Prince of Knights (An Arabic Love Story)✓

Prince of Knights Chp22

Salam Alikum ppl. How are you all? Insha'Allah well. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Btw Raghad is not in the picture I have given. 

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"You were born with wings, why prefer to crawl through life?" Rumi 

Borkans proceeded in the main chamber while Raghad advanced towards the cookery situated in the back of the house. She did not desire to encounter the family, nor did she wish to cross paths with Umm Mubarak. In the cookery, she prepared a silver tray with half a dozen mud cups and filled them with cool water. When Shouq ambled in, she looked at the tray then at Raghad and sighed.

"Do you wish to accompany me?" Shouq halted in front of her sister-in-law.

"I do not know ya Shouq. It is better if I am shielded until all that has occurred these past moons is divulged to your grandmother." 

"Very well. Hand me the tray and you should stay here. I shall be back for you, Insha'Allah." Shouq beamed at her then departed.

A prolonged while elapsed and yet Shouq did not return for her aid. Raghad sauntered out of the cookery, passed the small fence where goat and sheep peered at her then stood by the wooden door that invited in the house. She sucked in a breath at the voices that reached her ears, among them, she could recognize the voice of Sheikh Mubarak and knew the man of the house was with his mother.

She shifted her weight to her other leg, furled the hem of her shawl around her finger and waited. A rooster leaped on the mud wall that surrounded the house and stared at Raghad. She watched as the chicken and few chicks roamed around and stuck their beak in the dirt now and then in search of food. At once her head jerked up at the mention of her name by Sheikh Mubarak. Raghad clenched her fist when he disclosed the occurrence of the unpalatable matrimony. However, what robbed her of her breath was when he revealed something rather queer, something that slashed her senses.

Raghad stood there by the door with a deep frown between her eyebrows and lips pressed to a thin line. Tears threatened to claw at her eyes but she denied them access. The world around her dimmed and bile rose in her throat. It was then Shouq walked back and stopped in her track, eyes widened at the sight of her sister-in-law.

"Raghad." She gasped.

The bride did not utter a word merely averted her gaze. "It is no wonder why my spouse abhors me to such an unthinkable extent." She whispered and stepped away from the door, from Shouq. 

Shouq followed with desperation vibrant in her voice. "It was not affirmed, they were not betrothed. Father only indicated once or twice that Adhari was to be Faris's bride! Faris had never acceded to this."

"Nor did he deny, did he?" Raghad hissed, exceedingly incensed. What on earth was happening to her? Not only was she paired to a man who did not want her, but to a being who was spoken for another woman. "Is she, is she the woman who stood alongside your grandmother?"

Shouq gave a small nod, consternation noticeable in her eyes. "Raghad, by Allah the matter was not that grave."

The bride looked around, her gaze traveled from the iron fence to the rooster, from the rooster to the few palm trees that stood next to the mud wall. Her head throbbed and a horrendous feeling clung at her throat. "What am I to do now, ya Shouq? This tribe, your father, my own husband despise me. They are revolted of my mere sight."

Instantly, Shouq bend down placed the tray on the ground and held Raghad's arms. "Look at me, Raghad," Shouq shook her body. "For the sake of Allah look at me." She hissed through clenched teeth as tears trickled down the girl's eyes.