by Leslie North
“Saja seems like a nice girl,” he said, testing the waters. Knowing his brother, he was going to dispute that statement instantly.
“You don't know her,” Basil said.
“Badir, what do you think?”
“She is a character alright,” Badir replied.
“Elaborate.” The King was interested.
“She and Basil do not get along. Whenever they meet, it's not pretty.”
“Can we not talk about her and simply enjoy the ride?” Basil interjected. Seeing her infuriated him, talking about her did the same. He simply wanted to escape that for a moment.
“They fight hard.”
The King laughed. “I cannot believe that,” he said.
“Well believe it,” Basil said. He was starting to get annoyed.
“She has a bit of a temper,” Badir said. He laughed a little as he remembered seeing them argue. On one afternoon, he had been walking with Basil when they bumped into Saja. They argued over the same issue again. Saja wanted to go home and Basil would not let her. He threatened to sell her off if she did not behave and she took it badly. Badir stayed silent and watched them argue.
“That woman needs to be tamed,” Basil said.
“Tame! Wow, how can you use that word about a woman? And exactly how are you going to achieve that?” the King asked. Basil grunted. He held the reigns tighter and slightly yanked them.
“Yah!” he sounded to the horse and galloped off. The King watched him gallop off. He knew his brother was up to no good and was not going to listen to him or anyone else for that matter. He wondered how it was going to turn out. If Saja had a temper as Badir said she did, then this was going to be brutal. His brother was not merciful. It would be better for everyone if Basil returned Saja to her family.
The King quizzed his brother about Saja's family over dinner. If indeed he did not like her personality and if she lacked all that he solicited in a woman, why did he not simply give her back? He did not understand why she was still in his palace. Basil reluctantly told his brother everything from El-Tamar to Saja. The King was shocked to learn about El-Tamar's lack of love for his daughter. Yes, she was an illegitimate child but that did not change her DNA. His blood flowed through her veins. The King could understand why she despised him.
“Poor girl,” the King said. “Instead of inflicting more pain, send her home,” he added.
“How is your concubine situation?” Basil asked his brother, changing the subject. He was not willing to discuss Saja any further. The King laughed at the topic Basil decided to shift to.
“Well she and the queen are driving me crazy with their feud.” King Al-Qadir had a wife, who was the queen and he also had a concubine. The two of them could not co-exist and lately it was getting out of hand.
“Of course they are feuding. One woman is not easy to deal with, imagine two,” Basil laughed. He had warned his brother not to get a concubine. That kind of tradition was old fashioned but his brother was not fond of the queen from the beginning, since it was a political marriage. So, he decided to find another woman to bed.
Basil went to Saja's quarters in the morning. She had to yell at him every day, as if it was part of her routine. He decided to let her get it out of her system in the morning, so that she did not come to argue with him later in the day. He especially did not want her arguing with him in front of his brother.
Mona and Amber had already set the breakfast table. Saja dragged her feet as she walked into the dining room. She groaned when she saw Basil already sitting there.
“Pick up your feet,” Basil said to her. Her walk was irritating him and he noticed that she was wearing her pyjama shorts and a vest again.
“Why are you here?” Saja asked him. She sat down at the table.
“Is it not my palace?”
“Your point?”
“I can go wherever I please, when I please.”
“Send me home.”
“Will you give that up.”
“No.”
Basil picked up his cutlery and started eating. Saja did the same. She could not even be bothered to say much. She had concluded that he was crazy. Either that or this was some sort of game to him. There was no way to convince him to let her go. He acted as though she was requesting the impossible. They sat there eating in silence for a moment.
“I did not know you were a doctor,” Basil said breaking the silence.
“How would you know? You always assumed things about me,” Saja replied.
Basil sighed before he replied. “I am getting sick of this attitude of yours,” he said and put his fork down.
“Good! Maybe you'll do what a normal person would do and that is to LET ME GO!”
Mona and Amber slowly left the room. The peace had only lasted a few minutes and now they were going back to war. They could not witness it. It was far too awkward. Basil stood up and walked over to Saja. He pulled her up.
“Let go of me,” she said and tried to yank her arm free but failed. “What, you are going to hit me?” she asked him.
“You think I would strike a woman?” he asked. It annoyed him that she thought that he would hit her.
“Then let go of me.”
Basil stared at her intensely. He strangely found himself staring at her lips and then her cleavage. Saja was feeling both angry and awkward. She hated how he grabbed her so roughly. She noticed him looking at her cleavage. She raised her free hand and slapped him. Basil flinched. He had not been expecting the slap at all and it stung. She was heavy handed.
Saja half expected him to slap her back or yell at her but to her surprise he did neither. Instead, he pulled her closer to him and held the back of her head with his other hand. Saja's eyes flew open when he pressed his lips against hers. She tried to fight him off but he kept kissing her. She stopped fighting him and clung to his shirt with her other hand. She let him kiss her. She felt a warmth in her stomach and a few electric pulses run through her. Basil broke the kiss and walked away. Saja took a few moments to come back to her senses.
“Don't ever do that again!” she called out after him.
He paused halfway. “Don't forget that you belong to me now and I can do whatever I please with you,” he said and walked out. Saja stood there breathless and confused. The kiss was fast and passionate. And it felt amazing. She did not understand how it happened nor had she seen it coming. It surprised her that he would even kiss her.
Chapter 10
Mona and Amber re-entered the dining room when the coast was clear. They found Saja standing in the middle of the room with red cheeks. They approached her to find out if she was okay. Saja sighed and went to her bedroom to Skype her best friend, Jordan. This was something she had to share. She was confused. She never knew how to read men, so this was something she needed help with.
Jordan laughed hysterically before giving her opinion on the matter. “Oh, he's beastly,” Jordan said mischievously and wiggled her eyebrows. Saja frowned.
“I really dislike this guy and I don't know how to handle this. And… I have such conflicting emotions. He’s so annoying, but at the same time, I like being around him.” Saja said and ran her hand through her hair.
“And he feels something for you, otherwise why would he grab you and lay it on you like that?”
“He frustrates me! He's arrogant and assumes he knows what I am about. Jordan, I want to come home.”
“I understand you. He is a jerk and it's really messed up.”
“But?” Saja could sense there was a ‘but’ in the sentence.
“Don't bite my head off, just hear me out,” Jordan said. Saja had a feeling she was not going to like her idea. Jordan had always been the wild one. She always came up with the crazy ideas. “Honey, have fun with it, otherwise you'll drive yourself crazy,” Jordan added.
“Fun? You've lost it,” Saja could not understand Jordan's point.
“Not like enjoy being his prisoner but take it as a holiday,” Jordan said. Saja narrowed her eyes
. “Explore the place, have fun. Ignore him when he argues with you. Don't let him get to you because this approach you've tried so far hasn't worked and it’s only driving you crazy,” she added.
Saja started laughing. She was convinced that Jordan had lost it.
“Go horseback riding, order his staff around, be the woman of the house. He might get annoyed by you and get rid of you or embrace you.”
Strangely, Saja thought that Jordan had a point. Saja could really get under Basil's skin by acting like the woman of the house; she was his betrothed after all. Shouldn't she get comfortable in her new home? She got the feeling that he would not appreciate her challenging his authority. Saja smiled at the very thought. That would really infuriate him.
“I think that I have an idea. Thanks,” Saja said.
“Girl, I always tell words of wisdom. Now tell me, is he a good kisser?” Jordan asked. Saja rolled her eyes.
“I am ending this conversation,” Saja said and hung up on Jordan. She was not ready to answer that question or even think about the kiss. She was simply going to forget the whole thing even happened. She did not understand it nor did she want to.
***
The King was having dinner with Badir and Basil. The maids served them their dinner and poured their drinks. King Al-Qadir had mentioned inviting Saja but Basil had completely dismissed that idea. Basil examined his food for a while. It was not Arabic food nor was it what he normally ate. The food looked appetising. He tried it anyway and it definitely tasted different. He called Marina into the dining room.
“Why is this food different?” Basil asked her.
“What is wrong with it? I think it tastes delicious,” the King said. Badir nodded in agreement, as he took another mouthful.
“That is beside the point,” Basil said. Marina suddenly started feeling nervous.
“It was Miss Saja who changed the menu. She said that she had your permission as she was your fiancée,” Marina replied softly and bowed her head. The King and Badir looked at each other before they both started roaring with laughter.
“What?” Basil demanded.
“Well, she does have a point. She is your future wife. She does have the right to change the menu,” his brother teased, as both men continued to chuckle. Saja was really challenging Basil to a point he never thought anyone could.
“That is ridiculous.”
“Prince Al-Qadir, I am so sorry,” Marina apologised and bowed her head multiple times.
“You might as well eat it. It is not like it tastes bad,” the King said. Basil returned his attention to the food, which he reluctantly ate. He was filled with mixed emotions. Part of him was infuriated because she had no right to change his menu as she pleased. The other part of him was enjoying the food but would not admit it aloud. He wanted to march over to her room and show her who was in charge but he did not trust himself to do that. That morning he had pulled her into his arms and kissed her. That was not something he had expected or planned. He did not know why he did it especially after she had slapped him. She needed to be punished for that. He still remembered her taste.
The next morning, Basil was pleased and surprised to have his breakfast as he normally did. He had partially expected Saja to have changed his breakfast too. She was quite tenacious. He questioned whether she had given up. Basil shook the thoughts out of his head as he ate.
After breakfast, Basil left his quarters for his office. His jaw dropped when he walked in. It had been redecorated. He did not even need to ask why it had been changed. He knew that this was Saja's doing. He sighed and sat down at his desk. He had work to do and he would have to deal with her later. At the moment, he was simply glad that she had left him his desk.
***
Basil joined Saja for dinner in her quarters. He was definitely seeing her that night. There was plenty to discuss. She was standing by the dinner table when he walked in. She was wearing a long purple dress with a square neck and lace sleeves. The dress hugged her hips in just the right way. It was not too tight or too loose. She wore a silver necklace that complemented her complexion. Her hair was tied up in a high bun. She curtsied and bowed her head as he approached her. He raised his eyebrow. She was up to something. Saja sat down after he was seated.
“Good evening, your highness,” Saja said gently.
“What are you up to?” he asked her.
“Whatever do you mean?” Saja asked as she picked up her cutlery and started eating.
“Why are you dressed up?”
“Because my fiancée prefers for me to dress modestly,” she replied demurely.
Basil actually burst out laughing. Either she was losing her mind or she was planning something. He started eating. He watched her as he ate. He did not trust her. He noticed there were a few fabric swatches next to her.
“What are those for?” he asked her. Saja looked to see what he was talking about.
“Ah, the swatches. I intend to redecorate your quarters,” she replied and smiled at him. Basil closed his eyes for few seconds. He reopened them and carried on eating. Saja was slightly disappointed. She expected a different reaction from him. The two of them finished the rest of their meal in silence. Basil picked up his napkin and wiped his mouth.
“You have to stop changing things around here,” Basil said in the calmest tone he could. Saja stood up and walked over to him. She touched both of his shoulders.
“Basil, as your future wife, I should have the right to change things around here. I am the lady of the house after all.” Her tone was rather patronizing. She bent down and kissed his cheek. She could tell that he was about to explode. She turned to walk away but he grabbed her hand. “You have to stop man handling me,” she added.
“Whatever you are up to, stop it,” he told her.
Saja turned face him. Her expression grew darker. “It's either this or send me back home,” she said. He stood up and looked her in the eye.
“Then enjoy being the lady of the house. What's mine is yours.” He kissed her forehead and headed for the door. Saja's jaw dropped. Her short-lived plan had backfired.
“Are you serious?” she shouted as she followed him. He stopped and faced her. He had a smirk plastered across his face. “It's really not funny,” she said to him. She started fanning herself. The angrier she got, the more her body temperature rose.
“Do not play games with me because you will lose,” Basil said to her and walked out. Saja stormed off to her bedroom. She felt like giving up. She had tried everything and it was not working. She threw herself on her bed and curled into the foetal position. This man was so infuriating! But as she drifted off to sleep, all she could think of was Basil standing there in his towel.
Chapter 11
Throughout the day, Basil's mind kept drifting back to last night's events. The image of Saja in her purple dress was burned in his brain. The feel of her hands when she touched him, as chaste as it was, set his skin on fire. He tried to forget about it but he couldn't nor could he focus on his work, his mind was cluttered. That was unlike him. His secretary informed him that El-Tamar was on the phone with an important message. Basil reluctantly took the phone call. He found himself disliking him more and more.
El-Tamar spoke about their treaty and other business. Throughout the conversation, Basil noticed that he did not ask about his daughter's well-being. The last time they had spoken, El-Tamar always referred to Saja as “she”. He never called her by her name, or as ‘daughter’ and that bothered Basil. He was pleased when the conversation ended. Speaking with him always left a bad taste in his mouth. He dreaded the thought of meeting him. They were to meet with the other sheiks in a few weeks’ time.
Basil left his office and headed back to his quarters. He walked into his sitting room and Saja was sitting there. Basil found himself positively anticipating their conversation. He sat down across from her. She was sitting there lifeless. She sighed before she spoke.
“I give up,” Saja said quietly. Never in her life had
she ever given up on anything. She could not give up and be this man's wife. It seemed like she was not going home, so she had to control how she was to stay here. It had to be her choice.
“Give what up?” Basil asked calmly. He was studying her from the moment he sat down. She was wearing a halter neck black maxi dress and sandals. The dress flattered her figure, just like the purple dress from last night. He felt that familiar warm feeling resurfacing in his groin. He shifted uncomfortably as he awaited her response.
“Clearly, you will not let me go home. So I might as well stay here.”
Basil smirked. She was acting as if she had a choice. From the moment she walked into his home, she had lost all free will. He had to admit it was interesting to see her put up a fight. “Is that so?” he asked.