She laughed and he rolled her back, looming over her. “Good?” she offered.
“Nope. Not enough,” he replied mock-seriously. “If the best I get is a ‘good’, then I think I need a do-over.”
She smiled up at him as one of her legs bent higher, cradling him more perfectly. “Maybe that was my intention,” she whispered, tightening her grip further.
Zahir looked down into her beautiful blue eyes, overwhelmed by the wave of love he felt. “Well, then I shall grant you your wish,” he promised and lowered his head, tenderly kissing her.
Chapter 7
Sada woke the following morning feeling as if something were missing. Looking around, she blinked, trying to orient herself.
“Where am I?” she whispered to the silent room.
Almost immediately, someone knocked on the door and, before she could give permission to enter, a stern looking woman stepped into the room.
Sada grabbed the sheet to cover her nakedness and cringed at the disapproving look on the older woman’s features.
“I am Ms. Lotz, Your Highness,” and she sort of bowed her head in acknowledgment of Sada’s title and position, but it was more mocking than respectful. “Sheik Sudar has asked that I ensure you are comfortable within the palace and have everything you need.”
Sada’s eyes widened. “Where’s my husband?” she asked, feeling ridiculous. The woman’s severe clothing indicated she leaned towards more conservative social values. If her sour expression was any indication, having to serve a naked woman would not be on the top of Ms. Lotz’s dream jobs. Furthermore, it was humiliating that Sada had to ask where her husband had gone less than twenty-four hours after their wedding. Yes, their wedding had been rushed and she knew that he still had a great many details to attend to, but she didn’t like him not being here this morning.
“His Highness is attending to important business issues,” Ms. Lotz said. Her tone conveyed the not-so-subtle message that Sada was not among those issues. “Breakfast is in the dining room. I can show you the way,” she offered, before pressing her lips together. “Or I can order breakfast to be served here if you prefer.”
Obviously, that wasn’t a good option, Sada thought. The woman clearly did not agree with one sleeping in this late. Sada almost laughed at the obvious disapproval emanating from Ms. Lotz. Eating breakfast in bed was, apparently, frowned upon in Zahir’s household.
Why she cared what Ms. Lotz thought of her at this moment, Sada wasn’t sure. But it was easier to deal with the woman’s condemnation than her new husband’s abandonment. It seemed that Ms. Lotz believed all power flowed through a man. Since Sada’s man had left her alone this morning, Sada must not be a valuable wife.
Time to disabuse the horrible woman of that idea!
Straightening her spine while holding the sheet in front of her, Sada glared up at the woman. “I’ll have breakfast in the dining room when I’m ready. In the future, you won’t enter my chamber until I’ve given permission. Is that clear?” Her voice was firm and steady as she locked eyes with Ms. Lotz.
Ms. Lotz looked away first. “Quite clear, Your Highness,” she replied not bothering to hide the fury and censure in her voice. “Would you like a robe?”
Refusing to let the vile woman get to her, Sade shook her head. “I would like you to leave immediately.”
A spark of defiance lit the woman’s eyes. “But I am here to serve you,” she insisted, and even added a mockingly conciliatory tilt of her head. Sada supposed that the movement might be considered a bow to some.
“I’ll inform you when I need your assistance. That will be all.”
Ms. Lotz did one more head-tilting thing, then turned and walked stiffly out of the room. Sada didn’t move until she heard the door snick closed. After that, she threw off the sheets, grabbing Zahir’s shirt from the night before. For some reason, it comforted her that no one had entered the bedroom and cleaned up while she’d been asleep. That would have really disturbed her.
Padding into the bathroom, she almost gasped at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair wasn’t nicely draped around her shoulders as she’d seen in the Hollywood movies after sex scenes. Nope! Sada’s hair was wild, of course. After a night like last night, there was no way she could have woken up with smooth tresses. Or even sexily disheveled hair. Instead, she looked like she’d stuck her finger into a light socket! Her hair was crazed! Some might say that her mascara created a smoky-eyed look, but that would be overly kind. Sada looked more like a panda after a drunken all-nighter.
Adding to the horrible appearance, her lips were swollen, her cheeks red from where Zahir’s beard had scraped her skin raw and she was wearing only one earring. Leaning forward, she noted that there were several dark spots decorating her neck and shoulder. As she slipped the shirt off, the material chafed her nipples. Sada hissed, curling her shoulders forward to protect her nipples. When the pain eased up slightly, she straightened, and gasped at the red patches of skin along her breasts and stomach. Looking lower, she could see that her inner thighs had received the same treatment.
Instead of being irritated by the damage, she beamed as memories of last night washed over her. Several times throughout the night, he’d taken her to heights she’s never dreamed existed, then made the experience even better.
She had no idea what time he’d left last night, but she knew that another few hours of sleep would help her think more clearly. Sada hoped that Zahir was struggling today as well. She didn’t want to be the only one with a zombie-like demeanor after last night.
She allowed the shirt to drop to the floor before stepping into the shower, reveling in the soothing warmth. The water hurt several of the scraped areas, but the pain didn’t bother her, she knew the spots would heal soon.
Forty-five minutes after her confrontation with Ms. Lotz, there was no other way to describe their morning’s interaction, Sada smoothed the material of her skirt down over her hips, took a deep breath, then exited the bedroom. There were armed guards stationed outside, but thankfully, no Ms. Lotz in sight.
“I’d like to visit my husband, if he is available,” she announced to one of the guards.
The man bowed slightly in response and extended his hand. “This way, Your Highness.” He led her through elaborately decorated hallways, past a quaint courtyard filled with flowers and bushes and even a babbling fountain, and finally into the more business oriented section of the palace.
Gone was the lazy tranquility of the garden courtyard with the happy sunshine and soft birdsong. This area was full of bustling activity. Everyone looked serious, others even seemed panicked as they literally ran from one office to another. Everyone looked worried and harried. Sada walked up to a desk with an official looking man sitting behind it.
“Is my husband available for a moment?” she asked politely.
The man glanced up from his computer scowling, obviously furious at the interruption. But when he recognized Sada, his irritation transformed into subservience.
“Your Highness!” he gasped, leaping up so quickly, his chair toppled over. The crash was so out of context, the rest of the room stopped and looked around in surprise. Papers when flying, ringing phones were ignored, and the chaotic noise seemed to pause for a moment.
Feeling painfully self-conscious, Sada forced her lips to a warm, friendly smile. “I know everyone is urgently trying to address the transfer of power. I apologize for the interruption.” She turned and, with head held high, walked out of the area trying not to burst into tears as she made her way out of the administrative offices.
The man directly in front of her shuffled the papers on his desk, pushing them out of the way so he could reach his keyboard. “Wait!” he called out. When Sada turned to look at him, he pointed to his computer. “I’ll check his schedule, Your Highness,” he told her as he frantically pressed several buttons, eyes on his screen. He glanced up and she saw the apology in his eyes. “He’s in a meeting at the moment. I can pull him out if you need …”
“No!” Sada interrupted. “Please don’t interrupt him. I know he’s busy. I just…” she wasn’t exactly sure what she ‘just’ wanted. Perhaps a good morning kiss? But at that thought, she remembered how intimately Zahir had kissed her last night. Her cheeks heated at the memory and she glanced down to hide her face, praying that none of these strangers could read her mind.
Taking a deep, fortifying breath, she turned back to the office, which was full of people staring at her. “I’m so sorry to have interrupted your routine this morning. I know this has been a difficult time.” Looking back at the man who must be Zahir’s personal assistant, she smiled as politely as possible. “Please,” she stammered, not sure what to say. “Tell my husband that I stopped by to see him, but that I had no urgent request.”
With that, she turned and left. She knew that her guards followed her, but she ignored them, needed a moment alone as she hurried through the complex maze of hallways.
When she slipped back into the apartment she now shared with Zahir, she leaned against the heavy wood door, closing her eyes as she regained control of her emotions.
“Well, that when…well,” she muttered acidly to herself. Pushing away from the door, she sighed. “Excellent start to married life and an outstanding introduction to my husband’s staff.” Stomping over to the sofa, she plopped down onto the soft cushions. “I think I need an expert,” she announced to the silent room. “Someone who knows what it’s like to be a newcomer and how to gain the respect of a foreign country,” she informed the windows.
Lifting the phone, she dialed a familiar number.
“Mom!” she sighed, as her mother’s soothing greeting.
“What’s wrong, Sada?” her mother demanded.
Her mother’s obvious concern brought Sada’s tears perilously close to the surface again. “Nothing. I just…”
“What’s wrong, honey,” she asked again, this time in that soft, confident voice she always used when Sada was upset. Sada immediately felt better. It was the tone mothers around the world used when their children called during a crisis.
Sada sniffed. “Oh, Mom! I want to help. I know that Ditara is still struggling with assassination, but I don’t know how. I just went to Zahir’s office to say good morning to him and almost caused a riot!”
Her mother laughed softly. “Settling in takes time, honey.”
“I know. But…” She sniffed again and sighed. “He wasn’t around this morning when I woke up, and I’m more than a little miffed about that. Even though I know that I shouldn’t feel that way. I know he has tons of stuff he needs to deal with, but…” She shook her head. “I just wanted to say good morning to him. But everything feels so chaotic here. I felt like I was imposing.”
“Wanting to say good morning to your new husband the day after your wedding is not imposing, Sada. It’s perfectly normal! You’ve been in love with Zahir for years now. And you want him to feel the same way, even with everything that’s been going on in the world. That’s human, honey.”
Sada was silent for a long moment, closing her eyes and pretending as if the tears weren’t flowing down her cheeks. “How long have you known?”
“That you’re in love with your husband?”
“Yes.”
Her mother’s laughter was soothing in ways that only a mother’s voice could be. “A while now. I know my daughter! And I watched you with Zahir when he visited the palace over the years.” There was a silent moment and Sada could picture her mother deciding her words carefully. “I suspect that Zahir is in love with you as well, Sada.”
Sada squeezed her eyes closed, but a silly tear slipped out anyway. “No, Mom. He’s not in love with me.” She angrily scrubbed the tear away, disgusted with herself. She was normally a pretty even keeled person. But when it came to Zahir, her emotions would not be controlled.
Another chuckle. “If you say so. But tell me what’s on your mind this morning.”
Sada explained the situation, the feeling of panic that pervaded the administrative offices and the reaction when she’d walked in. “I just want a way to help, Mom. I know that the wedding yesterday was a first step, but I’m not the quiet flower that everyone might be hoping I’ll become.”
Her mother laughed outright. “Honey, you’ve never been a quiet flower. Your father could attest to that. The long nights when you decided you didn’t want to sleep were our first clue and you’ve reinforced that in our minds throughout your twenty-four years.”
Sada chuckled as well. “Okay, so tell me what to do. What would help? How can I smooth out the transition for Zahir?”
“That’s a good question. And I think we need to get the experts to help us.”
Sada perked up. “Is Giselle there?”
“Yes, as is Mila. I’m going to put you on speaker so we can brainstorm.”
Sada relaxed. If her sisters-in-law and mother were helping, she was confident they would come up with a solution. Sada spied a printer, pulled a clean sheet of paper out of it and found a pen in her purse. For the next hour, they brainstormed ways she could help the people, be more visible and, in that way, show support for her husband’s power.
“There are problems in the northern territories,” Mila pointed out.
Sada had heard that as well. “So, do you think I should visit that area?”
“I don’t think that would be safe,” Giselle chimed in. “Go with your strengths.”
Sada chuckled. “My strengths at this point are negligible.”
“Not true,” Giselle argued. “As women, we have more power than most people know. Our clothes are discussed in the news and gossip columns ad nauseam. Instead of waiting to be criticized for gaining or losing weight, why not use the press’ obsession with fashion to Ditara’s benefit?”
Sada was intrigued! “Go on! What are you thinking?”
“Go, find a designer native to Ditara. Wear clothes made by them. Maybe even find student designers from a local high school and hold a student competition to design your outfits. That will inspire the students, create interest throughout the school, and get them talking about new opportunities. You’ll instantly gain their undying love. Especially if you say that you’ll wear the winning outfit to a specific event, then wear four or five of the other outfits to other events.”
Sada loved the idea! “Okay, that’s brilliant. What else?” she asked, scribbling furiously.
“A science fair,” Mila offered. “Go to the town meetings and find out what’s happening. There’s always a problem in a town, something that the people would love to fix. Once you know the issues, head to the high schools. Challenge the students to come up with a solution. Always start with students and the proud parents will be right behind them.”
Sada laughed again, adding the idea to her growing list. “Because students talk about their projects and assignments with their parents, right? Which will help everyone focus on something other than the assassination and transition of power. It’s a brilliant way to get people to start thinking about something positive again.”
Mila chuckled. “Exactly. You’re highlighting education, giving everyone hope. Each day, have your press secretary and chief of staff start a new competition or ask for a different solution.”
“That will bring everyone in the village together,” Giselle offered as additional incentive. “The villagers will rally around the competing teams. You’ll have to be careful with the families of the entrants that don’t win. Make sure to talk about their ideas as well.”
Sada scribbled frantically, trying to write down all of their ideas and issues. “That’s a good point. I don’t want to alienate anyone simply because one idea was better than another.”
“Or more effective for that area,” Mila chimed in. “One idea might work in that village, but another might work better somewhere else.’
“Right,” Sada agreed, feverishly taking notes. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
For the next hour, they brainstormed various ideas o
n how to run a publicity campaign that would get the citizens of Ditara on her side, while also solidifying Zahir’s position.
“These are all fantastic ideas, ladies!” Sada announced. “I knew that I could rely on your expertise!”
They chatted about the wedding for a few more minutes, before ringing off. Sada continued making notes and coming up with additional ideas. Once she had a good list, she opened the apartment door. “Would you mind taking me to the human resources office?” she asked her guard.
The man hesitated, looking uncomfortable. “Ms. Lotz does all of the household hiring,” the lead guard explained.
Sada shook her head, brightening her smile. She didn’t want to create enemies on her first day, but she wasn’t ready for another confrontation with the vile woman either. “No. I’m not willing to deal with Ms. Lotz. In fact, I don’t want her admitted to my private apartment without permission,” she explained, looking at him sternly and glancing at the other guards as well. “Is that understood?”
The man hesitated, looking startled. “Yes, Your Highness. We’ll pass the word along to the other teams and ensure that she’s not allowed in.”
“Thank you,” she smiled. “Now, the human resources office?”
Her guards led her through the hallways, heading towards the administrative offices. But this time, instead of turning right to head towards Zahir’s office, they turned left and walked down a long, modern looking hallway.
Zahir’s office was housed in the older section of the palace and was probably more secure since it was in one of the interior areas. The walls were thicker in that section of the palace as well, having been built centuries ago when the palace needed to be guarded against invasions of armies climbing the walls.
There was still the threat of invasion from traditional military sources, but Sada was intensely aware that the threat was more likely to come through less traditional directions. Modern day threats could come from drones or through computers. Hackers were a massive threat to any organization. There was also the threats created by social media, criminals and influencers who created ridiculous conspiracy theories that were sent out through social media and believed. So getting ahead of the curve was essential. She was conscious that every move she made reflected on Zahir. So, she had to make a positive impression right from the start. Just as much as she wanted to highlight Zahir’s rule, she also wanted the women of the country to feel empowered. She needed to send a double message.
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