by Lynda Filler
“Let’s go to the military gun range Saturday while Alice is with Amira.” Maggs slung her backpack over her shoulder and filled her water bottle.
“Are you happy here, Maggs?” Luci always worried for everyone but herself. She’d understood perfectly when Lorena had chosen to return to Mexico, rather than to come to Paris with Alice and her. But all six feet of ex-military Maggs needed challenges.
“I was ready for a change. I don’t miss the military, but when Raven recruited me, I expected more action. I was bored in Seattle and the Pemberton Ice Fields were too far away from the night life I require to hunt my nubile, young bodies!”
Luci was straight, and she’d made it clear with her short-but-hot interludes with Raven. She’d chosen to make a home for herself and Alice in Paris; so Maggs said she’d go and be Luke’s eyes and ears, and in-house personal security for the little family. Both women were certified lethal killing machines and worked out every day to stay that way.
“Yes, I’m happy. Surprisingly, I’m enjoying the day-to-day routine of an ordinary life. It’s growing on me. And you know, I love Alice. It’s amazing watching her grow. You guys and Luke are my only family.”
Luci smiled, unsure what the appropriate response might be. She’d never before experienced the calm and stability the last six months had given her. She’d even spent evenings with President Matisse and the First Lady. Once they’d gotten over the shock of her changed appearance, they’d been thrilled to have her in Paris and got together for cultural events and evening dinners on the Left Bank. She’d even agreed to attend Paris Fashion Week. Luke would never believe it.
It had been several long years without her Arab lover. She would always love him. But late at night, she found herself wanting Raven’s touch.
“Do you miss Luke?” Maggs knew she was moving into a forbidden area, but Samaar, code-named Luci, was in a mood and Maggs did wonder about her feelings for Raven.
Samaar smiled and laughed. She’d lingered over memories of how they’d made love in the Las Vegas desert. But Raven knew he needed to leave her alone to live her life the way she wanted. Often times, she’d come through the door and hear his voice face-timing with Alice. He or RB kept in contact with her security team, who discreetly kept an eye on the three women of the house.
She could almost say she was happy—for the first time in her life. But, if she was being totally honest with herself, she missed the action—and she missed Luke.
She looked at Maggs waiting for a response, smiled, and turned away.
14
“I’M NOT SURE I’m up for surprises.” Sabrina handed her weekend bag to the driver and crawled into the backseat where Xavi was waiting. Eight months and they’d managed to carry on a relationship with relative privacy. But then, they were both skilled in the arts of subterfuge; Xavi in war and Sabrina in business.
“It’s my birthday, and I wanted to spend the time with you away from telephones and family.” Xavi leered at Sabrina, very Groucho Marx in his disguise.
“Where are we going?”
“I’m not saying. It’s a surprise.” Xavi leaned in to Sabrina and kissed her deeply. If the press had any indication that the Prince and Sabrina were dating, it would’ve been an absolute gong show. And neither of them wanted the attention.
“What did your parents say?” Xavi wiggled his fake moustache. His various disguises had worked, up until now.
The limousine crawled through downtown traffic, diesel exhaust and horns blasting, on the way to London Biggin Hill Airport twelve miles away.
“Well, I guess you could say, they didn’t seem surprised we were going away for the weekend, but they said to say hi to you and to have fun and try to forget about work!”
The Prince smiled. Her parents knew her so well.
It was a completely different response she’d received a few months ago when she’d first told them about her relationship. Her mother started to cry, her father glared at her. The conversation had been tense. Her father’s words were harsh.
“Sabrina. The Prince of England?? Are you serious. First of all, he’s a protestant. Second, his family will never accept you, a Lebanese Muslim, and third, he’s a well-known playboy who will break your heart.”
“Dad, I’m a big girl. I’ve finally found a man I love. I know maybe I shouldn’t have kept it from you, but I knew your reaction would be brutal and well, I really care about him. And he’s not at all what you might think.” Her eyes begged her parents to adjust to the idea.
“Please Dad. He wants to meet with you privately.” Sabrina refused to look at her mother. She could feel the disappointment from across the room. But as a loyal wife, whatever her husband said, would be the final answer.
Her father glanced out the window. She was his only daughter. He had such high hopes for her. But she had a mind of her own and he looked at her in resignation.
That had been two months ago. She and Xavi were still going strong.
Xavi looked at the woman sitting beside him. He also remembered the first conversation he’d had with his Grandmother. She’d been shocked at his frank announcement. But then, she’d always been so close to him after his mother had died. She’d groomed him for eventually becoming the Monarch, the King of England.
Grandmother was a progressive. She really had no choice. If the Monarchy was going to sustain itself and exist in the violent world of today, it was going to take a strong and determined leader. She knew Xavi had what it took to be that man. Contrary to what people would assume, his Grandmother had accepted his choice of Sabrina and had agreed with his decisions.
That was a week ago. He had no idea how Sabrina was going to act. But he knew one thing. He was in love. And he hoped she felt exactly the same way.
“Sir. We’re five minutes out.”
“Xavi. Where are we going?” Sabrina was excited to spend a weekend away from work; to eat, sleep and make love with her guy. Xavi simply grinned.
“First. We are taking that plane over there.” The private charter had numbers, no name. Sabrina grabbed her cell phone and started plugging some information into her browser. Xavi grabbed her phone.
“No cell phones. You’ll find out soon enough.”
They boarded the waiting jet. Sabrina looked around for other passengers and found they were all alone.
“This is wild, Xavi. And very extravagant.”
“Relax, Sabrina. Champagne?”
“Yes. Now tell me, where are we going?”
“Well, if you open this package, you will have a clue.”
She pulled the Harrods bag onto her lap and opened it. A beautiful black bikini with diamantes, fell onto her lap.
“Wow. We’re going somewhere with sun?”
“Yes. The British Virgin Islands. And you have two extra days off from work. All arranged by me! Now, no more questions.”
Sabrina felt lightheaded as the plane ascended into the sky. She was not normally a nervous flyer, but she’d been feeling strange all week. She wasn’t a great traveler, so she’d picked up Dramamine, thinking they might be taking a flight to Saint Moritz, but she hadn’t the slightest idea they were going to the islands.
Perfect.
The Captain advised the couple to relax, lunch would be served in half an hour.
Sabrina smiled at her handsome Prince and prayed this fairytale would never end.
15
“WE NEED A big statement.” The ISIS leader paced his war room. He’d muted the sound of the report he’d recorded of Sabrina Sayyid. He spoke to his people, but he never once took his eyes off the beautiful journalist who ranted with passion against everything that he professed.
“We need to show them they can’t flaunt their immoral women and hold them up as role models!” His advisors looked at each other, eyebrows raised, somber faces. His most trusted aide had talked in confidence about his boss’ obsession. An entire external computer drive held every online interview or report Ms. Sayyid had ever done. There was concern
amongst his followers that he was leading them down a path of no return.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes. Our people are in place.”
“We have a very important situation that we must take advantage of. Let me show you.” Sandstorms raged all around them. The leader laid out his plans for the next major event. The tent shook, and the man cursed his current impotence. If only his intelligence hadn’t been flawed, he’d have been gone long ago. He was tired of the game and the pretense that he actually cared about the fate of his people. Soon he’d depart this hellhole forever. All he needed was the meeting in Qatar, the alliance required to continue on the path he’d chosen, and his future would be secure far away from this despicable desert.
All was ready for his departure. And no one in his inner circle had any idea where he was going or what he would be doing. If he’d learned anything from the American military machine, it was how to say one thing, mean another, and do something completely unexpected.
His advisors offered deferential praise for his grand plans then with permission, exited his quarters.
He looked at the woman now frozen on the screen.
“Soon.”
16
“OH, XAVI! LOOK at the color of the ocean! I love it!”
He smiled, quite pleased that all was going according to plan.
“We land here.” He pointed out Virgin Gorda, “then we’ll take a helicopter to Necker Island.”
“Richard Branson’s private island? Xavi, that’s perfect! We won’t have any press chasing us. How did you manage all this?”
“I’ve learned subterfuge from the best. I’ve worked and trained in Britain—the SAS—and the American special forces, plus the SEAL teams stationed in Afghanistan. And besides, Richard is a family friend. I thought you would like a long weekend away from the British photographers and celebrity-crazed American paparazzi.”
Sometimes, the Prince reminded Sabrina of a golden retriever; a most loyal companion looking for approval and love. And Xavi was easy to love. She reached for his hand.
“I love it, Xavi, I do.”
The villa was perfect—remote with a view of the exotic turquoise Caribbean waters from every window. The main house was far enough away for the two lovers to enjoy maximum privacy. Even the swimming pool was surrounded by palms and tropical flowers for the ultimate in relaxation and pleasure. Richard had vetted every staff member on the island personally. There would be no leaks to the press, no prying photographers, and no fly-overs.
“The island can house thirty-four guests in the various villas, but we have it all to ourselves.”
Sabrina was used to money. Her father had retail and manufacturing businesses and had invested wisely. However, this level of wealth was something her parents would never attain. Even if they had it, they would never flaunt it. In today’s climate of terrorism and rampant violence, it was foolish for a Muslim to show this kind of wealth in London or anywhere outside the Middle East.
“I love it, Xavi. It’s so perfect for us. Let’s nap first, then swim.”
Xavi laughed out loud. “So, we call it ‘napping’? That works for me.” He followed a pathway of discarded clothes and Sabrina’s laughter into their master suite.
Xavi opened the blackout drapes and watched Sabrina sleeping. He loved this girl like no one he’d ever dated before. He remembered the first night he’d seen her at Café Brood. She’d been with her best friend Rosy and had kept glancing his way. His friends had kept bugging him to go over and introduce himself. At first, he hadn’t recognized her, then he’d remembered seeing her on an ISIL special report. There had always been something passionate and beautiful about his Sabrina. And he’d been right. And better yet, he knew from the moment he sat down beside her at the café and looked into her eyes that she was the woman he wanted by his side.
They showered together, laughing and fooling around, both excited to put one over on the press and steal this moment in time for complete isolation and a weekend of love.
They decided to forgo the ocean for now and dressed slowly for dinner. After all, they were the only guests and whatever staff was here would be patient.
“We are having hors d’oeuvres at the beach. Check in your closet.”
Sabrina looked in her closet and recognized a gorgeous long black silk dress from a designer she loved.
“Xavi! How did you know?”
“I have spies—well, Rosy!”
“Of course. Does she know we’re here? And she didn’t tell me?”
“I told her this was a State Secret.”
She started dressing in the privacy of her own area while she continued the conversation with Xavi. When she emerged, she gasped.
“Oh my. You clean up well!” Xavi stood before her in a tux, shirt open at the neck, no footwear. “I love your choice of foot wear!”
“Ready?” Xavi questioned.
Sabrina whispered to herself: I’ve been waiting for you my whole life.
They followed a path to a table set up on a straw mat laid out over the sand. Candles lit the way, champagne rested in a stand, the moon and the stars flickered in the sky.
She sat down and looked over to see why Xavi wasn’t beside her. Instead, she found him on bended knee, a tiny navy velvet box open, and the most magnificent diamond ring sparkling in the moonlight.
Sabrina began to cry.
Xavi looked up in worry. “What’s wrong? You will marry me, won’t you???”
“But your family? They will never approve. Don’t tease me, Xavi. I’m a Muslim woman!!”
“Sabrina. I’ve asked my grandmother for permission, but I told her if she said no, I would marry you anyways.”
Tears streamed down Sabrina’s face. “What did she say?” she whispered through her tears, afraid, for the first time in her life.
“She said she brought me up to be strong and brave. She recognizes that the Commonwealth is no longer the same as when she’d ascended the throne fifty years ago. And if I thought you were the right woman to be by my side, she would welcome you to the Royal Family.”
The handsome Prince placed the beautiful diamond ring on Sabrina’s finger. Before she could say she accepted, she started to fall.
“Oh, I’m so embarrassed! I took pills for flying, then all that champagne on an empty stomach. I felt faint. I should know my limitations, but I was so happy for this time away with you.” She kept looking at the diamond in the candlelight.
“So, is that a yes?”
Sabrina laughed and hugged her Prince. “Yes!!” He took her in his arms and kissed her passionately.
“Come with me. I want to show you something.”
He took her hand and they walked along the beach. After ten minutes, they came to a large Caribbean estate house on a hill. He led her up a garden path, and a butler was waiting for them. He opened the door into a reception hall and applause greeted them.
Sabrina was shocked, totally unprepared for the group before her. Rosy, her parents, Xavi’s father and stepmother, whom Sabrina had already met, his best friends, a few she didn’t know, and his Grandmother, the Queen of England.
“Come. My Grandmother would like a word with you.”
Royal protocol required Sabrina to curtsey and she’d never thought to practice. She was so flustered, and this was all so overwhelming. Xavi whispered in her ear, “It’s okay. She’s going to love you too.”
“Sabrina, you’re the beautiful woman who has captured my grandson’s heart. It’s taken him a long time to find true love. As you know, he will one day inherit the throne to a very complex empire. But you are smart and well educated and he has chosen you to be his mate. I’m known for being blunt, so let me just say that this will be a very controversial partnership. But I trust Xavi completely and he says you can handle it.” She turned to the assembled group and said in a raised voice, “It’s my pleasure to present to you, Prince George Xavier and Ms. Sabrina Sayyid. Welcome to the family.” The room raised their champagne
glasses in congratulations.
The Prince stepped forward and hugged his grandmother. She seemed flustered by his show of emotion, but these were modern times and he was a man of the people.
“Let’s party, everyone!” The prince has spoken.
17
THE HELICOPTER TOOK off from the pad at Necker Island. The sun was setting over the horizon. Its precious cargo would arrive on Virgin Gorda and immediately depart for London, England. The party would have to go on without the presence of the Queen. The news from England was particularly worrisome.
Her Majesty wasted no time advising Special Branch of her new security requirements.
“The public is unaware as yet, but we will be making a Press Release from Buckingham Palace on the engagement of Prince George Xavier to Ms. Sabrina Sayyid.”
She listened to the incredulity of the director as he admonished the Queen for leaving him out of the loop.
“I was uncertain myself until two days ago that he would go through with it. He asked my permission, but this is all very sudden. I’m afraid we are unprepared for the political fallout. As you are aware, Ms. Sayyid is not only Lebanese but also a Muslim.”
She listened, sighed and continued.
“Xavi has requested a quick marriage to avoid all the press and continuous scrutiny of their relationship. He and I have talked of the drastic changes in their lives. But we need to have everything in place for Ms. Sayyid’s return on Wednesday.”
She listened to sighs and requests for more time to organize the level of security required for such an unprecedented announcement.
“I have complete confidence that Special Branch will have this under control in forty-eight hours. Correct?”