Desert Heat

CHAPTER NINE: PRINCE

"One would never guess that she is your mother; I mean, she is so nice, and you are so mean." Prince Aziz taunted her, and this only made Lily angrier than she had already been.

"If you were not so arrogant, maybe I would not have reacted the way I did back at the airport, but now that I think of it, I see why you were so arrogant." Lily taunted him, and this got her an eye roll from the prince.

"Are you in any way suggesting that I am arrogant because I will be the next king? I am not arrogant; even the people in New York have no idea that I am a prince." Prince Aziz explained, and he did not even know why he was explaining himself to her.

"Since I am going to die anyway, you might as well do me the honor of allowing me to call my mother."

Prince Aziz stood still and looked into her eyes. The clocks in his head began to spin, and he had no idea whether he was making the right decision or not. She was beautiful, which he could not deny.

"I have a proposition for you, and I am sure that you would like it."

"What proposition would that be?" She questioned him.

"What is your name, if I may ask?"

"My name is Lily Robinson," she replied.

"Tomorrow is my coronation, and before I become king, I have to have a wife, so I am asking you, Lily Robinson, would you do me the honor of becoming my queen?" Prince Aziz asked her, and all Lily could do was stare in utter disbelief.

"You want me to do what?" She asked him, and Prince Aziz smiled, placing both hands behind his back.

"I believe you heard me the first time I spoke; are you going to marry me or not?" Prince Aziz asked Lily in a less-than-friendly voice.

"What if I say no?" Lily asked Prince Aziz, who smiled at her.

"Then I am afraid, my dear, you will be sentenced to death, and I promise you that no lawyer will defend you."

"How sure are you about that?"

"Lily, my dear, no one would defend a woman who is accused of trying to kill the future king of this kingdom," Prince Aziz informed Lily. She knew that she could not argue with him and that he was right. Hamidin was a progressing kingdom, but one knew that it was far from a democracy and that the people were still ruled by fear.

"Yes, I will marry you," Lily told him with great urgency, even though she could not believe that she had agreed to marry a total stranger.

"Good, I will get the warden to release you."

FLASHBACK ENDS

Within minutes, the warden had come to her cell and unlocked her, and Lily was released. Never in her life had she felt this excited about stepping outside into the world, but now as she sat in the car with the prince, she was about to become his wife.

The prince continued his conversation in Arabic with his bodyguard until he stopped and turned to Lily.

"We are heading to the palace; my men will give you access to a phone so you can call your mother and inform her about the wedding," Prince Aziz told her, and without a wink, he turned away from her and continued his conversation with his bodyguard.

The three-hour drive had finally ended as Lily set her eyes on the big gates of the palace—which had started this mess in the first place? She felt sick to her stomach as the gates opened up and the armored Jeep drove in. Twelve servants lined up outside the jeep and waited for their descent from the car.

One of the guards from the escort cars unlocked the door for them, and without waiting for her, the prince and his bodyguard exited the car without waiting for Lily. Both men walked on the red carpet, neatly laid on the floor for them, and Lily sat in the car, confused, until the prince ordered one of the servants to call Lily.

"My lady, the prince calls for you." The young woman informed Lily, and she smiled at the young woman. It was best that she was nice to her. Lily exited the car. She felt chills run down her spine, and she did not know why. The servant walked her into the palace, and Lily's eyes widened. The interior of the palace was more beautiful than the exterior. The ceilings were high and decorated with the most beautiful colors that Lily had ever set her eyes on, as though the artist had taken months, if not years, to paint them by hand.

She could see Prince Aziz and his guard ahead of them. She tried following them, but the young woman stopped her.

"No, madam, you have to come with me," the young woman told her, and this left Lily confused about what was happening around her.

"But the prince—" she tried to argue, but the young woman walked away from her, and Lily had no other option but to follow the young woman. Lily had no idea what was happening, but as she walked, she began seeing a different side of the palace, the part where everyone was rushing and decorating the palace with flowers.

They walked all the way to the left wing and stopped at the big black door, marked with Arabic inscriptions, and Lily had no idea what it meant. The young woman unlocked the door; they both walked in, and again, Lily was shocked at what she was seeing. The room was bigger than her and her mother's rooms put together, and one could easily say that it was straight out of a fairytale book. The curtains were cream in color, and layers and layers draped until they reached the floor. Each piece of furniture in the room was beautifully designed, as though the architect of it all made sure to detail everything to the best of his or her ability.

The bed itself was a queen-sized bed filled with a mountain of pillows and the finest sheets that money could buy, and all were the same color as the curtains. She looked out of the window once more, and Lily saw that she had a balcony that overlooked the garden, a different garden that she had overlooked.

Lily turned around as she saw four young women walk into the room, each carrying something in their hands.

"My princess, one of these young women will prepare your bath for you and fill it with the finest fragrances the kingdom can offer."

"I am sorry; may I know your name?" Lily asked the first young woman.

"Do not worry about that, my princess; you need to get ready for today." The servant informed her, and Lily was lost in what the young woman was saying to her.

"What do I have to get ready for?" She asked the young woman.

"Well, my princess, you have less than three hours until your wedding," the young woman informed her. Lily felt like yelling her head off, but she had to remain calm; the last thing she wanted was to make it known that this marriage was not out of love.

"Can I see the prince, please? Lily asked, trying her best to keep her voice calm.

"Which Prince, my Princess?" The young woman asked

"How many princes are there?" Lily asked the young woman as the new piece of information was brought to her attention.

"Well, there are two, Prince Aziz and Prince Amaan, the eldest brother."

"Well, I want to speak to Prince Aziz," Lily ordered.

"I am afraid that will not be possible; the prince is probably with the council dealing with the final details of the wedding, and pretty soon the guests will be here."

"The guests?"