Page 1 of The Sheik's Vow

Chapter 1

"No!" Kaia's sudden gasp echoed through the grand hall, a sharp discord against the elegant backdrop of the royal ceremony. The minister, in the midst of invoking blessings, froze mid-sentence, his eyes wide with surprise, mirroring the astonishment that rippled through the small group gathered for the crowning ceremony.

All eyes turned towards Kaia Treon, sister to the radiant new bride as she stood in front of the council minister. Kaia’s face, normally a canvas of calm composure, burned with an uncontrollable blush as she found herself the center of attention. The regal atmosphere hung in suspense, an invisible tension tightening around the room.

A hushed silence fell, broken only by the rustle of elaborate gowns and the shocked hiss of whispered speculations. Kaia's breath caught in her throat, realizing the weight of her interruption. She fumbled for words, her apology barely audible as she meekly lifted her hand, a feeble attempt to signal the minister to continue.

"Sorry!" she stammered, her voice shattering the stillness. "Completely separate thought," she added, desperately hoping to mend the fractured ambiance with an explanation. Yet, her words lingered in the air, leaving an indelible mark on the regal affair, transforming the joyous occasion into a moment of unexpected suspense.

After an admonishing glare that could have withered the most robust of flowers, the elderly minister turned back to Sheik Zayed and his wife of one day, and resumed the sacred service. Kaia, however, was on her own little island of profound embarrassment, fixating on the intricate design of her sister’s coronation gown, determined not to risk another glance in the direction of the "best man."

Nope. She wasn't about to subject herself to the sight of Sheik Riaz Abuzman, Ruler of Bidar. Not again!

He was just a guy, she reminded herself. A walking paradox wrapped in a tall, dashing exterior that expertly concealed the obnoxious, rude, irritating, bastard-of-a-jerk package. Sure, his shoulders were broad and muscular, but there were plenty of good looking men in magazines that she could ogle without dealing with the man’s irritating demeanor! And yeah, the dark hair and dark eyes…they were…nice, in a dreamy, mysterious sort of way. The hard, chiseled jaw was pretty appealing too.

He looked like a character on a romance novel cover, but Kaia didn’t buy it. In her eyes, he was less Prince Charming and more Prince Alarming, a master of the eye-roll-inducing arts.

And let's not forget the way he walked around, as if he was “all that and a popsicle”! Kaia couldn't decide if it was arrogance or just a severe case of overinflated self-importance. Either way, she was determined not to let those broad shoulders and the impeccable jawline distract her from the fact that he was, in essence, a walking, talking irritant.

As far as she was concerned, looking at him was akin to voluntarily staring into the abyss of annoyance.

Of course, the accused jerk in question would vehemently insist that he hadn't committed any wrongdoing. At least, nothing that could be proven.

Kaia, however, maintained a different perspective. The man's eyes, the way he looked at her, sweeping his gaze over her expression as if... as if he was trying to decipher a complex riddle orsomething!

"Damn him!" Kaia muttered under her breath, her eyes involuntarily darting towards him despite her best efforts. He was doing it again!

She couldn't help but feel like a hapless protagonist in some romantic comedy, stuck in a moment of cringe-worthy interaction with the leading man, who seemed to have graduated summa cum laude from the School of Irritating Charm.

Two days ago, Kaia would have sworn that no male of the species could ever get under her skin. None ever had in her twenty-seven years of life, so she’d thought that she’d become immune to the way men looked at her. Even the most handsome guys had left her cold and uninterested. With her past, that was to be expected. In her experience, men could never be trusted.

But the sheik guy wasn’t…exactly…handsome. Oh, sure, the square jaw and dark hair…they were…hmmm. However, Sheik Riaz couldn’t be defined as classically handsome. In fact, now that she was looking at him, really looking, he was the opposite of handsome. He was…attractive, but in a rough, mean-guy-image sort of way.

Women who preferred the “bad boy” look would drool over this man. He was as tall as her sister’s new husband, Sheik Zayed el Mastrion of Pitra. Zayed was a good looking guy, and ridiculously in love with Tara, which was the only reason Kaia hadn’t swept her baby sister out of this monstrosity of a palace. Tara, for her part, was just as madly in love with Zayed, so Kaia hoped this marriage would work out in the long term.

Still, as Kaia watched the solemn ceremony whereby her sister would be crowned, officially becoming queen one day after marrying her handsome husband, she couldn't fathom how her sister could willingly bind herself to a man in marriage, especially considering the tumultuous childhood they had shared. Memories of their past loomed like evil specters in the dark recesses of Kaia's mind, haunting her with the echoes of painful, brutal struggles.

The weight of those experiences fueled Kaia's resolve. She, in no uncertain terms, declared to herself that she would never, under any circumstances, utter vows that could potentially grant a man control over her life. No way! The notion of surrendering her autonomy felt like an unthinkable betrayal of everything she had fought so hard for, a betrayal she had witnessed firsthand during their shared tribulations.

In her eyes, marriage seemed like a sinister plot, a subtle theft of a woman's control. The very idea sent shivers down her spine as she recalled, in horrifying and tragic detail, the countless stories she had encountered where women were shackled, literally and figuratively, their voices silenced and their agency extinguished.

As the ceremony continued, Kaia couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that a veil was being drawn over her sister's independence. The ominous drumbeat of apprehension pounded in her chest, a forewarning of the battles yet to come. The drama of her internal conflict mirrored the solemnity of the ceremony, a silent protest against a tradition that, in Kaia's eyes, threatened to dim the flame of a woman's autonomy.

But Tara had willing risked marriage because she swore that Zayed would never hurt her. From what Kaia had seen so far, Tara might be right. Zayed only wanted to spoil and adore Kaia’s little sister. He’d done everything he could think of to make Tara happy, to the point that Tara had lovingly ordered the man to stop.

He hadn’t, but Kaia thought it was kinda sweet that he was so in love with Tara. Never before had Kaia witnessed the gentle kind of adoration that Zayed demonstrated towards Tara every single day. If it weren’t so beautiful, Kaia might think that their devotion was annoying.

However, Zayed’s devotion also allowed Kaia to release her concerns about Tara’s future. A little. Kaia had watched out for Tara their whole lives, so her concerns couldn’t dissipate immediately. It would take time before Kaia fully accepted that Zayed would keep Tara safe and happy.

It also helped that Elijah Collins, the filthy, disgusting bastardwho had tried to marry Tara when she was merely twelve years old, had been captured and was now a very uncomfortable guest of the Pitra prison system. Yesterday, right after the wedding ceremony and moments before Tara had taken a sip of her champagne, the rodent Elijah had tried to attack Tara, and for that, he’d been captured by her sister’s new bodyguards.

“And now, the crown of Pitra will become one with your soul! May you take the people of Pitra to your heart as well,” the officiant announced, as he placed a heavy gold crown on Tara’s head.

The words broke through Kaia’s mental meandering. She forced her numb lips to what she hoped was a smile as the small crowd applauded the newly crowned queen. Tara laughed, more than slightly relieved, when Zayed took her hand and pulled her into his arms, kissing her with a passion that was definitely not appropriate at such a solemn ceremony.

The crowd loved it though, with laughter and delight echoing throughout the room. When Zayed finally pulled away, Tara had an endearing blush to her pale cheeks that only enhanced her beauty as she held the crown on her head with one hand, while gripping her husband’s shoulder with the other. Her green eyes, so like Kaia’s, glowed with happiness.

Kaia suppressed her habitual worry for her little sister. Tara would be safe. Plus, she was happy. Happier than Kaia had ever thought possible.

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