Page 22 of At the Sheikh's Pleasure
Chapter10
He followed her into the throne room and closed the door behind them.She was standing in the middle of the magnificent room, her gaze not shifting but as direct as herself, focusing on one thing and one thing only—the throne.
“What do you think?”he asked quietly, keeping his distance this time.
“I think it’s of its time.”A slight frown settled on her face as she approached the chair.She was the complete academic now, with her prey in sight.She peered at the gold scrollwork and the ornate design without touching it, as if she were looking at something in a book.
“That doesn’t sound exactly complimentary.”
She shot him a quick look, as if she’d forgotten he was there.“It’s not.”She pointed to the top of the throne.“Here, it’s obviously been influenced by Byzantine design, and there”—she pointed to the claw-like feet—“the French style of the time is clear.”She took a few steps up to the throne itself and touched its base.Her hijab slipped a little, and she didn’t pull it back into place.Her hair fell forward in a shiny dark curtain, which his hands itched to sweep back.Instead, he clenched his fists to stop himself.“But here,” she said, for the first time running her finger along the design, “here is something quite different.”
He forced his gaze from her to the object her fingers were caressing.He saw immediately what she meant.He’d never noticed it before.
“The flower of theBoswellia Sacra—the tree from which frankincense comes,” he said.“It was such an important part of our countries’ wealth, it had to be honored.At least there’s a part of this which is our own.”
“Yes.But you can also see that this has been added later.”She sat back on her haunches, examining the throne as a whole and that piece in particular.“Hm, I thought as much.”Her fingers felt underneath, her eyes focused on their exploration.She gave a small grunt—too orgasmic for his liking—which did nothing for his self-control as he watched her bend right over, her bottom in the air, as she explored the hidden secrets of the chair.She sat back, and looked up at him with a wide smile.“Do I have your permission to take that piece off?”
His eyebrows shot up.The throne was a symbol of his kingship, and he’d never even considered dismantling or destroying any part of it.
“Is that really necessary?”
She smiled then, and he thought he’d do anything to keep that radiant smile on her face.He didn’t wait for an answer.
“Of course you have my permission.”
“Don’t worry, it will fit back together perfectly.It was designed to come apart.”
“How can you know that?”
“Because, Zaire, I have studied all these things.I have learned things which have been before you every day of your life, but which I doubt you’ve even seen.”
Zaire wasn’t sure if he was more shocked by her use of his name—which she hadn’t done before—or the fact that she knew more about his world than he did.
“Then, sure, go ahead.”
He stood back and watched as she crouched down.Her arm was fully extended beneath the throne while her gaze was upward, frowning as she focused all her senses on what her fingers were doing.Suddenly, there was a popping sound and her frown lifted.There was the grating sound of wood moving over wood and she rose to her knees as she turned her attention to the front piece, which now slid easily aside, revealing yet more complexity beneath.
He swore under his breath at the array of sparkling gems, which were suddenly exposed.
“It’s a false front,” she said, stepping back to look at the new frame exposed.“What you are seeing is the original front.”
“I had no idea such treasures lurked beneath there.They look more valuable than the gems on display.”
“They are the originals.The ones on displayarereal gemstones, but not as high quality, not as valuable as these.”
He pointed to the gaping hole in the middle of the section.“And that’s where you expected the diamond would be?”
She shrugged.“I’d hoped, but hardly expected.That wouldn’t be in keeping with Queen Mandana.”
“You think she had something to do with this false front?”
“Oh yes.It bears the hallmark of her design interests and the date it was added suggests her involvement.”She glanced at his obviously bemused face.“Maybe you hadn’t noticed, but the early images of the throne didn’t include the false piece.But, after the mid-nineteenth century, it does.She had to have had a hand in it.”
“Why did she go to the bother?Why not simply lock the jewels away?”
“Because she was playful.Nothing was straightforward with her.”
“So what was the point of all of that if the diamond wasn’t there?”
