Chapter 33
Ciara rolled over, her arm starting to ache. She supposed the pain had woken her, but she preferred to think that it was because she was cold.
With resignation, she looked around to find that Falk was no longer in her bed.
“Of course,” she muttered, irritated. Throwing off the sheets, she went into the bathroom and took a quick shower, careful not to get her bandage wet.
When she was dried off and dressed in casual clothes, she found her phone, texting Maggie. “Is your husband with you?”
She didn’t expect a response, assuming that Maggie was sound asleep. But her phone beeped immediately after she sent the message.
“Ramit isn’t with me and we’re not asleep. Come to the dining room. We have hot chocolate ready.”
Intrigued both by the “We” and the “hot chocolate,” Ciara stepped out of her suite, smiling at her bodyguards who moved to surround her more tightly.
When she reached the dining room, Ciara stepped into the space and froze, startled to find Maggie and Tara, the tiny, but pretty, assistant that Zayed never went anywhere without.
“What’s going on?” she asked, moving to the buffet, that had a variety of sweets and fruit laid out along with all of the fixings for hot chocolate. Ciara poured herself a big mug of the hot chocolate, adding in some peppermint crumbles and two marshmallows. Of all the days to splurge, tonight was one of them. There had to be some benefits to being shot!
“The men are interrogating a woman named ‘Myala’,” Maggie announced, stirring her hot chocolate.
Ciara paused, trying to picture the woman in her mind. “I’ve met her,” she replied with a nod, stirring her hot chocolate as she made her way to the sofa. “She thinks she’s in love with Falk. She has some twisted idea that he’s going to marry her.” Ciara explained.
“That’s what Tara explained.” Maggie leaned closer whispering, “Tara sees everything ! It’s scary.”
Ciara laughed, then looked over at the blushing assistant “Sorry, we’re impressed with your skills. Zayed talks about you a lot.”
The woman gazed down at her own hot chocolate that had no additions and had barely been touched. It was almost as if the pretty woman didn’t think she deserved the decadent treat.
Maggie interrupted the silence before it became awkward. “Explain to Ciara what you just told me.”
Tara shifted in her chair, but turned to face Ciara more fully. “As a staff member, I’m in a good position to watch the guests at these kinds of functions.” She started off, only to pause, then continue. “I’m basically invisible.”
Maggie snorted, but Ciara was too interested in Tara’s observations. “What did you see tonight?”
She shifted again, cupping the mug as if needing to warm her hands. “Myala didn’t leave the ballroom at any point tonight. The guards are reviewing the video feeds, but they’ll find that I’m right.”
“Did you tell them this?”
“Yes. But they dismissed me. They think they’re going to find moments when she stepped out. But she never did.”
“Why were you watching her so closely?” Ciara asked, liking the woman’s no-nonsense attitude.
Tara twirled her mug thoughtfully before answering. “Because she’s fascinating.”
Maggie and Ciara thought about that for a moment, then nodded. “Fair enough. So, what did you see?”
“She didn’t leave, first of all. At least not until the guards pulled her out. I know that a jealous woman with some delusional tendencies is rightfully at the top of the suspect list, but she didn’t do it.”
“You’re sure?” Maggie asked.
Tara nodded. “I’m sure,” she replied. “One hundred percent.” She sighed, then brushed her hair out of her eyes. “I don’t think that the daughter is the crazy one.” She held up a finger, then grimaced. “Let me rephrase. I think that Myala’s father is crazier than the daughter. In fact, I suspect it was her father who shot at you tonight.”
Ciara’s blood went cold for a moment. “General Rashmid shot me?” she gasped. “Why do you think that?”
Tara clutched the mug with both hands. “I know he’s a highly decorated military leader in Falk’s country. And I’ve noticed how he treats his daughter. Plus, I’ve heard several conversations over the past few days that indicate he thinks his daughter deserves to be married to Falk because of all the years he’s given to the country. He told someone yesterday that all the sacrifices that he’s made over the past three decades were going to be rewarded this weekend.”
Ciara wasn’t sure what to say. It was Maggie who finally asked, “How did you overhear something so…weird?”
Tara shrugged. “As a palace staff member, most people don’t notice me. Like I said, staff members are invisible.” She glanced at Ciara. “At least, for most people. The palace staff members adore you. You don’t treat them as if they are invisible, Your Highness. They would do just about anything for you.”
“That’s very kind of you to say,” Ciara replied not sure if she fully believed the woman. “But…back to the general. Who was he speaking with when he said his sacrifices would finally be rewarded?”
Tara made a weird face then continued. “That’s why I think that General Rashmid is crazier than his daughter.” She bit her lip then continued. “He wasn’t talking to anyone. He was alone. Well, he was standing alone in the ballroom. There wasn’t anyone around him, which is one of the reasons I watched him so carefully.” She continued. “And that’s why I saw him slip out of the room after Falk dismissed his daughter. He wasn’t…angry, exactly. But he did seem…determined.”
“That’s not good,” Maggie whispered, looking over at Ciara. “I don’t believe that the palace guards arrested anyone except that woman.”
Ciara nodded, then abruptly stood up, putting her untouched mug of hot chocolate on the table in front of her. “We have to warn them,” she called out as she raced from the room.
Tara and Maggie hurried after her, followed by a large contingent of palace guards.
Ciara burst into the main security room but came to an abrupt halt when she found Falk, Zayed, and Ramit standing around the center table, the head of security and his deputy with them.
“Ciara!” Falk exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”
Ramit didn’t look happy to see her either.
“It was her father,” Ciara blurted out.
Maggie nodded and Ciara glanced at Tara. The shy woman stood with her back against the wall, observing silently.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Falk demanded.
Ramit moved closer to his wife, pulling her into his arms. Ciara almost rolled her eyes, but she was truly happy that her brother had found someone that he wanted to be so close to all the time. He worked long hours and deserved to have someone like Maggie by his side.
“Tara thinks Myala’s father is the shooter. She overheard him talking to himself about how he’d given up so much of his life to the military and in service to Imit. He was mumbling that he deserves to…?” She turned, looking at Tara. “What did he say?”
Tara took a step closer but kept far enough away that she didn’t appear to be joining the conversation. “He said that his sacrifices deserved to be rewarded.” She glanced at Ramit. “And he left the ballroom right before Princess Ciara was shot.”
Ramit turned to his head of security. The man was already sifting through video files from tonight’s security cameras, trying to locate the man in question. When he found an image, he followed the man around the ballroom. Everyone in the security office was silent, watching the general’s progress in the video.
Sure enough, eventually, he made his way towards one of the doors leading out to the stone patio and…surreptitiously slipped outside. He didn’t return.
“So, where is he now?” Falk demanded, rewinding the video and playing it forward again.
The head of security turned to his men. “Search the palace grounds again. Start with the patio.” He turned back to Ramit. “We’ve already searched that area once, Your Highness. But we’ll go through every nook and cranny until we find the general.”
Ramit looked over at Falk. “What if he’s the one who shot at Ciara?”
Falk’s jaw tightened. “Then he is yours to do with as you wish,” he replied grimly. “I won’t allow him diplomatic immunity. It doesn’t matter how much he’s done for Itim. If he shot at Ciara, not to mention firing into a crowded room, then he’s a traitor and should be treated as one.”
Ramit nodded his agreement. “Excellent.”
Ten minutes later, a call came through the palace radio. “Sir, you’d…uh…better come out to the patio. You’re going to want to see this.”
Everyone turned and rushed through the ballroom. Single file, they moved towards the patio door and…came to a stop. Two of the palace guards were staring up at one of the trees, shining a flashlight into the canopy.
“What are you looking at?” Ramit demanded, moving closer. As soon as he looked up, he burst out laughing.
Ciara and Falk were next. Automatically, he put his arm around her. She looked up and…covered her mouth to stop the inelegant snort of laughter.
“Well, that’s anticlimactic,” Zayed replied dryly as he and Tara moved closer as well.
The six of them, plus the palace guards, stared into the tree where General Rashmid dangled. Apparently he’d climbed up into the tree to shoot at Ciara, but on his journey back down, his belt had become caught on a branch. The older man was literally dangling by the leather belt. Every so often he’d make an abortive attempt to free himself, but it was useless. The man was stuck!
“Get me down, damn it!” he ordered in his best “general’s” voice.
The guards shook their heads, astonished that the military leader would be so foolish. Eventually, one of the maintenance vehicles with a cherry picker appeared to rescue the man. He was brought down and arrested. After only twenty minutes into the interrogation, he admitted that he’d shot at Ciara, screaming that it should be his daughter marrying Sheik Falk.
As soon as the confession was spoken, Falk left the security office, his fingers looped through Ciara’s. When they were finally back in her bedroom, he looked down at her. “I love you,” he told her as he slowly, carefully, stripped her clothes off.
“I love you too,” she whispered back, protecting her arm, but then stepped into his arms. “I’ll love you forever!” And with that vow, he made slow, thorough love to her, then cradled her in his arms as they fell into a deep, exhausted sleep together.