The atmosphere was tense, like the day before when I entered Zara’s room after my dinner with Nasrin. She had told me to be good and behave. I wasn’t expecting my sister smiling and talking with Khalid. Her hair was shorter than before, that suited her almost too well.
She was going to break so many hearts. I already pitied them.
After complimenting her on her new hairstyle, I asked her if she was okay. We talked about what had happened that caused all of us to be mad at each other. We both listened to her, soothing her in a calm voice when she told us about the heartbreak, some boy ghosting her.
Khalid and I shared a relieved look when she told us how angry she was at him. We knew if it had been more than that, we would have to take action. After she calmed down, I asked her what she wanted to do next. She was excellent in all her academic subjects, but we knew none of them made her want to pursue it in the future.
“I want to travel the world,” she answered, her hazel eyes sparkling.
“Okay, we can help you with the—”
“All on my own.”
“What?” Khalid and I said in unison. The thought of her wandering around the globe all alone made me shudder.
“Yes. I want to travel the world on my own. I want to explore unknown places, eat new cuisines, meet new people, learn new cultures and do all of that with my own money.”
I shared a look with Khalid, and I knew we were both thinking the same thing as Zara talked about travelling the world with a dimpled smile.
Our sister was growing up.
* * *
“Who is she talking to?” I asked, shooting daggers at the pubescent boy, who was smiling at my wife with hearts in his eyes.
Zayed chuckled beside me, “Don’t tell me you are jealous of him, Zain.”
“What if I am?” I grumbled, crossing my arms.
Nasrin laughed at something he said, her hand brushing over the muzzle of the horse. It had been over a week since we kissed in the desert and since then, we had been sharing a lot of kisses and cuddles while we talked about our days with each other. We hadn’t explored anything other than giving and receiving oral. Just like that morning, how she had come apart on my tongue, my name rolling off of her tongue in sweet harmony.
Nasrin wanted to see Zayed’s stable and spend the day in the veterinarian clinic. But that didn’t mean she could show off her pretty smile like that and make me jealous—
“You are such a fool, Zain,” Zayed snickered.
“I am not a fool.”
“You are a lovely fool. Instead of glaring at the poor boy, just greet your wife. It’s not that hard.”
“Don’t tell me what to do.”
I stormed away, not liking the new feeling that had been churning in my heart whenever I see Nasrin. I know she is beautiful and wants the best for her city and to save animals, but that didn’t mean she could do as she pleased and steal my heart too.
“I have a confession to make,” I told my grandmother, who was oiling Zara’s short hair and laughing with her.
Both the women looked at me with raised eyebrows.
I blurted, my cheeks red, “I think I might like Nasrin.”
“About time,” my grandma said while my sister laughed at me.
“Of course you do, Brother. She is your wife after all.”
“No, I… it’s not like that. I have never felt like this before. I don’t know what to do,” I said, pacing around the hallway that looked over the garden. The same garden where I had argued with Nasrin. “Even those flowers and the sun and moon remind me of her. Is this normal?”
My sister kept giggling while Grandma chuckled and asked me to lean down. She ruffled my hair and said, “You are in love, boy. Only love can turn rulers like you into a fool.”
“Why does everyone keep saying that?” I grumbled, “I am not a fool.”
“A handsome, lovely fool, Zain,” she smiled. “When your father first saw your mother in the market, he rushed to me in the evening and announced that he was going to marry her.”
Zara stopped smiling and looked away.
I clenched my fists. “I am not like him.”
* * *
“Zain,” I heard Nasrin call out and quickly stood up, hiding my shaking hands in my pants. “Where are you?”
“I am here on the balcony,” I said, looking around and making sure everything was perfect.
After my confession to Grandma and Zara, I decided to do something special and spend time with Nasrin. I had asked the cooks to make a delicious lamb steak with spiced yogurt for dinner and decorated the sitting area in the balcony of our room. The sky was turning darker, and the pool had fresh water running, which gleamed in the moonlight with candles surrounding it. The dining table was set up with all the plates and glasses with jasmine, her favorite flowers, in the middle.
I hope she likes it.
“Zain… what is all this?” She was gaping, her eyes flickering between me and her surroundings.
“I thought we could have dinner together.” I scratched my neck nervously. “Why? Is something wrong? Are jasmine not your favorite flowers?”
Nasrin let out a soft chuckle, her honeyed eyes sparkling. “No, no, it’s perfect.” Leaning on her toes, she pressed her lips against mine. “I love it, Zain.”
I love you.
I blinked at her and tried to smile when my heart thudded loudly against my ribs. I did not just think that, did I? Could it be possible for me, of all people, to be in love? With Nasrin?
“Why don’t we freshen up and you can tell me all about your day. There’s still some time before dinner,” I said, leading her inside the room.
When she was getting ready, I changed into a crisp white shirt, pants, and suit jacket. I couldn’t help but shamelessly stare at her when she stepped out onto the balcony wearing a dark satin dress that hugged her curves, accentuating them.
“You look stunning, Nasrin. Forgive me, but I don’t think I will be able to keep my hands to myself tonight.”
Her cheeks turned pink, tucking a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. Our knees touched as we sat on the seating of the low table. The staff served our food. Her eyes brightened when she noticed it was her favorite dish with white wine.
When they left, we started our dinner. I listened to her talk about the urgent care one dog needed and how she helped the doctor with the case. I was relieved to know that the dog would be okay and be with his owner in no time. I was proud of her work, saving animals’ lives and taking care of them.
I asked her for her guidance with the women’s council, asking if she would be a part of it. Her input could help make Azmia a better country for all genders.
“I tried to look for a way to dethrone Sadiq and let Imran be the Sultan of Maahnoor,” I said. “But there’s no way unless he rejects the crown or… dies.”
Nasrin winced hearing me. I covered her hand. “I knew it wouldn’t be possible. That was a silly thought.”
I didn’t want to see her lose hope in her own country just because Sadiq Elbaz was not the sultan that Maahnoor deserved. “You and I will make changes, Nasrin.”
She smiled, her eyes soft, “I believe you, Sultan.”
“I don’t want to be rude, but I wanted to know why you, Zara or Khalid, act differently whenever someone mentions your father?” Nasrin asked when the maids cleared our plates after our dinner.
I took a big gulp of the white wine, knowing I needed the sweet burning taste to tell her the truth of what had happened all those years ago. She was our family. She was my family and needed to know the truth.
“When we were little, our father used to dote on me and Khalid. He loved our mother because she had blessed him with two sons and for a ruler like him, there was nothing better than having two male heirs. Then he met Zara’s mother, daughter of an English nobleman, in London and he brought her here, announcing that he would get married to her.”
Nasrin took a small sip of her wine, listening to me.
“She was kind and sweet. Treated us like her own. Until she got pregnant and gave birth to my half-sister, Zara,” I smiled, remembering the day. “We all adored Zara. Her pale cheeks were like two big cherries when she was a baby. Khalid wouldn’t stop crying when he took her in his arms for the first time, even though she pooped on him.”
We both shared a small laugh before I continued. “Unfortunately, my father didn’t want a female heir from our new mother. He changed. He would berate and chastise us. Then one night, we heard the screams of our mother, our father… punishing her for not giving him another boy.”
I clenched my hands into fists and looked away. “Khalid and I tried to stop him, and he hit both of us. It hurt him, but he didn’t cry. He suffered through it. It stopped after that for a while, but we knew we could not trust our father with our sister.”
“Our mothers passed away when they were flying to London for a few weeks. The airplane had crashed and both of them died instantly. Our father didn’t take it very well. He would get drunk and have lavish parties and parade his sons, Khalid and I, to his guests, daring others to ever stand against Azmia. While he forced Zara to her room, never to be seen by anyone. He hated her. It was terrible. I thought the alcohol and parties helped him. That our father had gotten better, but we were fools.”
Her hand landed on my closed fists, “Zain… you—”
I pinned my gaze on her. “You need to know the truth, Nasrin. You need to know what a terrible person Salman Al Latif was and why we hate him.”
Taking a deep breath, I continued, “Zara had turned six. He would never allow Zara outside of the palace, and even to certain rooms, because he was ashamed of having a female child. His thinking was old-fashioned, he only thought of her as an object to trade for better alliance. Khalid and I tried our best to make her happy and protect her from him. But we barely could. He asked her to his room one night and when Khalid got there, he saw Zara crying and begging Khalid to take her away from there. Our father wanted her to accept a marriage proposal from a sheikh.”
“She was six, for fuck’s sake! He dared to force her to accept a betrothal when she was supposed to play with other kids and grow, not think about marriage. When I reached the room, I tried to talk with him, but he hit me and in anger, he was ready to hit our sister, but Khalid protected her like he always did.”
“What happened, Zain? Was Khalid harmed?”
“Khalid killed him.” I swallowed the lump in my throat, looking away from her. “He used our father’s own sword and plunged it through his chest before he could harm anyone else. Zara was hugging Khalid and crying for him while I told the guards to not enter the room.”
“I had to do something. I couldn’t protect my mothers, my sister and my brother, so I made sure that the murder of my father would never be known.”
I thought about that night, the shocked faces of my brother and sister, utterly confused and scared and looking at me for help.
“The advisor, Rahim, guided me with everything. He was the one who announced that my father passed away in his sleep and I would be crowned as the sultan. He was relieved that Azmia would have a better sultan ruling over it, and our family was safe from any harm. When I became the sultan, I vowed to never turn myself into the monster my father was.”
“You are not like him, Zain,” Nasrin whispered, cupping my jaw to make me look at her. Tears glistened in her brown umber eyes.
“But the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, does it?”
Her eyes swirled, and she leaned closer. “You are not your father, Zain. He chose to harm others, and you vowed to protect them. Zara and Khalid, and even the people of Azmia, look up to you. They feel safe because they know that Sultan Zain will protect them no matter what.” Her voice was firm, her hand lowering to my chest, pressing against my heart. “And above all, you have a kind heart, Zain.”
I didn’t know why tears stung in my eyes, burning them. I held her palm that was on my chest and kissed the soft skin. “Thank you, Nasrin.”
“May I kiss you, Sultan?”
My eyes flitted to her face, her lips, her warm eyes. I swallowed, my voice thick when I said, “Kiss me all you want, Sultana. I am yours.”
Her lips met mine in a gentle caress, barely touching, teasing me. With a low growl, I pulled her closer, her legs straddling my hips. Our bodies pressed against each other, my hands exploring the curves and dips of her body. I listened to the little sighs and gasps she made when I glided my hands over the round of her ass, the softness of her breasts over her dress.
“I need more, Zain,” she whispered, pulling away. Her lips were wet and swollen with the kisses, her eyes dark underneath the moonlight. “I need you.”
I caressed her cheek. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, are you, Sultan?”
“I want to have you under me, above me and in every way possible, Nasrin,” I said, my voice low and husky.
She shivered and didn’t waste any time kissing me. I gently tugged at her hair, setting it loose and raking my hand through it when our kiss turned passionate. I could feel my muscles clench and relax when she touched me, removing the suit jacket and unbuttoning the buttons of my shirt.
“Then have me anywhere you want,” Nasrin said, her voice sultry, kissing my neck, my Adam’s apple, my chest.
Her nails scratched over my abs, making me groan when her breasts brushed over the bulge in my pants. Nasrin’s eyes turned darker, hooded with lust, when they flickered from my face to my pants. I bit my lip and watched my beautiful wife undo my belt.
“May I?”
“Yes,” I replied, my voice lowering an octave. “I want to see you naked first.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Nasrin teased, leaning up on her knees and removing the straps of her dress. I helped her remove the dress and swore under my breath. She wasn’t wearing a bra that whole time. Her breasts were round, with dusky nipples poking through the cool air. I swallowed the lump in my throat, noticing the black lace thong covering her heated sex.
“You are beautiful, Nasrin,” I whispered, cupping her cheek and gently kissing her lips. She let out a soft moan, her fingers threading my hair. I pulled away and rubbed the pad of my thumb over her bottom full lip. “I have a wish.”
“What is it?” she asked, her voice breathy.
“I want you to show me how you pleasure yourself. Show me how you touch your pussy.”
Her cheeks turned red, the candles and lantern around the balcony casting a soft glow on us. “But you—”
“What? You will deny your sultan’s one wish?” I mocked. “Show me how you touch yourself.”
“Zain…” she whispered, her lips parted.
“Yes?” I asked, raising my brow, trailing my hand over her sides and softly kneading her heavy breasts. She whimpered above me when I tweaked and rolled her nipples with my fingers.
“I… I will do it,” she said. “But you have to do it with me too.”
I frowned. “Have you never seen a male touch himself before?”
Nasrin laughed and fuck me, I wanted to make her laugh again, hear it over and over again. “It doesn’t matter, I want to see you when I pleasure myself.”
I watched her splay herself across the low table that was draped with dark red velvet. She sat on the table, her stunning body perched directly across from me, my eyes trailing over every inch of her. A cool breeze ruffled the strands of her hair. I licked my lips and leaned back a little when she pulled down her underwear with a shy smile playing across her lips.
Then she spread her legs. Wide.
Clenching my jaw, I tried to control myself from wanting to taste the glistening wetness of her pussy. The scent of her feminine arousal coated the air. The sound of water in the pool splashing surrounded us.
“Touch yourself, Nasrin,” I said. “Let your Sultan watch.”