The Sheik and the Slave

The two men quarreled back and forth and Mohammed listened carefully, though this case was a petty one. His eyes wandered briefly through the court and to the latticed screen where the women sat quietly.

The men finally quieted and Mohammed made his decision. The goats had been sold in good faith and there was no evidence that deceit had been found in the goat’s condition. Therefore, the goats had died naturally. No compensation was given.

Another case came before him. A man believed his wife to be unfaithful. She had been seen talking to a neighborhood youth. Mohammed knew this was not good. If a wife was unfaithful, it could mean her death, so this was a serious case. He stroked his goatee and watched the man as he spoke. He had learned from his father to watch people as they spoke and not concentrate so much as what they said.

He learned to watch their eyes and it seemed that those who would not make eye contact usually had something to hide. He watched the man closely for signs of deception.

The case dragged on as the man brought forth a witness who was his brother. The court collectively murmured as the second man came forward. Witnesses were allowed but the fact that he was a blood brother did not bode well. Mohammed watched the second man inch forward.

It was going to be a long day, he knew.

Suddenly, a buzz started at the back of the room as several unknown people entered. The doors usually remained closed for the court’s session, but admittance could be granted for important matters.

Abdullah, his most trusted advisor, leaned into him and whispered into his ear. Abdullah was a large man who towered over most but stood under his master Mohammed. His black hair was mostly grey at the temples, his hooknose was long, and his dark eyes were small. He had been advisor to Mohammed’s father and had been a palace guard in his twenties. He had been a learned man and desired to rise above his station. Mohammed’s father had allowed the young man to borrow books from his library and he had become close to Abdullah. Slowly, he had been allowed into the father’s inner circle, and eventually he became a trusted advisor.

When Mohammed the son took over for his father, he inherited Abdullah as advisor. Most in the palace kept well out of Abdullah’s way and few ever crossed him. He was known for being ambitious, calculating, and, above all else, fearing the mighty hand of Allah.

Mohammed looked up startled and then nodded to Abdullah.

Two local pirates who pillaged the seas had begged admittance to the audience chambers and Abdullah said they were not alone. Mohammed nodded and waved aside the man and his brother who waited for his decision.

“Forgive the intrusion, mighty sheik,” Uthal said. He bowed slightly, as did Sufyan.

“Indeed. What brings you to my court?” asked Mohammed, annoyed at the intrusion but also interested in their reason for appearing before him.

Uthal smiled, showing his teeth, and barked to Sufyan, “Bring in the woman!”

Sufyan scurried to do as he was bidden. Mohammed watched as the door opened wider and Sufyan returned to the chamber with a foreign woman. The woman was clothed in a long white tunic that reached the floor. Her breasts were unbound, high and perfectly rounded. He could not see her nipples but guessed they were pink as roses. His mouth watered and he almost rose from the chair before he settled back again. Mohammed was uneasy. An ache began inside him.

She was slim, with long legs that he ached to have around his waist. He was suddenly aroused, but nothing could prepare him for what he felt when he looked into her face. It was sheer perfection. She had an oval-shaped face, with high cheekbones and luscious pink lips. He wondered idly if her pussy lips would be pink and luscious as well. Why did he torment himself?

But nothing could compare to her Arabian Sea blue eyes that burned with hate and her hair… Oh, Allah! Her hair was like the great Sahara desert, golden and long, falling down her back.

Mohammed felt like a thunderbolt had struck him. She was beautiful. He had to possess her.

He tongue was thick and he swallowed and spoke to the pirates.

“Name your price,” he said. The pirates named an outrageous sum that caused several in the court to gasp. But Mohammed waved at hand at them and said simply, “So be it.”

***

Katharine had spent the day aboard the ship when they docked and had then been taken to the palace. She knew she had been drugged because she moved slowly and could not control herself well.

When the pirates had brought her to the palace, Katharine was in awe of the place. She heard foreign languages spoken all around her, so she knew she had been taken far from home. Everyone was dressed strangely and she tried not to stare. She also tried not to stumble as she was led into the palace.

Ushal had finally cut the strings binding her hands and told her angrily, “Lady, you can have a comfortable life here. Be nice and he will treat you well. He is known for being fair and good.”

“How could you?” she wanted to ask. She shook her head but her tongue wouldn’t form the words. The drug had worked.

When Katharine was first brought into the audience chambers, she made little eye contact. But once she stood in the center of the room, she looked up. She was surrounded by men, with no women in sight, and she thought it odd. Then, she noticed the man on the chair who seemed to be a king in his own right.

He was striking and handsome and she felt herself blush as she gazed at him. He was dark, with golden skin and liquid brown eyes. When he looked her up and down, assessing her merit, she knew her fate would lay with him and her eyes hardened. She hated him, and he could see this when she returned his gaze.

***

As Katharine was taken away to the harem, Yasmeen stood behind the screen with hate in her eyes as well. She hated the pale girl on sight and knew that this girl had been bought with gold to service her husband. It sickened her. She knew that the harem was an acceptable practice in their culture, but she hated the whores, and a white foreign one was even worse. This woman would not stay long in the palace, she promised herself.

***