He wasted no time in clamping his arms around her waist and pressing their lips together hungrily. After a while, Hatim started to pull away from her, separating himself from her. "Is your body, okay?"
She shifted her gaze away from him, her eyes falling to the floor, completely flushed, startled by his sudden question. "My body is fine."
"So, why have you avoided me since yesterday?" he asked softly.
Arshi turned to face him, her gaze drawn to his worried, handsome face. She had no idea what to say to him. She avoided him because she was embarrassed, or because he will not see her like he used to. Given Hatim's concern, she needed to think carefully about her responses.
"Arshi, did I perhaps make any mistake I am unaware of?"
"No, Hathi. I'm just a bit nervous."
"You? Nervous?"
Hatim chuckled as he bent to kiss her hand. Arshi was nervous and that was something new to him. She made his day indeed.
"My beloved, we're about to leave. Because you are my free flower, I remember my promise, so you do not have to be concerned about being restricted. You are neither a servant nor a slave to me. Arshi, you are my queen."
She had not anticipated being given this title so soon before arriving at the palace. After a series of events, she became a slave, to a nobleman's daughter and later a Sultana without doing much. She was adjusting to her new life, but was she content?
**********************
"Are you okay?" Hatim asked, putting his hand over Arshi's. "Your hands are sweating."
Arshi forced a smile as she turned to face him. She didn't want Hatim to be concerned about her. He leaned over her and wrapped his arm around Arshi's shoulders, luring her in for a hug.
Their carriage ride was taking longer than they had anticipated. He noticed his Queen becoming agitated and wanted to calm her down as much as possible. He had no idea why she was acting the way she was.
"Stop the carriage, Zameer. We wish to alight and walk from here. You will pick us up in two hours." Hatim issued a command to the driver, as he stepped out of the carriage. "Let us go and have a good time, just like the old times, My Sultana."
He reached out his hand to Arshi, patiently waiting for her to do the same. Arshi smiled, removed her gold Jade stoned circlet and placed it on the seat, then turned and placed her hand on his as she exited the carriage with care. She didn't want to draw attention to herself.
They walked through the streets, accompanied by two Royal guards who kept a safe distance between them, as Hatim had ordered.
They came across various things that enticed Arshi and all Hatim wanted was to see her lighten up and be her normal self. He kept staring at her, watching dimples form on her cheeks as she laughed and smiled.
"Miss, can you spare a little change for me please?"
A dishevelled young boy approached Arshi and immediately the guards pushed him away from her presence. Arshi watched how the boy landed on the ground and hit his head on a rock.
Seeing his wife's reaction towards the incident, Hatim warned his guards and threatened to punish them. He really managed to control his anger and wanted to keep Arshi happy on their outing.
"Are you okay?"
She approached the boy cautiously and crouched to assist him. She ripped a piece of her dress and wiped the blood off his head. What astonished the child was that a noble as beautiful as her was aiding him, and he was curious about her motives.
"Why are you doing this? Am I not dirty?"
Arshi smiled and gently wiped the blood from the boy's wound. She smiled, but her eyes betrayed her anguish. He was simply a child who needed to eat, and she was perplexed as to why he was being abused. Was it because he was impoverished?
"Let me do this, my love. Your body is not all right and you shouldn't be stressing it like this."
"Are you unwell, beautiful miss? Where are you hurting?"
"Her whole body hurts but she―"
Arshi was already staring at him, her cheeks flushed before Hatim could finish his sentence. He had no choice but to remain silent and assist the boy with her.
"Where are your parents young one?" Hatim cleared his throat and started questioning the child while bandaging him with a piece of Arshi's clothing.
"Hathi, you shouldn't be doing this. I can manage on my own."
"You think I can't do this."
"You're going to injure the boy, Hathi. You're tying a person, not a tree." She snatched the cloth from his grasp and re-tied it around the boy's head.
The boy observed the two adults competing like little children to help treat his wounds. They appeared to be a happy pair to him, and he questioned why they were both insisting on treating his wound even though they had caused it.
"My parents are still sleeping."
Both Arshi and Hatim quickly exchanged glances and turned their attention back to the boy.
"Where? Could you kindly show us where they are so that we may escort you back to them?" Arshi softly placed her hand on the little boy's face, but Hatim withdrew it and replaced it with his, leaving Arshi dumbfounded. Was he envious of a little boy?
They went down the street till they came to an old, deserted lane. Arshi was taken aback by what she witnessed. She had no notion that people lived that way in such areas. The boy continued to stroll in front of them, stopping at an old decrepit house and inviting them inside.
Hatim signalled to the royal guards to keep watch before getting in. he wasn't settled at all with Arshi's idea in following the boy.
"Mother, father…we have guests."
'Who is he talking to?' Arshi wondered as she carefully surveyed the place.
"I don't see your parents young one. Where are they?" she crouched and gently asked the boy seeing no one was responding.
"They are sleeping over there, let's go to them but we have to be careful not to wake them up since mother told me she was feeling a bit tired before she went to rest," he whispered as he pulled Arshi's hand towards the direction of his parents as Hatim followed behind. Both Arshi and Hatim stood there speechless.
"Oh my God!"
**********************
Sultana mother was seated in her bedroom chair as her maids groomed her hair. She was from taking a bath and had already finished dressing up but only her damp hair had not yet been taken care of.
The maids applied rosemary oil gently on her hair as they massaged her head in the process just how she liked it.
But her mood was ruined when one of the maids accidentally scratched her scalp and made her so furious.
"What have you done?"
"Your Majesty, I apologize for my rudeness. I didn't mean to hurt your head," the maid pleaded.
"How dare you inflict pain on me and then want forgiveness. What gives you the impression that I'll forgive you?" the Sultana mother glared at the maid. "Immediately punish this wretch before me, or you will all face the same punishment I had in store for her!" She gave the other three maids who were serving her orders.
The three maids exchanged anxious glances and began to approach their colleague maid. A voice from outside her chamber doors was heard just as they were about to do something to her. When they heard it, they discreetly sighed and stood up so they could welcome the Sultan and leave the Sultana mother's chamber as soon as possible.
"His Majesty, The Sultan is here to see Her Majesty, the Sultana mother."
The royal guards announced as Hatim walked in her chambers hand in hand with Arshi. That quickly made the Sultana mother's smile fade away. She was so excited to see her son but not hand in hand with a woman whom she had never met or seen before.
"My lion, you are back. I missed you dearly, my child," she rushed to hug him completely ignoring Arshi. "Quickly prepare a feast for him!"
"I'm alright, Mother. I simply wanted to introduce you to someone," he said as he drew Arshi closer to him, "Please meet my wife and queen, Arshi."