A murder.
I stood there gaping, a million awful pictures running through my head. My blood ran cold, and my throat went dry. My mind couldn’t gather a thought, and my heartbeat couldn’t stop racing.
Who could it be?
In one second, I imagined the worst and the ugliest answers to that question in my head. Despite the fact that a murder was a horrible thing no matter what, I was selfish enough to hope that the victim wasn’t someone dear to me.
“Oh, my God!” I exclaimed. “What happened?”
As Mazen came closer, his pale face was scaring me, and his troubled features were breaking my heart. He held both of my hands before speaking.
“You need to sit down, Marie.”
“Mazen, you’re scaring me! Please, tell me what’s going on.”
He led me to one of the armchairs near the bedroom door and knelt down in front of me.
“Someone poisoned some of our horses.”
“What!” It wasn’t a question, just a disbelieving cry.
“I’m so sorry, princess.” The look in Mazen’s eyes was breaking my heart just as much as the news was.
“Which ones?” I asked in a choked voice, tears already running down my face. I almost knew the answer already, but I still didn’t want to believe it.
Mazen touched my cheek, took a deep breath, then spoke, “Hope and Faith.”
My eyes almost bugged out of my skull, and my hand left Mazen’s and flew up to my mouth.
“And … Salma,” he choked out.
“No!” I exclaimed. The pain I felt for our horses was checked by disbelief. Maybe they were just hurt – maybe they only needed medical care, and they’d be okay? Maybe they appeared dead, but they weren’t? Maybe I was having a nightmare.
Oh, please! Let it be a nightmare.
“I’m so sorry, princess,” Mazen soothed.
“How? Why?” I asked a minute later, now that what he said was settling in my mind: the young horses were dead.
“Someone poisoned their food.”
“Oh my God!” I cried. “Why would anybody do that?”
I could see Mazen trying to hold his pain in, but it was written all over his face, even if he didn’t allow his eyes to spill the heavy tears that I knew he wanted to shed. He loved Salma, and the twins meant a lot to him.
“We don’t know anything yet, Marie. But when we do – those criminals will get no mercy. I promise.”
I was still grieving for our horses a week later. Mazen refused to let me go and see them before their burial; he didn’t want my last memory of them to be miserable.
I hated that it had been so long since I saw them last, almost three weeks before their horrible deaths. Faith was always the shy one, but she didn’t shy away from me as she did from everyone else. Hope always rubbed my chest with her head; that was what I looked forward to the most in my visits with them.
It hurt me terribly to know that Mazen was deeply hurting, Salma was so precious to him, but he stayed strong for me.
It was as though we were grieving over our unborn baby all over again. It was almost the same thing, the pain of them being ripped away from us too early, and before we got the chance to say goodbye. This was horrible.
Why would anyone commit such a terrible act, to innocent animals, no less? Who would want to hurt the young horses so badly?
The security cameras didn’t show anything out of the ordinary; it was just like every other day. The three young ones ate the same thing, and the poison was discovered in their food. We couldn’t find out who did it, or even how they did it. It was discouraging.
The investigation continued, and I could only hope the criminal would be discovered soon.
It was Mazen’s idea that we spend a couple of days before the opening of the hospital in Al’ameria at the beach mansion, to relax. We had a million things to do in the capital, but I couldn’t refuse or delay the holiday. I knew we both needed that break.
The new hospital was much better than I had imagined, and that delighted me. The fact that this hospital would be able to help so many people daily was a joy that nothing else could create in my heart. Well, other than Mazen’s love, of course; nothing would ever compare to that.
Queen Marie’s hospital was built in record time, and if it weren’t for Rosanna’s help, nothing would’ve been as it was now.
“We have 425 rooms, which can hold over 1,000 beds in case of emergency. The Intensive Care Unit has 50 beds, and the latest medical equipment that we could possibly need,” Doctor Basheer, administrator of the hospital, boasted. “We also have six operating rooms, a special unit for premature newborns, and a unit for children connected to a play area to make the experience of our young visitors as painless as possible.”
I smiled, my eyes roaming around the model sitting on a large table in front of us on a large table.
“That sounds good,” Mazen said. “Is there a possibility to make other units in the upcoming year?”
“Yes, of course, Your Majesty,” the general manager replied. “There will be a smaller building right next to this building which will only be for Women and Obstetrics. We will move the premature newborn unit there as well and modify the area here to be for orthopedic surgeries only.”
“That’s great,” I said. “Will the hospital be able to receive childbirth cases this year?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” he said. “The hospital will be able to handle up to 30 births daily in the coming year. But when the other building and units are finished, we will be able to receive cases from all over the princedom and from other princedoms, as well.”
My smile was wide. “That’s fantastic.” It was such a great accomplishment that I felt very pleased to have had a hand in it.
“We are very honored that the final results satisfy you, Your Majesty,” the doctor said.
“They surely do.”
Someone handed the General Manager a bouquet of purple and pink roses, and with a smile, he offered it to me.
“Happy birthday, Your Majesty,” he said, and the clicking of the cameras from photographers and reporters sounded louder.
“Oh, thank you very much, Doctor Basheer.” I smiled, maybe blushing a little as more Birthday greetings from the others in the room filled the area.
It was a memorable day.
May was pretty much the best month out of the year, weather-wise. It wasn’t hot nor cold, but simply perfection. The princedom of Al’ameria was the best location in the country to enjoy such wonderful weather.
Through my studies of the Kingdom in the past year and a half, I learned that the princedom of Al’ameria had been the capital for decades. The royal family moved the capital of the Kingdom from Al’ameria to the current one in Aldeera – where I lived with Mazen – right after King Qasem’s marriage to my mother-in-law, Queen Mother Shams.
Because of its importance, King Qasem appointed his brother to rule Princedom of Al’ameria, and Prince Hamed later stepped down because of medical issues. He named his son, Jasem, as his successor. Unfortunately, under Jasem’s mismanagement, Al’ameria fortunes changed – from being the richest and brightest princedom to the poorest in the Kingdom.
I sighed at the thought; it was a very sad thing. However, that would change soon. With the hospital now running, the school under construction, and with over fifteen factories being built ― with another four already manufacturing much-needed products – everything would change for the best. I was very sure of it.
Rosanna had been a great help. Her thoughts on everything, her remarkable suggestions, and wonderful edits on projects – all of them were making everything much better. I wouldn’t know what to do without her. Nothing I could say would be enough to explain how much I was grateful for her being in my life, as a member of the royal family, and most importantly, as my best friend.
She and Prince Fahd attended the opening ceremony and intended to return to the palace right after to take charge of the Kingdom while Mazen and I took a few days off. I wish we all could take a vacation together, but that didn’t seem possible. To be honest, neither Mazen nor I would trust anyone other than Fahd and Rosanna to rule the Kingdom in our absence.
The sensation of swaying was the first thing that I became aware of as I woke up from my deep sleep. I spent a wonderful night on our yacht. It was so romantic and sweet and reminded me a lot of the night when Mazen proposed to me in London. Not to mention the soul-delighting sex.
Before I could get lost in that thought, my new maid’s high-pitched voice took me away from my lazy attempt to get out of bed.
“Want me to prepare the bath for you, Your Majesty?”
“Holy Mo–!” I gasped, my hand flying to my diamond cross. If Sameera didn’t burn me to death someday, she would eventually give me a heart attack. I had no clue how long she’d been watching and waiting for me to wake up, or how she’d even known I was awake.
“Jeez, Sameera! Well … good morning?”
“Good morning,” she said in a rush. “Do you want me to prepare the bath for you?”
“No, I’ll be fine. Thank you,” I said, my heart was still pounding.
“Okay, I’ll go prepare breakfast,” she stated before fleeing out the door, which allowed me to say a small prayer. I didn’t want to die by drowning either. I didn’t know how her breakfast preparation might cause the yacht to sink, but with Sameera, you never knew.
The clock beside me read 10:36 AM. I had overslept.
Getting out of bed carefully, I stood up and found my balance, then I took a quick shower before I went out in search for Mazen.
I wore a light pink, bare-shouldered sundress over my white bathing suit, leaving my hair loose and flow down my back, enjoying the sensation of the ends tickling my bare skin freely.
I wanted to ask Sameera if she knew where he was, but I was almost sure she had no idea. By the door stood Mo’taz and when he saw me, he offered me a smile.
“Good morning, Your Majesty.”
The crashing of the waves assaulted my ears, and I inhaled the smell of the salty ocean. It was freeing.
“Good morning, Mo’taz. Where’s Brad?” He wasn’t in his usual place on the other side of my door.
“King Mazen ordered him to stay with the maid as she makes breakfast. She went to the kitchen fifteen minutes ago. That’s where he is.”
I lightly scowled at him. “The maid has a name, Mo’taz. It’s Sameera.”
Mo’taz drew a tight smile on his lips and nodded. “Sameera.”
“Do you know where His Majesty is?”
“Officer Fawaz reported earlier that His Majesty was taking a swim. You can see him from the other side of the boat, Your Majesty.”
“Okay, I’ll go there. You can stay here and take a rest, maybe? Brad will be with me shortly, and Fawaz is already there.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Mo’taz said. “May I accompany you there, at least?”
“I’ll be fine, really. Thank you.” I smiled and left, making my way down the stairs to the first deck where I would find Mazen.
Of course, the prime royal guard could sense me even though I was being really careful as I crossed the deck so as not to fall down and hurt myself. I was barely making any noise.
Fawaz turned his head toward me and greeted me with a smile.
“Good morning, Your Majesty.”
“Good morning, Fawaz, how are you?”
“I’m fine ―as long as you and His Majesty are, Your Majesty. Thank you for asking.”
“Where is he?” I asked, my eyes roaming the area around us.
“Right here, Your Majesty,” Fawaz pointed, and I followed his hand until I was able to spot Mazen in the middle of the ocean.
“Oh! Isn’t that quite far? We’re already very far from the shore!”
“We’re not that far, Your Majesty, the shore is right there,” Fawaz pointed again, in the other direction this time. I nodded, my worry settling down a bit. Mazen was a fantastic swimmer after all.
“I guess I shouldn’t worry about him while you’re around, huh?” I smiled.
Fawaz’s grin was sweet. “You can, Your Majesty, but I wish you wouldn’t.”
I nodded. We both watched Mazen as he dove under the water then came up only to dive again. After a pause, I asked, “How’s Sofia?”
“She’s doing well, Your Majesty, and sends her regards.”
Finally, Mazen was able to see me as I waved trying to get his attention, and he swam straight to the yacht.
“You still won’t take a break?” I asked Fawaz.
He grinned. “Not anytime soon, Your Majesty. His Majesty’s safety is much more important than anything else in the world.”
I smiled. “You’re a good guy, Faris. I really wish you the best.”
“I appreciate that Your Majesty,” Fawaz nodded, his smile present for a few moments longer, making me think yet again of how loyal he was to his King. It was heartwarming.
“Princess,” Mazen’s breathy call took me out of my thoughts. I smiled brightly as I saw him using the last step of the ladder to hop on board.
I could see Fawaz put his wrist close to his mouth from the corner of my eye and spoke a few words before turning his back to us. Mazen greeted me with the sweetest salty kiss on my lips.
“Hey, angel,” I smiled as I looked into his beautiful, smiling eyes that had water dripping from his long lashes. Mazen didn’t reply to me, but instead, he knelt down and rubbed my baby bump – which was now much more obvious than before –and then gave it three light kisses.
“Hey there, buddy!” he spoke to my stomach. “I can’t wait until I can take you for a swim.”
“You’ll teach him to swim as well as you do?” I asked once he got up.
“No,” he shook his head, causing some drops of water to fall from his hair. “Prince Adam will be much better than me, you’ll see. Isn’t that right, little prince?”
I was pretty sure that Adam would be smiling if he could understand what his daddy was saying.
Against all of the protocols, I was going to give birth to Adam in Al’ameria, in the hospital that I had built to help others.
Someone had started the rumor that since it was built in a matter of six months, it might not be as good as we’d claimed. Giving birth at the hospital was the best way to prove to the people how good the hospital was. Not that many people believed that, but I intended to quash the rumor once and for all.
Mazen didn’t object, but he also didn’t agree right away. It took him a whole day to give me his answer. I believe he was making sure the facility was suitable for our child’s birth and for me.
We decided not to tell anyone about our decision until I started the third trimester of my pregnancy since it wasn’t necessary to do that now.
On the day we made that decision, Mazen told me that he needed to talk to me about something important. Just this simple request, no matter how calm he looked, made me anxious.
“What is it?”
“I’ve thought so much about whether I should share my thoughts or not with you. I wasn’t sure if I should.”
“You can talk to me about anything, angel. You know that,” I said, putting my hand over his and giving it a squeeze in encouragement.
Mazen’s smile was light. “I know that,” he said, then let out a long sigh. “Every time we’ve hidden something from each other for fear of causing undue worry – it has ended badly. I don’t want that to happen again. I thought I’d share my concerns with you, and I have a strong faith that you will understand. If not, we’ll figure it out together.”
“We will. We always do.” I smiled, my blood running cold as worry filled me, my curiosity having reached its peak.
“Well, it’s about what happened to Hope, Faith, and Salma.” he started, and I gulped. “We’ve already established that they were poisoned on purpose.”
I nodded, frowning as the sadness consumed me at the thought of our poor baby horses.
“Despite all of our efforts, we still haven’t found out who did it. The poison was injected into the food packs in a place located at quite a distance from the palace. It was most likely done by someone who knows the palace grounds, the schedule – the feeding schedule. In other words, this was done by someone who knew the ins and outs of the palace,” Mazen said, his eyes watching me carefully, looking for any sign of a reaction, and I was like an open book to him in that second.
I started breathing heavily. I was scared, and he knew it.
“Marie, I’m here, remember that.” He held my hand in both of his.
“I’m fine. Go on,” I told him in a choked voice.
Mazen drew soothing circles on the back of my hand with his thumb. “We’ve come to the conclusion that whoever did it – it was to send us a message.”
“What?” I gasped. “What kind of message?”
“Well, think about it – the youngest of our pets were poisoned. Only ours. Only the young ones were targeted. There were other animals in the stables, but only ours were killed.”
I looked at Mazen, not understanding.
“They killed them like Tal–” Mazen squeezed his eyes shut before completing the sentence, “Like they killed our unborn child.” His voice cracked at the end; his wound – just like mine – was forever fresh.
“Mazen, you’re scaring me. You can’t mean what I think you mean!” My hand flew to my mouth, and my tears started falling down my cheeks.
Mazen knelt on the floor in front of me, touching my cheeks with both of his hands. “I will never, ever let anyone hurt either of you. You and Adam are the most important people to me on this planet. I would die before anyone gets to touch one hair on either of your heads, do you understand? Do you understand me, Marie?”
I nodded slowly, and he swept my tears away with his thumbs, then kissed my forehead.
“You think they want to poison our–”
“Shhh, no one will dare to do anything to you as long as I live. Never doubt that,” he assured me, and I nodded again.
“What do you want to do?” I asked him, my arms hugging my stomach protectively.
Mazen’s hands followed mine, putting them over our baby inside of me. “We will assign more guards to you. Unfortunately, we can’t trust many people.”
“More guards?”
“Yes, princess. Fewer visits and fewer conferences for you. You’ll do most of your job from your home office, okay? After all, you’re pregnant and need your rest.”
“Okay.”
“There’s just one thing more, and I’m not sure if you’ll accept, but it’s literally the only thing that we can do.”
“What is it? Please, tell me. I’ll do anything to protect our baby.”
“My …” he hesitated, then huffed. “The food you eat, we have to be perfectly sure that it’s clean. We can’t risk that. And, the new maid, I just…”
“What is it, Mazen? Tell me!”
“There’s only one person I can trust to ensure the food is not going to hurt you.”
“Who?”
“My mother.”
I couldn’t be more shocked.