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“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.
“Well, Amira is all about politics and national affairs, which makes sense since she is the queen but there has never been any love there,” the King said as he sighed. Their marriage was arranged for political purposes and doomed from the start.
“And Tiana?” Basil smirked as he asked about the king's mistress. Tiana was trouble, she had been from the word go.
“Well, there was love there, but lately she's on some power trip. She seeks to bear me a son for political reasons.”
For a time, the King was really into Tiana. She eased his mind. His marriage to Amira was rife with conflict. He thought that they would grow on each other but that never happened. Having Tiana at least meant having a woman he loved. However, she had gotten greedy. The King's love was no longer enough for her. The queen was irked by Tiana's presence, which quickly turned into bitterness.
It was becoming a big issue. His queen and concubine were forever bickering and competing. The King had taken on the old tradition of having a concubine. She was supposed to be an official lover but nothing more. Instead, Tiana was aware of the distance between the King and Amira. She took the opportunity to be with the King whenever she could. She was determined to be the mother of the next heir.
“Remember Eva?” Basil asked.
“Oh dear,” The King grunted loudly.
“Thank heavens she did not stay in the picture for too long.”
Eva was their father's mistress. The late King had taken on the tradition as well. He had a mistress but his queen was not fond of the idea. She was very strict and elegant. Eventually Eva gave up being the King's mistress. It had not been easy. The queen was scary.
“Perhaps mother can chase Tiana off the way she did with Eva,” the King said. Basil laughed as he remembered how his mother was with Eva. He was still a boy but the memory was vivid in his mind.
“You might need to consider the option when things get tougher.”
After a few moments, they all mounted up. It was time to continue their journey as the horses had gotten enough rest. If they rode for the next couple of hours without rest, they would reach Noor City by sunset.
Chapter 10
Noor City was exactly how the Prince remembered it. Deciding to stop for the night, they broke camp before sunrise and rode into town. As a historical city, it was not overly populated and when the citizens saw the Prince and the King riding in on horseback, the local citizens stood in awe. Most of them had never seen the royals in person. The children were waving at them. The women smiled and cheered. The men bowed their heads. The King acknowledged them. His younger brother stared into the distance. He was too busy thinking about Saja.
During their honeymoon, he had woken her up every morning with a kiss. He loved being the first person she saw when she woke up. She'd lie in his arms as he kissed her and made love to her. He missed the feeling of her skin against his, the touch of her soft lips, her taste, her scent, her giggle. She was beautiful inside and out. She did not deserve what was happening to her. It was not fair. Basil returned his attention to Badir and the King. The three of them were sitting on horseback looking at the city as they dissected the it into three sections with the King, Basil and Badir each leading a team of armed men.
“I am going to tear this city up until I find her,” Basil said with an intense expression.
“Let's do it,” Badir said.
“Do not encourage his merciless rage,” the King admonished. He knew his brother would literarily tear up the place until he found her. He would do whatever it took to bring his bride home.
“I am feeling merciless right now,” Basil said. El-Tamar was not going to escape this alive.
“Think of Saja.”
“I am.”
“She would not want you harming anyone, even if it was her father.” The King knew Basil wanted El-Tamar's head on a platter and so did he, but it was not wise to do that to his father-in-law. Even if Saja did not see him as her father.
“Fine, but if I find a single hair missing on Saja, then whomever is responsible will live to regret the day he was born,” with that Basil rode off.
“I appreciate your help,” the King said to Badir before he rode off. They were all going in different directions. It was more efficient and smarter that way. They already had soldiers on the roads. No matter which direction El-Tamar went, he was definitely going to be caught. There was no escaping as the noose slowly closed around him.
* * * * *
El-Tamar stood outside as he made calls and the necessary arrangements to assure the safety of his family. The house they were in was originally slated for demolition due to structural damage, but he managed to purchase it for cash and keep the deal out of the public records. Bringing the two women here was the smartest thing that Abia had done. Since the family name wasn’t listed anywhere on the property, it would be hard for the Prince to track them down, or at least slow him down. They would have some time to get the money and flee before they were caught. No doubt, there were already soldiers searching for them.
Abia had said she contacted Badir and gave him the details of their offshore account. He was to wire the money there by sunset; otherwise, something terrible would happen to Saja. To keep her calm, Badir had agreed to her demands. Little did she know that Badir and the Prince were already in Noor City looking for them. Badir called the Prince and informed him of the ransom instructions. He almost broke the phone in anger. The audacity of that woman. She thought that she could threaten Saja's life and get away with it. She would pay dearly for her actions.
