by Sarah Croix
And then I added just in case anyone got any ideas, "And my boyfriend."
Once everybody was situated, a genuine festive atmosphere descended on the palace as half a dozen girls began to take up residence. It was decided that everyone would meet in the North Gardens and hang out for the day at the pool. The girls went to their respective rooms to change into their swimsuits and Billy and his friends went with Billy's mom to get ready as well.
After a while, Mom let us alone to have our fun and went back to the Sultan to rejoin whatever they were doing.
Aziz got the party started, ensuring there was a DJ playing chilled lounge music near the pool and a bar was stocked. Billy came out and immediately monopolized Aziz' time by finding various places in the large swimming complex, replete with waterfalls and grottos to jump from. I thought I even saw Billy instruct Aziz to pick him up and toss him into the water a few times. I sat up, concerned, but each time Billy came to the surface laughing.
By the time the girls came out, I was lounging by the pool in a black bikini that I had purchased in the city. Behind my sunglasses I noted each of them stare and openly ogle Aziz and his cut body as he moved around in his board shorts.
"Excuse me, Miss Natalie," I heard Jasmine before I saw her. I turned to her as she spoke. "You have a visitor waiting for you in the Blue Room.
"Who is it, Jasmine?" I asked, curious, as I got up and wrapped a sarong around the lower half of my body.
"Lady Nadia Hussein, Miss Natalie," Jasmine said. She said she needs to speak to you.
I followed Jasmine back inside to the Blue Room. Aziz, left to his element and entertaining for me, was busy mixing drinks and playing with the kids that he didn't notice me leave. Everyone was having fun and I felt okay leaving for a little bit, hoping I'd be back shortly.
I was led into the drawing room on the East Wing, otherwise known as the Blue Room and immediately I blushed and felt severely under-dressed when I saw Lady Nadia.
Here I was in a sarong with a black bikini top, and as Lady Nadia stood up, she looked absolutely regal in a white ensemble, with a classy dress and blouse, complete with a pearl necklace and diamond earrings.
She looked at me in my attire and seemed to sniff to herself.
"Lady Nadia?" I asked, unsure of what else to do. This was the woman I had cut in on when she was dancing with Aziz. She was classically beautiful, and even looked the part of a royal, with her haughty stare and aristocratic features.
"Miss Natalie Ewing," she said, using my full name, giving me a slight curtsey. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I regret coming at an inopportune moment."
I blushed at her indirect jab at my choice of clothing, or lack thereof. "I had some friends who came to visit. We were just by the pool in the North Garden..." I trailed off, wondering why I was taking the time to even explain.
"Well then, I'll make this brief, Miss Ewing," Lady Nadia said, as she sat down and reached to her side. I sat down on the couch across from her.
She pulled a brown manila envelope and brought it to her lap. "I know about you and Aziz," she said bluntly.
I froze, unable to speak. I had just told my friends and my mother all within the last 24 hours.
"Don't worry, it's not my place to judge what you do with the Sheikh," she continued.
She paused, and then smiled as if humoring me, before continuing onwards as if I had never spoken.
"However it's only fair to you that I tell you that before you, I had a relationship with Aziz as well," she said, and then paused, waiting to see my reaction.
At this point, I had no reaction, my defense mechanism just waiting to see what happens. What was in the file?
"I ended it shortly before he went to America and met you all over again," she said. "And I informed him that we were over the day after the ball. That's when he told me about you."
Aziz had seen Nadia on his own after sleeping with me? My brain began to process the information, but Lady Nadia continued nevertheless. "I informed him that my reasons for not being able to be with him were the same."
"He's changed," I managed to whisper.
Lady Nadia smiled cruelly. "If you mean the partying and the women, then perhaps you are right. But Aziz has a greater secret than that. One which I found out before he left that caused me to break off ties with him."
And that's when she handed me the brown file. I could tell it was thick with papers. I don't know why I even took it.
"Aziz has a child that's his," Lady Nadia told me, even before I opened the file. "And the woman who bore it for him still lives in Qumar."
Oh my God!
"It's not my intention to hurt you, Miss Ewing," she said making her tone of voice clear that it was her every intention to hurt me. "But only to warn you. Inside, you'll see photographic evidence taken by The News of the Times but never published due to royal pressure that show him regularly visiting the house of the woman. You'll see bank account transfers on a monthly basis where he pays her child support."
I didn't open the file, staring blankly off into space.
Lady Nadia continued. "And you'll see that he visited her three times while you have been here. He leaves you, takes care of her and her child, and then returns to you," she informed me. "This is all verified by third parties, but they choose not to publish it. However, when it came to me, I chose to take it as a sign that he had strayed once too far. And not right for me. And I hope not right for you either."
I didn't answer Lady Nadia. I didn't move, afraid I would tremble and break down in front of her. What she was saying couldn't be true. I refused to believe it.
With a nod and a simple "I'm sorry to be the one to bring this to you, Miss Ewing," she got up and walked to the door.
I don't remember when she left. I don't remember going to my room, or locking the door. And I don't remember sitting on my bed, or for how long before I opened the file and began to take the contents out and read them.
21
Aziz
I should have fucking realized something was wrong with Natalie from the moment she left the pool to go inside.
In fact, I should have gone with her inside so she didn't have to face that stupid bitch Nadia on her own. So I could have been there to explain instead of Natalie having to face that cunt on her own, trying to make sense of her twisted words.
I've never hit a woman before. I try to never leave them in pain. All my life, I've treated all women as if they were Sheikhas. I'd put them on a pedestal and take care of them, make them feel good, and make them feel special. I've never been able to stay for the long term, of course, but I make that absolutely clear from the get go. You're not getting a boyfriend, love. You're getting the time of your life for a night. Maybe the next day. But that's fucking all.
But just this once, I worry what I would have done if I had been there. What I would have done to that bitch, Nadia, as she tried to destroy Natalie.
But I wasn't there. I wasn't there to protect her. I was so busy enjoying myself and trying to make a good impression on her friends that I didn't see her when she slipped away. I was so caught up with the fact that my great-grandmothers diamond cut wedding ring was in my room in my drawer, waiting for dinner when in front of all her friends and family, I would make a toast, then profess my love her Natalie and ask her to marry me.
I was so relieved that my Father had given me his blessing. That he was starting to look upon me as his son and heir again. That I was finally mending fences with Natalie's mother.
I was so worried as Natalie's friends unconsciously undressed me with their eyes as they giggled at every little thing that I said.
I should have paid more attention. Fuck me.
I even had a chance to nip the thing in the bud when I noticed that she was missing. I figured she went to go use the restroom or something. After it had been half an hour and there was no sign of her, I should have sent Hamid to check.
When she finally came back out in an hour, she was white as a sheet an
d I took her aside and asked her what the matter was, I should have pressed further.
"I'm fine, Aziz," she said without looking at me. I found it odd. I should have made her tell me. But I was trying to give her some space. I wasn't trying to oppress her. I didn't want her to think that - especially on the day I was going to ask her to marry me.
When, after lunch, everyone was relaxing and nodding off and she made her way to go back inside, informing everyone that she'd be back down for dinner, I followed her and see if she wanted me to come with her.
She'd been wearing one fucking sexy black bikini all day. It showed her off nicely, exposing her curves and hugging her where it counted. My cock had been semi-stiff all morning just watching her walk around in it. I wanted to fuck, but I wanted to make sure she was in the mood.
"Not now, Aziz," she said looking away. "I'm tired. I need to sleep."
That's should have been fucking clue number fucking one. Alarm bells should have been going off in my head. Natalie Ewing telling me she didn't want to fuck should have alerted me that something was very, very fucking wrong in paradise. Over the last two weeks, that girl had turned into the biggest freak I had ever known. It's like she was trying to milk my cock dry. With anyone else, I would have backed off with that much demand for sex. With Natalie, it was almost as if my body got energized and when she wanted it, it was some taboo Morse code for my body to start getting ready, whether I wanted to or not.
Fuck, I'm a fucking retard. I decided to give her space and let her walk back to her room. She had been quiet for most of the time after she had come back and through lunch, talking to her friends, but not really saying much to me. I caught her staring at me a few times and I tried to engage her in conversation, but it all died. Regardless of the front she put up, I knew something was going on that was bothering her deeply. I assumed she'd come out and tell me about it when she was ready.
Well, she told me about it. That's for goddamn sure.
Everyone else was either exhausted from their flight, tired or just had drank too much and had retired by 2 pm to recuperate and refresh in their rooms. Me, I still had boundless levels of energy - because I hadn't had that much to drink and also because I couldn't keep my eyes closed if I tried - what with what was coming in a few hours.
I got everything ready, including what I was going to wear that night. By God, I felt like a fucking little girl, but I couldn't help it - I wanted everything to be fucking perfect.
I had a few hours and went to my study, and sat down, trying to clear my head and center myself. I looked at the bottle of scotch sitting next to me on the desk. The decanter sat there, filled with the amber liquid and two glasses.
Fuck me, if I had been on the verge of proposing a month and a half ago, that bottle would be empty by now. What the fuck was I even talking about, I would never have even been contemplating proposal a month and a half ago.
But then I knew I would have, if the woman I was thinking about getting married to had been Natalie.
Natalie Ewing, I thought to myself with a smile. She had quite literally turned my life around. After I had come literally crashing into hers, she had picked me up and made me a whole human being. I owed her more than she would ever know, and I made sure to try and repay her one day at a time.
Unfortunately, everyone else having the luxury of taking a rest before the big dinner - which was billed as a reunion dinner for Natalie's friends and thus an internal special occasion for the family - didn't pertain to me. If I had some free time, I was now expected to take a look at a number of reports and briefings that my father had told his advisers to pass on to me.
Hell, I almost wish I was drunk at that point as I sat down and began to immerse myself in the business of the Sultanate. Ever so slowly, my father's advisors had been coming up to me, asking me at first for opinions, then feedback, and then finally to make decisions on all manner of items. Anything from annual defense spending to intelligence report were in my stack. I studied economic indicators for Qumar then signed off on a new public art project. I even recommended Natalie as an adviser - I'm sure she would do a good job.
Before I knew, it was time to get ready. I left and got to my room, showered, shaved, and dressed for dinner. I made sure to grab the ring. Couldn't do a proposal right if I forgot the ring, now could I?
Fuck, I realized, I was almost fifteen minutes early. I walked slowly to the East Wing, where the Royal Family dined when entertaining small groups of visitors and realized I was the first one in the drawing room where we congregated before dinner was served.
Calm he fuck down, mate. You're a nervous fucking wreck, I chided myself mentally.
I began to pace back and forth near the fireplace.
"Calm down, son, you look like you're about to go back to war," a voice said behind me. I turned and saw my father walking in, grinning at me mischievously. "Have a drink."
He poured me a large shot of whiskey and I took a large gulp of it, feeling it burn as it went down. I looked at the glass.
"Well, I was going to say, the best of luck to you, but I guess, let's just drink it, shall we," Dad said with a half-laugh. He raised his glass and we clinked, and then I downed the rest of the whiskey.
"Regardless of what happens, son, know that I am proud of you," Dad said. He looked at me and I looked at him and I could tell he was being serious. "You're a credit to the country, and I'm sure you'll make her very happy."
Before I could say anything, the other guests began coming into the drawing room. This was the first time for Natalie's friends and they were dressed as if going to a formal gown. But who the fuck was I judging? I was dressed in my Qumar Royal Guard dress uniform.
And then she walked in - dressed in a simple white gown that clung to her body and accentuated every curve. Her hair was done up, showcasing her lovely neck.
She looked at me, and when I caught her gaze, she looked away.
I should have caught the warning signs. But I chalked it up to wanting to talk to her friends, which she promptly did.
Dinner was served. We all slowly made our way to the dining room and they began to serve the first course, as the butlers began pouring the wine. I waited until everyone who could drink had a full glass before I got up.
Billy gave me a thumbs-up. I had shown him the ring earlier in the day, getting his blessing as well.
"Excuse me, everyone," I began, clearing my throat. Fourteen pairs turned to look up at me. "If I could have everyone's attention for just a brief moment."
There was silence. Natalie was seated next to her mother who was seated across from me. Father sat at the head of the table. She was the last to move her eyes to look at me. Her eyes looked slightly red, and puffy - as if she had been crying.
"Thank you," I said, and closed my eyes briefly. I knew what I was going to say. I picked up my wine glass. "As many of you just got here today, you'll remember me making a call to you yesterday."
People began to nod. I continued. "Two and a half months ago, my father sent me to live with in America, hoping it would ground me a little bit to see how everyday people lived." People waited for me to continue. They knew all about the Sheikh Pleasure. "A month ago, I returned, following her back to the Sultanate."
"My host during that time," I continued, "Natalie Ewing is one of the most amazing women I have ever met in my life."
I stepped out from the table and continued. "One of the only people with whom each day I spend with seems like the first day I've met her. Someone who challenges me, but I can teach. Someone who inspires me, but someone I can be myself to."
Natalie was looking at me as I walked around the table. "This has been the happiest month of my life, Natalie," I said. This time I said it directly to her. "You have saved me from a darkness I never thought I'd escape from."
She was trembling. I took it as a good sign. I don't know what the fuck I was thinking to take it as a good sign. "I can never repay you, but I can love you. Each and every day. Like it's the fi
rst day we met."
I got to one knee and pulled out the ring from my coat pocket. "Natalie Ewing," I looked up at her and raised the ring. "Will you do me the privilege of taking care of you and protecting you for the rest of my days? Will you do me the honor of being my wife?"
There was silence. And then she looked at me as she began to speak.
22
Natalie
"Natalie Ewing, will you do me the privilege of taking care of you and protecting you for the rest of my days? Will you do me the honor of being my wife?"
There's silence as I could tell that everyone's eyes were on me.
I looked at Aziz - I noted to myself how handsome he looked in his dress uniform.
And then I thought how much of an asshole he was. Sheikh Asshole was a well-deserved moniker.
I almost wish I hadn't opened the file that Lady Nadia had given me. I almost wish I had left it in my room and opened it after this beautiful moment that I saw Aziz took all the trouble to arrange - even flying out my friends and especially flying out little Billy.
But this guy was a world class jerk underneath the polish that he was attempting to make for himself. But as they say about polishing a turd, it's still going to be a turd.
"I don't think I can," I said standing up.
There was a collective gasp from the room. The old Natalie would have never rocked the boat like this. But that's probably why I fell for this asshole in the first place and spent the whole afternoon crying as I alternated between reading the reports and throwing myself onto the bed.
Aziz' face was frozen and I could see my mom bring her hand to her mouth. I could see the Sultan look around the room in a bit of quiet consternation.
I decided to explain my reasoning to Aziz.
