Page 13 of Sheikh's Unexpected Triplet Babies

“Well, I wasn't sure we had anything to say to each other.” Whether it was the lack of air or something genuinely funny about the situation, she started to smile as well.

“You could have said 'I don't want to speak to you again,' which would have been fair. I suppose you could have slapped me again, which would not have been pleasant, but which would have been within your rights to do after how I acted. I might have preferred a 'hello,' but apparently that was something that was really off the table from the beginning.”

“You...you're sorry for how you acted?” she asked tentatively, and she was startled when he nodded.

“I am. There was... Well, we don't even have to go into what I was doing and what I was thinking. I should not have asked that of you no matter what I had thought, and I am sorry that I did it. It was a poor choice on my part to say the least. I apologize, and though you are in no way bound to do so, I hope you accept my apology.”

It seemed so strange that a man like Jahin could think to apologize to her, and after a moment, Bedelia nodded cautiously.

“All right. I accept your apology.”

“Thank you. And if you are done running, perhaps now we can stop and say hello.”

“Hello, Jahin,” Bedelia said obediently, and then she laughed at the face he made.

“Hello, Bedelia, how nice to see you again. Fancy meeting you in an alley where someone is unloading a great deal of ham and sausage.”

“What are you doing here?” she asked, ignoring his quip. “I mean, I assume that you were buying horses in Masir, but what brings you up to Cechon?”

He tilted his head slightly, studying her in a way that made her feel briefly self-conscious. Then, almost hesitantly, as if he were afraid she was going to refuse, he slowly offered her his arm. She accepted, and then they were walking down the street, her hand snugged on his arm as if this was a normal thing that they did every day.

“I have been thinking of you a great deal,” he confessed, and she glanced up at him to see if he was joking.

“Really?” she asked skeptically. “Amidst all the beautiful women that you have been courting?”

He had the grace to flinch. “I suppose I deserved that. The truth of the matter is that when I was with you... I wanted to get to know you better. I wanted to learn more about you. I think I chose a short cut instead of trying to figure out how to do it best.”

She thought about what he had said for a moment. Bedelia could imagine how that might make sense. “So what are you going to try to do now?”

“I think it rather depends on you. I...would like to get to know you better. Talk to you. See you. But only if you wish, and only if it makes you happy. After all, I'm not actually interested in getting slapped again.”

He said the last so calmly and matter-of-factly that it took her a moment to realize he was joking. She looked up at him wide-eyed, and then she laughed.

“All right, you've made your case,” she said. “I'm in. I would like to see you and talk to you as well...”

Is that really all you want to do? She told the voice in her head to shut up, because it didn't matter if it wasn't a fairytale. She could have a friend, couldn't she? That was what Jahin was offering, and she wanted badly to accept. However, there was something else in the back of her mind, something that said maybe...

It wasn't happening, and it would be wrong to say yes just because she thought there might have been more to it. That would be a lie at best, and a disaster at worst. After all, there was nothing wrong with having friends, especially friends who were as clever and funny as Jahin was.

“You never told me what it was you were doing here,” she said.

“Ah yes. Well, as the sheikh of Muneazil, I have a number of duties that I must attend to, and one of those duties is to open the festivities here in Cechon. There are a few other duties I perform that are similar, but the one that I do here is one of the oldest around. When I begin the festivities at nightfall, it is meant to ensure a successful year for the town and for the country at large.”

She tilted her head to one side. The way he spoke, perfectly matter-of-fact, made her wonder what he thought about it all.

“Is that a thing you believe in? That if you open the festivities, people are going to be better off?”

He shot her an amused look. “I'll tell you what I told the people who would much rather have me back in the capital right now. I will say that one way or another, this has been a part of the job of sheikh for a very long time, and I am not interested in the least in ending that tradition. Basically, if it's not broken, why fix it?”

She laughed a little at his statement.

“No, that makes perfect sense to me,” she said with a smile.

“Does that appease your curiosity? Will I see this in the next book that the reprehensible Miller writes?”

Bedelia was already shaking her head. She had come to this decision some time ago, and she was certain about it.

“I'll tell him about how the roofs might be a good choice for a chase scene or how the green lanterns give everything a really frightening glow. The things that you have told me... I'm probably flattering myself, but, well, they're mine.”

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