Sweet Obsession

by Theodora Koulouris

  Nidal grabbed my shoulders and shook me gently. “You are mine! I will personally kill any man who comes near you, cousin or not!” he warned.

  That was the end of our beautiful moment in the garden. I stood and walked away from Nidal. I knew it was too good to be true. Nothing lasts forever.

  “Loula, wait,” Nidal said impatiently. “You walk away from me acting like you do not care when I know that you love me. In the end, I will win, and you know that. I know you love me. I know you cried every day you were away from me. Loula, I cried too. Do you want to go through all that again? Can you live without me? Because I know I cannot live a life without you,” he said truthfully.

  He was right. We were born to be with one another. We were soul mates. We completed each other. What was the use of fighting it anymore? I sighed, reached out, and caressed his face. “You are right, Nidal. I am yours, and you are mine.” And he looked at me and waited for my answer. I lovingly looked up at him and said simply, “Yes.”

  Nidal’s handsome face lit up, and he lifted me and swirled me around. He filled my face with butterfly kisses.

  News traveled fast, and it was buzzing around the palace grounds that I was out and about. We walked back to the palace and saw the queen walk toward to us excitedly.

  “Loula,” she said excitedly and gave me a warm hug. “I am so glad to see you smile again. Come, I want to show you our new cook. She is wonderful. She can cook up a dream,” she said happily, pulling me alongside her and totally ignoring Nidal.

  “Mother!” Nidal was not too happy to be left alone.

  “Oh, Nidal, put a sock in it!” She winked at me with a smile as she pulled me toward the kitchen.

  Chapter Five

  Loula

  As the days went by, we told no one of the marriage proposal or acceptance. It was our secret for now until we decided when the right time would be to make the announcement. I was very happy and felt like I was living in a dream. Everything felt so perfect.

  The queen and I formed a beautiful relationship. She included me in all her conversations during dinnertime and even insisted that I join her for a few strolls in the rose garden on the evenings the men went to their meetings. I was happy to comply. Our conversations were pleasant enough, and I looked forward to them. The queen turned out to be a very nice lady. I felt much respect for her, and I knew the feeling was mutual.

  During one of our walks with Her Majesty, she told me about the children in the orphanage. She was very fond of them. She called them “my children,” and she said they were absolutely adorable. I looked at the queen with admiration after I heard her talk so lovingly about “her children.” Although I felt sad that the children were without parents, I was glad that they were here because I knew they were taken care of in the best possible way.

  I could not get the children out of my mind after that. One day, I asked the queen if I could spend some time at the orphanage with the children and teach them English. The queen was so excited about my proposal that she immediately agreed, and I was so thankful because Nidal lately spent every morning in training with his trainer to use the sword with expertise. I was left to entertain myself. What better way to kill time than to be around the blessed children?

  The orphanage was behind the palace to the east, about a hundred yards away. Many flowers surrounded the home, and trees and bushes of all shapes and sizes were planted everywhere. In the backyard, there was a huge playground, and I could not imagine the children not being happy here.

  In the home, there were many rooms, including a few bathrooms to accommodate all the children. The queen went all out and decorated the rooms with only the best. No Persian rugs or crystal glasses were in this home, but everything here was of the finest quality to best fit the situation so the children could feel right at home. It was a warm environment, clean and cozy. I could tell that the children were very happy here.

  The furniture was made just for them, and many servants cleaned, cooked, and took care of the children around the clock. They seemed well adapted here. They were nicely clothed and well fed, and they had many toys to keep them occupied throughout the day. They were like one big, happy family.

  Each time I visited the children, their faces lit up with excitement. There were thirty-seven in all in this part of the country. Each child was more precious than the next. They were all adorable, but the youngest, Natalie, was a delight. She was about seven years old, and she had long, black hair that she wore parted in the middle with two ponytails. She had long eyelashes, and her eyes were the same color as Nidal’s. Whenever I looked into them, they reminded me of him. Her lips were full, and a sad smile was always on her face. The few times she smiled, I thought I caught a glimpse of Nidal. If I ever had a little girl with Nidal, she would probably look just like Natalie.

  I started by teaching the children the ABCs. They were easy to teach. They were eager, and they learned really quickly. Then I taught them to write their names. Every day, they learned a few words. They looked forward to my teachings. Natalie always sat next to me, close enough where sometimes I pulled her into my arms and hugged her. She was missing a mother’s touch, and I knew she substituted me for the mother she never knew.

  That was how the queen found me one day as she was visiting the children. She sat there in silence, looking stunned at the way I had all the children’s attention as they sat quietly listening to the lesson of the day while I held Natalie in my arms. I saw the expression on her face. It went from stunned to admiration. Tears were in her eyes as she covered her mouth with her hand. Natalie wiggled out of my arms and jumped to the floor as she hastily ran up to the queen and wrapped her chubby little arms around her.

  Witnessing this, I knew the queen had a heart of gold. Clearly this was not the first time that Natalie had done this. The queen gave her a squeeze and then ruffled her hair, as the child ran back to me and snuggled onto my lap. Her Majesty apologized for the interruption, and I continued with the lesson. The queen stayed back and watched with a pleased smile on her lovely face. After a while, I gave the children a few minutes of recess. The queen walked up to me and said wholeheartedly, “Congratulations, Loula, on a job well done.”

  “Thank you, my queen,” I said proudly. “It is a pleasure being around these adorable children,” I said proudly.

  When she left, I realized that I had come to understand her and her ways. We had reached a new level of friendship, and it was surely going in the right direction. Pleased with that progress, I focused my attention on the children and continued the lessons.

  Chapter Six

  Loula

  As the days turned to weeks, Nidal and I still had not told anyone that we wished to marry. It was our secret, something to hold dear in our hearts until the right time came along. Our love was endless as we cherished each moment we spent together. Our relationship blossomed into a fairy tale.

  Each day that passed, I noticed that my prince was a rare jewel. There were many sides to him, and each one was better than the next. He taught me the true meaning of love, life, and laughter. He made me a better person and brought only the best out of me. I cherished every moment that I spent with him. And I knew the feeling was mutual. Whenever he looked at me, his eyes glowed with love.

  Prince Nidal was a prince of honor, and he loved his people very much. And all his people loved him back. They welcomed him in their homes, and he gracefully accepted each and every invitation. Nidal always brought me along with him as we entered the homes of the rich and the poor. But it was the poor people’s homes we entered and spent the evenings with that revealed to me yet another side of Nidal I had not known. He was humble in their homes, ate whatever was served, and complimented the peasants’ wives on their cooking, even if they served only bread and potatoes. He drank wine with them and laughed and played with their children. I loved to sit back and watch him interact with these people, who did not
have many material things, but they had plenty of love and happiness. They were rich in other ways that mattered to me the most. Nidal fit well with them, as if they were a part of his family. Never once did he look down on them. As a matter of fact, he talked, laughed, and shared stories with them. He seemed very comfortable around them, and to me, he looked like the great man that I knew him to be.

  When it was time to leave, he bowed, thanked them for their hospitality, and dropped several gold coins on their table. He walked away quickly before they discovered the treasures, for he was not one to brag. He did not want the poor to feel like beggars or to feel unworthy. So he always helped them without blowing the trumpets. I did not think it was possible to love him any more than I already did, but I could not help it as I was overwhelmed with this new feeling of respect and adoration that I felt for my prince. My love for him overflowed until I was drowning in thankfulness to God for all the treasures he had given to me. I was very grateful.

  A few times a week, Nidal still went to the private meetings with the king and his men. I never asked what the meetings were about, and Nidal never offered the information, so I kept silent, thinking for sure he would tell me on his own one day.

  One day after dinner, as we walked into our room, Nidal surprised me by letting me know that he would be gone all night again because another important meeting was to take place. I tried to hide my disappointment, but Nidal noticed immediately that I was upset. He pulled me into his arms and kissed me fervently. The kiss did not last long. Nidal stopped abruptly and pushed me gently away as I looked questioningly up at him.

  Nidal sighed and whispered softly, “Don’t do this to me, Loula, please. I have to go. It’s a very important meeting. I would not leave you like this if it were not,” he whispered. His eyes looked sadly into mine.

  I pulled away from him, knowing that I would be miserable tonight without him. Nidal quickly followed behind me, reassuring me that he would be back as soon as he could, but as soon as he spoke those words, we both knew it was going to be a long night. I walked into the bathroom and slammed the door shut in Nidal’s face, as he stood there, stunned. He pounded on the door a few times, begging me to let him in, but I ignored him. A few seconds later, I heard him walk away, closing the door behind him.

  Desperate now, I wanted to know exactly what was being discussed in the meetings. Is there reason for me to worry? And why is he in training every morning? Is he getting ready for a battle? Cold sweat broke out all over my body at the thought of Nidal fighting and putting himself in danger. I knew Nidal would never tell me anything that would make me upset. So how am I to find out?

  Billal popped into my mind. I was sure that he knew what was happening. Maybe if I try hard enough, he will tell me what the secret is. I had no other choice. Tomorrow when Nidal leaves for his lessons, I will send for Billal.

  I tossed and turned all night in my cold and lonely bed. I cried and called out Nidal’s name, but no one answered. This was going to be a long night. Finally, at some point into the night, I drifted off to sleep, and it seemed like a million hours had passed when I opened my eyes and saw Nidal’s silhouette by the window. It was a moonless night. The room was dark, but I saw my lover looking out the window into the black night. I held my breath, not wanting to let on that I had awakened. I watched him for a while, and I heard him sigh a few times. Something was deeply troubling him, and I had a feeling it had nothing to do with me. It must be the meeting. Something terrible was going to happen. I trembled as that realization hit me like a ton of bricks. I was desperate for answers, and I knew Nidal would say nothing to me, which made me even more desperate to get answers from Billal.

  Finally, Nidal came to bed. I braced myself as I waited hungrily for Nidal to take me into his arms. But my prince lay quietly next to me and did not make a move to come closer to me. This was the first time something like this had ever happened. I did not know how to handle this, so I reached out to him and wiggled closer to his body.

  He responded immediately by squeezing me tight into his embrace. “I thought you were sleeping, and I did not want to wake you.” He sighed deeply. “I miss you.” His arms squeezed me even tighter. “I barely heard a word in the meeting. I kept thinking of you, Loula.”

  My arms went around his waist. At this moment, I could not be angry anymore with him. I missed him too much. I found his warm lips and kissed him hungrily as my tears came without warning. I knew he was tired and needed to sleep, but I could not stop. I needed him at this moment, and my body was begging for him to touch me. To be loved by this man is all I would ever need in this lifetime.

  As I trembled in his arms, I knew without a doubt that, for me, there was no life without him. He was the very air that I breathed. I was sure of this.

  As Nidal took me to heights of passion, he kept asking me to tell him if I loved him. “Tell me now, Loula!” he demanded passionately, even though all night I told him over and over again how much I loved him.

  He still insisted I say it one more time. He held himself back, withholding his pleasures from me and knowing full well that, by doing so, I was tortured to the point of no return.

  “Tell me, Loula,” he begged. “Do you love me?” he asked again.

  He stood still as if to punish me. I let out a scream of passion, and I told him wildly that I loved him so much. Only then did he share what he so selfishly withheld from me. He took me to his place of heaven, a place only I had gone, a place where no other woman had ever visited. There, I melted and exploded into a million pieces of liquid fire. Whoever said sex was a sin was a big fat liar!

  I woke up in the morning with Nidal’s touch. His hands were roaming again. And I smiled, thinking that, if we keep this up, we would never get anything done.

  “Nidal, how did you wake up? I thought you would sleep all day. You did not get any sleep last night.”

  But Nidal was never one to admit how tired he might be. He only smiled and said without a care in the world, “I slept enough, I feel great, and I’m late for my lessons.” He kissed my nose, flipped the covers back, and jumped out of bed.

  His tall, lean, and tanned body drove me crazy as I watched him get dressed. He turned his back on me and reached for his clothes. He knew I was watching, and he took pleasure in torturing me as he said, “You like?”

  I ignored him, and he slowly turned around, revealing his manhood, which was aroused as always. I swallowed hard and looked into his eyes with raw lust. Then he dived in the bed and forgot about everything else. It was just simply beautiful.

  As the day wore on, I was keeping busy at the orphanage. The children and I were having a splendid afternoon. And when I asked the children if they wanted to go out and play, they all screamed at the same time with excitement. They loved it outside. The queen had made a playground for them that had everything a child could possibly dream of. It was there, as I was watching the children and pushing Natalie on the swing, that I noticed Billal walking toward the playground. He had a big smile on his face, and he looked dashing in his uniform. His eyes were gleaming as he walked up to me and greeted me with a kiss on my cheek.

  “If only you were my wife and these were all our children and you loved me and not my cousin,” he teased, smiling from ear to ear, “I would be the happiest man alive.” He took over pushing Natalie’s swing.

  Natalie turned her head and looked up at the prince with an adorable smile. I could not help but think how handsome he was. If I saw Billal first before I fell in love with Nidal, I could have easily fallen in love with him.

  “I received your message this morning, and I was thrilled to find out that you had asked for me. So to what do I owe this pleasure to?” he asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

  I was not sure how to approach the subject without alarming him in any way. I did not even know if he were loyal to me.

  “Billal,” I said softly. I did not
want the children to hear what I was about to say. “Are you loyal to me? Can I trust you?” My voice held no conviction.

  Billal stopped the swing in midair, and he took Natalie off the swing and placed her gently down. “Natalie, go play with your little friends, and in a little while, I will come and join you.” He smiled down at her as he ruffled her hair.

  Natalie did not even hear a single word he said. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she was halfway across the playground running to the slides. The prince turned to me, and our eyes locked.

  “Am I loyal, you ask?” He looked taken aback from what I just asked him. “Have I ever given you reason to think I was not loyal to you?” he asked, clearly distressed.

  I looked at him quietly for a few seconds before responding. I needed to catch my breath. He looked so good, standing there looking at me with a straight face. He was right. Billal was always a gentleman where I was concerned. But still, you could never be too careful.

  “Have you ever given me reason to believe that you are loyal?” I replied.

  Billal sighed. He put his hands on my shoulders, and I could tell he was clearly upset as he said hoarsely, “Loula, you can trust me, for I would lay down my life for you.”

  “Billal,” I whispered in a choked voice, “I know you to be a decent man, but before I tell you anything, I need you to swear your oath to me.”

  Billal made an agonizing sound. There was a shuddering tension about him, as if he were a hairbreadth from exploding. Then his grip relaxed, and he dropped his arms down to his sides. I could see how my words hurt him.

  His voice sounded bitter when he delivered his next words. “I would have made your life happier had you chosen me instead of him,” he said bitterly. “I am a better man than he is, Loula.” Billal closed his eyes for a second, and when he opened them, he looked as if he were in pain. “I am loyal to you, Loula. Never ask me that again. Never doubt me again. It hurts.” This time, his voice sounded cool, sharp as crystal. “Trust me. I am a man of my word.”