Page 12 of At the Sheikh's Pleasure
She looked up briefly and caught Zaire’s eyes.His smile faded, and she realized she was revealing herself.She moved the horse so no one could see her expression, fearing what could be seen there.She blinked back the pricking in her eyes as emotion washed through her, cleansing her of the years of work, years of repressing her true self to prove her worth.
“Is everything okay?”
She turned to see Zaire bringing his horse closer to her, his head tilted to one side in concern.
She forced a smile onto her face.“Sure,” she said, sucking in a deep breath to calm her racing heartbeat.
He came alongside her, keeping his horse, who wanted to gallop off, in check.“I thought you might have changed your mind.Your expression—it was…” It seemed words had failed him for the first time.
She shrugged quickly.She really didn’t want him to consider what thought processes had been going through her mind to create the expression he was trying to describe.“It was nothing at all.Simply pleasure at being back in the saddle.”
He didn’t look convinced.“You’re sure you’re all right?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”She leaned forward and patted her horse’s neck.“I’m on a beautiful horse, and”—she said, giving a gentle squeeze to her horse’s flanks—“I’m about to ride out into the desert which I haven’t been able to do since I was a child.”
They walked through the yard and past a car with his security team in it, who would follow them at a distance.Rosana had forgotten what it was like to be so hemmed in by people.Her freedom at Oxford had been curtailed only by her own nature.Now she was beginning to regret having led such a circumscribed life in England.
As soon as they were able, she looked ahead, sensing her horse’s need to pull away, and gave her free rein.She was aware of a burst of laughter behind her, followed by an answering thunder of hooves to match her horse’s own.
Soon, the world behind her, and even Zaire, was forgotten.She was at one with her mount, sitting lightly as Adira flexed and stretched her muscles into a strong, rhythmic gallop.There was nothing but the flat plains in front of her and the distant enticement of a shimmering oasis—their destination.For the first time in a very long time, she didn’t think, she just was.
Slowly, her scarf slid from her face and hair.She only realized it when she felt the tug of the wind in her hair which had loosed from the tight bun.And the scarf went flying away — a white flash in the brilliant blue of the sky.
Then she felt his presence and saw him riding alongside her.He shot her a surprised smile and she could see the same joy on his face as she felt inside of her.And she suddenly thought that he, as king, was as trapped in his role as she was.This was a man who yearned for freedom, too.But maybe a different kind of freedom.
Slowly the shimmer of the oasis formed into a spiky outline, then the dark amorphous shape separated into individual trees, and the towers of the central palace rose above the surroundings, their details emerging in the bright light.
She was the first one to trot into the shadowy, welcome green of the trees.She felt as if she were a million miles away.And she wondered if Queen Mandana had felt like that.And if that had contributed to allowing herself to form a relationship with Lord Gleave.
She realized that Zaire’s horse, larger and more powerful than hers, could have easily overtaken her, but he hadn’t.He jumped down, led his horse up to her and looked up at her with a smile.“You enjoyed that.”
She answered with an equally broad smile.She was filled with the thrill of the ride and the scent of freedom, and was in no hurry for the old Rosana to make an appearance.
“I did.”She waved away his offer of help and jumped down, rubbed Adira’s nose and looked deep into her eyes.“I think Adira did, too.”
“She was bred for it.”He opened his mouth to continue, but obviously thought better of it and gave a small grunt instead.She knew what he was about to say, and didn’t query it.Because she knew, too, that this was as much her world as that of the horse.She was bred for this life, too.
She looked away, blinking into the dappled sunlight which filtered through the trees from the scorching sun, baking the world around this, their private oasis.For the first time in years, she questioned her life.Had she made the right decision about leaving her home?In making a new life for herself in England?
But, even as the words formed, she knew she had.While she might love her country, she had no love for her family or the culture which had restricted her every move.However, it seemed from the brief time she’d been in Sifra that their culture was more enlightened than hers was.She knew why.She glanced at the outline of the palace, which appeared through the trees.It was because of the queen who’d wrought such changes to her land, and had fallen in love with the wrong man.The enemy.
“It’s easy to forget what makes one happy,” he said.
She didn’t know if he was talking about himself or her and she swung around to ask, but her mind went blank when she discovered how close Zaire had moved to her.
He shrugged, as if he didn’t know the answer.“Shall we continue to the palace?”he continued.“I think you’ll find much to interest you there.”
She heard the car draw up discreetly behind them and voices as the men got out, but they kept their distance.The oasis continued to be theirs and theirs alone.
She nodded.“Sure.”
They walked along the overgrown path which led to the palace once owned by Queen Mandana.The golden yellow of the Sidr trees punctuated the thick stands of evergreen palms, and the scent of the oasis which hung in the sultry air took her back to her childhood.They emerged from the shelter of the trees to be immediately confronted with the brilliant blue of the water, so startling after so much desert.Beyond it rose the palace.
“A palace fit for a king,” murmured Zaire.
“And even for a queen,” responded Rosana.
He glanced at her and her skin shivered under it warmth.“Even a queen with the reputation of Mandana.”
