Page 218 of The Skeikh's Games

Glancing over her shoulder, she saw that the sisters had paused and both of their smiles had dropped. Their mouths were pulled down into matching frowns. They were worried that their brother was here already and that gave Keisha even more confidence.

She reached for the door and pushed it open, revealing the drawn, slightly harried expression of the man she loved staring back at her.

Chapter Eight

Ahmed enveloped Keisha in his strong arms, cradling her firmly, but gently to his chest. She seemed rather upset and with both of his oldest sisters sitting on the bed, staring at her like that, he could guess as to why. Especially after Lilac’s attempts only moments before to try and distract him. He should have gotten here sooner.

“Shh,” he told her sweetly. “Ignore my conscience free sisters and their cruel words. I am here now and will take you somewhere much more suited.”

Keisha looked up into his face and while she seemed wholeheartedly relieved to have him there with her now, she also looked uncertain, wary even. He wondered at what his sisters might have said and realized that they knew all of his history, the good and the bad of it, and perhaps Keisha did not. He realized that tonight was quickly about to turn into a night of confessions.

Even so, he would bear them as honestly as he could, with hopes of keeping their blossoming love and marriage intact.

Ahmed lifted his eyes to his sisters, staring down each one of them in turn before speaking harshly. “I do not know what words you have spoken to them this day, but I will ask you to never be so harsh with her again. She is your sister now, too, and you will treat her with that respect so long as I am your brother.”

Mahira jumped up from the bed, immediately looking contrite, but Naiad would not be so easily moved. She folded her arms solidly across her chest and sent Ahmed a glare of narrowed eyes and a straight line of her lips. Even as Mahira came towards Ahmed and clasped her hands together, staring up at him with pleading eyes, he focused on his eldest sister. His fury simmered just beneath the surface and she was intelligent enough that he did not doubt her capabilities any more than he might doubt the depths she might go.

“Oh, please, Ahmed, do not be cross with me!” Mahira pleaded with me, her voice almost like a whimper and hardly pleasing. “We were only teasing the poor thing. We meant her no ill will. No harm. And see? She is fine. Are you not fine, Keisha, dear?”

Keisha looked up from Ahmed’s chest to peer over at her new sister in law. Hardly a look that suggested she was fine, but after a moment she forced a smile onto her sweet face and answered Mahira sweetly. “I hope that we shall be good friends before this has all come and past.”

Mahira stared at her blankly for a long moment, clearly not expecting such a response, but out of the corner of his eye, Ahmed saw Naiad humph indignantly, looking away from Mahira and Keisha as though disgusted. Of all the family, Naiad was the least welcoming of those she felt not worthy to be in the presence of royalty.

Tugging her closer again, Ahmed nodded at his sisters and then turned away to move back down the hall, taking Keisha with him.

As they walked down the hall, they were mostly silent. Ahmed had much he wanted to discuss with his new wife—and many questions to ask, mostly revolving around his sneaky and suspicious sisters—but that would have to wait until they were in far more private quarters. Here, the palace had ears everywhere. Guards would whisper and those whispers would trail through the halls and sneak into the rooms until all of his family knew what was going on between the lovers before they even fully understood.

He could not risk giving his family still more ammunition to use against her.

More than once, Keisha glanced up at him as they walked down the hall, questions shining in her eyes. He did not know whether she was aware that they were not yet in a good place to talk or if she simply was unsure of how to broach the many subjects with him that she surely must want to talk about, but either way, he was grateful for her silence.

They walked what felt like the length of the palace and turned a sharp corner, finally arriving at a large set of double doors engraved with elephants, trees, flowers, and encrusted with what very well might have been real jewels.

Keisha stared in awe at the door as Ahmed let his arm fall away from her and strode forward. He pushed the door open easily, then offered his hand towards his wife. She smiled uncertainly at him and accepted his hand. They walked into the room together, then he closed the doors behind them.

The room was large, larger by maybe three times than the last one Keisha was in and he hoped that it would please her. It was his private room, and while it had not be decorated with her in mind as they had only been in a relationship for a year, he hoped it was still to her liking.

There were bronzed and marbled furniture throughout the room, the chairs softened by ruby red satin cushions and the large windows covered by large, wispy drapes that were the color of early corn. They allowed for soft light to fill the room, though there were lamps, candles, and of course the electricity that had been wired through the old palace for when it got dark.

The bed took up a large section of the room, big enough to fit a dozen people if it needed to, with deep purple satin sheets and a top blanket that was thick and luxurious, colored with the careful designs that lined the palace walls. There were a dozen pillows thrown across it at the very least, and more spread out across the chairs and the lounge couch set just below the largest window towards the back wall. Vases were filled with polished stones, clear water, and brightly colored flowers from the garden.

It was a beautiful room, though Ahmed usually did not think much to it one way or the other. It was simply a gilded cage, meant to make him comfortable as his parents attempted to rule all aspects of his life.

He of course did not mention this to Keisha, because her eyes were filled with wonder and her mouth was beginning to form a delighted smile at the sight of the room.

“Do you like it?” he asked carefully, standing nearby, but not so close as to overwhelm or smother her. He wanted desperately for her to be comfortable.

She stepped farther into the room, spinning around slowly so that she could take in the entirety of it. Finally, after long moments of silent, she finally nodded her head and titled her gaze downward so that she could meet his eyes. “Yes, I do. It is so beautiful, I cannot imagine how you have spent your life in such a wondrous place.”

He lifted his shoulders slightly in a small shrug. Still watching her beautiful face, he answered, “I have never noticed the beauty so readily as I do today. I see you standing here amidst the palace and finally see its potential. A potential it could not reach without your presence. You bring out the best in everything around you.”

Her smile dropped slightly as she replied, “Not in your family. Not in your sisters.”

Letting out a sigh, Ahmed shook his head. “I know there is much to talk about, but I would like to say one thing first: My family is overreacting because they do not know what else to do. They have never seen me so defiant because they have never seen me so in love. They will come around and see you for the amazing woman you are.”

Keisha smiled tentatively at that, but it dropped back again quickly. Pulling her lip in, she worried it with her teeth. After a moment, she finally spoke again, asking of the things that weighed heavily on her mind. “Your sisters mentioned that perhaps you have been so in love before.”

Frowning, Ahmed immediately shook his head and took a step closer to her. “What are you talking about? There has never been any woman I have cared for as I do you.”

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