Chapter 48
I don’t know how much time has passed, but I quickly realize that I was reckless to run away without knowing where I was going.
I should have stayed at the palace, pretended everything was fine, and then contacted Zoe.
I have no doubt that she and Christos would move heaven and earth to help me escape from Sintarah.
Now I’m in the middle of nowhere, feeling like I might faint at any moment, putting not only my life but also my baby’s life at risk. I force myself to stand up and start heading back to the palace, but I feel disoriented, perhaps due to the heat. My eyes are heavy, and my body is weak.
It’s a miracle when I hear a car approaching and then a voice asking in perfect English, “Do you need help, miss?”
I turn to face the man speaking to me. He looks older and has a friendly face.
“Yes, please. Could you help me get back to the Royal Palace?”
He is in a jeep, and even though I grew up knowing that I should never accept rides from strangers, right now, I have to put my baby’s wellbeing ahead of my own.
“Get in,” he says, and he doesn’t need to ask twice.
“Thank you so much,” I say as I climb into the passenger seat. He starts the car again, and I lean back on the seat to catch my breath. “I don’t want to impose on your kindness, sir, but would you happen to have some water? I don’t seem to handle the heat very well.”
He doesn’t answer, just keeps driving, focused on the road.
I don’t know if it’s the man’s silence, different from his initial friendliness, or the fact that he is speeding up, but fear spreads within me.
Then I realize that even without seeing my face, he spoke in English when we met. Shouldn’t he have spoken in his native language? After all, I’m wearing typical Sintarah clothes.
Whoever this man is, he knows I’m American. He probably knows I’m the future princess.
Oh my God, someone was stalking me!
The first thought of pure terror is that I’m being kidnapped on Kamal’s orders.
But despite all I’ve heard, I conclude that my fiancé would never allow a stranger to get near me, knowing that it could endanger the baby I’m carrying. No, he would do it personally or send Adil instead.
Could it be one of the rebels who threatened to blow up the plant yesterday? If that’s the case, I’m in greater danger than if I were under Kamal’s heel, because at least with the father of my child, I know our baby would be protected.
“How long until we get to the palace?” I ask, just to make sure I’m not going crazy. At the same time, I glance in the rearview mirror and see the palace getting farther and farther away. We are heading in the opposite direction of where we should be going.
When the man finally turns to face me, a chill runs through me.
“You won’t be going back to the palace, Madeline Turner. Someone is waiting for you. Your brief experience as a princess is over.”
I clasp my hands in my lap, telling myself that I need to control the tremors in my body. The man is physically stronger, and I know my next move will be crucial to what will happen to me and my child.
I calmly observe the road and notice some Bedouin tents set up at the bottom of the slope on one side. I have no idea who these people are, but nothing could be worse than going along with this man to an uncertain destination.
At some point, he needs to slow down, and praying to God for protection, I close my eyes and jump out of the car.
It’s not a very high fall, but I still roll and feel the rocks hurting my face and my body.
I’ve never been athletic, but maybe the adrenaline caused by fear gives me strength I never knew I had.
Despite the pain, when I reach the bottom of the hill, I quickly get up and run towards the tents. I hear the man cursing behind me, but his voice becomes more and more distant.
I reach the camp, terrified, and almost cry with relief when I see a group of women. My hijab is lost, and they look amazed at my blonde hair.
I kneel down, feeling weak. “Help me! There’s a man running after me. I’m Madeline Turner, and I’m carrying the heir to your Sheikh.”
At first, they just stare at me, and for a split second of madness, I think they will tell me to leave.
“Please, I need help. The man who kidnapped me is after me. You must protect the Sheikh’s child.”
“The Sheikh’s child?” one of them asks in poor English.
I place my hand on my belly.
The world seems to spin. I’m weak, my strength fading. “Yes, I carry the Sheikh’s heir in my body. Please help me.”
They come closer and lift me off the ground, helping me lie down on some cushions.
“Water, please,” I request.
After drinking a few sips, I say, “Tell His Excellency that you found me. I don’t know if the man who kidnapped me will come back. I need to leave.”
I struggle to stay strong, but the words seem to come out muffled from my throat, and a slumber like I’ve never felt before overtakes me. And the whole world goes dark.