Hello there, ladies and gentlemen. I know it has been such a long time since I last updated. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.



Remember I keep things as real as possible. So no cliché.

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~*Solitude has soft, silky hands, but with strong fingers, it grasps the heart and makes it ache with sorrow~* Khalil Gibran.



Thunder, it felt as if thunder roared in her chest with every step that Raghad took. Out of fear, she pushed her legs to run faster she had to stop this and stop it before another carnage. Shouq's words rang in her brain 'The Borkan stopped himself even though he was under the spell of a dangerous poison. He stopped ruining his virtue and yours Raghad.' Gooseflesh rose on her skin like deadly thorns, and that moment Raghad realized, that her heart did not belong to her anymore, she knew that her life without Faris would be hollow.

The man gave her all that a cherished, respectful spouse would. Not once, not even once did he harm her in a way that Raghad dreaded her life. Oh, Allah, he protected her even when satan swam in his veins like blood when darkness and evil clouded his senses and made him a monster, a monster he never was. Raghad hiccupped as she pushed aside a man gathered to see a possible death of her loved ones.

Faris.

Badr.

As she ran towards Badr who had his sword in the air, Raghad realized yet something else. If she departed today with her sibling, there was no returning. Her self-conceit would not permit her to return to the Borkan tribe. Badr would not allow her to return. But, would she be able to stay away, away from the man who was her invisible shield, the wretched beat in her desolate heart, a man who was her heart!

Without even a second thought, Raghad decided to place herself between her spouse and brother. Raghad knew if she had to face Badr's sword to protect them, she would do so without even a second thought. However, before she could act before her skin could taste the blade, Shouq pushed her aside and stood in front of Badr. There was such a dark and taut look in Shouq's eyes that it caused a shiver to run down Raghad's spine.

"Sheath your sword, Prince. If you do not all shall perish for you stand in your foe's tribe."

They stood there for a while, Badr's sword inches away from Shouq. Raghad's eyes fixed on the blade silently praying that Badr would step back. She felt the wind entwine itself around her throat, making it hard to breathe. A damp feeling wrapped her beating heart, making it sprint against time.

Nasser's jaw clenched from the sight in front of him then he turned towards the crowd with a deep frown. "Move!" he yelled and just like that, the circle of people evaporated like smog. His chest heaved up and down as he breathed, the rage that waged in his heart made him see red. He could not do something, not until Faris would call for him, so he had to wait.

The pulsing hatred in Badr's eyes slowly very slowly began to fade. His narrowed eyes glared at Shouq Mubarak, and finally, he moved his sword away. "Believe me bint-ash-sheikh, once my blade has savored his blood, my end shall taste sweeter," He snarled.

Raghad gasped. It was not his words, but rather his voice so dark, so profound she as his sister could not recognize it.

"Very well. If your end does not terrify you how about the death of your whole tribe?" Shouq responded. If Badr's voice or comment enervated her, she did not show.

As the Rashideen knight and Borkan woman glared at each other, the groom never once moved his gaze from Raghad. Faris knew he would have and could have dodged Badr's strike one way or the other. However, he desired to know if this woman, his woman, would have stopped Badr? Would she have stood before her sibling's sword after what he did to her? Perhaps, no. He was her sinner, the brute who ravaged everything. Mayhap she wished his blood on the blade to welcome his death and end her misery.

As if feeling his fierce gaze, Faris watched when Raghad moved her eyes from Shouq who stood in front of him and met his gaze at last. Just as her doe-like eyes clashed with his inky ones, tears filled them, and here the beast gulped.

At that moment, the dark clouds begin to suffocate the seemingly empty sky that stretched out for infinity. Just as the clouds gathered over them, the world blurred around them and it felt as if only the two of them stood there. Raghad took a step from where she stood behind Badr and stopped next to her sibling, eyes still on Faris. The Borkan wanted to reach out and take her hand, Faris desired to narrate the inferno that burned his heart until his veins were ashes. He craved to whisper the tale of how he was poisoned to her, how he would rather cut off his arm than hurt her.

His woman.

His Raghad.

He wanted to tell her before he drenches his hand in Marwan's blood or before he becomes the victim of Badr's blade and perishes here. It was like his right hand yearned to hold her, but the sin that clogged at his heart, made his left hand let her go. With an inhale, Faris looked down at his brave sister Shouq. He placed his hand on her shoulder and slowly but gently pushed her rigid form behind his form, concealing her from Badr.

"Tell me, prince, how certain are you that I have indeed caused harm to my spouse?" Faris al fursan demanded, enveloping his form in an unseen strength.

Sensing the challenge, seeing the rebirth of a monster in Faris again, Badr pushed his shoulders back. "You denied looking me in the eye" at this wind encased them in a tender wave. "Since when do you shy away from someone's gaze? "Badr shook his head once. "Nothing, not even death, can cause you to drop your gaze unless it is a grave crime." Badr hissed, and Faris took note of how Raghad held her brother's arm.

She believed Badr.

As Badr glared at Faris with a thirst that could only be satisfied with his sword, Faris al fursan peered at Raghad. Indeed, he did not harm her and held back from a disgraceful sin, but since her knight thought Faris to be a barbarian, a devil, he shall bestow them a glimpse of that.

"Ask her Rashideen, ask your sibling of my deplorable crimes," the hand that held his sword shook in rage. He wanted to turn time into years, wanted to see if the storm in his brain would ever fade.

Before Faris could utter another word, Badr charged forward his fist clenched. This time both Faris and Shouq had no time to react, for the bride, Faris's spouse stepped in front of Badr and wrapped her hands around his form, preventing him. "S-stop." Silence. "I beg of you to stop. Do not permit your hands to make me a widow." Raghad wept; her face eclipsed in Badr's neck.

Faris stood there as if someone had doused icy water over his head. His eyes widened at her words. He subconsciously took a step back. She knew. Raghad was aware of everything. A small hand touched his arm and he closed his eyes. Shouq. His dearest Shouq. Of course, it was she who had unveiled everything to Raghad. The knight opened his eyes to see that Abdullah had taken a few steps back, and Nasser stood where he was with his hands crossed over his chest eyes set on them, ready.

"Raghado what are you saying?" Badr held his sister with his free hand.

"This man should not die." At this, a sob escaped her lips, and Faris's soul commenced to bow, it started to shed tears at the mercy of his Lord, his Maker. "Faris stopped, Badr. Even though he was under the spell of poison, he stopped. He protected me from himself." tears ran down her face, Badr's sword dropped to the ground with a thud, and he wrapped his sister in a tight embrace.

Faris's scarlet eyes watched his woman weep, and Badr looked up to witness the torture and agony consuming the knight. "What was the poison for?" he interrogated.

Faris opened his mouth to reply, but Raghad spoke silencing him. "One that transforms a human into a monster."

Badr closed his eyes, comprehending every unspoken detail. His hands tightened around Raghad. "Did he hurt you, Raghado? Inform me, do not worry." He whispered for her to hear.

Raghad shook her head. "Do not hurt him. Please."

"Raghad, I beg of you to tell me the truth. If he has harmed you, he must pay."

"No, he did not. How can he?"

"What do you mean?"

Badr felt her place her hand over her chest just above her thudding heart. "He resides here, Badr. Here. Do not make me a widow," she repeated. "Do not kill me again." She pulled away from his embrace to look at her sibling. If the wind possessed a voice, it would have screamed Raghad's pain. It knew that a woman standing between her valiant brother and eminent spouse had begun to crumble. Members of the wind clung on Badr's arms attempting to create a shiver similar to what shook Raghad's insides.

Enough with suffering, enough with the bloodshed. However, even the wind yearned to know when did her heart abandon her? Was it Faris's pardoning of Khalid? Was it his gentle smile, or was it his soundless prayers that only his heart knew of?

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Do not worry, I am already working on the next chapter. Sorry about the mistakes.



I am trying to take part in 'The Rahma Awards 2019' The categories I want to participate are "Best Muslim Romance" and "Readers choice award"



All you guys have to do is, go there tag my account and write the name of this story.



Let's hope this time this book wins.