I know it's rather shocking to get 2 updates within a week ^.^



~* "Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need." ~*

Faris rotated around and trailed Badr for he did not know what the prince had arranged for him and his unwanted spouse. Knight of Knights pushed his shoulders back when men from the tribe gaped at him, some with downright perplexity while other with abhorrence and terror. He was a vision to behold, a sight even Time clutched its quill and scrambled his mighty presence down on a parchment. Garbed in a black kandora with his dominating height and those broad shoulders that moved every time he took a step. A small troop of ants halted abruptly as Faris passed by them, even their queen lifted her gaze and gaped at him from under her lashes.

As the knights got closer to Sheik Faisal's tent, the one Faris knew Raghad was in, Khalid, Badr's brother walked out with a hand behind his back and clothed in a white kandora, not wearing his headdress and uncompanioned by his sword. He came to a standstill when his eyes rested on Faris and instantly a dark look materialized on his handsome face then reached his narrowed hazel eyes. "Salam alikum." He verbalized staring the man in the eye.

"Wa alikum as Salam, Khalid," Faris responded with utmost resentment.

"What brings you here, Prince?" Khalid commanded collecting his robe in his right hand.

Faris took note of how a silent sigh escaped Badr's lips as if he was despondent with his brother's undesired brashness. He smiled. By Allah, it was not a smile a brother-in-law would provide, rather a smile a beast would display to a fool who did not know that he stood in the lion's den. "If I were to disclose that to you, ya Khalid," he took a step forward, so close that they stood face-to-face. "It would be you standing alongside me, not Badr." He surveyed as Khalid's eyes moved to Badr, who Faris knew sent an unspoken message to his brother with his eyes.

Khalid clenched his jaw, glared at the Borkan then stepped aside and walked away from the exasperating knight. "Someday provoking will cause him his life." Faris turned his head a little to his left so that his beard touched his shoulder.

Badr inhaled, he desired to reply to the man who dared to threaten Khalid in his presence, however, knew if he did the treaty they acceded upon a while back will perish in thin air. Badr needed to know who desired to entitle him a murderer as soon as possible and for that, he remained hushed. "Your tent is this way." Instead, he vocalized drawing his hand to his left. Without another word, the groom followed the man to a sizeable marquee that was situated almost two hundred feet away from Sheik Faisal's tent.

His sharp eyes studied two of the tribesmen who entered the tent with a goat skin in hand each holding the ends, another followed with dates and food in his hand and the knight of knights knew the leader of this tribe had ordered his men to prepare the groom's tent. Faris grit his teeth, he had to undergo this anguish, he had to swallow his pride and turn deaf to the roaring fury within him. If he were to bring justice, he had to endure his stay here, in his enemy's tribe.

With a growl, he ran a hand down his face and bent low, moved aside the flap then sauntered in the staggering tent. The knight halted and took off his sandals, his eyes narrowed at the tiny wounds on his feet caused by the journey over plain lands. Disregarding the dry blood, Faris ambled forward and his eyes took in the large horizontal tent decorated with lanterns that were illuminated as the sun had yet to rise entirely. He looked at the far left and saw a floor seating decorated with dark velvet covers and a separate quarter on the right side of the tent. In the separate quarter, the Borkan spotted bedspreads and pillows on top of a golden chest.

Faris took another step forward and his toes sunk in the carpet, a dark maroon rug he knew belonged to the Persian cities. His gloomy eyes watched as two men placed copper mugs and a pitcher on a platter on top of another chest near the floor seating. At once he recalled them to be those men who had accompanied Khalid and Jabber back when they had captured a deer and unwillingly shared a meal under the open sky and the twinkling stars.

Soon every man departed leaving Faris alone with his brother-in-law, Badr. "I shall see you soon, in sha Allah. If there is anything you require let my knights know." Badr verbalized revealing Faris his worth. If it were another Sheikh, he, Badr would attend to serve him personally and make certain all hospitalities were provided, but this was Faris the man he could not withstand.

Faris al fursan dropped his gaze then lifted them to look at Badr. "Do not forget, prince you are not accommodating me but rather your sister." A lethal smirk replaced his lips, he perceived how Badr grit his teeth, took a step back then walked away with his robe blowing behind him.

His lips transformed into a smile, a smile he knew would terrify any one if they were to witness it. Indeed, he and Badr were ambling step by step to locate their enemy, however, that did not mean he would be gentle, that he would uncloak his mortality to the man he desired to slaughter and still did.

With that, he turned around and moved his eyes in every corner of the khayma. The Rashideens always amazed him with their magnificent tents, and this khayma exceeded his expectations. Faris placed his sword on a pillow next to the floor seating then took off his robe only to put it next to his long sword.

He rubbed his cold, pale hands together to generate warmth in them as the tent was a bit chiller. Eyes taking in every corner of the khayma he walked to the quarter that was separated with a drape from the rest of the tent. Once he stepped in the quarter the knight glared at the quilts and the wool mattress. Out of nowhere, doe-like eyes flashed before in his brain and with a snarl Faris snatched a pillow and quilt then marched away towards the floor seating on the other side of the tent where his sword lay, waiting for its master.

**

Raghad enfolded her hand around Maha's shoulder, her younger sibling whose head lay in her lap next to her wounded hand. She was surrounded by her mother and siblings who quenched their thirst from her sight. They conversed with her, they endeavored to veer her attention by touching merry subjects, yet she waited for Badr. Raghad wanted him to arrive so that she could finally see her father. Just as another wave of vertigo hit her causing the world to darken for a while the flap of the tent was pushed aside and in walked her world, Badr.

His brown eyes took in the site of his family then they landed on Raghad who beamed at him, or attempted to. "Come." Was all he verbalized for her to kiss Maha's head that lay on her lap. Raghad glanced at her mother who gave her a nod with tears in her eyes. She was the woman who had built up the mountain inside Raghad, she was the woman who sewed Raghad's veins in her own hand and for that reason, only her daughter was still sane despite the fact that she resided with one of the most notorious fiends on the Arabian lands.

Raghad rose to her feet disregarding the ache in her hand and moved towards him. His eyes, those rich eyes studied her steps, her hands, her hair that reached her back. "Do not allow those tears to be the ground behind an assassination, ya Raghad. A man can endure only so much." He looked in her eyes, seeking for her soul as if demanding for it to articulate, to utter its dismay and drench him with its agony.

"I have kept them at bay for a long while Badr. Do not condemn my eyes if they wish to lighten their burden." Raghad replied in a somber voice.

Badr looked away then gave a nod, after a few seconds he took a step forward gently encased his fingers around her injured hand then proceeded ahead. The Rashideen siblings made their way towards their father's quarter in slow steps. A tingle itched Raghad's fingers as they took another step, then another. Suddenly fear grabbed her heart with sharp claws like an eagle would seize its prey. She felt perspiration bead her forehead and throat go dry. Raghad was petrified of what awaited her beyond that drape.

Sagr al Fursan let go of her hand then pushed the drape sideways, he walked in, his body facing what was in the quarter then he turned his head left towards Raghad. Her adolescent heart pivoted inside her bust, imploring her to decamp, to hide. When Badr witnessed her turmoil, he gave a nod of his head encouraging his sister to come forward. She swallowed down the lump in her throat and moved her foot.

Raghad did not turn to face what Badr was looking at, her body faced Badr with quivering, moist palms. Slowly, Raghad turned her body left and a scream ripped through her chapped lips. At once she marched up to the body that lay pale, feeble on a mattress. "Aboya. Aboya!" The girl yelled staring at Sheikh Faisal's ashen face. The leader of the Borkan family didn't open his eyes for his daughter who had come to visit him after so many moons. "B-badr, what happened? W-what happened to my father?" Raghad demanded as her trembling hand reached Sheikh Faisal's face, as soon as her fingers touched his cold skin tear streamed down her eyes.

Khalid barged in followed by their mother when they heard her screams, her plea, her excruciating pain. "What happened?" Raghad's enraged, desolated eyes turned to Badr when her knight did not reply.

"Father is...he is ill. The tabib has given him some medicine to rest. This occurred after a month of your marriage." Khalid looked away from her burning eyes, he could not bear the wrath, the grief in her brown eyes.

"Why did you not inform me? Is he not my father? Why?" Raghad moved her eyes from Khalid to Badr, every vein in her doe-like eyes accused them.

"You already have enough on your shoulders," Badr responded as he met her scarlet eyes, he was the only one that moment who had the fortitude to look in those eyes.

"He is my father, my father!" Raghad grabbed at her chest as she yelled the words. "My enemy is my problem ya Badr. I am the one married to him. How dare you make me an outsider? How dare you keep this curtained from me? Leave, leave me alone with him." She growled. "Leave," Raghad screamed when none of them showed an indication of departing.

Badr ran a hand down his face. For the first time in his life, he did not know what to commit. For the first time, the leader of Rashideen tribe did not know what to utter. How was he going to apprise her that their father's heart was weak, that he merely survived waiting for death to encase him in its shroud. Vanquished he rotated around then marched away, out of the tent leaving his sister, his cherished one unaided with her misery yet once again.

https://youtu.be/VpvNDJm4cpU

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I know I know I said there will be Faris and Raghad but Raghad is still there. This chapter needed to be written with caution I seriously had to scratch the corners of my brain to come up with an illness that won't flare their hatred yet bring some sort of twists in the story. I PROMISE next chapter there is going to be a lot of Faris and Raghad.

PS: I was thinking of changing the cover of Prince of Knights. What do you guys think?