12ZainI was floating into the darkness, my body weightless as it moved like a merman in the water. The fog thick and heavy, my vision blurry when I watched the two little figures. The third figure bigger than the two of them, crouching to talk to them.“No, sweet, it doesn’t hurt much,” she whispered, her voice soft as she caressed little Zain’s cheek and ruffled Khalid’s hair.I frowned, my eyes on her swollen cheek. Childhood me knew what had happened. He had seen it. Tried to stop it and had received a lashing of his own afterwards. “But I saw Father sl—”“I fell down from the stairs, Zain,” her voice wasn’t soft anymore. It didn’t have any emotions. “Take your brother Khalid with you. Quickly before your father finds the both of you and scolds you two.”“But I don’t want to leave you,” Khalid whined, his hands wrapping around her neck. “I don’t want Father to hurt you.”The dark room blurred away, changed into the light room. I knew it was Zara’s nursery. Khalid was watching ove
PART TWO“Every inch of you is divine.” 13NasrinI held in the tremble of my body when I felt the smooth surface of the loofah lowering to my spine. I wanted to arch my back and close my eyes and let him lather me with his veiny hands all day if he wished. I was snapped out of my dirty thoughts when Zain said, “You do not have to accept this marriage, if that’s your wish.”“What?” I turned around to see him. “What do you mean?” I had been so surprised by his words that I had forgotten that I was in the bath. His face flamed when his eyes dropped below my chin, at my bare breasts. My heart thudded wildly when his obsidian eyes darkened, my nipples tightening and turning into hard peaks under his scorching gaze. With flushed cheeks, he looked away, his hand tightening over the loofah he held. He gritted out, “You do not have to accept me as your husband. Reject me if you wish. I… I will help you find a better prince and help your younger brother be the sultan.”I swallowed the lump
14ZainI had to fight off my grin, even though I felt a little guilty for stopping Nasrin from reaching her high. But I needed her to approve of my conditions for the marriage. “Out with it,” she said, glaring at me. With little thought, I brought my glistening fingers to my mouth and tasted her. Met her wide eyes, groaning at the honeyed taste of her. So sweet. So heavenly. I pulled back and licked my lips, her exotic taste lingering in my mouth. “One, I do not want you to have any lovers after marriage. Two, we sleep in the same room. Three, we use protection.”Her eyes blinked at me as if she was pulled out of some daze. Her beautiful caramel eyes narrowed at me. “Is that all?” I nodded and shamelessly raked my eyes over her bare body. Blood flowing south in my body at the sight of her wet curves, her round breasts pink with my kissing and biting. “I wish I could add another condition to have you naked when we are alone, but I do not want to get kicked in my crotch,” I confess
15NasrinMy core burned hearing him, my body heating underneath his gleaming obsidian eyes. I couldn’t believe that man. Sultan Zain Al Latif, my soon-to-be-husband, wanted to make me come again. It had only been a minute. “I am too sensitive,” I breathed, my palm brushing over his arm and retrieving it from the bath. He noticed the lack of my touch on his arm, which he had gladly allowed me to hold when he was fucking me with his fingers. I had to close my hands into a fist and stop myself from grabbing him by his neck and kissing him again. I missed the way his warm skin felt underneath my palm, the way muscles on his arm moved when he pushed his fingers inside me. I eyed his stiffened dick and said, “What about you? I want to—”“Maybe some other time,” Zain said, tilting his head as he stood up, looming over the bath. “Come on, the water has turned cold. I don’t want my fiancée to get sick.” Fiancée. My mouth parted, and before I could process what he had said, I followed his
16Zain“You can exchange the rings now,” our advisor announced, people clapping and cheering around us. We had finished the tulba ceremony privately, where I had to formally ask Nasrin’s family and her for her hand in marriage. After accepting the blessings from both of our families, Rahim had announced that the royal guests had arrived to take part in our engagement.Taking a deep breath, I held her hand and hesitated only for a moment before sliding the emerald diamond ring on her finger. Cheers erupted around us as my eyes flickered to her honeyed orbs. They were glittering when they glanced from the ring to my face. I could imagine how she was going to complain that it wasn’t something she deserved. Too bad that I was already thinking about how I would make her say ‘I deserve it’ with my mouth covering her soaking pussy.I had given her a small tour of the palace that evening, showing her all the ancient riches we possessed, along with the sterling diamond ring with emerald ston
17Nasrin“You look beautiful, Nasrin,” Zain’s grandmother cooed when Zara, dressed in a gorgeous red gown, draped a golden colored lace over my head, my dainty gold earrings glinting in the sunlight. “You look like a queen,” Zara smiled brightly, the staff asking to take pictures with me. Zara frowned at them when she asked what #SultanRoyalWedding meant. I had forgotten that she had never used social media in her life. “Thank you, jadati. Thank you, Zara. I am excited for the cake more than the wedding,” I grinned, my stomach tight with the anticipation of marrying the Sultan of Azmia.The wedding gown, jewelry, my clothes, handbags, shoes and absolutely everything else had been bought and gifted to me by Zain and his family as a part of our marriage ceremony mahr, which we would sign during katb Al-kitaab. It was a small ceremony of the payment which the groom must provide to the bride, out of love and respect. I tried to ignore all the luxuries that came with being Zain’s wife-
PART THREE“Then how should I treat my wife, Sultana?” 18ZainFuck. Fuck. Fuck. I groaned seeing the tent in my pants and forced myself to think about anything else but Nasrin. How stunning she looked, how sweet her smile was, or the softness of her skin and the way her hair—No, no, no, Zain.Taking a deep breath, I eyed the closed door of the bathroom and averted my attention to the bed covered in rose petals and the gossamer golden fabric. She didn’t mention it or pay it any heed. Should I remove it? Maybe I should. It’s not like she wanted to do anything else but sleep on our wedding day. She had clarified that I shouldn’t even hold her hand without her permission. I didn’t mind. I had many other things to think about and work on as a sultan and being distant from her, at least physically, shouldn’t hinder our marriage arrangements. That day in the bath was just the two of us accepting each other’s conditions. In a friendly way. That’s all. I lied to myself and tried to igno
19NasrinIt seemed like the memories of his warm body around me had burned in my mind. I couldn’t stop thinking about that morning, the way I had been so flustered and aroused. His grip on my waist was strong, his thrusts powerful when they rubbed over me, making me ache for him, his words dirty but his voice velvety smooth. That was one thing, but the way he had reacted to my touch… that had been one of the most erotic sights I had ever seen. Zain Al Latif loved to be vocal when he was on the receiving end of oral sex. The thrill of sucking him and taking him in my mouth was something I had never experienced before. It had aroused me. Pleasuring and pleasing him had aroused me. I wanted to whine when he had to leave, wanting to wrap myself around him once again and make him release inside me.It was absurd. How badly I wanted him to fuck me. Shaking my head at my impure thoughts, I stepped out of the bathroom and got ready for my first day as the Sultana of Azmia. I had breakfast
Explicit Bonus SceneNote: This scene has a bit of anal play with a use of sex toy.Elena“How much… longer?” I gasped, scrunching the sheets with my fingers. My knees buckled at the new sensation of being touched and—oh.Zayed’s fingers moved inside me, teasing and twisting them as various sensations of being invaded at such a part of my body. “Shh, my little witch,” he crooned, his hot breath on my neck making me shiver. His other hand soothed the burn of his spanking on my cheeks from moments ago when he was driving inside me, shooting his load in my pussy, which I felt sliding down my inner thigh. “You’re doing so well, my Sheikha,” he praised me, more cold lube coated over my puckered hole. “Take a deep breath.”I did, biting my lip and gasping when he spanked me at the same time I felt the cold press of something bulbous and held my breath. Zayed hushed my whimpers, ordering me to take another deep breath and relax when he slowly pushed the small toy inside me. Perspiration for
Epilogue“Finally, the pretty witch has graced me with her precious presence.”I hummed and sat on his lap, snuggling into his chest. “It’s supposed to be sleeping beauty.”He peered down at me, stroking my hair. “I know, but you are my darling witch.”“You made me stay up all night,” I glared at his handsome face, caressing the scar on his brow from the day The Golden Palace had fallen. “You weren’t complaining, love,” he smirked, kissing my hand that glinted with a small ruby ring. I bit my lip looking at it and asked, “Are you sure about marrying me, Sheikh Zayed?”He raised his brow and turned me around so I could straddle his hips, his eyes lowering to his shirt I had worn, unbuttoning it with his expert fingers. “I proposed to you when we were sixteen, my enchantress. It feels like a dream to marry you… even though you can be annoying sometimes.” I glared at him but he chuckled and continued, “But I have never been surer than ever before, Elena. My Sheikha.”I smiled and kissed
33ElenaMy heart shattered seeing The Golden Palace fall to the ground, dust and debris rolling in waves even when we were waiting at the stables that were far away from the palace. I clutched my heart and closed my eyes, praying, hoping he was safe. He was alive. Yes, I hated him for his antics, paralyzing me before running into the palace and keeping me safe with others. The absolute idiot. But I wanted him back, to kiss me again and hold my hand, flash me his boyish dimpled grin. “He is okay, Elena,” Valeria whispered softly, touching my shoulder and giving me a side hug. “She’s right,” Khalid said. “He is too stubborn to die.”“He will be okay,” Zain said, “He promised he would save Riaz so he will. I have sent your guards to look at the explosion. We will find him ourselves if we have to.”I thanked them for their support and stood up, shaking off my nerves. “I will come too.”They knew better than to stop me.The Golden Palace was in a shambles with each step we took closer
32ZayedI held my breath with each turn we took, my heartbeat pounding in my ears with the anticipation of finding Imran and relief to find Riaz. I wouldn’t hesitate to kill Imran if he touched Riaz. That kid was forced into this world and deserved nothing that had happened to him. “You love that Elena, hm?” I eyed Hamid and nodded. We had already looked for Riaz in the dungeons, but he wasn’t there, so we were looking in the empty library. “She suits you well, son, but you need to stop poisoning her from protecting you.”“This was the last time,” I promised and added, “I don’t enjoy it, but I don’t want her getting hurt because of the choices I made. Mistakes I made.”“If you love someone, all you have to do is be honest with them. That’s why she wanted to be here with you, because she wanted to keep you safe just as much as you want to keep her safe. If not more.”I stayed quiet, hearing his words, processing them and following him out of the library. Swallowing the lump in my th
31ZayedI was surprised to see the dark-haired man sitting beside Rahim and talking to him. He looked very familiar, but I didn’t know where I had seen him. He was tall with a thin shirt hugging his lean, muscular frame, and he looked like he was in his late twenties or early thirties. “Ah, Zayed,” Rahim finally noticed me standing by his tent. “This is my friend I wanted you to meet.”The man stood up, smiling at me, his golden-brown eyes twinkling in the morning sunlight as he bowed. “I have heard so much about you, Sheikh Zayed.”“See?” I turned around to see Elena enter the tent, her hands tying her golden hair in a ponytail. She was wearing my shirt and pants, rolled up at the hem as I hadn’t planned a perfect kidnapping. “Everyone knows about your pranks—oh, it’s you.”The stranger tilted his head and I resisted the urge to step between them, ripping my shirt and puffing my chest at him like some wild animal. “It is me?”“You two know each other?” I asked Elena, frowning when
30ZaraI caressed the bump on my stomach, feeling the excited kicks of my baby. Hayden had guessed that it was a girl while I had guessed the baby’s gender to be a boy. A little prince like him. Like us. With my dark black hair and his sparkling blue eyes. “You should thank me for not killing him off, you know.” I straightened up on the armchair when he entered the room. A small space, enough for a bed and a bathroom without locks with a tiny window to breathe fresh air. They separated me from my family with Aya, who was thankfully sleeping on the bed, curled around her stuffed toy. I had woken up in the room the day before, my head groggy, and I knew he had drugged me and everyone else. But why?“Maybe I should thank you for sparing my life too,” I replied with a smile, but he was smart enough to catch the sarcasm. Imran chuckled, walking closer to me, his men keeping guard on the door. “One day, princess, I will hear you begging.”“I pity you, Prince Imran.” I looked at him for
29Zayed“Ah, so glad to see you are okay.”Riaz stayed in the tent when Rahim stood up from the chair and smiled at me. He wasn’t present when I had run away from the Maahnoor palace. “What are you doing here?” “Here?” He looked around the tent, the table strewn with papers and maps and blueprints of Maahnoor palace. “You mean, in the middle of the desert, Sheikh Zayed?”“Where were you?” I poured a glass of water for him and handed it to him, leaning on the table, looking at him. He was dressed in his usual white clothes, his grey hair untousled with a warm look on his face. “I was trying to find the place where they took Nasir.”I frowned at him and he continued, “Nasir, the tiger? Unfortunately, I couldn’t find him and headed back. Before I reached the Maahnoor palace, I heard a commotion and saw you leaving the palace on a horse with Elena. At first, I thought you went out… for privacy, but news about Prince Imran travelled fast and I stayed hidden until this kid approached me.
PART FOUR“I love you, you infuriating, cold witch.” 28ElenaThe first thing I noticed when I started getting conscious was the cool heat, like sweltering summer heat during the night. It was cool but made me sweat, my entire body stiff and throat parched.I forced my lids to open, blinking at the empty bed. A small whimper tore out of my burning throat as I tried to sit up, my legs and hands straining with taut muscles. How long was I unconscious for?My eyes adjusted to the light pouring in from the open flap of the tent. By the looks of it, it was afternoon, and someone had taken a great care to build such a tent with a private bath area, small closet and a table. It looked like a royal tent.Royal… wedding. Memories came flashing back at me. Blood on the floor, Imran, Zara crying, missing my shot, and Zayed. He poisoned me. Handed me that wine, knowing what was going to happen and sided with Imran, who had fooled us all since the beginning and conspired against Azmia all that tim
27ElenaThe mood in the ceremonial hall was a cross between joy and confusion as everyone watched Imran and Iesha get married. The musicians were playing their instruments and food was great with a constant flow of arak, but everyone was shaken up by the events of the day before. I hadn’t even dared to look for Zayed after he had left the room early in the morning. I kept his promise of not following him even though I really wanted to, but how could I move when he told me he wished to marry me? I was too stunned by his confession to even breathe. I hadn’t left the bed until the maids asked to dress me for the wedding, even drawing a bath for me. When I had asked them about Zayed, they didn’t know where he was. “I heard Nasir will be sent back to a zoo,” Rahim said, standing beside me. “I will miss him.”I chuckled. “We can adopt and keep him in The Golden Palace. I am sure Zara would love that.”We both glanced at the pregnant princess talking with other ladies, Hayden keeping a c