Emerald's Pride

CHAPTER 2

Emerald St. Clair's POV

My life was never so eventful until today, I swear. From the moment I stepped into this foreign country of Saqr, many things have happened in my life. I thought this work would be like the same photoshoots I have abroad. It never occurred to me that this work trip would have us robbed at gunpoint and kidnapped at the same time. 

Then the help we were praying for to save us from these thieves came from my adversary, none other than Khalil Al-Farsi.

I never expected that he would command such power in this country. Even the criminals who kidnapped us were so damn scared of him. But what I didn't expect at all was for him to announce, for everyone to hear, that I am his bride!

His bride!

If I were not in shock, I would have snarled at him for lying with such a straight face. How dare he humiliate me like that?

Before I knew what was happening, I was riding a horse with him as we traveled to the old road and neared the palace side gate.

Jesus, what's going on here? I asked myself silently as we entered the palace gate.

The guards at the palace gate bowed as we passed them, and then a footman was there to help him with the horse as Al-Farsi effortlessly jumped off the horse. My breath caught when he suddenly held me by the waist and plucked me from the stallion as if I weighed nothing.

But before my feet could even touch the ground, he suddenly scooped me in his arms as he started walking inside the magnificent palace.

"Put me down!" I hissed at him, finally coming to my senses after everything that had happened to me.

I struggled to be free from him, but he merely tightened his grip. I didn't like the way my body was pressed against him. I could feel the heat of his body. "Shut up, Emerald."

"I'm warning you, Al-Farsi—"

He looked down at me with annoyance in his mesmerizing cobalt eyes. "I said, shut up. Not a word from your lovely mouth, habibti. If you don't shut your mouth, I will be tempted to kiss you right now."

I could feel my lips form a thin line at his words. He was back to being a brute again. My god, for a moment, I had forgotten what kind of loathsome attitude he has.

"Your Majesty!"

I saw an elderly man dressed in traditional clothing coming from the second floor of the huge palace.

"Prepare a room for this woman, Omar," Al-Farsi commanded from the elderly man while still walking towards the grand staircase with me trapped in his arms.

I could see the naked shock on the man's face while looking at me in this brute's arms. I knew this wasn't the sight he hoped to see when his master arrived with a woman in his arms, but if he had an objection, he kept it to himself.

He bowed before answering. "Of course, sire."

The man named Omar led us towards the south wing of the palace if I am not mistaken, and after a series of corridors, he finally opened a door at the far end of the last hallway we entered.

"You can leave us, Omar."

"But sire..." There was disapproval on the elder man's face. He didn't like the idea of leaving me alone in a room.

"Leave," he instructed again with a firm tone. "And send for a maid here."

"As you wish, Your Majesty." The elderly man bowed at him and finally heeded this brute's directive, leaving us alone in this beautiful room.