Malika

12 Crazy

"How come?"

"You will see."

She rolls her eyes. "From sweet talker to big talker. All I see is the transition."

"I would have shown you if we were in our chamber."

"Shown me what?"

"How sweet I can be."

Noura glares up at him, although she feels her cheeks burning and can imagine him smirking under his mask.

"Shameless man," she scolds, nudging him away.

"My shamelessness is making you blush?"

"It's making me angry."

He tugs her to himself once more, his tall frame guarding her, avoiding another bump into a stranger.

"Careful lest you want to pick up a fight here, my feisty queen."

"That can only be with you."

"I already surrender to you."

She steps to his side and his arm circles around her waist. Noura let him lead her through the shops and sellers as she watches the bazar unfold before her eyes. There's a dance of colors and the smell of spices meeting her. They slow down as they near the fruit stalls.

"Would you like some figs?" he asks her.

She nods in reply and they stop in front of a seller. Here, in the middle of nowhere, dressed as commoners, her husband is not a prince but like any other man. Here, with him like this, she feels to be living a different life. Despite the few guards following behind them keeping a good distance, she feels to be alone with him. And she like it that way.

"How much for these?" Adam questions the seller, inspecting the fruits as he does so. The shopkeeper tells him the price and he pays him, taking a bag of figs as they continue through the bazar.

"You still haven't told me where we're going," Noura says as his arm once more comes around her.

"There's a jeweler. He's the best in Qahira. I wanted to take you there." He looks down at her. "You still wear jewelry so often, so I assume you still like it?"

"Yes, but you already gifted me so much, all the gifts you had gotten for me while I was away and refused to keep."

"This has to be special."

"Why so?"

This time, she notices the tinting of his skin, as if blushing beneath that mask, and steals away his gaze. His arm drops from her waist.

"We're here."

Noura looks from him to the shop. Unlike the open stalls they've been through, this one looks fancy. It's a small closed space with a fine wooden door and windows. Adam opens the door for her and they get inside.

"Marhaba," the shopkeeper greets them.

"Marhaba," they greet back.

Noura begins to take in her surroundings. The racks lined with jewelry of every kind. The perfumes on display at the opposite side. The hand mirrors with elegant looking combs. The glitters and scent in the air enchant her momentarily. She knows she has found her favorite shop.

"Go on," Adam tells her quietly. "Choose whatever you like for yourself."

She takes a slow walk through the shop, studying the different set of jewelry, checking the different perfumes, suddenly wanting to own everything but reining in her desire. She picks two bottles of perfumes and turns to her husband.