Chapter 13
CHAPTER 13
T hey’d stayed on at the mountain spa retreat for another week. Kadar had planned to show her other places, but she’d wanted to spend longer there. From the moment she’d set foot on the mountainside, she’d felt like a bird freed for the first time. And so they spent their days exploring the area, bathing in the pools, and all the while talking and learning about each other. And she discovered a man who was far more than just a king. A man with vulnerabilities and strengths he kept hidden, and a heart which was curiously guarded.
But that precious time had to come to an end and duty beckoned once more. And so at the end of the week, they left the retreat and descended into the desert. Before they returned to the city, Kadar wanted to show her how he used to hunt with hawks. One last stop before they returned to the palace and the city.
By the time they’d arrived at the oasis, the sun was low, and spread a rich umber glow over the desert sands. Sarah shielded her eyes, and glanced at Kadar, whose imposing stature and effortless grace were heightened by the dramatic landscape in which he stood. His white robes billowed slightly in the wind, contrasting with the darkening blue of the sky, streaked with orange. He was talking with a falconer upon whose leather-gloved hand, a falcon perched majestically. The bird’s sharp eyes and poised demeanor mirrored the sheikh’s own intensity. Sarah couldn’t help but feel a mix of excitement and nervousness.
He turned to her and his face softened into a warm smile.
“You’ve never seen a falcon up close?” he asked.
“No, never,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper, captivated by both the bird and the man standing next to her.
Kadar extended his arm, inviting her to come closer. She stepped forward, feeling the soft sand shift beneath her feet. “This is Asim,” he introduced the falcon. “He is a saker falcon, one of the finest for hunting.”
Sarah reached out tentatively, her fingers brushing against the bird’s feathers. She marveled at their softness and the latent power she could feel pulsing under them. “He’s beautiful,” she breathed.
Kadar smiled, a rare softness touching his features. “Falconry has been a tradition in my family for generations. It’s not just a sport; it’s a bond between man and bird, a dance of trust and freedom.”
He helped her with the falconer’s glove and the bird stepped onto her arm, surprisingly light but fierce in presence. Kadar moved behind her, his closeness sending a thrill down her spine. He whispered instructions, his breath warm against her ear. “Raise your arm and let him take flight.”
With a deep breath, Sarah did as instructed. Asim launched into the air, wings spreading wide against the setting sun. Her eyes watered as she watched in awe, feeling a profound sense of connection to the bird and the man who had shared this moment with her.
Kadar’s hands remained on her shoulders, his touch grounding her. “You see how he soars? That is the essence of freedom, a reminder of what it means to truly live.” She turned around to face him. “And that’s so easy to forget, sometimes, isn’t it? You’ve reminded me of what I’ve been missing.”
In that moment, the vast desert and the world seemed to shrink away, leaving just the two of them. “Me, too,” she breathed. “Except I’ve never experienced it. But here, with you,” she shrugged, “I’ve found something I didn’t even know I was missing.”
She thought he was going to kiss her for a moment. But, surrounded by people, he obviously thought better of it. He passed the falconer’s glove back to the falconer and shouted a few commands in Arabic to the other men. Within seconds, they were alone.
The sun had dipped below the horizon, casting the desert into twilight. It looked magical—as magical as the past week had been. Just her and Kadar. And she thought she’d never forget that moment. The way the water of the oasis shimmered under the evening light, and the lulling rustle of the tall date palms which towered overhead. And him. Kadar. The way he looked at her. The way he touched her. And the way he made love to her. She would never forget him, even though she knew they had no future together. She might not know all of Sirun’s ways, but she knew enough to rule out a permanent relationship with a king.
“Time to return to the city,” he said. Sarah could see the reluctance in his eyes, and could hear it in his tone. But she knew it was time. They couldn’t avoid the real world any longer.
She nodded. “Of course. I’ve diverted you from your work long enough.”
They walked back to the cars in silence. Sarah did nothing to break it because she was too busy looking around, listening and breathing in the small details of this land and its people which she always wanted to remember—the sights and sounds of Sirun. The place where her family came from. Where she’d enjoyed such bliss with Kadar.
As the chauffeur drove off with Kadar and Sarah in the rear seats, following the convoy of cars back to the city, Sarah reflected on the memories she’d stored away since she’d arrived in Sirun.
They were images and feelings which she knew would stay with her forever. Because she’d made sure they would. She’d engaged every one of her senses to make sure each moment would last a lifetime, so she’d never forget this man who’d aroused feelings in her she’d only ever read about. But he was a king, and she knew they didn’t have a future together. That wasn’t the way it went with kings. Especially in countries like Sirun.
But she’d have her memories—the vivid reds and golds which flooded the desert at sunset, and the eerie sound of the rebab, played by Kadar’s men as they sat around a roaring fire. And how Kadar had reached for her hand and held it tight, as if he never wanted to let it go.
And then there were the nights—so dark that the stars shone more vividly than Sarah had ever seen them in her life before. She remembered her grandfather talking of the stars in Sirun, sad that he couldn’t see them so clearly in the English suburbs. Now she knew what he meant and a little of how much it had cost him to leave Sirun. And he’d done it to keep her safe. And yet she’d never felt as safe as she had this past week, encompassed by Kadar’s gaze, held by his hand and, later, worshipped by his body.
But no matter what they’d done to prolong the week, inevitably it had ended. And too soon, they were on their way back to the city palace. The journey passed too quickly, and the silence deepened as the car swept smoothly into the city. She felt like she was a different person from the one who’d left only a week earlier. She was in love and that both enriched her and saddened her because they had no future. Their idyll had ended and reality had returned. They would have to be parted immediately as Kadar had business meetings to attend. And parted permanently after she received her passport. Then she’d go in search of any family left living before she returned to England. That had to be her future.
He squeezed her hand, which he’d kept enclosed tightly in his all the way back from the desert, as if afraid she’d disappear. “I’m sorry. I must meet with the vizier and my officials. But we will see each other later this evening. If you want anything, contact my office. They will provide you with anything you need.”
She smiled and stretched. “I need sleep. That is what I’ll be doing while you work.”
“Good. Then you will have plenty of stamina for tonight.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it tenderly before brushing it against his cheek. “I can’t wait.”
“Neither can I,” she breathed, wishing she could lean over and kiss him like she wanted to kiss him. But they were no longer unobserved. They were at the palace, in the city where everything the king did was noticed and, no doubt, reported on. “Til later. When we can be alone once more.”
He nodded and got out of the car and became the supreme ruler of Sirun once more. Someone quite different from her lover. Someone very different from the man she now knew she loved. But that regal side of him existed and she couldn’t ignore it. It was the thing which stopped them from having any future together.
The driver drove into the garage and she looked at the back door through which she was expected to exit. Discreet, she thought. And, while she knew she had to be careful for Kadar’s sake, she hated it. Already she was pining for their time away, when they’d been just like any other man and woman in love. But there was no other way. She turned to check she had her things when she noticed Kadar’s phone on the seat. She picked it up and thought that, at least now, she had an excuse to see him sooner than tonight.
She found her way back to the public rooms where Kadar had been heading, but he’d already disappeared, so she decided to return it to his office instead.
She ran up the stairs and looked around, but the assistant who usually guarded his office wasn’t there. No doubt he’d be back soon, and she knew it was safest left with one of his staff rather than trailing around the palace trying to locate Kadar. She entered the office and walked over to the desk and began writing a quick note to stick to the phone when she heard voices. In the next office, through the interconnected doors which were open, she heard the vizier’s voice. She would have left the room immediately if it weren’t for two words used together.
Kadar. Marriage.
She froze. She should have moved away, should have run rather than walked straight out of there. She tried to, but curiosity got the better of her. And she stayed. In a nearby office, she could hear admin staff tapping at keyboards, oblivious to the fact that she was listening to the vizier’s conversation. And, on the other side of the room, she could hear the vizier clearly trying to reassure someone about some threat to the nation.
“Of course, His Majesty understands,” said the vizier, barely concealing his annoyance. “And he certainly is doing something about it, I can assure you of that. He expects to announce his betrothal to a key member of the tribe within weeks, if not days.”
Sarah felt sick to her stomach and tried to move, but her feet had turned to lead. Then she heard Kadar interject and she no longer wanted to run away.
“Look,” said the vizier, “perhaps you’d like to hear Kadar himself tell you this news.” He paused. “Yes? Right. Your Highness?” Then she heard footsteps walk through the office, followed by murmured undertones.
“Sheikh Abdullah!” said Kadar. It was the name of the security minister. Kadar listened for a few moments, then Sarah heard him pace around the room.
“Abdullah, you can take it from me, there is absolutely nothing to worry about. The threat from the Al-Barraq tribe will be neutralized.”
Her skin prickled at the way he spoke—so autocratic, so cold, so… fierce. It made her feel nauseous and fearful. It was exactly as her grandfather had described the old king—Kadar’s father.
“How? By the usual means. Marriage. I will announce my betrothal to a sheikha of that tribe within a few weeks, possibly sooner. The marriage will happen as soon after that as possible.” Another pause, and Kadar laughed. “Of course. It’s a relief to all of us. Goodbye.”
Sarah’s legs felt like water and she sank into a chair as she fought yet another wave of nausea. Her heart was thumping fast. She’d be found here, and they’d know she’d overheard. But what did it matter? Kadar had obviously been leading her on, seducing her, wooing her with words of love, while all the while he’d been about to marry someone else. A political marriage had been arranged and awaiting his return. And she was merely a pre-marriage distraction. She sank her head into her hands and swallowed a sob. How could she have been so stupid? How could she have got it all so wrong? She knew she shouldn’t have trusted him, and yet she had. She’d given him her heart, and she’d believed him when he’d told her he’d take care of it.
She heard Kadar and his vizier leave the office through the opposite sets of doors. It seemed she wouldn’t be noticed after all.
She might have given him her heart, but she could take it right back again. She wasn’t going to hang around waiting for him to dump her days before his marriage. She had to focus on getting her passport. She’d left it long enough.