Sweet Obsession

Chapter 7 Part 1

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.

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