A Desert Rose

Chapter 6 - The Talk

Chapter 6

The air was crisp but the sun on the horizon held a promise of a much greater heat later that day.   For a few minutes Aimee just let the mare have her head and follow Zahir's stallion across the dunes.  

Eventually they slowed to a trot and Zahir was explaining the surrounding area to Aimee.  The weather that can reach up to 55 degrees Celsius during the hottest month of July.  Despite the scarce rainfall the city grew from a few thousand people to 5 million in less than a century.  He pointed out the oil pipeline north of the city and after walking the horses up a ridge Aimee was astounded to see the city sprawled out in the distance below them.

Zahir dismounted and led his horse to a flat area with a view of the city and its skyscrapers.  The Palace was just outside the city and one of the last major building complexes before the desert takes over.  Zahir pulled a bag from the back of the saddle as Aimee dismounted and he pulled a thermos flask and two cups from it.  

Aimee had developed a taste for the Arabian coffee and was happy for a cup of it. Zahir was pointing out the new developments and describing the old areas of the city.  

"So how you are out here alone without your security detail?  I would hate to save your life again since we are now even."  She scanned the area but could see no-one else for miles.

He smiled exposing a row of white teeth.  "As much as I would love for you to save me again, we are not nearly equal."

He pointed to a ridge to the west, "Look, wait for it... look closely..."

Aimee did not miss the remark about the vast difference between them.  She needed no reminder that he was Royalty and she was not.

She stared in the direction he pointed and soon enough she saw a flicker of a lens reflecting the sun.

"I told them to give us a wide space and they take great pride in being invisible."  He took a long sip of his coffee.

"There is something important that I need to discuss with you Aimee," he looked impossibly serious to Aimee as she looked at him over the rim of her cup.  

He stared at the city for a moment before meeting her eyes again.  "Earlier, the groom Latif called you Ameera," he paused "that wasn't a mispronunciation of your name.  In Arabic Ameera means Princess.  You are a princess of the Arabian people."  

Aimee lifted an eyebrow with a little smile.  "Do I get a crown?"  

This question took him aback for a moment.  "What? Why? It's not tradition in Arabia."  He seemed insulted.  

"I'm joking," Aimee smiled.  "You are joking right; aren't you teasing me?"

He looked at her again.  The sun was glinting off the clips in her hair, making it look like she was wearing a crown after all.  

"The law in Arabia is religious law.  Shar'iah.  A man may discipline his wife if within the guidelines set out in the Qur'an."  Aimee was about to interrupt but he held a hand up.  

"Let me explain.  I understand that by your own standards you did what was right.  But by stopping that man, you injured his pride and he had a right to seek persecution against you.  Arabian law is not the same as western law.  There are no drawn out court-cases.  What you did may be right in the west, but not in an Islamic country.  You would've gone to jail for a long time if I did not come for you."

Aimee was feeling a bit indignant now.  "And I appreciate that but then what about what happened in the desert with you and those rebels?  Wasn't I wrong then too?"  

Zahir briefly smiled at the memory.  "No, but the circumstances were different, what they did was a crime and crimes of any kind are strictly forbidden.  We are striving towards a more modern way of living Aimee, but our culture is the strongest in the world for a reason, even if it is firmly grounded in ancient teachings.  I owe you my life, which is why I did what I did in Oman.  I sacrificed myself to keep you from jail."

He looked at her willing her to understand but she was only looking at him through narrowed eyes.  

"What do you mean sacrificed yourself?  Are you going to jail in my place now?"  

He sighed.  "No, but you had a debt to society, which I settled on your behalf.  And they couldn't do anything to you once I married you."

The cup hit the sand with a 'thud'.  

Aimee gaped at him in astonishment.  "You... you what?"  Her voice went up an octave.

Suddenly he couldn't meet her eyes.  He glanced away and settled on looking at her booted feet.  

"The only way to free you was to marry you and settle the debt on your behalf, almost like mahr.  Also once you became my wife you became untouchable; which was why we left in such a hurry.  What I did is frowned upon in the higher circles.  I stole you from a neighbouring state.  Not only did I side-step proper procedure I violated Islam law on the proper marriage.  I sacrificed a lot and what I did is unprecedented."  

Aimee shook her head lightly as if to unscramble everything she had just heard.  "No..." she whispered.

Speechless she stared at Zahir then at the ground and then back at Zahir.  

"But..."

"You..."

 "No..."

Words failed her.  

She started pacing back and forth for a few minutes.  

Zahir's dark eyes just following her movement.  

Finally she stopped before him.  "This is not possible."  She willed him to start laughing at the ridiculous prank he had just pulled on her.

He did not.

"Thank you for coming to my aide your majesty, but we have to undo this."  

Zahir's eyes flickered in ire.  "It's done."  

Aimee held up a hand.  "But according to Islam divorce is permitted is it not?  You can divorce me and we both go back to our lives!"  

"It's not that simple Aimee.  It wasn't a common marriage, it was a royal one.  Besides if you were to ask for a divorce and it's granted you will go back to jail."  

Aimee's jaw dropped again.  "Are you kidding me?  Because I helped that woman I have to go to jail or stay married to you?  This is an outrageous joke!  What kind of law do you have here?" She was yelling but didn't care.

By now Zahir was trying to keep his own temper under control.  "Our marriage is not a joke," his words were clipped, "I had a debt to you which I paid when I saved you from what would have been a very unpleasant stay in prison.  The plan wasn't perfect but it worked.  I suggest you calm down and think this through clearly."

Aimee had to physically restrain herself from slapping him.  "I AM CALM!  Do NOT tell me to calm down."  

Balling her hands into fists she looked around for something to punch.  Spotting her horse she stalked over to it and hosted herself into the saddle.  Zahraa shifted a bit at feeling Aimee's rage.

"Aimee what are you doing?  Come back!"  Zahir shouted after her.  

"Go to hell!" She yelled at him.

But she was angry and needed space.  She pointed Zahraa into the opposite direction of which they came and then pushed the mare into a furious run.  Anger and frustration making her lose her usually strong self-control.