Not wanting to be a part of that conversation, Steph turned and thanked the driver before sliding into the seat. He said something in El Farahn, which she had to assume was something akin to “you’re welcome.”
The driver closed the door behind her, and as she drove away, she saw her parents arguing about something. If they were discussing the possibility of her not having an arranged marriage, it was a bit too late for that, as the limo sped off down long city streets.
Steph gazed out the window, wondering what Mehdi was up to at that moment. Then she forced herself not to think about him, since it seemed inappropriate to daydream about one man while on the way to marry another. There was a small snack bar in the center of the car, but Steph had been far too nervous to eat anything all day. She could tell she was hungry, but the thought of food made her want to retch.
The limo continued out of the city and onto a road carved between a stretch of long, mountainous desert. Steph wished she had thought to bring her purse so she could check the time, but she had been instructed to leave her belongings at the hotel, as she would be escorted back there after the private ceremony. She had nothing to distract herself with and nothing to tell her the time; she was lost in a vortex of nothingness as the limo continued on and on.
After the fifth dune, Steph began to feel nervous. This didn’t seem right, for some reason, and the driver didn’t seem to know any English. How would she find a way to ask him if they were going in the right direction? If it were possible, Steph’s stomach would have turned into one big actual knot after the day’s events. She sat wringing her fingers together as they drove on for what seemed like eternity.
Suddenly, a building came into view up ahead. Leaning close to the window, Steph did her best to make it out.
It was a palace! She was getting married in a palace? How was that possible?
Steph remembered her parents’ description of her future husband. They had said he was rich, but this was clearly something else entirely. This was royalty. While it looked different from what she was used to, Steph knew a palace when she saw one. The structure was a clear, magnificent white, but the rounded tops were capped with solid gold. Even from a distance, Steph knew that gold was real.
Somehow, she managed to become even more nervous than before. As the car pulled up the long, curving drive to the front of the palace, Steph’s eyes were glued to the window as she took in everything. Finally, they landed on a man, who was leaning nonchalantly in front of the ornate structure.
Steph gasped.
There, looking as casual as ever, stood Mehdi. He watched her with a hand over his eyes as he stood in the shade, as though he were looking for her. Was it possible? Could her life really be that wonderful?
The limo pulled to a stop, and Steph waited with butterflies in her stomach as the driver came around and opened the door, helping her step out. She kept her gaze on Mehdi, who pushed himself off the wall and approached her with a grin on his face.
“You make a beautiful bride. That much is true,” he said. He stood close to her as he gazed down into her eyes. “The most beautiful I’ve ever seen, in fact.”
“Are you… Are you…” Steph stammered, unable to get the question out.
Here, in front of this palace, Mehdi seemed so much more than he had the night before, if that were even possible. He was tall and handsome and a little imposing, and she couldn’t find the words to ask if he would become her husband.
“The Sheikh of El Farah? Yes, I am,” he said. “I must escort you from this hot sun though. No need to have a bride melting on her wedding day.”
“You’re the Sheikh?” Steph asked, incredulous.
That wasn’t the answer she had been looking for, but she was so taken aback that she forgot that for a moment.
Mehdi nodded. “I am. It was so nice to meet you last night, and after our conversation I thought you might want rescuing one more time.”
They stepped into the shade, and Steph felt instant relief from the glaring heat of the El Farahn sun. She gazed up at Mehdi, finding her words.
“Are you my fiancé?” she asked.