Chapter Seven
Loula
Many hours had passed because, when I opened my eyes, it was almost dark in the room. I quickly got up and dressed, wondering where Nidal was. I opened the door, and the huge hallway was lit up with candles everywhere. I heard laughter coming from the dining room as I made my way toward it. I was very angry.When I reached the doorway, a smiling, young guard with a glint in his eyes opened the door to let me enter. I swished past him angrily and stepped into the dining room, and my eyes found and locked with Nidal's. All the laughter stopped, and everyone stared at me. The men immediately stood. I walked over to where Nidal was sitting. He had a surprised look on his face when he saw me. The seat next to him, the one that belonged to me, was occupied with her. She was back, sitting in my chair next to my prince with a smug look on her face. I froze, not knowing what to do or say. It was an awkward moment for everyone except Shaeena. Her eyes gleamed with laughter.Nidal stood up, smiled at me, and planted a warm kiss on my cheek. "Loula, my love, you finally awoke," he said teasingly with laughter in his eyes.But at that moment he knew. He froze. The color drained from his face as he looked at me and saw the hurt and disappointment in my eyes.The princess did not offer my seat to me. She just sat there, not budging and staking her claim to my chair and my prince. Nidal, the gentleman that he was, could not tell her to move. I looked around the table at all the guests and held my breath. I was not going to embarrass myself in front of everyone, especially Shaeena.I walked around the table to an empty chair that was conveniently next to Billal and sat in it. All the gentlemen sat back in their chair. Except Nidal. He stood frozen in his boots as his piercing gaze stared down at me and I stared right back at him, letting him know silently that two could play this game.Slowly, he sat back in his chair like a lion, cautiously and ready at any given time to pounce on the enemy. Tension was in the air as everyone guessed what was happening. The queen looked with disapproval at her son, and to me, she gave a sympathetic look.Throughout dinner, Billal and I had great conversation. Billal seemed surprised at the way I conducted myself. He played along just for amusement. Across the table, Nidal stared at the both of us, and I could tell he died a thousand deaths at this very moment. Good! Suffer! I had more surprises in store for him. Nidal needed to be taught a lesson. He could easily have asked for another chair to be brought to the table and placed on the other side of him, where I could have also sat next to him. Instead, he did not make an effort to do just that. He preferred Shaeena to sit there next to him, to please her and not me. Well, those actions deserved retaliation. I wasn't about to let him get away with that. This was war! He started it, and I was going to finish it, even though I knew I was playing with fire.I smiled sweetly at Nidal from across the table and stole a quick glance at Shaeena. She looked angry. Hatred was written all over her lovely face as she witnessed Nidal's display of jealousy toward me. She tried everything she could to remove Nidal's attention away from me but could not succeed in accomplishing it.I, on the other hand, was having a ball. This was fun. Torturing Nidal was on the top of my list at this moment. I talked and laughed playfully, and I even placed my hand on Billal's hand briefly. I saw Nidal ready to jump up from his chair, but the king, who also noticed, quickly called out to his son and asked him a question concerning the matters of the palace. For a second, Nidal's mind was occupied. I looked at the queen and saw her wink at me in approval with a smile on her lips. The queen approved of the way I was teaching her son a lesson. I guess she and I were the same when it came to our men.Billal knew the game I was playing, and he took the opportunity to hold my hand in his. He looked at me and was about to whisper something in my ear, but just at that moment, Nidal pounded his fist forcefully on the table and startled everyone, including myself."That's enough!" he roared. "Get your dirty hands off my woman before I rip you to pieces." He leaped across the table and broke a few crystal wineglasses and fine china as he tried to reach Billal.Billal was just as angry as Nidal was, and he stood and roared back, "What's the matter, cousin? Your woman doesn't warm your bed anymore, and you lost your cool?" he spat. "She prefers my attention to yours, and that makes you crazy, you jealous son of a bitch. You don't know how to treat a woman, and now you've lost her!" he said with satisfaction.Rage exploded from every part of Nidal's body as he jumped on the table and flew at Billal, knocking him to the floor. He punched him over and over again, not realizing the strength he had. He unleashed his anger on Billal's bloody face. I tried to tear him away from Billal and lost my balance, and I went flying over a couple of chairs.A gentleman reached over, grabbed my hand, and pulled me up. I heard the queen's cries as she ran over to me and tried to give me some comfort. By this time, chaos was everywhere. By the king's orders, the gentlemen pulled Nidal off Billal and held him steady, but Nidal was in such a rage that he tugged and pulled like a caged animal.Billal finally stood and punched Nidal square in the face. "You don't deserve her. She is a rare jewel, and she should be with me! Watch your back, Nidal, for soon I will be warming her bed," he lashed out, pleased with himself, even though his face was all broken up and full of blood.Nidal tried to free himself from the men who were still holding on to him, but he was not successful.The queen walked up to her son. Looking humiliated, she said softly, "I am so ashamed of your behavior tonight, Nidal. How could you? You know not what you've done!" she said angrily. Then she turned to Billal and pointed a finger to her nephew. "And you of all people, Nidal's cousin and best friend forever, you know better than to provoke your cousin! You are like brothers! This is his future wife, possibly the next queen of Arabia! You cannot touch her, and you know it!" she said in a harsh tone. Then she turned to me and took my hand. "Come with me, my dear." She pulled my arm for me to follow her.I did not want to leave the room with Princess Shaeena still occupying it. Nidal would be with her when I left, and she would seek that opportunity to comfort my Nidal. But I had no choice as the queen dragged me out of the dining area. I followed silently. I did not look at Nidal when I passed him by, but I knew his eyes were shooting daggers on my back.The queen pulled me out in the hallway where she stopped in her tracks and said with a hint of anger in her voice, "Child, you misbehaved too. But I know why, and I think I would have done the same in your situation." She sighed, and continued in a lighter tone, "I know you love my son. And I know without a doubt that he loves you too, but I do not understand his behavior. Please be patient with him. He will come around. I promise you, dear." She gave me a warm hug. "Now run along to your chamber and wait for Nidal. I will send him to you shortly." And with those few words, she marched back in the dining room, and the guard closed the door.I was left alone to deal with my pain by myself. I could not bear it if Nidal stopped loving me. Fear gripped my heart at the thought of that. What am I to do now? I hurried along the corridor and opened the door to my chambers. I felt cold in there as I stepped inside. Cold and empty! I will have to play the waiting game again. But what if he chooses to visit Shaeena again tonight? I could not bear the thought of that. I sadly undressed and crawled inside the covers. I closed my eyes and prayed for a miracle.A few seconds later, the door swung open with a loud bang as it hit the other side of the wall. The picture frame that hung on the wall next to the door dropped to the floor and shattered. Nidal ignored it, and in two long strides, he came to the bed and dragged me out of it. His hold on my arm hurt as he pulled me to him. With his foot, he kicked the door, and it banged once again as it closed. Nidal turned his blazing gaze at me, and I thought for sure he was going to kill me.When he opened his mouth to speak, it wasn't with a loud, vicious voice. It was in a low threatening tone. "If you ever do that again, I swear by all that is holy that I will kill you with my bare hands. I will rip your head off!" he warned. His hold on me tightened, and his voice started to tremble as he continued with his threats. "I will hang you outside the window!" Then he stopped abruptly, and he just stared at me relentless.My blood boiled with conviction. He was the one who was deceitful, yet he wanted to punish me for his wrongdoings. It must be a bad joke! I was speechless. No words could justify the wrongful accusations. No one could take back what was already said. It was too late. I let out a sigh and pulled myself away from his firm grip. Everything that had transpired this evening had hurt me deeply.We both looked at each other with sadness, for this was a mournful day. What was done could never be undone. We would have to live with this for the rest of our lives. I did not know if we even had the strength to overcome it. My feelings were playing tug-of-war with me. On the one hand, I was angry that he cheated on me. I never wanted him to touch me again. On the other hand, there was no life for me without Nidal. So what am I to do?I could tell Nidal was getting impatient as the seconds passed, and finally he burst out, "Are you not even going to apologize for what you have done to me today? Your wanton behavior destroyed us!" He ran his fingers through his hair. "You betrayed me to no avail! It was a slap in the face, a knife in my heart," he accused."How dare you judge me!" I yelled. "You of all people, you are the traitor who at first chance ran to Shaeena's house to sleep in her bed for three nights!" I spat. "I did not betray you. It was you who betrayed me!"Nidal's face changed a few shades as he tried to grasp what I just revealed to him. "Loula," he said cautiously, "who fed you such poison?"I laughed recklessly. "Can you deny it ever happened?" I asked hopeful. I desperately wanted him to tell me that Shaeena had lied and he was not at her palace during the three days he was missing. "Can you honestly say that you did not sleep in her bed? Can you look me in the face and swear to me that you did not touch her? Or are you guilty that you committed a crime against our love?""I did not do anything wrong!" Nidal yelled. "I am innocent of all your accusations!" he roared. "I did not do anything to jeopardize our love. How can you think that I have?" he asked, stunned."I don't believe a single word you say to me. Your precious princess told me you were in her bed for three days and three nights!" I cried."I swear by all that is holy that I did not do anything wrong!" he pleaded. "You automatically assume the worst in me. You do not trust me. You do not know me at all, Loula. Otherwise, you would never have said all these ugly things," he said sadly, turning his back and walking to the window.Mixed feelings were swimming around in my head. I never stopped to think about that. If I had, I would know that Nidal would never do that to me. Shaeena had lied to me to split us up. That realization hit me like a ton of bricks. She lied to me, and I believed her. Nidal would never betray me. He loved me. I knew this to be true. My tears streamed down my face, and my sobs got louder as I cried."I trust you, Nidal," I whispered. "How could I be so stupid? She lied to break us apart, and I believed everything she said to me! Can you forgive me? Can you overlook my stupidity?" I begged. "My love for you has blinded me from the truth." Fresh tears streamed down my face.Nidal gave me that look as he took a step closer to me, the look that spoke a thousand words of love, the kind of look that ignites flames that cannot be stopped, the one that melts your heart with liquid fire, the kind of fire that reaches deep into the soul and liquefies everything it touches, torching everything in its way until it reaches its destination and two souls unite and become one. I held my breath as he leaned closer and touched my lips with his. He kissed me softly, and his hands wrapped around my waist and pulled me closer to him."Loula," he said huskily, "to whom does your heart belong to? To whom does your mind wander to?" he asked hoarsely. "Tell me, Loula. Is it me you crave? Is it my name you call out in your dreams?""You're a fool if you think otherwise," I whispered as I caressed what belonged to me. Nidal closed his eyes. Desire slammed through him so savagely that he shuddered. "It is you, Nidal. It has always been you," I said truthfully."Loula," he groaned. His eyes were fierce and wild, and he yanked me against his body savagely. His lips were demanding, and his embrace was possessive and strong. And when his hips pressed against mine, I felt his bulge and moaned with desire.Nidal pulled my gown off my body, and I stood naked before him as he feasted his eyes upon me. Within seconds, he had undressed and stood before me. His bronzed body glistened in the candlelight as my eyes roamed across his broad, muscled chest and down his stomach, gliding all the way down to his manhood. A soft moan escaped my lips, and I heard a husky sound rumble deep in his throat as he lifted me and threw me on the bed and jumped on top of me. He was wild with desire as he took me to heights of passion that burned so intense that it would make an erupting volcano jealous.The next day, we both woke up at the same time. It was a happy day. The sunshine poured in through the windows and sparkled its light everywhere as we dressed for breakfast. Behind me, Nidal buttoned my gown and allowed his hands to roam over my breast as he caressed them gently. He pushed his groin against my thighs, and I purred in response. I turned my head around, allowing his lips to brush down on mine, and I struggled to tame the emotions that threatened to course through me. He kissed me more deeply. His tongue explored my mouth and drove me insane. If we kept this up, we would end up in bed again, and everyone in the dining room would wonder where we were. I pushed him gently away, and he looked in my eyes, questioning my abrupt behavior. He sighed in understanding and gave me another quick kiss, pinching my breast playfully, before he finally pulled away.We were both famished as we walked briskly down the hall, hand in hand, to the dining room. We were the first ones there, and we took advantage of the opportunity and kissed each other passionately once again. When we heard voices outside the doorway, we pulled apart quickly and sat down in our seats.As the queen walked in first, she immediately noticed the sparkle in our eyes and smiled joyfully with understanding. The king followed and gave a nod in our direction. Slowly after that, all the other guests came in, one by one, until the table was full with hungry people. We had a delightful time, chattering away, gossiping to no accord, and acting as if the last time we all sat together that nothing dramatic had happened, as if it were all wiped under the table and we started fresh.Billal was sitting in his usual seat. He was still sporting a few bruises on his face, but he had his head held high. To me, that was a blessing. I did not want him to feel threatened of Nidal. They both needed to work on their relationship. They were, after all, cousins.Nidal did not even bother to look at his cousin, not once. In fact, he ignored him totally. At least they were not fighting today. All wounds heal over time, and I was sure that their relationship would survive this downfall someday.After breakfast, Nidal and I took a stroll out in the rose garden. Nidal held me close to him as we walked and inhaled the fresh air. I looked around at the little wonders of the world. A butterfly flapping its colorful wings as it flew over a pink rose. A bunny hopping into the bushes chased its little friend joyously. Flowers bloomed in all their glory, showing off their colorful coat as they intertwined with each other, reminding me of Nidal and me, embraced by love. Little birds chirped as they flew playfully around us, and my gaze followed them around the garden. They stopped at the bay windows of the palace, and that was when I noticed Billal gazing out the window at us.He did not look too happy. My heart went out to him. I looked up at Nidal and saw he was looking in the same direction I was. I felt him tense, and I immediately reached up and kissed his lips to reassure him that he had nothing to worry about. When I threw a quick glance back at the bay window, Billal had disappeared. Why is life so complicated? Sometimes, I wondered what lessons are being taught to us when we suffer. I hated to see Billal hurting so. I wished I could take his pain away. It did not seem fair to me that some people had all the luck in this world and some suffered throughout their miserable lives.We walked throughout the rose gardens and then wandered off away from the palace. It was such a lovely day. Nidal pulled me gently off the road, and we ended up in a meadow. It was so beautiful that it took my breath away. It was full of trees of all shapes and sizes and flowers in full bloom in all shades of bright colors. We continued to walk across the green grass until we stopped under a willow tree.This tree, I was told, was three hundred years old. It held a lot of secrets throughout the decades. How many lovers kissed here? How many duels were exercised under this tree? How many friends revealed their innermost feelings here? How many maidens gave up their reputations here? There must have been a thousand and one stories to tell if the willow spoke a thousand words. But it just stood here, straight and proud, allowing it to be a stepping stone for anyone who wished to use it, a quiet friend that spoke not of all it has heard over the years but loaned its bark to lean on to any passerby who wished to rest under it.Nidal pulled out a carving knife from his pocket and carved a heart with our initials inside of it on the tree. He was so romantic, this prince of mine. He made me feel like a schoolgirl all over again. It was such a beautiful feeling. Our lips met once again as a drop of rain splattered on my face. We both looked up just in time to see the rain come pouring down. It was all so sudden. We stood under the willow and tried to stay dry, but we were soon dripping wet. The rain smelled so good. I looked up at the tree and spotted a few birds taking refuge on some branches. Looking around, no one was in sight except for the endless green pastures. We were the only ones within miles from here.
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xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
