik El-Tamar was on the phone.

  “Prince Al-Qadir, I trust that you are well,” El-Tamar said.

  “I am. How can you send your daughter here with her unaware of the situation?” the Prince asked.

  “She is aware of the marriage but not the rest. I leave her in your hands; do what you will with her.”

  “You are giving me an illegitimate child. Are you aware of the repercussions?”

  “My apologies your highness, but she is the only female child I have. If you do not wish to take her as a wife, then you may make her a concubine or a servant.”

  The Prince was not willing to continue the conversation, so he cut it short. El-Tamar was desperate to be rid of his daughter, and this made the Prince uncomfortable. But now that Saja was his, there were a few ground rules that needed to be laid out. Her dress sense needed to change and she needed to be educated on the culture. The Prince decided to keep her for a while until he decided what to do with her.

  * * * *

  The next morning, the Prince summoned Saja to eat breakfast with him. Mona had informed her and was waiting for her to get ready. Saja wore shorts and a t-shirt. Mona's jaw dropped when she saw her come out of her bedroom. She bowed her head before she said anything.

  “The Prince will not like it,” Mona said to Saja.

  “What is wrong with what I am wearing?” Saja asked as she looked at herself in the mirror.

  “Well, the Prince prefers women to cover their legs, preferably skirts or dresses. He also doesn't like body hugging clothes.”

  Saja frowned. This guy seemed to be very traditional and controlling. Saja was not one to be controlled and if he thought he could do that, then he had another thing coming. She gestured for Mona to go with her. Mona escorted her to meet with the Prince. She felt apprehensive to go there with her while Saja was dressed like that; as she was afraid that she would be blamed for not informing her of the Prince’s tastes.

  He was sitting at his table reading a newspaper, waiting for Saja's arrival. His maids had already set the table and were bringing out the breakfast food when Mona walked in and announced Saja. Saja walked in and stopped in front of the table. The Prince hadn't put down the newspaper. She had expected him to do so. It was the polite thing to do.

  “Aren't you going to sit down?” the Prince asked without looking up from the newspaper. Saja felt a little irritated. The man possessed no basic manners. She stood there waiting for him to look up and talk to her in a more polite manner. He slowly put down the newspaper and looked up at Saja. She was standing there with her hands on her hips looking at him. He gestured for her to sit down.

  “That was not so difficult, now was it,” Saja said as she joined him at the table.

  “What was not difficult?” the Prince asked feeling a bit amused but kept his face expressionless.

  “It is polite to look at me whilst speaking,” Saja sighed.

  “Have your breakfast.” The Prince cut into his omelette and began to eat. As much as Saja did not want to dine with him, she was hungry. She took a sip of her orange juice.

  “I will be leaving today,” Saja said as she began to eat. The Prince carried on eating and did not react.

  “Where will you be going?” His tone was flat and he sounded disinterested.

  “Home, of course, there’s nothing for me here.”

  The Prince smiled to himself. It was amusing to him that Saja thought that she could simply leave, just like that. He could tell that she was not fully grasping the situation. The moment she stepped foot in his country, she became his property. Her father had already promised her to him.

  After breakfast, Saja dismissed herself from the room and left. The Prince let her leave the room. It was going to be the last choice she made of her own free will. She was going to get the shock of her life when she tried to leave his palace.

  The maids nervously watched Saja packing her belongings. She seemed to be in a rush. Mona approached slowly to ask her what she was doing. Saja informed her that she was packing and carried on doing so. She picked up her suitcase and headed out. Before she could even leave the room, the guards were standing in the doorway blocking her from leaving.

  “What is this?” Saja asked.

  “I am sorry, Ma'am, but we cannot let you leave,” one of the guards said to Saja. She stood there as realisation sunk in.

  “What do you mean, I can NOT leave?” Saja asked.

  “We were instructed not to allow you to leave.”

  “By whom?”

  “The Prince.”

  Saja blinked a couple of times before she responded. “Why would he do that?” she asked.

  “I am sorry but that is all the information we received.”

  “Then let me go speak with him.”


  “He is busy at the moment. He will come to you.”

  Saja dropped the suitcase and placed her hands on her hips. She was being held hostage! She could not believe it. During breakfast, she had told him that she was going to leave and he had not said anything to stop her. Now, he was not letting her leave. That did not make any sense.

  Mona picked up Saja's suitcase and dragged it back to the closet while one of the guards closed the door. Saja started pacing up and down. She was trying to keep her temper in check. The situation was so frustrating for her. Firstly, her so-called father had insisted that she come here and then told her she was betrothed. As if she was going to go through with it! Then she was stuck in this strange man's house and he would not let her leave.

  Saja went to call her mother. She had to do something to take her mind off the situation. She had to stay calm and save it for the Prince. Oh yes she had a few choice words for him, thinking he could control her, holding her hostage in his house. He did not know her and he had another thing coming.

  Chapter 4

  Saja conferenced her mother and best friend, Jordan, in Skype. She needed to vent to the both of them. Whenever she needed to clear her mind or she needed advice, they were the two people she went to first.

  “Saja!” Jordan said cheerfully as soon as she picked up.

  “I am so infuriated,” Saja voiced out.

  “What happened dear?” her mother asked. Saja was pacing up and down in her bedroom. She paused half way and looked at the laptop screen.

  “This man, my so-called betrothed, will not allow me to leave this place. I am being held hostage. Can you believe that?” she shouted at the screen. Her mother and Jordan both gasped.

  “Why would he do that?” Jordan yelled out.

  “I have no idea,” Saja threw her hands in the air. That was the same question she had been asking herself and trying to answer. It did not make any sense at all.

  “I suspect that your father had something to do with it,” her mother said.

  “That man is not my father!” Saja snapped.

  “Is your husband to-be attractive?” Jordan asked with a smirk on her face. Saja walked towards the laptop, sat down and stared into the camera with a blank face.

  “Is that even important right now?” she asked Jordan.

  “Well, I'm curious.”

  “He's fine.”

  “Just fine?”

  “Look, I was not sizing him up or taking notes. But if you must know, he is also impolite, so I could care less about his looks.”

  “You will not consider getting to know him?” her mother asked.

  “Mother, no!” Saja was shocked that her mother would even ask her that.

  “Relax darling, I am pulling your leg,” her mother laughed softly.

  After complaining and venting, Saja finally calmed down. Speaking to the both of them always did her good. When the call ended, she lay on her bed and waited for the Prince. He had a lot of explaining to do.

  ***

  Later that evening, the Prince was just getting out of the shower. He towel dried his hair and slipped into casual clothes. He was getting ready to go speak with Saja. He was intrigued and curious about her reaction. He did not know what to expect since he barely knew her. One of the guards had reported to him that she was not pleased and had demanded his audience. On his way out of his quarters, he ran into Badir.

  Badir bowed his head to the Prince. “Where are you off to?” Badir asked him.

  “Saja's quarters,” he said calmly.

  “That should be interesting.”

  “I am sure I can handle her.”

  “What do you intend to do with her?”

  The Prince sighed before he spoke. The two of them turned a corner. “I am not sure yet.”

  Badir laughed before he parted ways with the Prince. He did not trust him in this situation. Usually when he was unsure of something, he would test it to its limits and judging from the fact that he had not allowed Saja to leave; he was going to do just that. This was not going to be an easy adjustment for her.

  Mona announced the Prince's arrival as he entered Saja's quarters. She was in her room when he arrived. Finally! she thought to herself. It was nearing 9 pm. She had waited for him the entire day. She walked out of her room calmly. He had made himself comfortable at the sofas. He gestured for her to join him. She did not really want to sit with him but at least this time he had asked whilst looking at her. She sat down across from him.

  “I trust that you are well,” the Prince said very calmly. Saja narrowed her gaze. She wanted to get straight to the point. There was no need to beat around the bush.

  “I am not well, actually,” Saja replied.

  “Why is that?” he asked as if he did not know the answer already.

  “You knew that I intended to leave and yet you held me here against my will.”

  Ignoring her comment, “I do not like your clothes,” he replied. She had changed into white leggings and a grey t-shirt.

  “I do not care what you think of my dress sense.” What do my clothes have to do with you? Saja asked herself. He grunted in response. He was starting to get a feel for what she was like and he was not pleased. “I wish to go home,” she added.

  “I understand that.”

  “Well then, call off your guards and make it happen.”

  Mona and one of the other maids, Amber, stood there in disbelief. They had never witnessed anyone speak to the Prince the way Saja did. Clearly, she was not from around here and did not fear him.

  “I do not respond well to demands,” the Prince replied silkily. He still appeared relaxed and kept eye contact with Saja.

  “Neither do I,” Saja replied. He smirked as he stood up. Clearly, she was challenging him. “I shall leave tomorrow morning,” Saja told him as he headed for the door. He paused halfway and turned to look at her.

  “I do not think you are grasping the magnitude of the situation,” he said to her. Saja frowned. What was he on about now? “Your father entrusted you to me. Therefore, you belong to me and I will do as I please with you. The rules are different here,” he added. Saja's jaw dropped.

  “BELONG?!” Saja shouted. She had managed to keep her temper until this point. She couldn't keep it any longer. “I am not a piece of property and I certainly do not belong to you. You can't keep me here against my will,” she added. Mona and Amber stared at the floor. The situation was getting more and more uncomfortable for them.

  “We will see about that and that attitude,” the Prince said and headed out of her quarters. He was not impressed with her tone. He never had a woman raise her voice to him like that. She needed to be tamed.

  “What just happened?” Saja asked Mona and Amber. “How dare he? Just who does he think he is? I am leaving this place in the morning.” Her hands were shaking from anger.

  “Ma'am, the Prince's word is law. It will be hard for you to get around it,” Mona said softly, trying not to provoke her any further.

  “Law? Simply because he is a prince, he thinks that he has the right to be arrogant and controlling?”

  Mona shrugged, “It has always been this way.”

  “Well, I have a phone! And the internet! We’re not in the 15th century anymore - I’ll just call the police.”

  “You’re in Quabeca now, the police all report to the Prince. And any foreign calls with be monitored. I am sorry Saja, there is nothing we can do to help,” Amber said gently.

  “Well, let him keep me here against my will and he will live to regret it. Mark my words!” Saja stormed off to her bedroom. Mona and Amber looked at each other. Had she really threatened the Prince? That was an offence that could very well send her to jail. She did not understand this man's power and status. All of it meant nothing to her, otherwise she would have not spoken to him the way she did. Most women would do anything to catch his attention for five minutes and here she was in his house and wasting her opportunity.

  Saja slammed the door behi
nd her. She was so furious. She hated being forced to do things against her will. She was very strong minded and stubborn. If the Prince thought that he could keep her there, then he was not going to experience any peace in his days. He was going to regret it. Saja was seeing red. First, it was her so-called father who had brought her to this country and then shipped her off to some man she didn’t know. He had no right to dictate whom she was to marry. He had lost the right to be her father before she was even born. Now, this man she was to marry was worse than her father was. He did not know her and yet he was controlling her. This was a nightmare, one that Saja wished to wake from soon.