Salam alikum ladies and fellas. How are y'all? Hope you guys will like and enjoy this chapter.



Pic of the man who resembles Faris A LOT! However, you guys are free to imagine him as you please.



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~*The wound is the place where the Light enters you~* Rumi









Days passed in immense despair and absolute torment. Faris remained hushed, not speaking and Raghad gradually adopted to aid her mother-in-law with house tasks. As much as she feared Faris, Nasser annihilated every ounce of courage in her. He was gigantic and she could swear there were times the man bend his head low in order to walk in their 'house'. His mere sight generated terror in her heart. Raghad would not enter the room if Nasser was present, she would stay out of sight until the man departed. With a giant of a man in the house and Faris's callous glares and hushed treatment, the poor girl believed she will be demented soon!



Raghad could not eat no matter how hard she attempted to, her appetite had died with her smile. Badr, her knight, her dearest brother had departed for his tribe a few days ago. Which caused her to stay up at night and blink in the darkness. No, not to weep, but to stare in the darkness and wait for something to occur, to shield her and take her away from this prison.



Afternoon sun propelled the clouds and stared at Raghad. She waited patently as women took their turn to fill their buckets with water from the well. Raghad stood there, behind a petite woman, who huffed as she turned the wheel of the well. The bride was dressed in a dark Iranian gown that brushed the sand, her hair veiled with a black shawl, without rings to decorate her lean fingers, or a smile that teased her lips.



Raghad took a step backwards when the woman lifted both buckets and marched away, rather gracefully. Her soulless eyes stared at the well, then she lowered the bucket tied with a rope in the well. Raghad wrapped her fingers around the windlass and rotated it. Her breath quickened when the bucket retrieved to the surface brimming with cool water. She grabbed it then poured the water in the bucket next to her feet.



In a trice, Raghad let go of the bucket and leaned on the wall of the well as a wave of vertigo took over her form. She had not tasted food from over a night, her throat was parched and head heavy. Once again the poor soul stood up on her shaky feet, however, suddenly her eyes rolled back and body swayed in the air. Women by the well rushed to her aid, some seized her shoulders, while others took hold of her water buckets.



"Binti, can you hear me?" inquired a gentle voice, the same person placed their warm palm on her forehead and a whimper escaped her lips.



Raghad swallowed the bile in her throat and urged the lid of her eyes to open. "Yes, khalty." her voice was scarcely a whisper.



"Come, let me take you home." pronounced the same familiar voice.



Raghad shut her eyes when the rays of the sun were unbearable for her. She was parched and was in a desperate need of water, her body was warm despite the frosty winter that encased the world in it's cold robe around her. Raghad did not realize how she made her way in the house. When she could perceive the world around her, Raghad discerned that she was in her chamber with her back against the cot, and a quilt on her.



After a moment of staring at the ceiling she pushed her elbows in the cot and looked around. That moment Shouq sauntered in the chamber with a mud pot of cool water in hands. Raghad took the pot from her and drank the liquid greedily then exhaled. "I must pray Duhur." she pronounced and turned her head right to see Jazee, who sat alongside her on the cot with a bright smile.



"Come, let me aid you." Shouq grabbed her hand when Raghad sat straighter and stood up.



Raghad stood on her quivering feet, the Persian carpet tickled her bare toes as they sunk in it. There was no one in her chamber but her sister-in-laws, who studied her with sheer fascination. She performed ablution with the water Shouq brought then performed her prayer. Her form did not posses the strength, the world around her transformed into a shade of honey by the time she was done. Raghad sat down, pressed her palms on the cot and lowered her head, after a moment she took off her shawl to breathe deeply.



"Raghad, yaddati said_"Shouq trailed off when Batool leaped from the cot and sprinted out of the room to play with her friends. "Why are you so doleful when you should be joyous?" her form appeared in Raghad's line of vision, but the bride did not look up.



"I do not comprehend," she pressed her fingers on her temple. "What is there to be joyous about, ya Shouq?" Raghad exhaled and her shoulders slumped forward in exhaustion.



"Do not you know?" Shouq exclaimed almost perplexed. Raghad merely shook her head and Shouq gave a silent laugh. "Grandmother apprised us that you are with child, ya Raghad." here she gasped and looked up at Shouq bewildered.



A child? What on earth are they talking about?



"Wh_Why would she make such a statment?" Raghad rose to her feet with a deep frown on her pallid face.



"What occured earlier grandmother said that only happens when a woman is a few weeks with a child." Shouq grinned, it reached her eyes and brought a glow to her orbs.



Raghad ran her hand through her hair that escaped her plait and fell on her shoulders as trepidation swam in her bust. Oh dear God! "Shouq, I am most certainly not with a child. Your brother and I are_are not what a normal man and wife would be."



Shouq gasped and clapped a hand on her mouth. "Then why did you loose conscious?"



"I assume that is only because I have not touched food over a day and not tasted a drop of water since this morning." Raghad licked her dry lips.



Shouq rubbed her palm on her forehead, agonized. "Ya Allah!"



"What is it?" Raghad narrowed her eyes, her heart flattering its wings.



"Faris. Mother apprised him few moments before I came here." before Raghad could respond to what Shouq had verbalized the door of the chamber opened to reveal Faris who ambled in like a predator, dark eyes on his prey, on Raghad.



Shouq glanced at Faris then back at Raghad who stared at the man in front of her with wide eyes. "Allah yester." She murmured then departed from the room and shut the door behind her.



Raghad averted her gaze from those cold, steely eyes and stared at the rug. Promptly, dread and agitation unfurl in her body. She did not know what to utter. Why would the women make such a presumption?



"What I hear is true, woman?" an amused yet icy voice demanded. A voice so glacial that it could have extinguish a blazing fire.



The bride shook her head violently, her cheeks scarlet in embarrassment. "No, it is not."



"That is what I believed. Mother is undoubtedly mistaken." with each word the knight made his way to her.



"Yes." came her silent respond.



When Faris did not vocalize a word Raghad looked up to witness him observe her or rather her hair. He peered at the thick glossy hair with something unfathomable and Raghad felt her neck tingle again. She hissed when Faris raised his hand and rolled a long dark strand of her hair on his finger. Raghad stood still, exceedingly motionless, her heart thudded rapidly inside her bust. The room around her felt small and precipitation coated her forehead.



"Do you desire for that to be true, ya sheikha?" he inquired, his voice low.



Raghad gaped at him, her muddled gaze transformed in to a glare. "I do not wish to have your children." she snarled and stepped away from the monster.



Faris, the knight of knights smirked, the corner of his lips lifted. "Is that so, bint ash-sheikh?" he mocked and took a step closer to her.



The bride panicked, rotated her body right ready to march away from him. However, as soon as she took a step his large, cold hand encased her arm in his grip and yanked her form back to the place where she stood in front of him. "Are you not aware that a woman with child should not run," he stared down at her with mischievous eyes. "She can tumble and hurt her child. I do not want that for my wife now do I?"



"I am not with your child." Raghad hissed the words through clenched teeth and struggled against his grip.



Faris shook his head as if despondent, as if he conversed to a foolish child, but mockery was observable in his inky eyes. "If you flee where will you go? Your beloved knight has departed for his tribe long ago, ya Sheikha."



"Believe me Borkan, anywhere is acceptable than here." Raghad endeavoured to free her arm but failed.



Faris disregarded her and observed her tresses yet once again. Just like earlier he rolled a strand of her hair around his finger. After a while faris al fursan let go of her hair as if revolted, he grimaced and stepped back. "Do not you dare provide mother such false and absurd thoughts. My enemy's daughter will never bear my children." He snarled those relentless, unsympathetic words then strode out of the room.



Raghad stared after him for a while and permitted a single drop of tear trickle down her cheek. She abhorred that man with ever fiber in her being and did not know what to commit in order to relief her soul from this wretchedness.

*

*



Two nights later on a fine morning the wind whistled perilously as if the desert was ready to open its arms for a sandstorm. Raghad grit her teeth and glared at the gray goat. Umm Faris entrusted her the task to milk the goat. Indeed, she knew how to handle her duty but she had never practiced such a task in her tribe. Gradually, Raghad squatted down, gathered her shawl in her lap, with a silver pot in hands and eyed the goat. She then ran her hand over the agitated goat and got ready to perform her task.



However, failed drastically. The moment Raghad placed the silver pot on the ground, the goat wriggled to get away from her and Raghad squealed. With an infuriated huff she seized the goat by the neck and tugged it towards her. Despite the attempts the goat made to flee, Raghad brought it closer to her. As soon as she moved her hand the goat threw it's leg in the air to attack her.



With her struggles Raghad did not discern the tall man who stood few good feet away from her and observed her with amusement visible in eyes. Raghad attempted to coax the goat but was unsuccessful yet once again. "I see you are engrossed with a task this morning." verbalized a familiar voice and two feet in sandals came in her range of vision.



Raghad flinched then looked up with slightly wide eyes. There stood the man of her terrors, the man of her nightmares. Faris! "Yes." she murmured and looked away.



"Yes, what bint ash-sheikh?" Faris demanded with a small, almost invisible smile on his lips, while she did not look at him. Indeed, the beast was in a serene temperament, he woke up a while ago to search for his witless spouse, only to learn she was in the back of the house, milking the goat.



"Your mother has bestowed this task upon me." she replied not looking in those rick dark eyes.



"It appears to me that you are having a delightful time performing your task." Faris mocked.



Here she lifted her head up and glared at her husband but dropped her gaze soon when Faris hoisted an eyebrow. He watched her struggle a little more then instantly Faris knelt down, collected his black robe in his lap, tossed the sides of his black headdress on his back and helped the reckless woman milk the goat.



When his lean, cold fingers brushed against her, Raghad retreated her hands. "W_What are you doing?" she stammered, baffled.



"I believe Allah has given you eyes and you can witness what my hand is committing." the knight taunted, his free hand came up to caress the goat.



Raghad watched as gray fur enveloped his fingers. She bit the inside of her cheek, transfixed at how very brilliantly Faris milked the goat. A man who terminated for the sake of his tribe and for the sake of his religion was immensely gentle with an animal.



Severe rage cascaded down her form at her thoughts, she scowled and rose to her feet. Raghad backed away once Faris finished and stood to his full height with the silver pot in his hands. She disregarded to meet his gaze, with a sharp intake of breath the bride extracted her hand in order to take the pot, but frowned when the pot was lifted.



Raghad looked up in time to see Faris place the pot to his lips and quaff from it. Her eyes widened at his actions. Faris guzzled the milk to the last drop then handed the empty pot to her. She gaped at the pot then stared up at him.



"What am I to apprise your mother?" she hissed, irked.



"This," the man gestured to the goat. "Belongs to me, ya Sheikha." there was a new twinkle in his eyes, a blaze that did not sit well with her. "You can inform my dearest mother that you crossed paths with Faris." he inched closer and Raghad stumbled back eyes fixed to the ground.



They stood there in quietude for a prolong while. "You always escort predicaments on my shoulders." she exhaled and the monster tusked.



"Is this what you call predicaments, ya bint ash-sheikh?" Faris looked up at the sky, at the sun and clouds who beamed down at him. "If you desire to witness predicaments I will unveil them to you." he vocalized.



"Ya kal_" Raghad halted when his serene eyes narrowed into slits, and mouth pursed in a thin line. By Allah, she knew if she pronounced the curse she would unleash a beast from it's chains. The undeclared tempest behind the tranquil curtains of his eyes caused cold shivers to dribble down her spine.



"Are you certain you wish to utter that word?" Faris questioned in a dead, lethal tone.



"I shall not. However it will not make you any less of an animal." Raghad lifted her chin.



"Indeed you lack manners. By the time Sagr al fursan graces us with his presence you will be a courteous woman. I will make certain of it." with those words the knight of knights ambled away, as if victorious yet once again.







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So did you guys like the chapter? Let me know your fav part in your COMMENTS and do not forget to VOTE! Sorry about the late post, first wattpad was acting weird, then it was blocked in my country, now it is fine and now II am here!









Allah yester= God save us/ or Allah keep us from harm or trouble.



Ya Kalb= was the curse Raghad wished to say to Faris, it means dog.



Khalty= Aunt



Binty= My daughter.



Yaddati= Grandmother.





Sorry for the mistakes!