Torches burned everywhere. Our designated spot was on a large carpet on the ground. It was more festively decorated than the other carpets around us. To my surprise we were sharing it with the man who Mazen introduced to me as the leader of the Bedouin tribe.
His clothes were very different from those of the other men in the Kingdom – still a thawb and ghutra, with several different layers added to it. Many other men wore the same thing but with fewer layers. I guess that was what made him stand out.
I could barely see any women, though, and I wondered where the bride was. I decided to be patient and enjoy everything I was watching play out in front of me.
Goats were being barbecued all around us, while males danced beautifully in groups. It surely had taken many weeks of training to perform those specific dances. It was amazing.
It wasn’t hard to see that Fawaz and Mo’taz were sticking very close to us, seemingly on alert and closely observing each and every thing. I hadn’t seen the need to bring Brad with us, since Mazen’s personal guards were with us, with a couple hundred more as back-up.
Fawaz had told me earlier that guns were banned from Donia’s wedding. I could tell that the Bedouins weren’t happy about this. Shooting off their guns was how people in the Kingdom showed joy or announced war, as I had come to learn. Surely, it was a huge deal to omit that for our benefit, but they seemed to be understanding. I think.
Minutes later, the women started to emerge from tents at the back of the sitting area. Dressed in black from head to toe, I was sure that they were in very nice dresses underneath, and wondered when they would get to show them off.
It was easy to spot Donia among them since she was standing in the middle of the crowd, and the edges of her huge, sparkling blue dress were showing from underneath her cloak. I waved at her and she waved back. I could almost see her blush from behind the black face cover.
Mazen stood up and I gave him a confused look when I saw one of the guards helping him take off his black bisht – a light layer that he wore on different occasions in different colors – but he just smiled at me.
My confusion grew even more when I saw Thunder being led to the area in front of us. Mazen bent down and whispered in my ear, “This is for you only, my princess.”
The next thing I knew, Mazen was getting up on Thunder’s back. The music started getting very loud and the women started making those noises that they always did at weddings or any kind of celebration. I saw Mazen make Thunder stand on his hind legs and let out a strong neigh that had everyone gushing.
I had been with Mazen for almost a year and a half. This was the first time I learned that he could make Thunder dance this way. It was such an amazing thing to watch. I was enthusiastically applauding with every new move the two did together, just like everyone else, and I could tell that it was such a great honor for the tribe to have the King celebrate with them this way. The fact that he whispered that this was for me only made my heart fill with joy.
If it wasn’t for the fact that we were in public – in the middle of the desert and surrounded by Bedouins, no less – I would’ve jumped Mazen right then and there. Watching him on Thunder’s back, doing those dangerous moves with so much confidence was a huge turn-on for me. I wasn’t ashamed to admit it to Mazen once he hopped off and sat beside me again.
“When we get home, I want a ride too,” I whispered in his ear. “A very special ride, just me and you.”
Mazen’s eyes tightened a bit and then he came closer to whisper, “We won’t be going home soon, princess, at least not until I can get rid of the problem you just created.”
My eyes went straight to his lap, and though he was looking forward, he knew exactly what I was doing, because he continued, “It’s not very decent of you to look there, Marie. All eyes are on us.”
I bit my bottom lip and giggled, feeling the blush as it crept to my cheeks. I knew very well that Mazen would make me pay for that later – in the most delicious way.
Minutes later, a huge scale was brought out and Donia stood on one end. I didn’t understand what was going on or why everyone was cheering until I saw Donia’s groom – who was a nice-looking young man – piling jewelry on the other side of the scale.
Not long after, I figured out he was putting her weight in gold as her dowry. I had a gaping mouth all the while I watched him put on jewels and gold that weighed nearly 120 pounds before the scale finally lifted and everyone cheered crazily. The groom did a small victory dance.
Later, the women got to have a private setting where I was able to give my very best wishes to a very nervous, but happy Donia. She looked so beautiful, but I could sense something was troubling her. I decided it could only be some stress due to her thoughts of the new life that she was about to start.
We got to eat together, which I loved more than anything. Everything was so simple. It was exactly what I’d wanted to witness – a genuine wedding and not a fancy one distorted to benefit my husband’s and my honor instead of the bride and groom’s.
Mazen and I reunited right after eating, back to the same area we were in before. We watched more dances as women escorted Donia to what I figured was her new place. She entered a simple tent and I prayed with my whole heart that she would find happiness and a great married life.
I noticed that Sheikh Omran, the leader of the Bedouins, was pointing to me and to Donia’s tent while talking to Mazen. I couldn’t hear them because of the loud beats of the drummers.
Mazen’s eyes flared in shock all of a sudden, and all color drained from his face as he looked at me.
‘What?’ I mouthed, suddenly terrified from the look on his face.
“We need to get out of here,” he said in a low but rushed voice, and my blood ran cold.
“What’s happening?” I asked in horror as Mazen got up and pulled me to a standing position. “Are we in danger?”
“No. Yes. You need to go,” he said through clenched teeth, still whispering. “Fawaz, take Her Majesty out of here. Quickly!” he said to our royal guard, who was by our side the second we stood up.
“What about you? I won’t leave without you.” Tears started to sting my eyes. Everyone around us looked the same; nobody else was alert and nothing seemed out of the normal.
“You need to go. Now, Marie. Now! Please, just go, and don’t look back.”
For the first time ever, Fawaz put his hands on me and started pulling me away. He had never, ever touched me before, and that alone was enough to nearly send me into a panic attack. For him to do that, it only meant the danger we were in was very real.
“Please come with me, Your Majesty,” Fawaz said.
“What’s going on?” I asked in a terrified voice.
“We don’t know anything yet,” Fawaz said as he quickly escorted me to where the cars were parked just a few yards away. “but we have to follow His Majesty’s orders.”
My legs weren’t cooperating as they should. I was too worried about Mazen’s safety. I wanted him to be with me. I couldn’t understand anything – why wasn’t he being protected if there was a danger?
As I was about to get in the car, I heard screams of joy suddenly join the loud music and sounds of celebration. I looked back, even though Mazen had told me not to.
There were at least five guards standing shoulder to shoulder forming a human fence behind me, and blocking my view of the festivities. I could barely see what was going on. I caught just the tiniest bit of the scene occurring near the spot I had just left, and I immediately wished I hadn’t.
A man was holding up a white sheet that had bloody red spots. His eyes were filled with joy, pride, and maybe even victory as everyone circled him and jumped up and down.
My stomach dropped once I realized what just happened — a Common Deflowering.
Everything happened in no more than two seconds – just two, from seeing what was going on, to looking into the horrified eyes of my husband, to my vision being blocked by more guards right after.
It all happened in slow motion, sickening moments passed by in what felt like ages. I saw my husband pressing his lips tightly and shaking his head as he caught me sneaking a look between the guards’ shoulders. I could swear that Mazen was close to tearing up.
I couldn’t feel anything after that. My mind went into a frenzy, or it had become frozen and blank all of a sudden? I didn’t know.
I couldn’t remember how I returned to the palace. I couldn’t remember Hana helping me out of my clothes. I had no idea how long I stayed in shock. The scene of the bloody sheets being celebrated repeated itself over and over as I sat on my bed with tears streaming down my cheeks.
My first anchor to reality came when Mazen’s arms surrounded me in the tightest of hugs. He was very loving, and his warmth and closeness brought me out of my stupor.
“I came as fast as I could,” he said, as if apologizing for leaving me.
“They were celebrating it, Mazen,” I blurted out. They were the first words to come out of my mouth since I’d left the wedding.
Everything about what happened hurt me more than I could ever say, but the image of them celebrating reminded me of hunters who cruelly killed animals, then stood on their bodies to take pictures. It was as savage as that.
“Shhhh,” Mazen said into my hair, his arms tightening around me. “Please try not to think about it, please. It will only hurt you.”
“It hurts so bad,” I cried out. The scene that was repeating in my head had morphed — now, I saw the images of myself lying on the very bed I was in. In my head, I saw myself surrounded by women who were forcing me down and trying to push my legs apart. I imagined Donia, the sweet girl with shy eyes being forced down the same way, with nobody there to save her. I saw her being violated in the most humiliating way with no way of being able to defend herself. My heart was breaking as one image after another played in my mind.
“I know, princess, I know,” Mazen said sweetly, his tone sad and desperate. “I didn’t want you to see anything. I knew this was going to happen.”
“You knew they were going to do that to her?” I backed away to look into his eyes with my teary ones. I was in shock.
“No, no! I mean I knew you were going to react this way. Sheikh Omran told me that you could join the women, that it would be an honor if you were there. It was then that I realized what was about to happen.”
“He wanted me to witness it?”
“Shhh, it’s the norm for them, Marie, they’ve done it for decades. I didn’t say anything to him. I just knew I had to get you out of there. I knew it would upset you.”
I cried into his chest as he hugged me again. Upset wasn’t the right word to describe how I was feeling.
“I’m so sorry I couldn’t come with you right away, princess. I had to stay so as not to offend them. I told them you weren’t feeling well and had to leave. They were convinced of that, especially after seeing you throw up.”
I didn’t even remember that I vomited. I didn’t remember anything about the ride home. There was only Donia’s face and the white sheet with blood on my mind, nothing else.
“Such an animalistic act. No, even animals are more compassionate towards each other than that. It was just barbaric!” That was the best description I could come up with.
“It is. You need to relax now.”
“I can’t get it out of my head,” I said in a small voice, tears still falling out of my eyes.
“Please, try. For me,” he begged.
There weren’t many words spoken between us after that. Mazen stayed with me until I stopped crying, knowing very well that his nearness was all I needed to feel better. But he didn’t know that I wouldn’t let something like that go without me trying to put an end to it.
I already failed Mona and victims like her; but I wasn’t going to fail those who could be future victims of the barbaric practice of Common Deflowering. I was going to put a halt to it, and there was nothing that would stop me.
It seemed like burying my pain had become my norm. Every single day something would happen, something bad. It would remind me of an awful event, or cause me heartache and anxiety, and I would simply swallow it and bury it deep down.
Mazen had no trouble listening about things that made me uncomfortable. He’d do his best, and more, to make sure that I was okay with this or that, but he also had countless responsibilities and infinite duties – and I never wanted to add more to them.
As days passed, I learned how to control my emotions, to a point. I learned when to show them, and when to hide them far away. With time, I learned when to ask for help, and when to ask for advice or an opinion. I learned when to accept them, and when to dismiss them.
I learned to suffer in silence, even while knowing there were so many people who would share my pain with open arms and help me through it. I’d learned how to be Queen.
For the next two weeks, I worked silently and alone, trying to come up with the best plan I could concoct to make the world around me change for the better.
There were no laws against the Common Deflowering practice, and creating a new one that punished whoever forced a girl into going through it was the place to start.
I didn’t go to my mother-in-law for advice this time, because she’d already told me all about it while discussing the matter of ‘Marry Her and Get Away with Rape’. I didn’t ask Rosanna about anything either, since I’d already covered much of the material.
It was like repeating everything I’d worked on just a few weeks ago for the sake of victims of rape. I didn’t care any less about rape victims; I just kept hitting brick walls and could never find an out, no matter what I tried. Unlike then, I wasn’t going to give up now, it wasn’t an option.
Maybe because I’d experienced it firsthand, I was so invested in finding a way to solve this? It could be.
I knew I would have to go to Mazen to get his agreement and support on the new law. Surely Mazen wanted that practice gone forever, right? I knew he did.
From the outside, I looked okay to everyone. But inside, I was a mess. The inner determination I had to create this new law was the only thing that was keeping me together.
So, as I was having lunch with Rosanna, I appeared composed and carefree, even though I couldn’t stop thinking about all of the possibilities and difficulties regarding what I was working on. Every feeling grew more intense as I thought about how many victims of this practice were suffering right now because I wasn’t working fast enough.
“I’m pretty sure the hospital will be finished by May,” Rosanna said, before taking a bite of her bread.
“Really? That’s fantastic news,” I said cheerfully. I hadn’t expected it to take less than a year to be built and open.
“Yes. I’m thinking we could schedule the grand opening on your birthday.” Rosanna smiled.
“Aww! That’s very thoughtful of you. I have to admit it’d be the best birthday gift ever.”
“No, it’s not a gift for you,” she said. “It’s a gift for us. A celebration of the day you were born.”
“You’re so sweet, Rosanna. Thank you,” I said, her words warming my heart.
“I mean it, you did everything you could to help this kingdom. You worked so hard to build the hospital and school as soon as possible, with funds coming from your own pocket no less. And I haven’t even mentioned anything about all of the new factories under construction.”
“I didn’t pay for the factories.” I tried to hide my shyness. I was never very good at receiving compliments.
“Still, you planned them all. The job opportunities alone are enough to make Al’ameria better than any other princedom in the country, like it used to be years ago.”
“I hope so; it would be a dream come true.”
“You’ll see,” Rosanna smiled back before taking a sip from her drink.
“You know, this is the first time I’ve seen you drink coffee,” I said, taking a forkful of food.
“Oh, that’s not coffee.”
“It’s not?” I asked, wrinkling my nose, because what was warm and black other than coffee?
Rosanna shook her head. “No, it’s herbs. A huge mix of herbs.”
“Herbs? What for? Are you feeling unwell?” I asked, suddenly worried about my best friend.
“Not really. It’s some sort of recipe to help me, er, get pregnant.”
My mouth dropped. “Are you serious?”
“Okay, I’m desperate.” She rolled her eyes. “I’ll try anything,”
“Let me see that.” I took the cup from her hand and examined it, raising it near my nose and inhaling. I couldn’t help but gag. “Jeez, what the heck is in that? Dirt mixed with sweat?” I shoved it away and rubbed my nose to get rid of the lingering smell.
Rosanna started giggling at my reaction. “You get used to it.”
“No thanks. I’ll pass.”
She took another sip and I gagged again from watching her drink such an awful thing, which made her chuckle.
“When are you due to have your period?” she asked.
“Eh, today, actually.”
“Really? Did you take a test this morning?”
“Well, no, I didn’t.”
“What? Why not?” she asked with wide eyes.
“What’s the point? It’s always the same. I take the test in the morning, it’s always negative, and I start my period by the end of the day,” I told her. “I’ll probably get it in a few hours. I’m just saving myself from the disappointment.”
It was Rosanna’s turn to sigh. “Well, at least it comes regularly now.” She shrugged one shoulder.
“Yeah, I guess. I’m grateful for that,” I said. “Tell me how are things between you and Prince Fahd?”
“Tense.”
“You guys need a break. Why not go to our beach mansion for a couple of days? I’m sure you’ll be able to relax there.”
“Thank you, Marie. It’s very kind of you to offer.”
“Oh, please! It’s just sitting there and collecting dust – or sand. Please, go. A change of scenery will help a lot.”
Golden Chains (The Colorblind Trilogy Book 3) Page 8
