Everyone at court, including all the servants of the palace, was lined up outside. They were going to make an example of me. I was paraded in front of all the people like a dog. They all stared at me wide-eyed, and I saw pity in their eyes. At the end of the line that stopped in front of the huge palace doors were the king and queen. I dropped my head in shame, unable to look them in the eyes.
"Release her this instant!" cried the queen in a voice full of agony.
"But my queen, we have orders from the prince to treat her like a prisoner. She is to be locked up in her rooms." He bowed in front of her majesty.
"I demand you release her immediately before I throw you in the dungeon. Do you hear me, lad?" the queen roared.
The young guard scrambled to do as he was told. He untied my hands and released me to the queen. The king raised his eyebrows and looked at me with disdain as I walked up to the royals and bowed. Tears flowed down my cheeks, and the queen reached out and pulled me in her arms, giving me a warm hug. I heard the king sigh disgustedly as he witnessed this. In the background, I heard the rest of the horses and the men approach the grounds. Within seconds, I heard Nidal's voice.
"Mother, you dare to go against my wishes!" he barked, more of a statement than a question. "You know by law she has to be punished for what she did! She stole our black stallion. She is a thief! I will not have you breaking the law for the likes of her!" He walked up to us, grabbed my arm in a tight hold, and pulled me away from the queen.
I saw the king's smirk before he turned and walked inside the palace. The queen stood frozen, staring at her son in disbelief.
"No one is exempt from punishment if he or she commits a crime. Not even Loula!" he said arrogantly.
The queen opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind, but her son silenced her by putting his hand up in the air. "Enough, Mother!" he warned.
And the queen heeded the warning and clamped her mouth shut.
The prince pulled me through the palace doors as the guards stepped aside, and he marched me down the corridor to our chamber. He threw the door open and pushed me inside, closing the door behind us. Standing in front of me, Nidal gave me the meanest, cold look I had ever witnessed on his beautiful face.
"If you ever do that again, Madam, you will not be so lucky. I will personally see to it that you end up in the dungeon," he growled.
"And if you ever humiliate me again, I will personally see to it that you will never see me again!" I was quick to yell back without thinking.
Nidal threw his head back and laughed aloud. "If I were you, I would check my manners because my patience is running thin with you, my dear. You have overstepped your boundaries quite a few times today. In case you haven't noticed, you are but a prisoner bound to me for life. I will have you at my will for the taking whenever I feel like it, and when I am done with you, I will pass you along to my guards, for that is your worth now, Madam!" He sneered.
Without thinking, I raised my hand and slapped his face, catching him off guard. Immediately, he seized me and raised his right hand to strike me. I closed my eyes and feared the blow to my head. But instead of his wrath upon me, he crushed his lips on mine and kissed me brutally.
My heart raced rapidly, and I lost all my senses. I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him hungrily. I could feel his beard stubble grazing my skin as he kissed me savagely. He took my breath away. Then almost immediately, Nidal stopped. His mouth was set in a tight, determined line, and his eyes were now blazing with anger. I could feel his hands tremble as he loosened his hold on me. He was wounded, and he needed time to heal. I wondered if I had killed his feelings for me. I would die a slow death if that were ever true, for I could not live a life without him.
Nidal walked away from me. With long, easy strides, he reached the door and opened it and walked out, swinging it closed behind him. I heard the key on the other side. He locked me in. I was his prisoner now, a prisoner of love, a toy to be used at his will and tossed aside until the next time he craved me. He was true to his word. He did punish me, for this was torture. I'd rather suffer a thousand deaths than feel the pain of being rejected from my one true love. That night, I lay alone in the bed. Nidal did not come to me. I tossed and turned all night.
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