by Jones, Sarah
Yes, she would see all this as the great adventure of her life. She would not lower herself, nor fear the Sheik with his threats.
"Karida, I want to see Najila, so we can continue with the lessons," she said, smiling behind the cup.
Things would start to change in that palace, and she would be responsible for that.
Chapter Twelve
Shortly after dressing in a tunic that covered her to the feet, Louise accompanied Najila through the corridors of the palace, while the woman explained to her the division of the tasks of all there. The servant told how the women gathered to organize the palace's quarters and that only those who were authorized could enter the Sheikh's chamber. Moreover, according to his deliberation, all the servants received a compensation for the work at every period, unlike the servants of most of the kingdoms who worked only for food.
"What about families?" Louise asked, curious about those people.
Najila opened a large wooden door and allowed the lady to pass.
"Most of us have relatives living at the camp, miss" she said as she pointed to a room where some women were spinning carpets and cutting large fabrics. "We learned to make our own tapestry," she said proudly.
Louise was amazed at the efficiency of the palace servants. Everything was extremely organized and nothing seemed to get out of control. Obviously, a reflection of the man who ruled all that.
After visiting the corridor where the guest rooms were never used and the water tanks where the clothes washed, Najila led Louise to the next camp, the same one she had seen when she got there.
It was the first-time Louise had really left that palace, and she was a little nervous about it. The guards followed them sneakily, clutching their deadly daggers, subtly remembering what happened to anyone who disobeyed the laws. Well, Louise was aware of everything.
With her face covered by a dark veil that protected her from the sand and also, in a way, made her more secure, Louise followed Najila through the entrance to the camp, first finding a group of children running behind the cub of an animal that She did not recognize it. It was like the English deer, but differed in color and size. The children urged the little animal to run, while they kept yelling at him, raising sand wherever they passed.
The Camp was a profusion of sounds, colors and scents, which at first made Louise dizzy. There were hundreds of people there, mostly men, shouting in front of the stalls where large pieces of meat hung, probably camels, as Said had told Louise. She forced herself to follow the step of Najila, who strayed from people with skill. Beyond what appeared to be fair, there were other large tents, these larger ones, which made Louise suspect they were houses.
As they drove through the wheels of women who worked on dried fabrics and fruit, Louise felt the glances falling upon her. Everyone probably knew who she was, and worse, what she was doing in the palace. As for this, Louise deigned to raise her shoulders and continue walking quietly down the narrow aisle between the tents.
"They need help in extracting the oil, and we'll help them" Najila reported as they entered a large open tent, where four women, covered from head to toe, squeezed a greenish fruit on a spiral cast iron plate. Where a thread of dark oil was descending.
Louise sat on one of the rugs on the floor. Soon she had a bowl and a knife in her hands to remove the lumps of the fruit. It was not a difficult task, and she quickly found a way to make it easier. Najila was sitting next to her and, as she helped with the fruits, she talked and laughed with the other women in an old language which Louise did not understand. She had begun learning Arabic as a child. Often, while translating and interpreting documents brought in from Egypt, his father allowed her to stay in his studio and sometimes taught her a new word. Even then, Louise had become interested in archeology.
A loud laugh shook Louise's reflection, and as she looked up, she realized that the women were laughing at her. She looked at Najila for an answer.
"They want to know how the night went with Sheik," she whispered into Louise's ear.
The lady's cheeks suddenly turned red, embarrassed by the improper subject. Now that was very intimate!
The women continued to stare at her with such curiosity that Louise ended up feeling rather envious, because she really knew what it felt like to be in Said's arms.
"Answer only if you like it, miss," Najila urged.
Embarrassed, Louise just nodded, confirming.
It was enough for the women to burst out laughing, hiding their faces behind the veil. Louise lowered her head and smiled, since she somehow longed to tell her experience to someone.
A short, long-bearded man entered the tent and left a basket with more fruit and dried figs to be prepared, revealing more work for that day.
In the end, the task ended up taking longer than the two had anticipated, which Louise did not consider a misfortune. The Englishwoman enjoyed the company of the women, who were friendly and taught her a lot about feeding at the camp. They even served roast lamb and tea for the lady, who thanked her for the great meal.
The time passed so quickly that when Najila informed them that they should return to the palace, Louise was surprised and a little sad, for she had liked to be there. The servant persuaded her to return, with the promise that the next day they would be there again.
Toward the end of the afternoon, as the reddish sun faded into the horizon, Louise returned to the castle, feeling a vibration in her chest, caused by the strange sense of freedom that assailed her that day. How could she feel that, being a prisoner there?
Najila allowed the Englishwoman to go and accompanied her to the palace's inner garden, the same where Louise had found Sheikh nights ago. There, the lady, even knowing that she was being watched by the guard and her dagger, decided to sit by the fountain and wet her hands, graced by the refreshing water. That was when a revealing thought struck her.
She looked at Najila, who was beside her, in the water of the fountain.
"Najila, the Sheikh." She looked at the guard, seeing that he was too far away to hear her. "He does not own a harem?"
At that, the woman paled and turned her neck quickly, afraid they might have been heard. She approached Louise and whispered,
"My lord follows the same decree of the late father, who, from the time he fell in love with the mother of Sheikh, ordered all the concubines to leave the palace.
He provided them and guaranteed them a decent future, but never again allowed the harem to be redone. She smiled shyly. "The Sheik could have found hundreds of women for his pleasure, willing to serve him at any moment. But he just did not want to.
Still shaken by that response, Louise was taken back to her room. She used the water from the basins to cleanse the body, and then received from Karida's hands a meal which, according to the lady's standards, was fantastic. The exhaustion soon led to a peaceful sleep, but not before it was attacked by thoughts that sent Said, his warm kisses and the terrible lack she was feeling of him.
***
The routine of the next day was the same as the previous one. This time Louise was excited to learn more about that people and her - strangers and strangers, to her, even if she were an archaeologist - customs.
In the morning, Najila and she spent time in the tapestry room, receiving teachings on how to prepare the golden thread to embroider the perfect designs on the thick fabric. For Louise, it was not exactly easy, since she always had difficulty with needle and thread. She had to admit that she did not have the same skill as other women. In England, during her first season, when an old aunt had led her in her presentation to society, she was terribly humiliated at meetings when asked about embroidery. Disgusted, Louise prevailed, arguing that they were asked about Chinese vases or beetles, not something as insignificant as embroidery. On fashion, the young lady decided not to take part in the discussion. That season had been a disaster.
Despite her lack of ability, the work with the women of the palace was not as boring as Louise had supposed. She had first been enc
hanted by the painstaking work of embroidering the gold threads, which, to complete the mosaics, took long hours. But Louise was horrified when she saw the situation at the hands of the women. The cuts and holes from the needle were measured by the palm and fingers, because of the lack of use of a thimble. She made a mental note to ask Said to offer it to them.
After a hearty lunch, Najila reported that they would spend the rest of the day helping a young woman who was about to have a baby in the camp.
Seeing the woman still very young, lying on a bed of cushions, her hands on her protruding belly, Louise was afraid. She had never lived with pregnant women, and even though she knew in theory what was happening, she was not prepared to discover the truth in practice. Najila asked her to refresh her face with fresh water and keep her cool while the older women checked on the baby.
"Thank you" the woman said gratefully as Louise offered a sip of water in her leather bag.
By the end of the afternoon, when they had to return to the palace, Louise was nervous about the woman and the baby. In a moment, she had heard one of the ladies whisper to the other that it was possible that the baby was not born easily and that they should be prepared to choose between the mother and the child. Heartbroken, the Englishwoman accompanied Najila to the kitchen to help Karida with her food. Apparently, Louise's anxiety had only hit her, and when she told her fears to the two women, she was terrified, for she soon learned how many children could not be born in the camp.
When she lay that night, the lady wrapped herself in the sheets and asked the heavens to allow the innocent baby to come into the world. She did not know why she'd gotten so involved in it, even though she had to leave feelings out of everything she did in the palace.
In the middle of the night the door to Louise's room was pushed open, waking her up. With a start, she lifted her torso, almost falling off the bed. Was it Said? Distraught, she narrowed her eyes and tried to distinguish the figure in the dark.
- Miss, I need your help. Makaila's baby is being born! It was Najila, who was already at the side of the bed, pointing nervously at the door.
Louise lit the candles and put on her thick tunic quickly, remembering to wear the thick veil she had been given, as well as her leather sandals. The two, under escort, hurried across the corridors of the palace and into the camp, which was in complete silence and darkness. Makaila's tent was one of the last, and when they reached it, at the desperate cries of the woman, Louise froze. The guard touched her shoulder and told her to continue. She took a deep breath and pressed the clean cloths she carried to her chest.
Inside, the woman was still lying in the same place, but she was naked, with a white sheet placed on her belly, allowing the ladies to access to help the baby out.
Not knowing exactly what to do, Louise stood in one corner of the tent, watching the ladies' relay to help Makaila have the baby. From what she could understand from the hasty conversations, the girl could not get the child to be born, as her strength was fading.
No! The lady felt her eyes burn as she realized that the options for helping the woman were ending. I wanted to contribute! I wanted the baby to be born and for the mother to be well! But what could she do? She was just an archaeologist and could only sweep dust from artifacts and catalog them. Disturbed by her cries, Louise sat on a stool in the back of the tent and hugged her knees, only to ask the heavens to have pity on the poor woman. She stood in that position for a long time, listening to the screams of the young woman, who asked to open her belly and remove the baby.
Louise peeked through her hands as another old woman entered the tent and went directly to Makaila, setting her in another position, teaching her how to contract the belly and push the baby. The young woman did as she was told, and, clinging to a cushion, uttered a last cry. For a few seconds, the complete silence reigned, and then a small cry burst into the tent.
Najila rushed to wrap the tiny being in the clean cloths and aided the old lady in the cut of the umbilical cord, holding the baby in her lap with satisfaction soon after.
"Look how beautiful it is." Karida called Louise to see the baby before handing it to her mother, who was now resting with her eyes closed.
Approaching carefully, as she stumbled upon the baby who continued to cry, throwing her tiny arms and legs through the air, Louise did not control her tears. She held her hand and smiled at the warmth of his skin on hers.
The women settled the baby in the arms of the mother, who, when seeing the son for the first time, smiled passionately. She kissed the baby's head and cradled it against her chest, running his fingers over her face.
Louise watched the scene from afar, surprised by her mother's extreme happiness at having her son in her arms, seeming to forget the moments when she had almost lost her life. It was as if, as she embraced the baby, all moments of pain disappeared. The lady swallowed the lump that formed in her throat as she realized she would never feel such a sensation.
Knowing that help would no longer be necessary, Najila took Louise back to the palace and then into the room, saying goodbye with a smile of satisfaction.
After all that had happened, Louise had difficulty sleeping, and when she succeeded, she was again plagued by the image of Said kissing her. Even in the dark and cold night, the lady smiled dreamily.
***
Screams. Hasty steps. Orders.
Louise opened her eyes in alarm, when in the morning, she was awake with the certainty that the palace was being invaded by some army. She waited for someone to come into the room and tell her what was going on, but since she did not, she decided to try to find out what the mess was about. She put on her clothes, tied her hair, and opened the door, anticipating that the guard would stop her from leaving. But he was not there.
Strangely, Louise left the room and walked down the hall to the main hall, where dozens of guards were running orders, clearing the way for two strong men to carry an inert body that she could not identify.
The Englishwoman approached a woman running with a basin of water and bandages.
- What happened? She asked, startled.
The woman barely stopped to answer:
"The Sheikh was wounded and it's bad.
Louise leaned against the wall and let people walk past her. How had he been wounded? Would he ... die? Still in shock, she walked down the main corridor of the palace and noticed that the door to the exit was unprotected. There was no one there, no guard.
Looking sideways, Louise covered her face with the veil and hurried to get to the door. She had her chance to get away! Just a few more steps and I was free! But before she left for freedom, the lady's feet stopped moving, and she leaned against the wall. Her heart pounded as if it were bursting in her chest, and her mouth burned with dryness. She knew it was a mistake, but when she looked back at the direction Said had been taken, something divided her.
Said was dying ... And she had the chance to run away, to go home, which would never happen again. Why did she hesitate? You should not care about Sheikh. In fact, you should be happy!
But she was not, and the more she thought, the more she looked divided.
Freedom ... or the Sheik.
Chapter Thirteen
Louise was sure that she would regret that decision later and that she would feel like a complete fool. But how could she escape knowing Said was on the verge of death? Problem is, you could not!
Despite all that had happened, Louise was aware that the Sheikh was not a bad man. Of course, he had done many things that displeased her, especially keeping her imprisoned. But unfortunately, to Louise's disgust, there was something inside her that kept her from leaving. Something powerful, the same thing that made her wobbly when Said was by her side and that made her hate him with the same intensity she felt those things ... hot.
That was why she left stamping her feet, back to the great hall of the palace, in search of the Sheikh. Maybe if he was not so bad and when everyone was distracted, she could try to run away again.
***
The Sheikh was cold, his head inclined against the pillow, while two of his guards fastened his body on the bed and the camp's healing master worked on his arm. The wound was large and stretched from shoulder to biceps. The open flesh revealed the muscles and the exorbitant amount of blood that soaked the sheets.
Said moaned, debating as the man tore his shirt and washed the cut, removing the blood that was still flowing from his skin.
Everyone in the room was silent when the man explained that probably the dagger that had pierced Said's arm was poisoned and that if they could not stop the infection, the Sheik could lose his arm or even die.
When the clean bandages were put on the wound, the master of healing asked that all of them withdraw and respectfully ask Allah for the life of their master, while he himself was taking care of to relieve the pains, administering teas and compresses.
Louise waited for the guards and women to leave the room to finally get out of the big carpet where she was hiding. She tiptoed to the bedroom door and opened it slowly, startled to see that there was a man by Said's side. He noticed the presence of Louise, who, embarrassed, made a gesture to close the door.
- Hang on! He got up and went to the door.
He was a man of advanced age, with a long beard and wearing very colorful clothes.
"Is it the foreigner, the Sheikh's slave?" He asked, looking her up and down.
Louise lifted her chin and stared at him.
"I am Louise," she said petulantly.
The man smiled, showing his few teeth.
"They were all right to say that the Sheikh had chosen the most beautiful woman," she said, surprising her. "I need your help, fair lady. Can you come in for a moment?
She did not hesitate to come in, and as she passed the man, she ran to the bed, becoming petrified to see Said's condition. He was motionless, his body stretched out on the bed, his eyes closed in an expression of pain as his arm ... Oh, Lord ... What had happened to him?