The Sultan's Daughter (Princesses Uncovered #5)

Chapter 49: How Could You

“You told him after everything I warned you about? Did you think I wasn’t serious about killing your unborn child?” Hashim hissed in Yaz’s ear as she sat quietly at the mahogany table of the dining table.

She didn’t respond.

Hashim smiled. “Of course you didn’t… Well now you’re going to find out otherwise.” He stormed to his spot at the table. “You cost me a valuable tool, Princess. I hope you’re prepared to pay the cost…”

She stared him down. “I told you… You can kill my child if you really think you can deal with the burden on your conscience. Go ahead and try.” She whispered.

He shook his head. “You’re a foolish child, you know that?”

She remained silent, her gaze piercing into him.

“Eat your food.” He commanded.

She stayed still, not moving towards the chicken lying on her plate. She couldn’t identify the herbs on it, and she knew that certain herbs could cause miscarriage. She wouldn’t risk it.

“Eat it!” He roared.

“Will it cause me to lose the baby?” She asked softly.

He shrugged. “You’ll find out if something goes wrong, won’t you?”

She pushed it away. “I won’t eat or drink anything I haven’t first prepared with my own hands.” She declared, staring at him. “If I can’t prepare it, I guess I’ll starve. Then you’ll have more problems. Too many people love me, Hashim. You do this, I’ll tell everyone what you did, and you’ll have a rebellion on your hands.”

He smiled at her. “Daring creature, aren’t you? Cunning too… But perhaps not cunning enough…” He mused, cutting into his own chicken and eating.

She stood, placing a hand against her belly – a gesture which had become automatic for her now. “Goodnight, Hashim.”

He watched her go, saying nothing as she left.

His smile never faltered though.

***

Gafar walked into the dining hall to eat his own dinner.

Hashim was quietly putting pieces of cut meat into his mouth with some vegetables, and Yaz’s food sat untouched upon the table.

“Why isn’t Yaz eating? Is the pregnancy making her ill?”

Hashim shook his head.

“Then what?” He pulled up a chair and sat down.

“I know that she told you about my deal with her.” Hashim spoke softly, but suddenly.

Gafar’s eyes widened. “Wh…what are you t…talking about?”

“You know what…” Hashim answered idly. “I’m not angry with you over it…”

Gafar sighed, staring at his plate of cooling food. “No, not with me… But you are with her. She told me if you found out, you’d cause a miscarriage. Please… Hashim, don’t do that… I don’t want to lose my baby… I want to be able to meet her…”

“Her?” Hashim raised an eyebrow, putting another piece of the chicken into his mouth.

Gafar blushed. “I’ve taken to thinking of it as a her, anyway… I’ve always wanted my first child to be a girl…”

Hashim shrugged.  “Whatever.”

“So you won’t kill the child?”

Hashim shrugged again. “What purpose would it serve? Gafar, listen… I did what I had to in order to control her so that she wouldn’t do further damage. I promised you that you would have her, but I never promised that it would be willing. That woman would never have loved you – even with all the time in the world – when she knew what you’d done.”