Bound by the Sheik's Ring

by Elizabeth Lennox

  “This way, Your Highness,” one of them finally replied, before leading the way through the palace, down a hallway she’d never seen before. In almost no time, the guard pushed open a swinging door and stepped back to allow her to enter the brightly lit kitchens.

  “Who is in charge?” she demanded of the first person she came upon. The man immediately swung around, glaring at her as if he was ready to bite her head off. But he registered who was asking and swallowed whatever sharp reply he’d had in mind.

  The man turned and nervously pointed to a large man standing in the middle of the kitchen. “Chef Suzar, Your Highness,” he squeaked, adding in an awkward bow.

  Sada nodded, then moved over to the man in the center of the chaos. “Are you in charge?” she demanded.

  The man’s eyes narrowed, then widened as he took in who he’d been about to snap at. “Yes, ma’am. I mean, Your Highness,” he bowed slightly.

  Appeased, Sada nodded. “We need to talk. The menus over the past few weeks have been bland and tedious.”

  The man started wringing his hands nervously. “All menus are approved by Ms. Lotz, Your Highness.”

  Sada suspected as much. “Well, I want more interesting menus.” She glanced at her watch. “You have four hours to get me a revised menu for the next week. You will present me menus that are interesting, nutritious, and creative. I want more creativity in your menus. If there’s a single grilled chicken breast on that menu without any imagination applied to it, then you’re fired. I’ll get someone in here who knows how to cook.” She paused, watching the nervousness in his eyes. “Do you understand what I’m looking for?”

  “Yes, Your Highness,” he replied, dropping his hands and lifting his chin as if he’d suddenly felt a surge of pride. “You’re looking for something more palatable. Something to tempt you at each meal.” His shoulders straightened and he nodded. “I will have incredible menu options for your review in four hours, Your Highness,” he vowed. “If you do no approve of my selections, I will be more than happy to tempt you with other options.”

  Sada’s shoulders relaxed slightly with his agreement. She’d been prepared for a battle, but he seemed as unhappy about the boring, bland menu as she was. “Excellent. My next stop is to find an office. Ask the guards where I am at two o’clock this afternoon and we’ll review the menus. Thank you.” With that, she turned and walked out of the kitchen.

  “Human resources next, gentlemen,” she announced to the guards.

  Five minutes later, she stepped through the door of the startled director. “Your Highness!” he gasped, standing up and bowing quickly. “It’s a pleasure to see you again.”

  “Thank you, Fred. We need to talk.”

  “Of course.”

  She watched him as he grabbed a notebook and came around his desk. “How can I help you?”

  “As you can tell by my silence after the last round of resumes, none of the candidates were even close to what I asked for. When we discussed the position of chief of staff, I specifically explained that I wanted a person who was strong enough to handle pressure, someone with management experience and a person who knew how to lead a staff of diverse employees. The resumes you gave me were from college graduates with very little experience. And although they would all be great candidates in about ten years, none of them had the experience we discussed.”

  The man had the grace to bow his head. There was a moment of silence as he obviously worked through his response in his head.

  When he looked at her, Sada knew that this wasn’t going to be good.

  “You understand that Ms. Lotz is basically in charge of the palace, correct?”

  Sada tilted her head slightly. “I understand that she has been in that role in the past since there hasn’t been someone in my position during that time.”

  “Yes, well, you see, Ms. Lotz has been here for so long and she has a great deal of power. If I don’t follow her guidance, then she’ll fire me without a reference.”

  Sada laced her hands together, trying to keep them from smacking the table in frustration.

  With a calm she didn’t feel, she slowly replied, “No, she can’t do that. You work for the administrative side of the palace staff. She only has jurisdiction over the household staff.” She had a sick feeling in her stomach as she finished that statement. At the look in his eyes, she knew that her belief wasn’t accurate. “You’re saying that she has power over more than just the household staff?”

  Fred nodded reluctantly. “Exactly. After our last meeting several weeks ago, I gathered all of the resumes that I thought would be a good fit. There were some outstanding candidates in that stack,” he admitted with pride. “Good people who had amazing experience and could bring a great deal of insight into the position you need.”

  Sada knew where this was going. “But Ms. Lotz dismissed them?”

  “Correct. She said that you only needed a secretary. Someone to answer correspondence. All other tasks were already done by others within the palace staff. She said that you would come to her when you had questions.”

  Sada didn’t doubt anything Fred said. “I see. Well, perhaps you’ll feel better to know that I’m taking over my own staff. I don’t want Ms. Lotz involved in the reviews. If I submit a staff request, or if anyone on my personal staff submits something to you, I want it to go directly to my office or me. When we get my staff up and running, you’ll deal directly with them. Until that time, you will submit resumes directly to me and we’ll communicate exclusively with each other. Any issues there?”

  He shook his head, but she could tell that he had deep misgivings. “I can tell that you’re not convinced that I’ll back you up. How about this; if Ms. Lotz interferes again, I’ll hire you on to my staff personally. And if you aren’t happy working with me, then I’ll use my own resources to get you a job anywhere in the world. Does that suffice as reassurance that I won’t abandon you when Ms. Lotz tries to punish you for going around her?”

  The man’s shoulders sagged with relief. “Thank you. My family thanks you. And yes, I will ensure that your position as chief of staff is filled with the utmost priority.”

  Sada stood up, as did Fred. Extending her hand, she nodded in appreciation. “This is going to get a bit rocky, but it will end well. I promise.”

  The man shook her hand, looking relieved, but Sada suspected that this was simply the opening salvo on the part of Ms. Lotz. What she didn’t know was that Sada had been sidelined often over the years. She wasn’t going down without a fight.

  In fact, Sada was eagerly anticipating the next battle!

  Chapter 11

  At two o’clock that afternoon, Sada was pacing back and forth in the empty office space. She’d found a series of offices that were currently being used for storage areas. It had taken only an hour to gather up enough maintenance staff to quickly empty the offices, making room for the desks that would soon arrive. The offices weren’t the nicest in the palace, but they would suffice to get started on her agenda, which was her priority. She needed to do something. She was determined to hire the best advisors and get things moving.

  Although, how she was going to become more of a priority with her husband was a whole other issue. Just thinking about confronting Zahir made her stomach tighten. With dread? Or with anticipation? Probably both, she decided.

  “I can do it!” she whispered to herself.

  “What can you do, my dear?”

  Sada swung around, staring as Zahir stealthily approached.

  “What are you doing here during the day?” she asked, gasping as he pulled her into his arms.

  “Is it against the rules that I take a break to see my wife?” he teased, bending down to nuzzle her neck. His cheeks and chin were smooth. Just as they’d always been since that morning when he’d discovered her chafed thighs. She appreciated his consideration, but she sort of missed the scruffy face. She had no idea why. It had taken days for her skin to recover. But still…she had fond memories of those ni
ghts.

  He was much more reserved in his lovemaking now. He was too gentle. Sada knew that he was holding back and…it was almost as if their lovemaking lacked passion. He was just going through the motions now. Yes, he always gave her a climax. And yes, she knew that he found his own satisfaction. But everything was…lackluster now. The heat was gone. The urgency.

  She missed the urgency! She missed feeling out of control.

  Thinking of the lack of passion, Sada pulled out of his embrace and took several steps back. “Of course it’s not. What would you like to discuss?”

  It suddenly occurred to her that she didn’t want to make love with him. She didn’t want the mechanical control that he now exerted over their sexual interludes. It was cold and…boring. If she couldn’t have the passion, what was the point?

  Zahir eyed his wife carefully, wondering what was going on. For weeks, he’d felt her pulling away from him mentally. Now she was physically distancing herself too.

  He didn’t like it! Not one bit! He’d finally gotten her in his bed and…she was pulling away from him. He’d learned to control the lust he felt every time he touched her. He knew that she had an orgasm every time he made love to her. So, what was the problem? Why was she rejecting him?

  Damn it! He couldn’t let this happen! It had taken him too long to get to this point!

  “What’s wrong?” he demanded.

  She shrugged. “Nothing is wrong, Zahir.” He gritted his teeth when she couldn’t even maintain eye contact, dropping her gaze to her toes.

  “Sada,” started, and obviously, he was just as prepared for a fight.

  “I am meeting with the palace chef in ten minutes,” she interrupted. Lifting her chin, as if daring him to tell her to cancel the meeting.

  “I thought Ms. Lotz was in charge of the menus,” he offered, trying to determine if she wanted the responsibility or if she was just…hell, he had no idea what she wanted.

  She lowered her lashes and looked out the window. “Ms. Lotz is an efficient household manager,” Sada replied carefully. “Are there any foods that you like more than others?” she asked.

  He stepped forward, and reached for her hand. “You really don’t need to take charge of this, Sada. Why don’t you relax? Read a book or continue with…whatever it was that you used to do in Altair?” He wanted her to be happy, he thought. But by the expression in her eyes, he knew that he’d just said the wrong thing.

  “Sure, why don’t I just go knit or fix your socks? Is that really all you think I should be doing?”

  Zahir sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, exhaustion hitting him all of a sudden. “Sada, I have no idea what your role should be here in the palace, and I’m sorry about that. My mother passed away a long time ago, so there hasn’t been a first lady, so to speak, in decades. But if you’re going to change the menu, could you add a bit more variety? I am sick of having the same foods week after week.” And with that, he stomped of the apartment, furious that she was still pulling away from him. Damn if he was going to let her though. He loved her too much and he couldn’t imagine life without her now.

  Sada stared after him, surprised and…well, delighted that he was on the same page as she was! He didn’t like the lackluster menu any more than she did? Perfect! He wanted variety? He was going to get it!

  A knock on the office door warned her that someone new was arriving.

  “Come in!” she called out, standing up and smoothing her skirt down over her hips. Ms. Lotz stepped inside, her stiff, black dress crinkling with starch, as always.

  “Good afternoon, Your Highness,” she greeted Sada, even adding in a bit of a bow.

  “Good afternoon, Ms. Lotz. I wasn’t expecting you.” She glanced down at her watch. “In fact, I was expecting the palace chef any moment. So if you…”

  “I’m here in the chef’s place, Your Highness. I understand that you are dissatisfied with the menu.” She glared at Sada with daggers in her eyes. “If you could give me an idea of what displeases you about the food, I will direct the chef accordingly. We can make special meals, just for you, and continue with the excellent cuisine that has been prepared for the rest of the palace.”

  Sada forced her lips into what she hoped was a smile. This woman just…infuriated her! “That’s very kind of you to offer. But I scheduled a meeting with the palace chef. Not you. If you’ll excuse me, I suppose I’ll have to go to the kitchen for my meeting.”

  The woman straightened her shoulders, fury radiating from every pore. “My mission here in the palace is to ensure that everything runs smoothly and on time. If you have issues with my management, then state your concerns clearly so they can be fixed.”

  Sada took a deep breath, trying to quell her anger so she could speak calmly and fairly. “First of all, I do not report to you. You report to me,” she stated clearly. “If I want to speak to the palace chef, I’ll speak to the chef, and I won’t go through you to do so. Nor will I ask permission to speak to any member of the palace staff. Is that clear?” she demanded, channeling her mother and hoping that she was coming across as stern and fair. When the older woman’s lips thinned even more, Sada knew that there would be no acknowledgement of Sada’s role in the palace, so she continued. “Furthermore, if I want to have a different meal prepared for every day of the week, then I will submit that order to the chef and he will comply, or I will have him fired. If you don’t like the way I operate, then I’m sure we could find a new position for you in another area of the palace. Any questions?”

  Ms. Lotz was clearly at a loss. “Your Highness…”

  “That’s all, Ms. Lotz. I have a meeting that you’ve interrupted. Excuse me,” Sada headed for the kitchen.

  She was fully aware that she was fighting a battle on every front lately. There was no part of her life that was running smoothly and…well, this had to change. But if she wanted change, she was going to have to do it herself and she was going to have to fight for that change. That was life, she reminded herself.

  “Buck up, little girl,” she muttered to herself moments before she pushed through the swinging doors of the palace kitchen.

  Instantly, the chef straightened, obviously not happy with the events of the day.

  “Your Highness!” he gasped, stepping back and looking around. He wiped his hands nervously on his apron, backing up slightly. “I was told that Ms. Lotz would speak to you about the menus.”

  Sada waved the other woman’s objections aside. “I set up a meeting with you, Mr. Tuttle. I want to hear your ideas, not Ms. Lotz’s. So,” she perched on one of the stools near the metal table, “tell me your ideas for next week’s menus.”

  The man’s mouth fell open in shock. Apparently, no one had ever defied Ms. Lotz. Sada suspected that the horrible woman was going to have to leave the palace staff. She was too set in her ways and unwilling to relinquish control. But that was another battle for another day, she thought silently.

  Sada smoothed out her stern expression, giving the nervous chef a smile to demonstrate that she understood what was going on and she would protect him. “Show me the ideas you came up with before Ms. Lotz confused the issue,” she offered.

  The man stared at Sada for a long moment, but when she lifted her eyebrows, he jerked into motion. Rummaging around on a messy desk behind him, he grabbed several papers. “I apologize for the disorganization of these ideas, but Ms. Lotz interrupted me before I could finish putting everything into an order that made sense.”

  Sada smiled gently, putting a comforting hand over his. “That’s fine. Just talk to me about what you thought about. And we’ll go from there. I’ll give you feedback as we talk.”

  He visibly relaxed and Sada leaned forward, trying to read his scribbles. But the man really was a mess. She hoped that was an indication of a creative mind and not an indication of a poor chef.

  As he talked, Sada was reassured that the man was truly a food genius. He might not know how to organize his thoughts efficiently, but perhaps he only neede
d a quartermaster, someone who could work side by side with him to order the necessary ingredients and ensure that the menus were written out properly.

  Looking at the menus, she smiled encouragingly at the man. “This all sounds wonderful.” She ran her finger down the list. “I don’t like asparagus,” she said, pointing to the ingredient on one of his menu ideas, “and I know that my husband is not a fan of fish, but he enjoys seafood. So let’s take the salmon off the menu and add in scallops instead. What about shrimp? Do you have any good ideas for shrimp?”

  The man chuckled. “I can make you broiled shrimp with a creamy, spicy sauce. Add in a bit of rice and…”

  “Instead of rice, could you substitute barley? It’s healthier.”

  The man rubbed his hands together gleefully. “Absolutely!” he laughed, obviously delighted with the suggestion. “It also has more flavor. These days, rice is stripped of all of its nutrients and flavor but barley is just as easy to cook and has more fiber and flavor. The nutty flavor of barley will enhance just about anything!”

  Sada smiled, thrilled that Chef Tuttle knew more than just how to make a good sauce. “Exactly. Sounds like we’re on the same page!”

  The man laughed, rubbing his belly. “And how about an orange sauce for the duck? I’ve been making a simple brown gravy, but if I add an orange sauce with a touch of lime, which most people don’t think to include, I think you’ll truly enjoy the combination.”

  She tilted her head. “Orange and lime? That sounds zesty.”

  They tossed more ideas around and, by the end of the hour, Sada was pleased with the menu for the upcoming week. “This all sounds delicious. And don’t worry if my husband doesn’t like something. He’ll still eat it, but I’ll let you know to take it off of the menu in the future.”

  The man beamed, excited at the challenge ahead of him. “I’ll do my best to make sure that everything is enjoyable,” he told her, bowing his head in respect and admiration.

  Sada left the kitchen and headed to the human resources office, thinking to check on Fred’s progress. She didn’t want Ms. Lotz to get in the way of her staff formation again. Which was exactly what she’d bet the old bat would try next.