by Leslie North
* * * *
Abia and her sons walked into the room where they were holding Saja and Mona. Saja was sitting with her back against the wall. She stared at Abia as she walked in. Abia held eye contact with her. She stood right in front of Saja staring down at her with a face full of hate.
“I spoke to your husband today,” Abia said to Saja in an attempt to provoke her.
“Oh, is that so?” Saja did not want to show too much emotion. She could tell that Abia wanted to annoy her. Inside she was hoping that Basil was coming to rip Abia's throat out.
“It will be a while before he comes here for you.”
“What do you want?” Mona screamed at Abia. Abia slapped her with the back of her hand. The impact left Mona’s lip bloody.
“Back off!” Saja barked at Abia as she held Mona to check if she was okay.
“Well then, she should not get involved,” Abia replied coldly.
“You want me right? So why not let her go?”
Abia laughed sardonically. “That's not going to happen,” she said. Saja narrowed her gaze. She could feel herself getting angry. The woman was crazy and evil. Her tone was sadistic and Saja could feel the hate oozing out of her.
“You have issues, you need help.”
“Issues that started the day you were born,” Abia slapped Saja in the face. She had held it in long enough. Saja slapped her back. Aman ran over to pin Saja down whilst Abia hit her. Anwar was holding Mona down to stop her from getting involved.
Abia kept hitting Saja. She was out for blood. Saja was trying to fight back but Aman's hold was too strong. She managed to kick Abia in the stomach, which angered her even more. Akeem walked into the room. He stood there staring at his mother. He did not recognise her. He had never seen her like this.
“That's enough!” he shouted but Abia did not seem to hear him. He had to stop her. Grabbing her arm, he pulled her away. She kept trying to get away from his embrace but he was much stronger than she was. He pulled her out of the room. Aman followed them out.
“Mother what was that?” Akeem asked as soon as they returned to the kitchen. Abia was still panting. She poured herself some water. El-Tamar was sitting at the table looking at his wife. This was a terrible mess that she had created. He did not want any more trouble from the Prince, but it was too late now. There was no turning back.
“She deserves everything that's coming to her,” Abia spat out. She was glad that she had finally given Saja the beating that she had wanted to give her. Now, all that was left was the ransom money.
“We have to do this right,” El-Tamar said quietly.
“So now, you are in?”
“I have no choice. You brought me into this mess.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He needed a moment to calm down. “Look, if we have any chance of escaping with our lives, she MUST remain unharmed,” he said.
“Are you suddenly feeling like a father now?” Abia asked mockingly.
“Woman!” he shouted, as he stood up. “Are you so enraged that you cannot think clearly? Daughter of mine or not, she IS the princess. If the Prince finds her in a terrible state, then we are all dead. Do you not understand how much trouble we are in?”
“Our situation is dire,” Akeem said. He too was having mixed feelings about the situation. He did not want to be on the wrong side of the royal family. No one did. That was suicide.
“After we get the money, we will flee as far away and as soon as possible. Forget getting our family house back. Don't negotiate that anymore,” El-Tamar said.
Abia sighed and sat down. She wanted her house back but her husband was right. They needed to flee the country. There was no way the Prince was going to give it back and let them live peacefully. They were as good as dead.
Mona sat next to Saja and kept checking to see if she was okay. Saja was angrier than she was in pain. She had not done anything wrong to these people. They had brought the situation on themselves. How dare they use her as an excuse.
“They're cowards,” Saja said. “They could not live honest lives. Even after everything that’s happened, they could not even repent,” she added.
“The Prince will come for us, do not lose hope,” Mona said.
“I miss him.” Saja fought back the tears. The thought of not being able to see him again broke her.
“Oh, Miss Saja,” Mona hugged her. She knew how much Saja and Basil loved each other. It was heartbreaking to see them torn apart. “The Prince will make them pay for this,” she added.
Chapter 8
It had been three days since Saja had gone missing but to Basil, it felt like it had been a lifetime. It was killing him slowly and painfully. He knew Badir was the best at his job and was the only one who could find her. Basil trusted him but those three days had felt like the longest days of his life. He had been through a lot in his life. He had been to war, he had been injured many times but nothing compared to this pain. It felt like his heart was being ripped out of his chest and crushed over and over again.
Badir walked into Basil's quarters. He found Basil standing on the balcony. He walked out to join him. He had come with news in regards to Saja. Abia had called once more and was demanding something different. It was clear that she had not thought the whole thing through and that would be her biggest undoing.
“Abia called,” Badir said getting straight to the point. He knew Basil would not appreciate any small talk. At this moment, he only cared about one thing and that was all he wanted to know about.
“What did she say?” Basil asked calmly. He was staring into the distance.
Badir informed him that she no longer wanted the Prince to return their property. Instead, she wanted more money. She was asking for ten million riyal for the safe return of both women.
“We were not able to trace her specific location but we did narrow down the area,” Badir said. Basil turned to look at him.
“Then let's go.”
“Your highness, I do not think you should go. You should stay here.”
“There is absolutely no way that I will remain here while there’s a chance that we can find my wife.”
Badir did not even bother to try to convince him. It was futile. The Prince was very stubborn. No one could change his mind when it was set on something. Badir thought it was better for him to remain behind. After all, he was a Prince. He needed to let Badir do the work for him.
“Where is the place?” Basil asked.
“Noor City,” Badir replied.
Basil nodded then headed to his room to change his clothes. He knew Noor City well. This made it easier for him. He had been there many times and he knew the city like the back of his hand. He got dressed quickly, as he wanted to leave as soon as possible.
When he left his bedroom, Marina had informed him that Badir had left to get ready. He was going to meet the Prince in the courtyard with their security team. The King walked into Basil's quarters and came to a halt when he saw how he was dressed. He could see that his brother was dressed for war.
“You found her?” The King asked. Basil dismissed Marina. She bowed her head to the King before she left.
“Not yet, but Abia’s call was traced back to Noor City,” Basil replied.
“What's in Noor City?” The King was confused. There was no special reason for El-Tamar to be there. He had no properties or alliances there that they were aware of or it would have shown up when they ran a background check.
“Nothing. I suppose that is why he took her there. It would be the last place we look.”
“Well, big mistake on their part.”
“Exactly.” Basil headed for the door. He could see why they had chosen that location. Sadly, they did not know that Basil was very familiar with it.
“So, you are going yourself?” The King called out behind his brother. Basil nodded and carried on walking out. The King narrowed his gaze and shook his head. His little brother was so stubborn. Of course, he would go there himself. Ever since he was a child, he was like that. If he want
ed something done right, then he would do it himself. This was different. The King had never seen his brother fight for a woman. There was a different look in his eyes. He also feared for El-Tamar's life.
Badir had the team assembled in the courtyard and ready for Basil's arrival. They all dropped to one knee when Basil arrived. They awaited his command.
“Everyone ready?” Basil asked Badir.
“Yes, sir,” Badir replied.
Basil looked to his team. “We shall ride for Noor City,” he said to them. Noor City was deep in the desert. The quickest way to get there without being seen was to ride in on horseback.
The King walked out moments later. “I am coming with you, brother,” he said to Basil. The Prince raised his eyebrow.
“Why?” Basil asked his older brother.
“Because that is my sister-in-law out there and I know you. The way you are right now, you might murder someone for looking at you wrong.”
Basil rolled his eyes at his brother's poor timing to be funny. “This is not a safe place for the King,” he said.
“Have you forgotten who taught you how to fight? I'll be fine. I am coming, end of discussion.”
Indeed the King had taught Basil how to fight. He had given Basil his first sword and taught him how to use it. Badir shook his head. The royal family was more stubborn than normal people. Royal people were meant to sit back and let people do their bidding. However, that was not how it worked in this royal family. They were all so hands on. The security team rose to their feet.
Badir decided to dispatch a few men via the old road. They were to drive there whilst the rest of them rode in on horseback. He figured it was best to have men circle in from different directions in case El-Tamar was on the move. They would search every bit of the city.
* * * * *
Saja stared at her food for a moment before she ate it. Her stubborn side wanted to throw it against the wall, but she was too hungry to protest. She reluctantly ate it. She touched her face, which was swollen from Abia's beating. She really wanted to return the favour. It was not exactly a fair fight. She looked up at the windows. There were little windows very high up, near the ceiling. They let a little bit of sun into the room.
“Where do you suppose we are?” Saja asked Mona.
“At least eight hours from the city, on horseback,” Mona replied. On their way there, they had been blindfolded after being hit so many times when they tried to escape. “The smell of the air is different, so that means we left Quabeca. This building looks very ancient. I'd say we are in an old city like Kaltari, Sahari or Noor City,” she added. Saja turned to look at her and raised her eyebrow. She was not expecting such a detailed answer.
“What?” Saja laughed. “How do you know all this?” she asked.
“I have an interest in history and geography,” Mona replied.
“Wow, really? I never knew that.”
“Kaltari, Sahari and Noor City are the oldest cities in Al-Basrat. They were left in their original condition for historical reasons. There is nothing much in any of these cities except some old families who chose to remain here.”
“You know about buildings too?”
“Yes, just a bit though.”
Saja was impressed by Mona's knowledge. She was never good at history. She always found herself falling asleep in history class. She admired those that stayed awake and were able to recall the lectures.
Chapter 9
Saja couldn’t believe how much Mona knew about Al-Basrat as she listened to her talk animatedly about its history. Her excitement and love for her country was evident as she spent hours talking to Saja about its past, many of the early families and some of its treasures. Saja was sad to admit that she hadn’t considered that her maids would have passions and interests outside their work. It was judgmental of her to think that they were always maids. She vowed that when they got out of here, she would take the time to learn more about Amber as well. El-Tamar opened the door and walked in holding a tray of food.
“And the mastermind finally decides to make an appearance,” Saja said sarcastically. She was sitting with her back against the wall watching him. El-Tamar walked slowly in and placed the tray on the ground. The tray had croissants, almonds, scrambled eggs and orange juice.
“Breakfast,” El-Tamar said.
“It's noon,” Saja said looking at her watch. She never really liked watches but the King had bought it for her as a wedding gift, that and many other things. The watch was beautiful and looked expensive, so of course she had to wear it.
“Just eat your food,” El-Tamar turned on his heel and headed towards the door.
“You're not even going to explain yourself?”
“Why should I?”
Saja stood up and crossed her arms over her chest. “You kidnapped me. You owe me an explanation,” she said. Her voice was deep and her tone was calm. She stared him down. El-Tamar placed his hands on his hips.
“Do you think you are something special?”
“Clearly, you think I am. You brought me back here and now you are holding me hostage for your personal gain.”
“Don't be smug.”
Mona just sat there chewing on her croissant watching them exchange words. It was the first time they were given decent food. It felt like it had been decades since she had eaten properly.
“You need me to better your life because you are too pathetic and not manly enough to look after your family,” Saja taunted. El-Tamar's face turned red. He took a step towards her. Saja took a step towards him. “What? You want to beat me the way your wife did?” she challenged him.
“Just like your mother,” El-Tamar said. Saja had a fiery temper like her mother. Pamela never let anyone disrespect her and get away with it. At first, he had found it attractive. She was in the middle of shouting curse words at him when he slept with her. Now that alluring temper had been reincarnated and was not so appealing this time around.
“Yes, just like my mother and not you,” Saja said disdainfully. Saja was proud to take after her mother. She was a strong, independent and passionate woman.
“It is nothing to be proud of.”
“My mother raised me well. Look how your sons turned out.”
“You are really not that special,” he said and walked out. Saja shook her head and sat back down.
“It is peculiar that he is your...” Mona paused. Saja did not want him being referred to as her father. “Sperm donor,” she added.
“Sperm donor?” Saja burst out laughing.
“Yes, he only donated the sperm, he was not a father.” Mona smiled. The two of them leaned on each other as they laughed.
El-Tamar kicked the chair in the living room. Saja's words had angered him, especially because they were true. His sons were once his pride and joy but lately they were a letdown. The embezzling, the kidnapping and the back talk. His sons had not turned out the way he wanted them to. Even his wife was showing him a side that he had never seen.
* * * * *
The Quabeca sun was scorching hot. The sky was clear; there was not a single cloud in sight. There was a subtle breeze blowing. Basil stared into the distance. It had been a while since he had been to Noor City. All he could think about was Saja and it was killing him.
They took a short break since they had been riding for a few hours. Basil opened his water bottle and gulped down half of it. He groaned in satisfaction. He passed it to his brother. The King took it and drank some.
“How is the conceiving of an heir coming along?” Basil asked. He figured it was better to talk about something else. Thinking and talking about Saja was ripping his insides apart. Besides this was a subject that had been hot for years. Everyone was eagerly waiting for the King to have children.
“It is not,” the King replied. Their mother along with the nation had been pestering him about having children. He had been married to the queen for almost ten years and they still did not have a son. It was cause for concern.
“Why
not? You have two healthy women,” Basil said disdainfully.
“Okay, brother, I get your point. I should have one woman only.”
“I did not say anything,” Basil laughed and patted his brother on the shoulder.
“I can hear the judgement in your voice.”
“Is it not hard though? One woman is a handful. I can’t imagine two.” Basil enjoyed teasing his brother about his marital problems. It was hilarious to him. He would have never been able to handle it. It was no secret that Basil never stayed with the same woman for too long. He’d always assumed that monogamy was not for him and he certainly did not believe in polygamy. Saja managed to change the monogamy aspect for him. To her, he could commit for life but he would have never considered it for anyone else. Polygamy was too much work. Too many people would require his attention and so-called love. He had love enough for one woman and when he found her again, he would make sure that she never forgot it.
