The Sheik's mysterious cook

Chapter 2 - Tariq

        “Tariq you need to find a wife. You know that the people love you as a sheik but our custom states that you to be married within the next three months” Tariq couldn’t listen to his mother’s bickering any longer. He knew that his people longed for a sheika: A strong woman by his side that would be a gentle influence on his ruling; to give him strength and to be the mother to the future sheiks of Jamil.

      Tariq had no problem becoming a father. He longed for an heir but the problem about that was to find the perfect mother and wife that could withhold the pressure of ruling an entire country with him at her side. He didn’t like women that hungered for wealth and power. He wanted to find someone he could love and rely on, not someone who spends his money all day thinking only about themselves.

      “I know mother!" he responded exasperated. "Can you send for Farah, I need to discuss the arrangements for next week with her. There are changes with the itinerary that need to be addressed immediately. Thank you”  with a curt and commanding tone he dismissed his mother. He knew she would come back to the topic over dinner again. Like every day since he took over. He never thought he would have to find a wife that fast, but his father’s health had reclined faster than anticipated and he stepped down to enjoy his last years with his wife and hopefully some grandchildren soon.

      He knew that his father would arrange a marriage for him if he asked. There were several royal princesses fit for the role to be his wife and he met them all during one or the other banquet or wedding he was invited to. But none of them held his interest. He promised his father that if he wouldn’t find a bride within the next two months he could arrange one so that they could be engaged for a month before the three months were up for him to find a suitable bride and to be married

      A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. “You called for me Sheik Tariq?” Farah asked as she entered his study. “Yes Farah, the itinerary for my trip has changed and I need you to update it and make any changes in accommodations and travels necessary.” Tariq handed her the changes and left his office to take a stroll through the palace to calm himself. He hated being curt with his sister, but right now he lacked the patience to be nice. If Farah wasn’t his sister he probably would have acted even more abrasively.

      He enjoyed the silent walks through the palace and knew where he had to go to be by himself for a short time. Being a sheik meant almost no time for oneself, there was always someone who needed him. He loved that aspect of being a sheik that he could help people in need. That he had an important role for his people to fulfill. He had great plans for his country and with the guiding hand of his father and his knowledge from his studies he hoped to bring fortune and health to his people. He needed to reform the health system, get more children educated and make his country more attractive for international businesses.

      He was strolling through his favorite corridor that reflected the water from the big outside pool that surrounded the whole back of the palace. The reflected light from the water that moved along the wall gave it an eerie yet calming aura. He relaxed in the play of light and remembered falling asleep here as a child since it was even more spectacular at night when the pool lights illuminated everything. He always forgot about his worries and most importantly the time. Only watching the stars outside in the desert far away from the cities lights topped the feeling he got in his favorite hiding place.

       When he checked the time, he saw that he needed to get ready for dinner, the last one with his family until his return from a few royal meetings. Some royals wanted a personal meeting with the new sheik. More likely, they wanted to get him on their side for whichever project they were persuading to help them gain more wealth. They must really think that he is a naïve boy the way they charmed him with promises. But he had no interest to further their wealth. He wanted his people to gain more, not those that already had enough. But he had to meet them to hold up the peace and avoid conflicts and uproar to his position since those people had a lot of influence and could overthrow him if they all worked together.

      He hated that cat and mouse game, the spitting contests about who had the biggest and best. He wanted to convince them to donate money to his charity that would help orphaned children to get a good education and insurance. He was a strong believer in the future of Jamil’s children and he knew that his country would become richer when their children were well looked after to uphold their values and traditions and didn’t stray afar to a westernized world that seems to be better than what they were used to. Too many educated adults left the country. Either to advance their education or to pursue their chosen career in a country where they would earn more. His father was a great sheik but he oversaw the problem of emigrating scholars and the lack of those returning after they finished getting their education abroad. Now it was his problem to find a solution for. When he entered his bedroom, he felt exhausted already. He didn’t know what problem to tackle first.

      He slowly undressed and went to his bathroom to take a quick shower. The hot water cascading down his back relaxed his muscles that seemed to be constantly strained from all the worries, expectations and responsibilities that he carried around with him. He hoped that everything would be better soon. He longed for a companion, someone who he could talk to, that would help him deal with everything. Unburden him of some of his problems. He hadn’t laid with a woman in too long. He didn’t even remember who was his last woman. He didn’t feel attracted to any of those so called beauties that threw themselves at him. He didn’t feel a connection.

        As he was drying himself off in front of the fogged up mirror, he cleared off a strip to look himself in the eye. The tired eyes that looked back at him made him make a promise to himself that he would take a trip out to the desert, to his favorite campsite, once he had a day or two off. He had many things to think about. Most importantly who could possibly become his future wife. And there was no better place to clear one's mind than out in the silent calm of the desert.

      When Tariq entered the dining room his parents and little sister were already waiting for him. As Sheik it was his obligation now to find a suitable husband for his sister but he knew that he would never marry her off to someone she didn’t approve of. His sister was his everything. They grew up together until he had to go to boarding school but they were still inseparable. His sister was also the only one that didn’t remind him of his lack of a wife and he knew she would respect anyone he chooses to marry. She even hoped for a more modern wife since she found the other royals to be boring and always stated that we needed new blood in the royal family to keep from inbreeding. This of course always enraged my mother who was all about traditions, traditions and traditions.

      My father was more lax on this topic. He wanted me to make my own choice. His marriage to my mother was arranged but he was fortunate enough to fall madly in love with her and vice versa. They would have had more than two children to further secure the lineage but my mother almost died giving birth to my sister and they had to remove her uterus and any chance of more children for my mother was gone. She encouraged my father to take a mistress so he could produce another heir but my father refused to betray is wife by cheating and even went as far and made it a law that deemed it illegal to have mistresses. It was a great advancement to change our cultural ways that we were now a one-wife country after sever decades of harems in Jamil.

      There were still some people that resented my father for it but I think that if you marry someone because you love them, there would be no need for you to have a mistress or several in some cases. One woman would be enough for me and only royals were forced into arranged marriages to ensure the siring of heirs. Those have been illegal otherwise since the 1800s. In some ways our country was very advanced but in others we still had a lot of work to do to bring us up to par.

      “Is everything ready for your trip son?” My father asked taking a sip of his peppermint tea. “Of course, you know me I would rather be done with this farce already to advance to more important issues. I can’t wait to get it started because then it will be over much sooner.” Tariq stated with a fake smile. His father knew how much Tariq hated these trips he himself didn’t like these boring conversations about cumulating more money for the rich.

      The servants entered the dining room with their dinner and they all enjoyed it in silence. Even his mother, for once, didn’t bring up the topic of finding a wife again, for which Tariq was grateful.’ I guess she hopes I will find a wife during my travels. Well I guess she will find out that her plan failed once I return.’ Tariq thought to himself.

The next morning Tariq was up early and on his way to his first destination, His Uncle Shihabs palace at the western border.