by Sarah Croix
But still, I couldn’t help but feel a strong sense of duty and obligation towards Qumar; it was, after all, my home. A home I had bled and fought for. I didn’t want to be put in a position where I would have to choose between my kingdom and the woman I loved… Especially because I would always pick her.
“So, have you given any consideration to the women I’ve proposed? I think both Lady Veena and Lady Jasmine would be overjoyed over a marriage proposal.”
I shook my head, mouthing a silent no. He raised an eyebrow at me, holding the papers with the names of all female candidates in front of him. It was a hefty list, although only a few names were circled in red.
He read from the sheet of paper, following along with his index over the names.
I sighed, looking straight at him. “No, no, no. And hell, no,” I said, leaning back against the plush chair and imagining what a nightmare it would be to spend my life with any of those women. I would rather be stabbed in the eye and be forced to drink water for the rest of my life. The moment where I’d have to tell him the truth was coming and there was no escaping it.
“Very well. What about Nadia Hussein? She’s a very elegant woman and a respected member of high society. I think she would be a good wife for you, Aziz.”
Nadia. She was pretty pissed at me after I had turned her down… She hadn’t taken that in stride. But what else did she expect from me? That if she nagged me enough I’d fuck her? Even if I wasn’t with Natalie, I hated when women thought all they had to do was wiggle their ass for a man to come panting after them. Besides, she knew right from the start I wasn’t someone you could be in a relationship with - damn, I told her so! And still she didn’t give up on it.
Then she found out Natalie was the only woman I had eyes for… Suffice to say, I was amazed a vein didn’t burst with rage inside that pretty but empty head of hers. I just hoped she wouldn’t do anything rash and stupid which, judging by the look I had seen in her face, was exactly what would happen.
“No. Nadia’s not fit to be my wife,” I said, carefully choosing my words but making sure they left my mouth firmly enough.
Nadia was a dangerous woman to get entangled with - she was pretty and hot, and everyone liked her. She faked being an innocent and naive girl so well that everyone thought her to be the ultimate catch. And from what I’d heard, most people even thought she was a virgin, such was her skill in masking who she really was.
But I knew her - and she was far from innocent and naive… and, of course, she was a lot of things, but a virgin was not of them. I was pretty sure of it, too, being that I had my cock inside her before.
“Then who, son? Tell me, for I am rather curious,” he asked with a dubious and almost mocking smile on his lips. “I hope it’s not a girl from your most… indecent exploits.”
From the way he said it, it almost seemed that he was expecting me to tell him that I was going to marry a stripper I had met in the underbelly of the city. I didn’t blame him, though - I had spent the last few years mingling with women of all kinds. And, yes, a few of them had been strippers. What can I say? Strippers loved me.
I took a deep breath and looked around the office, my eyes glancing over the paintings that hung on the wall, all of them portraits of my ancestors. Those guys had fought countless wars and died for their kingdom without complaint or cowardice, and their blood ran deep inside me. Hell, I had fought for Qumar as well. If I was brave enough to face a storm of incoming bullets, I was brave enough to face my father, the Sultan.
“It’s Natalie, father,” I said, talking slowly and making sure my voice showed how it wasn’t up for discussion.
“And who is this Natalie?”
“Father,” I licked my lips, not expecting that I’d have to explain it any further. “Natalie. Samantha’s daughter. Your Press Secretary’s daughter.”
He looked at me with an inscrutable expression in his face. He placed the papers on the desk and, crossing his arms, leaned back against his chair.
“Her daughter.”
“Yes,” I repeated, not taking my eyes off of him. What was going on inside his head? I needed to know badly, but he simply sat there looking at me with an expression that told me absolutely nothing. He could be thinking that it was a terrible idea, an excellent decision, or he could simply be thinking about last night’s football game - my father was that hard to read. “I know she is a commoner, father.”
“Why, son? Of all the women you could choose, why would you choose her?”
“I didn’t choose her, nor she chose me. It just… happened. I love her, Father, and I’m going to marry her” I could almost see the gears turning inside my father’s head as he thought about it, his serious eyes trying to see through me and reveal if my words held any weight at all.
I prayed that he would see the effect Natalie was having on me: I was no longer going on alcohol fueled rampages every other night, and I wasn’t making the covers of tabloids every week. In fact, it was just the opposite. Day by day, week by week, I was becoming a productive and respectable member of the royal family.
Hell, I was even enjoying it. Even though administration issues were mostly damn boring, it seemed that I actually had a knack for solving issues if I thought of them as affecting the lives of millions. Despite not being taken seriously at first, my input was mostly solid - slowly, my voice was being heard and, surprisingly, my advice sought for. I was actually becoming an asset in those long cabinet meetings.
And all because of Natalie.
“You seem serious about this, Aziz.”
“I’ve never been any more serious in my life. She’s the only woman I care for, and there’s no way I’ll marry anyone else.”
He rapped his knuckles on the desk, lost in thoughts, his lips a straight line.
“You do know what will happen once word gets out that you’re in a relationship with a commoner, don’t you?”
“I’m not stupid… I know it. We both know it,” I corrected. “And we’re ready to face the whole world, come hell or high water. I just need your blessing.”
“Aziz… This is a troublesome situation. Are you sure of this? The media will try to destroy you both.”
I smiled then, knowing that his fears held no ground.
“Let them try. I don’t care… I don’t care about any of it. As long as I’m with her, it’ll be fine.”
He smiled softly at me, the lines in his eyes relaxing and making him look a few years younger. That was a good sign.
“I can see it in your eyes, Aziz… You do love her. And from what I’ve seen, she’s been a terribly good influence on you. I think I should thank her for… bringing my son back. For making him whole once again.”
I smiled at him, his words both hurting and filling me with joy - since Afghanistan that I hadn’t been the son he deserved and, in a lot of ways, I had become a disappointment. I knew it hurt him to see his son wasting his life away. But now… Now there was hope, now I could fix all that and become someone worthy of my name, of my kingdom and, above all, of Natalie.
“I won’t let you down, father,” I told him, feeling as certain about it as I was certain that the sky was blue.
“Very well. It’s settled then. It’s an unusual situation, of course, but you have my blessing,” he then lowered his voice, as if he was no longer talking as the king, but simply as a father that cared deeply about his son. “I know what it’s like too, Aziz. I understand from my own first hand experiences that love does not care whether someone is a Sultan, a Sheikh, or a commoner. But it was worth it, and it still is. So if you love her, son, if you truly love her… You’re doing the right thing, no matter what anyone says. Just hold on to her.”
“I will,” I simply said, my heart warm and full. What else could I say to him after hearing those things? For the first time in years, I felt once again close to my father. One question stayed in my mind. “But what experiences do you speak of that caused you to open your eyes?”
He smiled. “For a la
ter time my son. Right now, lets think about you. I’ll invite Samantha and her daughter and we’ll announce it tomorrow night, what do you think? We’ll hold a dinner reception and you can invite anyone else you wish and do it then.”
“Sounds perfect,” I said, getting up of my chair and extending my hand towards him. He rose too and, with a smile on his lips, shook my hand, his grip firm but loving. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me, son. Just take good care of her. Do that, and she’ll make you a true man.” And that was it. I had the Sultan’s blessing, and my path was clear - I would spend the rest of my days with Natalie by my side, no matter who or what.
It was still hard to accept that I deserved a woman like her, but life had been kind to me. And I swore it to myself, I would make her the happiest woman in the whole world.
I went out my father’s office as happy as I could be. Since I had crossed paths with Natalie that my life had made a 180 degrees turn - now being carefree and happy was becoming the norm, not being hungover and filled with self-hatred, constantly pissed at the world.
Soon enough everyone would know the truth. Aziz and Natalie, the royal couple. I couldn’t wait to tell her the good news.
But first, I had one last surprise for her.
20
Natalie
I woke up on the brink of an orgasm. Aziz had his head buried in between my legs and was licking my folds slowly and taking the time to flick my clit.
Tingles shot up my spine I literally began to quiver with an uncontrolled fury. He gave my clit a slight tug and that was all I needed. My entire world exploded into a flurry of stars, blocking out my vision as I arched my body back and gasped for breath.
Almost as if I was frozen in time, my mouth contorted into a grimace as words and sounds escaped me without passing through my brain. I lost control of my limbs and lay there, thrashing about.
Pleasure cascaded upon pleasure until it seriously became too much to handle. My brain shut down and I just became a rag doll taken by the currents washing over my body...
When I came to several minutes later, Aziz was propped on his elbow, looking at me, with that damned smirk of his that I had come to adore so much.
"Are you laughing at me?" I asked him archly, my brain refusing to dwell on the orgasm that he had just given me but never in my life wanting to forget it either.
"No love, but I have to say, you looked absolutely divine just riding the wave I gave you," he said softly. His eyes twinkled with some secret joke that only he knew.
"Well," I said in a fake huff, "If you're quite done manhandling my body, I'm going to get ready for the day."
"Not so fast, love," he said putting an arm on my shoulder, laying me back down. I looked at him with amusement, wondering what crazy thing he had planned next. "I have a surprise for you," he said simply.
"Oh?" I said, raising my eyebrow. "Are you going to go down on me again?"
"Not quite," he said, smiling. "Although, that shouldn't be a surprise anymore."
I hated to admit it with Aziz smirking at me, but that was one of the most intense orgasms I'd ever experienced in my life.
What an amazing way to wake up in the morning, I thought to myself. I looked at my royal lover. It had only been a short time, yes, but already I couldn't imagine my life without him. I couldn't imagine what I would do if I hadn't met him. My life would have been so boring. But, in a way, this was fate.
Destiny.
We were meant to be together all along. It just took me some time to realize it.
"We're going to be receiving some guests in about an hour," Aziz said.
"Who?" I asked. Sure there were guests that came and went from the palace, but we barely ever made such a big deal about it to warrant a Aziz-surprise. The Palace was large after all, with four wings and over 300 rooms that functioned as both a residence and a state building.
"Well, love, that's the surprise," Aziz said and I sat up in bed. His eyes went lower and I saw him checking out my bare breasts as I looked at him and smiled. It felt good, knowing that I could attract a man like him. I looked down at his crotch. That 10-inch beast between his legs was getting longer. And thicker.
And I was getting wet just looking at it.
"Well, that's the surprise, Natalie," he said with a sly grin.
"Tell me who!" I said reaching over and running my hands along his abs. I was supposed to be tickling him but all I did instead of run my hands appreciatively along the well-chiseled muscles that he packed.
"After a meeting I had with Father last night, I sat down and asked some people to come over. They are," he said with a dramatic pause. "Muriel Taylor, Lizzie Cabot, Beth Morris, and a few others."
Oh. My. God.
Sheikh Aziz had arranged for my closest friends from high school and college to arrive. Today.
"I figured that you'd been in the desert for longer than you anticipated, and your friends might wonder what happened to you in my company, plus you might be missing them too, and it is still summer, so they were free," Aziz said as I looked at him with amazement. "Sent the planes out last night, they should be coming in an hour - around 9 am."
I couldn't speak. This was one of the nicest things anyone had ever done for me.
"Oh, and before I forget, a few more people," Aziz said. I nodded dumbly, unable to grasp who else could be coming.
"I asked Billy and his friends if they wanted to come over, considering the pool is still getting built and I, well, sort of wrecked it. Billy's mom is chaperoning the kids. Plane's bringing them around the same time," Aziz said looking at me. "You okay, love?"
A single tear was pooling in my eye and dripped down my cheek.
I looked at the Sheikh. My Sheikh.
"I love you, Aziz," I said. "So much."
"I love you too, Natalie," he said. "So fucking much more."
I was speechless at his gesture.
Then the new part of my brain that he had unlocked came to life and I gave him a mischievous smile. "Really, Aziz?" I asked him. "You love me more? More than I love you."
He nodded with all seriousness as I reached over and took his cock in my hand. It twitched and I could feel it pulse. Jesus Christ, it was hard already. I began to stroke it absently, running my palm over the tip. "Well then, I guess I'll just have to love you louder."
Aziz, in a departure from what he was a month ago began to protest that the planes were on their way but he was no match for me. I mashed my breasts against his chest and began to kiss his muscles. I worked my way over his shoulders and pecs and down to his abs before descending between his legs, running my tongue down his shaft.
"You keep doing that love," Aziz panted, "And they'll come and go without us leaving this room."
I looked up at him with eyes clouded by desire. I didn't care about anything in the world at that point.
Just my Sheikh.
We finally did get out of bed, showered, and changed with just enough time to spare to make it to the Grand Entrance to the Palace.
Aziz had apparently told Mother too because she was waiting for us. She gave me a hug and a warm smile and looked Aziz over appreciatively.
"Good morning, Aziz," she said with an uncharacteristic smile.
"Good morning, Madame," he said with the proper deference that one pays to the head of a department under the Sultan.
"Please Aziz," she said beaming. "You’ve known me so long. Call me Samantha," she said. Even I turned around to look at her. She had never been too fond of Aziz - always wondering what kind of trouble he was going to get into. But it was almost as if some switch was flipped today. Was it our conversation yesterday? She had been worried about what people said about him, but had those worries alleviated somehow?
"Thank you, Madame," Aziz said with a smile while maintaining his serious demeanor. "But it wouldn't be right to call someone by anything except their official title when they are on the job."
Mom looked at Aziz as if not believing what he was sayi
ng.
But then, to prove that he still had a fun streak, Aziz broke out a grin. "But afterwards…that’s a different matter."
Any further discussion was pre-empted by the arrival of several limousines that came up the drive.
I watched as my friends - a few who I hadn't seen in a long time starting getting out. I couldn't control myself and ran over to hug them.
"Oh my God, Natalie, it's soooo good to see you!" Lizzie squealed as I hugged her.
"Natalie!" I turned to see Billy as he hopped out of the backseat of a limo and run forward towards me. He came up to me and hugged me - only reaching up to my waist. Tears came down my eyes as I hugged him back.
"This castle is so amazing," Muriel was saying, jumping up and down.
But if the castle was amazing, everyone soon came to stare googley-eyed at the Sheikh, who was standing there looking at the scene with a slight smirk on his face. I had spied him and Mother talking in hushed tones when the girls began coming out of the limo, but hadn't had time to think about it. It wasn't as if Aziz and my mom were the closest of friends.
"Aziz!" Billy yelled and left me and ran up to the Sheikh.
"Hey there, young master!" Aziz said with a wide grin, coming to a crouch and holding up his hand for a high-five. I didn't believe it but I saw Beth, Muriel and Lizzie stare at Billy with envy as they licked their lips looking at the Sheikh - who had chosen this day to be decked out in his finest royal regalia.
Clearing my throat, I walked over to Aziz and grabbed him by the arm, bringing him closer to my friends.
"Girls, I want you to meet Aziz Mussayef..." I trailed off, not realizing what to call him. I looked at my mother who only nodded and smiled back at me and I looked at Aziz who was watching what I say keenly while pretending to not notice. "Aziz Mussayef. The Sheikh."
