26ElenaI tightened the robe around my wet body, wondering what I had missed. Our plan had failed. Sadiq was still looking over the footage of that day and trying to work out how we ended up with one dead body. “Are you still thinking about it?” My eyes looked up from the tiled floor to shirtless Zayed as he stepped into the bathroom. “How could I not? Whatever happened… it was terrible.”“It was.”Zayed sat me down on a stool, gently patting dry my wet hair with a towel. I closed my eyes in the soft caress of his fingers. Imran and Iesha wanted to postpone the wedding until everything got resolved, but most of us felt bad for ruining their wedding arrangements, so they were getting married the next day. Despite thinking the Council arrested Sadiq and having a man mauled by his pet tiger, Imran was being a good host and making sure all the guests were looked after. “I read your letter…” Zayed said, my eyes meeting his when he parted my robe, standing across me.I stood up, moving

PART FOUR“I love you, you infuriating, cold witch.” 28ElenaThe first thing I noticed when I started getting conscious was the cool heat, like sweltering summer heat during the night. It was cool but made me sweat, my entire body stiff and throat parched.I forced my lids to open, blinking at the empty bed. A small whimper tore out of my burning throat as I tried to sit up, my legs and hands straining with taut muscles. How long was I unconscious for?My eyes adjusted to the light pouring in from the open flap of the tent. By the looks of it, it was afternoon, and someone had taken a great care to build such a tent with a private bath area, small closet and a table. It looked like a royal tent.Royal… wedding. Memories came flashing back at me. Blood on the floor, Imran, Zara crying, missing my shot, and Zayed. He poisoned me. Handed me that wine, knowing what was going to happen and sided with Imran, who had fooled us all since the beginning and conspired against Azmia all that tim

30ZaraI caressed the bump on my stomach, feeling the excited kicks of my baby. Hayden had guessed that it was a girl while I had guessed the baby’s gender to be a boy. A little prince like him. Like us. With my dark black hair and his sparkling blue eyes. “You should thank me for not killing him off, you know.” I straightened up on the armchair when he entered the room. A small space, enough for a bed and a bathroom without locks with a tiny window to breathe fresh air. They separated me from my family with Aya, who was thankfully sleeping on the bed, curled around her stuffed toy. I had woken up in the room the day before, my head groggy, and I knew he had drugged me and everyone else. But why?“Maybe I should thank you for sparing my life too,” I replied with a smile, but he was smart enough to catch the sarcasm. Imran chuckled, walking closer to me, his men keeping guard on the door. “One day, princess, I will hear you begging.”“I pity you, Prince Imran.” I looked at him for

32ZayedI held my breath with each turn we took, my heartbeat pounding in my ears with the anticipation of finding Imran and relief to find Riaz. I wouldn’t hesitate to kill Imran if he touched Riaz. That kid was forced into this world and deserved nothing that had happened to him. “You love that Elena, hm?” I eyed Hamid and nodded. We had already looked for Riaz in the dungeons, but he wasn’t there, so we were looking in the empty library. “She suits you well, son, but you need to stop poisoning her from protecting you.”“This was the last time,” I promised and added, “I don’t enjoy it, but I don’t want her getting hurt because of the choices I made. Mistakes I made.”“If you love someone, all you have to do is be honest with them. That’s why she wanted to be here with you, because she wanted to keep you safe just as much as you want to keep her safe. If not more.”I stayed quiet, hearing his words, processing them and following him out of the library. Swallowing the lump in my th

Epilogue“Finally, the pretty witch has graced me with her precious presence.”I hummed and sat on his lap, snuggling into his chest. “It’s supposed to be sleeping beauty.”He peered down at me, stroking my hair. “I know, but you are my darling witch.”“You made me stay up all night,” I glared at his handsome face, caressing the scar on his brow from the day The Golden Palace had fallen. “You weren’t complaining, love,” he smirked, kissing my hand that glinted with a small ruby ring. I bit my lip looking at it and asked, “Are you sure about marrying me, Sheikh Zayed?”He raised his brow and turned me around so I could straddle his hips, his eyes lowering to his shirt I had worn, unbuttoning it with his expert fingers. “I proposed to you when we were sixteen, my enchantress. It feels like a dream to marry you… even though you can be annoying sometimes.” I glared at him but he chuckled and continued, “But I have never been surer than ever before, Elena. My Sheikha.”I smiled and kissed