Feeling a horrible headache that threatened to blow her skull apart, Mia slowly lifted her lids to open her eyes. Blinking her eyes away from the embarrassment of her retinas coming into contact with the light, Mia jumped in panic when through the haze of her still blurry vision, she saw a dark, imposing mass standing a few feet from the bed. ...
A bed... Had she been kidnapped ? Had the heartless king finally abandoned her near the car? Mia struggled to remember the events. All she remembered were the frightening revelations the king had told her: scorpions, petty snakes, repeat offenders. Just thinking about it gave her goosebumps. "Oh my God! What if one of those repeat offenders the devil was talking about is my kidnapper? What will become of me? Has he seen me with the king? ransom? Will this king who has shown his animosity to me ever since we met have enough compassion to come and get me." Panicked and sweaty, she put her aching head in her hands in a vain attempt to ease her pain....
Sitting in the darkness of a corner of the tent, his computer on his knees, Hackim looked up at the bed of the young woman when he felt movement there. Even with her hair disheveled on the pillow and her eyes staring into space, she was a beauty to die for. He had to admit it. Drawn to her hand on his chest as she tried to calm the throbbing, he frowned.
- In view of your expression and your erratic breath, I guess that your overflowing imagination has not been idle for two minutes that you are awake.What are you going to get us this time? A kidnapping scenario? Hmm? I'm curious. Intervened the king in a throaty voice.
Mia jumped in surprise but had never been so happy to hear his voice. His mere presence reassured her and those despite the darkness that emanated from him. It was a contrast she didn't understand and would have gladly leaned on if her head weren't threatening to explode. The king was not long in noticing him and handed him a glass of water with a seal that had been deposited by the traditional doctor who had auscultated her.
- Where are we ?
-We have been kidnapped by a rebel clan! He couldn't resist teasing her before continuing as Mia choked on her water.
- We are in my tent.
A tent? Mia slowly scanned the decor of the place: from the carpet that covered the floor to the hangings on the different sides, passing through the furniture and even the bed she occupied, nothing resembled the images of tents that she had seen. . Would it still be the black humor of the king that spoke for him.
- A bed in a tent?
- What you are lying on is not a bed but a diaper and yes, contrary to your prejudices with regard to the way of life of my people, we know how to surround ourselves with beautiful things. Our traditional side is in no way incompatible with the modern lifestyle of this era. Unlike other peoples, we have decided against all odds to keep our most beautiful traditions because they are the ones that partly define us so unless you have something constructive to add, please shut up and go back to bed since you apparently haven't recovered from your sunstroke.