Desert Heat

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: ADVENTURE

Nearly two months after their wedding, Lily had had enough of being isolated in the palace. Her mother-in-law forbade her from stepping out of the palace, and worst of all, she was not to associate herself with the palace maids. The queen had piled up a list of requirements for being a queen, and Lily had not liked any of them, but she knew that it was best not to argue with the queen's mother.

On the bright side, Lily had familiarized herself with the palace, and she could get around better without anyone's assistance. For the past month, she has seen less and less of King Aziz than she would have liked. Lily wished that she could see him again—maybe just hold him in her arms and smell the scent of skin.

The little that she had seen of her husband showed that he was tense. She craved his touch and felt the need for him to fill her, but that proved all worthless as they had not yet consummated their marriage.

"Who are you thinking about?" Someone asked from behind her; Lily did not feel the need to turn and face that person; the voice sent chills down her spine.

"What do you want, Amaan, and where is my husband, if I may ask?" Lily, without turning to face him, asked him.

"Wow, you've grown to be a fearless queen," Amaan teased her, and Lily did not find it funny; she could not place her finger on it, but something about Amaan did not feel right.

"Yes, indeed, I have grown fearless, but you, on the other hand, have grown wings, and I think I should clip them off," Lily replied, just in time to see the look on Prince Amaan's face. He was clearly irritated with her, and she did not mind; her relationship with her brothers-in-law has always been a love-hate relationship.

"Lily—"

"That is Queen Lily Hassan to you." She interrupted Amaan, and the reddening of his face showed that he indeed hated being corrected, and that by a woman. For as long as Lily had lived in the palace, she understood that Amaan opposed women having a position of power or having a say in matters.

"I see"

"I do not care what you see, Prince Amaan; now, three days ago, you accompanied my husband to who knows where; you are back, and my husband is nowhere to be found." Lily yelled at him. She paused, shocked that she was actually angry that Amaan was home and her husband was nowhere in sight.

"I am not your husband's keeper," Amaan replied, gritting those words through his teeth and stopping himself from doing something that he would regret. As much as he hated Lily, the last thing he wanted was to hurt her; otherwise, his head might be on the chopping board.

"You might not be my husband's keeper, but you are his advisor; perhaps you forgot what your job is."

"My queen—"

"I do not want excuses; if my husband is not back in the next twenty-four hours, then—"

"What would you do, if I may ask?" King Aziz spoke from behind Lily; she froze on the spot, her index finger still pointed at Prince Amaan. As much as Lily wanted to slap the smirk off Prince Amman's face, she knew that she had to compose herself.

She turned to face her husband, and excitement built up in her body. She wanted to raise her hand up to his face and touch him, or perhaps even kiss him, but fought the urge as their marriage was only on paper and nothing more.

Her joy was now cut short when she saw how tired her husband was; he looked pale, the bags under his eyes had begun to show, and he had lost weight as well. It pained Lily that she had not noticed this earlier; being a king wore her husband out.

"I believe I asked a question." King Aziz asked his wife. He was tired; just when he thought a meeting was over, there would be another one, and it seemed like nothing was resolved.