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~* "I am yours. Don't give myself back to me."~* Rumi

Raghad gaped at the man who stood by the door then back at Faris bewildered. He had questioned his friend about the guest chambers just as soon as they had reached the tribe. The man standing before her did not eliminate Khalid. Faris had a prisoner but not blood on his hands. As thoughts floated in her mind the bride felt her breathing to quicken and pulse to whirl. Badr notified her that Khalid was alive, he assured her that Faris had taken a nobleman as his prisoner. He cannot possibly do that, could he? Her airpipe felt as if a drought had befallen these lands. They halted by the door and Faris gave the keeper by the door a nod and the man commenced to saunter away leaving her with the man who wrenched her mind with his ploys.

Knights of knights stopped in front of her and waited until his knight disappeared from eyesight. She observed as he looked down at her, his expressions a riddle, his actions yet to be uncovered. Gradually the groom lifted his hand and his lean fingers skimmed the veil that concealed her face. Raghad sucked in a breath and blinked a few times to prevent the dots that appeared before her eyes from overpowering her senses. Faris merely gazed at her then with a simple, leisurely tug of his fingers, the veil slipped, revealing her prepossessing face. Her lips parted, and the whizz of breath that sounded from her parched lips crammed needles into her heart.

"What are you doing, Faris?" She whispered aghast.

"You would not want to greet him with your face eclipsed."

"Who?"

He smirked and leaned down so now they stood face-to-face. That moment the wind that swayed had a hard time assessing who was more striking, the beast or his beauty. "You already know, bint-ash-Sheikh." He stood straight. "Come." With that Faris unlatched the door and pushed it open.

Raghad stood there not discerning what to do. Why was this man, her unwanted spouse doing this? What was the reason behind his inexplicable benevolence? With heart in throat, she took a step forward, then another. As soon as she entered the chamber she blinked a few times so that her eyes could adjust to the dim light. Before Faris could utter another word, before the hunched man in the corner of the room could fully raise his head Raghad darted up to the man and encased her quivering arms around him.

"Khalid. Ya Allah!" Her vulnerable voice sounded frantic, fragile to her ears. Her insides rendered when her brother, Khalid enveloped her in his steady arms and sighed.

"Raghad. Is this really you my sister?" Khalid questioned already aware of the answer. "I apologize Raghad. Forgive me for my wrongdoing. I was blinded by rage." He murmured into her ear and Raghad shook her head, her tears soaking his kandoora.

"I understand. Oh, Khalid, I am joyous to see you alive. I thought I thought_" Unable to complete she hugged him even closer.

Khalid lifted his gaze to look at the man who stood by the door with his arms crossed over his chest and eyes on them. He frowned as realization descended upon him. Faris was not the man who would hurt a woman. Raghad was given to him against her will and it was something he had not desired as well. Khalid knew that Badr and the man by the door were paving a path for something honorable than anyone in their tribes has ever accomplished. Foolish of him to kneel to his ferocity, foolish of him to give in to his rage.

After a while, he gently grabbed Raghad's shoulders and created some space between them so Khalid could see the face of his beloved sister. He frowned when Raghad wept harder and touched the side of his cheek, the wound Nasser had gifted him. "What happened? Did they hurt you?" Her voice sounded vague as her tender, slim fingers touched his torn skin.

"Do not degrade your brother, ya Raghad. No injury can hurt this man." Khalid attempted to smile but winced as pain greeted him.

"Who did this?" He could have sworn there was resentment and something else in her voice, something that sounded so much like hopefulness.

"Not your spouse," Khalid gave a nod when her eyes met his. "Some other brute."

Biting her lip, she clutched the side of her scarf and wiped the dirt from Khalid's face. She winced when her scarf brushed against the purplish mark on his handsome face. Raghad knew the love that Khalid had for her could not be expressed in words. It was that ardent love that had led him to strike a man such as Faris. Her spouse. Another frown marred her face when she took heed of the word spouse. "Does it ache?"

The man clicked his tongue and hoisted an eyebrow. "Afaa ya Sheikha. I am a knight and you have seen me with far ghastly wounds than this one." Raghad shook her head then settled her forehead on Khalid's chest, listening to his heartbeat. "I apologize ya Raghad." He placed his hand on her head.

"Khalid, why are you here?" She pulled back and frowned as his eyes stared at the man by the door.

"If Badr has not uttered a word then I am certain it is something to be concealed."

"Khalid." She groaned, irked.

"Forgive me but this is beyond my abilities to do so since I am in just as much as darkness as you are."

"I do believe you."

"Raghad, I would never hid_"

"That is enough. We must depart before men of this tribe trek pass these chambers." Faris's dominant voice sounded around the room, serene.

Raghad swallowed, grateful that the man she despised had pardoned her brother's life even after Khalid had performed an inexcusable sin. She could not comprehend as to why he did what he did. A man like Faris was known to avenge for the wrongdoings tribesmen had done. He was the one who had spoken for Badr in front of the Borkan leaders. He had given his oath to Sheikh Mubarak to locate the man who had attempted to create another massacre. His word, his command had dissolved all arguments that might have risen against Badr and he, this brute was the man who had not killed Khalid. Instead, he awarded him a sentence that was far more satisfactory than death.

"I do not want to depart." Her whisper was low only for Khalid's ears to hear.

The sibling shook his head. "Go," he tenderly pushed on her shoulders. "That man over there has a plot with Badr and if you remain here any longer we will endanger everything."

"And yet you say you are not aware of anything." Her eyes implored him to appraise her.

"Habibti Raghad, by Allah I cannot indulge that to you for it is not my secret to narrate."

Raghad wanted to stay there, beside Khalid but knew Faris was right. With another embrace and a kiss on Khalid's forehead, she rose to her feet and slowly stepped out of the chamber with tears streaming down her pallid face. Why on earth was this happening to her and her siblings? What was their crime? The bride wiped her tears as Faris latched the door and ambled only to halt few feet away from her. He looked over his shoulder and sighed. "Come. You have been absent for too long."

"Why did you not terminate him? He endeavored to kill you. You are a knight who is appreciated and dreaded amidst Arabs. What are you planning Faris?" His name slid pass her lips in a soundless caress.

The man nodded as if contemplating on what to respond. "There are certain customs in every tribe, bin-ash-Sheikh and these rules do not permit us, men, to reveal our intentions to women." She bit her lip at his retort. It was the first time since she was named his spouse that he provided her an answer which did not fuel her wrath.

"He is my sibling."

"And this is my tribe. You do as I instruct. If eagle of knights does not disclose his secrets to his sibling what makes you ponder I shall?"

"Khalid's wellbeing concerns me, and I must know what you intend to do with him."

"Nothing and everything," he growled. "I will not approve it if you whisper his name around. Believe me Sheikha it shall do you no good." His harsh voice shredded the argument on her lips and tears of despair sprung to her eyes.

Raghad gave a nod and followed him face down and eyes misty. After a while, swiftly something loomed before her downcasted eyes, she blinked, and the droplets of her tears fell upon something her eyes were familiar with. A chestnut velvet fabric. The same shawl she had been bewitched with back in the fair. Instantly Raghad lifted her head to look at the man who stood before her, towering, formidable. She dropped her gaze to the scarf. "W-what is this?" Her voice sounded hoarse to her.

"If you can see Khalid with those eyes then I am certain you can see what that is." He smirked and gently pushed his hair back that betrayed the clutch of his headdress.

Raghad encircled her fingers around the scarf as Faris let go. She glanced up at the knight to see him scrutinizing her closely. "Is this shawl for me, Borkan?"

"No."

She gave a nod. "Then it must be for Shouq?" There was a slight despondency in her voice.

"Yes, it is." He gave a nod then shook his head. "Give it to whoever you may." With that, he gave his back to Raghad and continued his journey towards Sheikh Mubarak's house. Ever since they had returned from the Rashideen tribe Faris had been lenient, most bountiful. His generosity and those wise, rich eyes unsettled her considerably. To make things unbearable Badr had shaken hands with the man, a man she knew her sibling once yearned to annihilate.

Ya Allah!

The bride and the groom wandered in peace, both lost in their contemplation. Just as they were about to enter the festival a violent, terrifying ruckus from their right seized their attention. Before Raghad could turn her head to witness what had occurred, a large, calloused hand grasped her arm then propelled her behind a muscular back. With a gasp, she moved her trembling fingers to grab the robe of the man in front of her. "What is happening?" The cold puff of air that escaped her lips swayed in the icy wind. Faris did not reply as his rigid form stood tall, facing what was happening in front of them. The voices grew louder and louder prompting the organ that resided in Raghad's chest to pound rapidly.

Raghad inclined her head to look at the back of his headdress. She knew the man had not heard her inquiry. His body was tense, so rigid that for a moment she took him to be a statue. When Knight of knights did not acknowledge her query, the bride slightly moved to the side over his broad shoulder then hissed in downright bewilderment.

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Well another cliff hanger! I am sorry but this is what I could write at the moment with a very busy scheulde.

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