Chapter 13
CHAPTER 13
T hree months later…
Soraiya waited for her sister-in-law, Sarah, to arrive under the shelter of the walkway at the side of the palace. She was glad of a little peace while she waited. Every day of the past few months, her hours had been filled with business which often stretched into the evening, and she was with Zak every night.
And what nights, she thought with a sigh. Nights of passion, kindness, tenderness and hope. She looked up into the sky for signs of Sarah’s incoming helicopter. But the sky was clear of aircraft, so she turned and walked back toward the palace, allowing herself to indulge in thoughts about Zak.
With each passing day, Soraiya had got to know him a little better. At first, their physical relationship had eclipsed everything. It was far better than anything Soraiya could ever have believed and she got the impression Zak felt the same. And no wonder. She could just imagine how she’d been described to him before they were married. A buttoned-up, dutiful virgin with more brains than beauty . Well, at least she was no longer a virgin. And Zak declared she was beautiful, although after a lifetime of being told she was plain she couldn’t quite believe it. She felt Zak wanted her to be beautiful, and she was fine with that. She knew he was grateful that by marrying her, they would inherit valuable land on her next birthday. Land that would give Sirun crucial access to the sea and a deep-water port—advantages which already had seen other countries approach them to discuss trade partnerships. It would transform Sirun’s fortunes. And she was proud that she could bring such an opportunity for wealth to Zak and his country. Her country now.
But there was still something niggling her, because Zak himself remained an enigma. He’d revealed little about himself or his family, and she didn’t know why. She hated mysteries and felt at a loss to know how to reply when people asked after her mother-in-law. She knew she’d have to bring it up with him, because evasive answers created yet more mystery and rumors, which were no doubt worse than the actual truth. But she’d decided it could wait. Their relationship was perfect, and she didn’t want to rock it. But, with her sister-in-law, Sarah, visiting, she thought she’d see what she knew.
Soraiya looked up into the cloudless sky as the distant thrumming sound of a helicopter grew louder. She stood back in the shelter of the palace and watched it land. She hadn’t seen Sarah since the wedding, and was looking forward to her visit. She’d been so supportive and had talked with her online over the past few months. But now she was paying a visit out of the blue, even though she was near her baby’s due date. All she’d told her was that she wanted to speak to her in person. It seemed everyone had secrets, including Sarah.
“Sarah!” exclaimed Soraiya, as the other woman carefully stepped out of the helicopter.
Sarah waved and walked over to her, one hand clamped against her hair amid the turbulence of the helicopter downdraft, while the other one supported her pregnant belly.
“Soraiya!” said Sarah, as she climbed the steps carefully to greet Soraiya. Sarah lightly clasped Soraiya’s shoulders and kissed her on both cheeks. “You’re looking so well! Married life obviously agrees with you.”
Soraiya laughed. “And you!” They went inside, into the cool of Soraiya’s private drawing room. “Although I’m surprised you decided to travel so close to your due date.”
Sarah shrugged. “You sound like Kadar. But it’s only a short flight. And besides, I wanted to talk about something with you.”
Soraiya signaled for the maid to serve them drinks and sat down, making Sarah comfortable with cushions behind her back and under her knees.
Sarah laughed. “I feel like an artifact! Something which needs to be nestled in tissue paper to survive.”
Soraiya shrugged. “You are indeed a treasure. And I don’t want Kadar and Zak demanding to know why I didn’t treat you like one.”
Sarah pulled a face. “To be honest, I appreciate it. I just feel silly. I’m not used to such fuss being made of me.”
“Not even now you and Kadar are leaders of your tribe?”
“I don’t know about fuss. It’s been more like hard work, to be honest.” She took a sip of her tea before placing it on the table beside her. “But it wasn’t about that I wanted to talk.”
“Not your family?”
“Actually, yes. Our family. Our mother-in-law—Sheikha Alishaba—to be precise.” Sarah paused and stirred her coffee again, although it had been stirred twice already. “Has Zak talked about her with you?”
Soraiya shook her head. “He’s said nothing. Whenever I try to talk about her, he clams up. And whatever happened seems to have been dealt with. So…” She shrugged. “I haven’t pushed it.”
“Hm,” said Sarah. “I’m not so sure that everything has been dealt with. Pushed under the carpet more like. I heard through my relatives that Alishaba is living in Paris. They say that she lives the high life in luxury and that there were rumors about where she got her money.”
“I know at first Zak was very against me doing the work his mother had done when his father had been alive.”
“I don’t know the details, but I know that the brothers feel she betrayed them both. She stole from them. But it’s not that that worries me.”
“What is it, Sarah?”
“I’ve heard rumors that Sheikha Alishaba has been talking about you. She’s been seen dining at a trendy restaurant with your mother’s family. Your cousin, to be precise.”
Soraiya’s eyes widened. “My cousin? But how do you know this?”
“I have family in Paris and the restaurant in question is the kind of place you go to so you can be seen.” She hesitated. “So people will talk about you. And they are.”
“They’re talking? About what?”
“My aunt says that there is gossip concerning you and your father.”
Soraiya frowned. “My father? But he’s at home in Ra’nan. Everyone knows there was no love lost between my mother and father.”
“I thought you might understand the message better than I do. So I wanted to pass it on. Sheikha Alishaba is saying that Zak will never gain access to the land. That your father will never allow you to inherit it.”
“But that’s entirely wrong! My father will! It’s all arranged. It’ll happen on my birthday, in a few months’ time. My grandmother’s will is quite clear.”
“Well, that sounds satisfactory, then.” But Soraiya noticed the shadow didn’t lift from Sarah’s face. “I thought I should pass the rumor on to you in person before anyone else does. In case it meant anything to you.”
Soraiya shook her head. “It doesn’t. No,” she said, more certain. “Maybe it’s just wishful thinking from a woman who has lost the respect of her sons, and her country.”
Sarah nodded. “You know all her gowns are kept locked up in the desert castle?” she said. “They’re exquisite. Kadar told me they’d been forced to agree to keep her things in a palace within the country and so had decided to exile them to the desert castle. I wore some of them when I first came here. I had to. I had nothing else to wear.”
“You’ll have to tell me about it sometime.”
Sarah laughed. “I haven’t got long enough this afternoon. I’ll have to leave soon, or else Kadar will have the guards come looking for me.” She eased herself to sitting, grimaced. “But I wanted to come in person anyway to see how you were. You sounded fine on the phone. But I wanted to see for myself that you were settling into your marriage okay.”
Soraiya smiled, thankful that she had such a solicitous sister-in-law. “More than okay. Zak is… well, he’s…” Just the memory of how he was with her made her blush.
Sarah laughed and held up her hand. “You can spare me the details. I can see he’s making you happy. And from what Kadar tells me, Zak is also happy.”
“Yes, I think he is,” Soraiya allowed.
“Well, thank you for the refreshments and the chat. But I should leave now, before it gets any later.” She pushed herself off the settee.
“Next time we meet, you’ll be bringing your baby with you.”
“Indeed. And I can’t wait,” she said, tapping her stomach.
At the door, Sarah turned to Soraiya and tilted her head as if inspecting her. “You look… Hm…”
“I look what?” replied a startled Soraiya, patting her hair, wondering if it was obvious she’d had sex that morning. She blushed.
Sarah laughed. “Just different somehow. I thought so when we first met, but I’m sure now. You have a glow about you. Are you pregnant?”
“No! Of course I’m not pregnant! It’s not long since our wedding.”
“Long enough to be pregnant.”
“Well, I’m not.” But even as Soraiya said it, embarrassed to talk about such personal matters openly, she was mentally calculating and remembered how her breasts had felt tender under Zak’s embrace that morning. She looked away with a frown. Could she be?
As Soraiya gave one last wave before they took off, she wondered if Sarah could be right. She’d check it out. First thing in the morning.
That night, while Zak finished some late correspondence, Soraiya sat brushing her hair in front of the dressing table, pondering on what Sarah had told her.
“Sarah tells me that all your mother’s beautiful clothes are stored at the Desert Castle. That’s a strange place to store them.”
“What?” he asked distractedly.
“Your mother’s clothes. Being kept at the desert palace. It seems a little odd.”
Zak grunted. “We were required to keep them in a palace. But the particular palace wasn’t stipulated, so we got them out of our way, far from anywhere.”
“Why didn’t your mother take them with her, wherever she is?”
He hesitated. “She’s in Paris, I understand. She took the most valuable, I’m sure. She seemed to think that by leaving some of her belongings here, she’d be able to return at some point. But she won’t.”
“What? Return or be able to return.”
“Either.”
Soraiya sighed. Getting information from Zak about his mother was like getting blood out of a stone.
“Why can’t she return?”
His face darkened perceptibly, but she refused to back down. She needed to know.
“Because my brother and I prefer she live elsewhere.”
“But… she’s your mother. Surely?—”
He raised his hand. “I don’t wish to discuss her.”
“But I need to know, Zak. I hear rumors about her and how can I know how to respond if I don’t know the truth?”
He sighed and raked his hands through his hair. “The truth is, we dislike her. We don’t want her around.”
“That much I gathered.”
He huffed out a sigh, as if finally surrendering. “Okay. I could have forgiven the fact she was a distant mother to both me and Kadar, and that she hated my father. But what I can’t forgive is the fact she betrayed my country and by doing that, she betrayed all of us.”
She was shocked. “Betrayal? That’s a big word.”
“Not big enough for what she did. She stole from our country. For years, she siphoned off money while my father was alive. And after he died, she doubled down her efforts and Kadar and I had no idea. Not until she was discovered—and then she disappeared, taking as much as she could with her. That, Soraiya, is why I have no time for my mother. She is no longer welcome in Sirun as she has just about destroyed it.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”
“No, well, you wouldn’t. We avoided too many rumors from circulating.”
“But how did she hide it from your father, and you and Kadar so well?”
“Because my father hated business and mother enjoyed it and took it all over. She became indispensable with her gifts of beauty, of languages, and of diplomacy.”
She swallowed. “I have languages and diplomacy skills.”
“And you are beautiful, like my mother. Your eyes even have a passing resemblance to hers.”
“And so you were scared I would do the same thing?”
“Yes, but I didn’t know you then.” His expression softened, and he held out his hand to her. “Come over here, habibti ,” he said. “I want to show you something.”
He grabbed her, and she sat on his lap. “I think I have an idea what it is you want to show me.”
He laughed. “No, it is this.” He produced a long velvet box from his desk drawer and gave it to her. “This is for you. A thank you for giving me so much.”
Her heart was full as she took the box from him and eased it open. Sapphires and diamonds sparkled under the desk lamp.
“Zak,” she gasped, “it’s beautiful.”
He cocked his head to one side as if assessing her. “I thought it would suit you. But, I can’t judge it properly. No,” he shook his head, “there’s a problem.”
She frowned. “What?”
“Your clothes,” he said, as if making a strategic decision in council. “They are too distracting. I need to see you naked, wearing only the necklace.”
She smiled and rose. “Is that an order?”
“It is.”
“Then,” she said, undoing her zip, “I’d best comply.”
Much later, she thought she probably shouldn’t have had such energetic sex if she were pregnant. That she should have told him about Sarah’s and now her suspicions. She rolled over to him, but then he touched her in a way which made her forget everything except his fingers and her body. Much, much later, when she remembered again, he was asleep.
She’d tell him in the morning.