The Spider Prince

by Rebecca Goings

"Your seat is ready, Highness." Patik held out her hand and ushered Ziyad to a smooth stone. Amani still bustled about like a servant. He knew he'd told her to deal with the feast, but he wanted her to sit. It irritated him that she flitted about, taking care of things his people had been doing for years.

  "Tell my wife to come here."

  Patik bowed with a grin. She trotted over to Amani and whispered in her ear. Amani looked up and sighed with annoyance. She marched up to him with her arms crossed.

  "What?"

  Ziyad's brows shot up. She'd never spoken to him like that before.

  "I wish for you to sit with me." He patted the rock next to him.

  Amani shook her head. "No, that seat is reserved for the Falcon."

  "Then…sit here." He pulled another rock closer on his other side.

  "That is for Hyram."

  "Hyram does not sit next to me."

  "He is your cousin, Highness."

  "You are my wife."

  Amani licked her lips. "I have last minute preparations to do."

  She would have turned and walked away, but Ziyad stood and grabbed her elbow. "Let the servants do it. Sit

  with me."

  "No," she said, twisting out of his grasp. "My seat is over there, next to Patik and Brand."

  "That is where the servants sit!" He was aghast. Surely she was jesting. But the look on her face wasn't playful in the least.

  "I cannot sit with the royalty, Spider!"

  Fingers of ice clawed at his heart. By the gods, she was right. "You are my wife, Amani. I want you to sit with me."

  "What you wanted," she said, stepping away from him, "was for me to deal with this feast, and that is what I have done. I am not your princess, Spider, so stop treating me like I am!"

  Her voice echoed across the oasis. Surely every eye in the caravan was on them now. But Ziyad hadn't been prepared for just how deeply her words would sting him.

  "The Falcon and his princess want me to say their names. But I cannot! I do not have the right. I only say your name because you are my husband." Tears shimmered in her eyes, but he knew her anger fueled her now, not her sorrow. "And I only say it because you insisted."

  He was at a loss for words while she publically railed at him. But his own resentment rose to the fore.

  "Why did you marry me, Spider?" she asked, shrugging her shoulders. "Why me? Why did you pick me?"

  "I didn't want to marry you!" he finally spat. "But I needed an heir, and you were convenient. I don't want anyone!"

  Amani gasped then held her breath. Her tears brimmed over just as the Falcon yelled behind him.

  "Ziyad Bihar, by all that is holy, you have just divorced her!"

  The Spider glanced around the clearing, feeling dread swallow him whole. By the law, if a prince publically denounced his wife, she was no longer his. And his entire caravan had witnessed his mistake.

  He watched in panic as Amani turned and ran. He tried to go after her but the Falcon stopped him.

  "Don't you dare. I will pummel you into the sand if you take off after that girl."

  "Unhand me, Falcon," Ziyad growled, feeling his own eyes burn. "She is my wife!"

  "She is no longer. But you and I both know, Spider, that she never was."

  Ziyad was in shock. All he could do was look into the faces of his people, who were now gazing at him with various looks of distrust and loathing.

  "God of Spiders, what have I done?"

  He ripped free of Khalil's grip and charged into the foliage near the edge of his oasis, feeling the need to scream at the top of his lungs.

  Twelve

  Ziyad didn't stop until he reached Karis's grave on the far side of his oasis. Dropping to the dirt, he yanked on his hair, trying desperately to calm his thundering heart. His eyes were on fire. Every inch of his skin seemed charged, like the desert air during a thunderstorm.

  Gods above, he'd just divorced Amani.

  What had he been thinking? Her words incited his wrath. He'd wanted to lash out, if only to release his pent-up emotions. The Falcon's appearance had flustered him and made him feel guilty for giving his wife less than she deserved. But his fury had been directed at the wrong person, and now Amani was paying the price.

  They both were.

  The only way to make things right was to swallow his pride and ask the Falcon to perform the marriage ceremony once more. But his old friend would never agree to that. Not after what Ziyad had done. Khalil cared for Amani. He'd always thought of her well-being, more than Ziyad ever had.

  Amani had given him everything. She admitted caring for him. She wanted to be a good wife, and a better mother. But now, she was most likely back in her carav, crying to the depths of her soul.

  He'd yelled to Amani that he didn't want anyone, but he hadn't meant it. He knew damn well Karis was lost to him. But the solitude of loneliness had gotten the better of him. He did want someone to share his life with, but he also didn't want to defile the memory of Karis. His pain and uncertainty had turned into anger and he'd spoken to Amani without thinking.

  Ziyad was going to be sick. He hated himself. Glancing at Karis's grave, his countenance hardened. "You are dead, Karis," he growled. "Why can't you leave me alone?"

  Staring at the moons, he saw that it wouldn't be too much longer before Pamos caught Thiadra. He glared at them. How dare they hang there, shining their serene light down upon Jikkar while his very soul shuddered within him?

  What was so glorious about love, anyway? In the end, there was nothing but heart-wrenching pain.

  Ziyad didn't know how long he sat there, but he knew one thing for sure. He needed to make things right with Amani. He needed to beg for her forgiveness. He needed to grovel and ask her to marry him once more. Perhaps she could convince the Falcon to perform the ceremony.

  But gods, he'd need to claim her as his princess if Khalil was to go through with it. Was he ready? Could he do it?

  He cast his gaze once more to his first wife's grave. He'd buried Karis with the Spider armband. But Khalil was right, it was a symbol, nothing more. Perhaps he could convince Zara to make him another, that is, if she didn't hate him as much as he hated himself.

  Ziyad had loved Karis more than he ever thought possible. He hadn't known his heart could care for another. But he did care. He cared for Amani, he was just too proud— or too scared—to admit it.

  But was it love?

  Ziyad stood and wiped the sand and grass from his robes. He rubbed his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair. To Kaldaeron with love. He had to stop being a coward and claim Amani once and for all.

  As he walked back to his caravan, he noticed the feast had fizzled. No one milled about, and the silence was deafening. But that wasn't what troubled him the most.

  The Falcon's caravan was gone.

  The princes didn't travel at night, not because they couldn't, but because they stopped in order to give rest to the families and servants who traveled with them. But the fact that Khalil had left Ziyad's oasis with the moons high in the sky struck him like a blow to the head.

  His old friend had severed their friendship.

  Ziyad ran down the caravan line until he came to Amani's carav. The door was shut and nothing but darkness greeted him. He flew up the steps and ripped open the door.

  "Amani!" he cried, his heart in his throat.

  Snapping his fingers, he lit her lamps, but her carav was empty. Nothing, not even her robes, had been disturbed.

  The Spider Prince just stood there slack-jawed as understanding dawned on him. The Falcon had left his oasis—and Amani had left with him.

  ~ * ~

  Over the next few days, Amani stayed in the carav the Falcon had given her. On such short notice, he didn't have anything to offer her other than a storage carav to sleep in. Crates and chests were strewn about, carpets were rolled in the corners and even a child's cradle was among the clutter.

  But it was vastly better than sharing a carav with the Falcon's head cook, or
anyone else who'd offered. Amani needed to be alone and face her raging emotions.

  She hadn't run back to the Spider's caravan after he'd divorced her. She'd sprinted to the Falcon's, hoping and praying to the god of Spiders the Falcon would be willing to take her back to Suridesh, back to her father.

  Amani hadn't known the Falcon had planned on leaving Ziyad's oasis that very night, but it suited her just fine. The sooner she left the Spider in the dunes, the sooner she could leave her humiliation behind.

  The Falcon's princess had been the one to accept her into their caravan, allowing her to put on the green of their people rather than having to bear the shame of wearing Ziyad's black.

  He'd divorced her. Of all the things she thought she'd have to bear with the Spider, she'd never once foreseen that he would completely cast her aside. It proved to her that he'd never cared for her. All the talk of being cold and needing her had been nothing more than a ruse to get her to sleep with him.

  To bear him an heir.

  Amani's heart burned. She hated him. No, she didn't hate him. She loved him. It hurt so very much every time his face swam before her eyes. Each night she'd dreamt of him, and each night it had been the same nightmare. He'd denounced her in front of his people, and in front of his peer, the Falcon Prince.

  There was no doubt in her mind the Spider had been waiting for a chance to be rid of her. His heart was buried with Karis. He was so deep into his first wife's grave that he was never going to emerge.

  It was far better to love a man who loved her in return. Perhaps this was a blessing in disguise. She was now free to marry for love. That is, if any man on Jikkar could see past her disgrace. She'd been tossed aside by one of the most powerful men in the Golden Desert.

  She'd be hard-pressed to find another husband.

  And this would no doubt bring shame onto her father's house, as the governor of Suridesh.

  Amani hadn't wanted the Falcon's servants to bring her food and water, but she didn't have the courage to leave her carav. Despite the fact that the Falcon's people were more than hospitable, she couldn't face the idea that they were probably whispering among themselves about her.

  She pulled a golden chain from around her neck that had been hiding under her robes. On it was her Spider ring. She hadn't given it back to Ziyad before leaving him in the dust. Amani couldn't bring herself to wear it any longer, but she couldn't be parted from it, either. Zara had told her it was a piece of Ziyad, with her always.

  Despite the fact that he'd made it painfully clear he didn't want her, nothing would ever stop her from wanting him and dreaming of the way it could have been—if he'd chosen to marry her instead of Karis those years ago.

  True, she'd be the one in the grave at the Spider's oasis.

  But she would have died knowing the depths of a man's love.

  Thirteen

  "I must call the Princes' Council."

  Zara glanced at her husband after he'd spoken. Their carav was dark aside from one lit lamp. Khalil sat on his throne, deep in thought.

  She'd been sitting amongst the pillows, playing with their son who was delighted to chase after a ball fashioned of leather. Zara had never seen the Falcon so pensive.

  "You do not believe the Spider will let it lie." She knew her husband well. And he, in turn, knew Ziyad.

  Khalil shook his head. "No, he won't. What he did to Amani was done in the heat of the moment. He wasn't thinking straight. He will follow us to Suridesh and demand Amani return to his caravan. I need the other princes to make him see reason."

  "You mean to keep Amani from him?" Zara asked, her eyes wide. "What if she wishes to return?"

  Khalil took a deep breath. "Ziyad cannot merely whisk her away. She is no longer his wife. But if he wants to keep her, the council can force him to accept her as his princess. If the Spider accepts those terms, then it will indeed be up to Amani to stay or go."

  "You would be forcing him to turn away from Karis."

  Khalil's eyes narrowed, but Zara knew his frustration wasn't aimed at her. "Karis is dead. Ziyad is too damned loyal for his own good."

  Zara stood and wandered over to him, threading her fingers through Khalil's thick hair. Instantly, green bloomed with grey and brown in her mind. It was her magical ability, to see colors and intentions whenever she touched another.

  And Khalil was both worried and angry.

  "The Spider Prince has been through Kaldaeron, my love," she said gently. "He's been raked over the coals time and again. His wife and unborn heir were struck down. He has been unable to find their killers. And he needed another wife to bear him a son. Could you be so willing to take another woman to your bed if I had died with Akim in my belly?"

  Zara watched as Khalil glanced at their young son toddling near the pillows. The boy turned and gave his father a toothy grin.

  "Gods, Zara, don't make me think of it."

  "I must," she whispered. "If only to allow you to give Ziyad your mercy. He cares for Amani. But his loyalty to Karis has been weighing him down. Perhaps this is what will wake him up and bring him out of his despair. Perhaps this is what will make him realize he needs Amani."

  Khalil nodded. "That is exactly my intention. Amani loves Ziyad, but what he did broke her heart. I'm not so sure she will take him back. And then where will the Spider be?"

  Zara licked her lips and thought of the options. "He will become a hardened, jaded man. He won't care about anything or anyone."

  "Yes," Khalil agreed. "He is afraid of that possibility just as much as we are. He will come for Amani. In his mind, she still belongs to him. But he cannot continue to treat her like a servant. I am willing to take the gamble that Ziyad is smart enough to make Amani the mother of his caravan rather than turn her away for good. He's in too deep now. Perhaps he could have turned her away after their marriage, but now…" Khalil shook his head.

  "I touched him, right before he divorced Amani. I saw his colors. I believe he loves her. He just hasn't realized it yet."

  "Then we must make him realize it."

  Zara and Khalil stared at each other for a few long seconds. "How will you call the others?" she asked.

  Khalil grinned and pulled her down to his lap. "I will summon my falcons to take them messages. It won't be long before every prince in the desert descends upon Suridesh." ~ * ~

  Ziyad left his water caravs behind in order to travel faster. He'd considered merely saddling a horse and taking a few men and supplies to intercept the Falcon. But lighting out across the desert without the necessary supplies he'd need would be a suicide mission. He knew where Khalil was going. He'd merely arrive a little behind him.

  Ziyad hadn't been in his right mind the night Amani left. He'd holed himself within his carav and let his own sorrow and self-loathing overcome him. But in the light of dawn, determination had taken their place.

  Amani was his, and he wasn't about to give up without fighting for her. She had to know he'd been venting his anger. He didn't truly wish for her to leave him. It also didn't help matters that every time he gazed at his throne, he thought only of his wife's sweet pussy and her soft, hot sighs in his ear.

  There was no way he was going to live the rest of his life without experiencing her touch again. Unlike Karis, Amani was alive. And as long as she was alive, she was his wife.

  Ziyad wanted to push his caravan. He wanted to travel at night, like the Falcon did. But they were also traveling by day. While the Sentinels could handle it, Ziyad knew his people could not. But he didn't allow them long to rest. They set out long before the sun rose, and camped long after the sun set.

  By the gods, he was going to make it to Suridesh before the week was out.

  ~ * ~

  There it was, the tent city, gleaming in the sand like a mirage. Amani squinted and shielded her eyes from the hot sun, but that didn't stop her wide grin. It hadn't been long since she'd left her father's tent, but it seemed like ages. She couldn't wait to see her sisters again, and her mother, who would no d
oubt demand the Spider's head on her bractav platter.

  At Zara's urgings, Amani had finally emerged from her carav and walked with the caravan. She'd even eaten with Zara in the kitchen. Amani remembered trying to do the same with Ziyad's people, but feeling uncomfortable in their presence. However it was obvious the Falcon's people loved their princess and jumped over themselves to do her bidding.

  Now, she and Zara walked together in the sand, only a few leagues away from their destination.

  "Ziyad will come for you," Zara said, giving her a sideways glance. "Make no mistake."

  Amani shivered in spite of the sweat rolling down her back. "He does not want me."