His brow furrowed, “your father did not tell you?”
“Listen, that man isn't my father. He told me about a marriage but he never said with whom. Either way, it bears no significance because I am not interested in marriage.”
“Is that so?” The man chuckled. If he wanted the marriage, there was not a thing she could do about it. What amused him the most was the she seemed to have no respect towards her father.
“Are you the man I am being pawned off to?”
“If you mean your betrothed, then yes.” The man called one of the maids into the room. “Please take Miss Saja to her quarters,” he instructed her.
“No, it's fine, I won’t be staying. You can take me back to the airport,” Saja said. Even though
he was very attractive, it did not mean that she was going to agree to a marriage.
“We will sort all of that later. For now rest,” came his smooth reply.
Saja followed the maid out. This trip was turning into an absolute nightmare. She wished that she had followed her instincts. She had not wanted to go in the first place, but her mother convinced her to go, if only she hadn't. What was worse was that her father had said he would send someone to get her if she did not come on her own within a month and her mother was worried about any potential trouble.
Her jaw dropped open as she walked into her quarters. They were much larger than her place back in London. Over there, she had a one-bedroom flat that was ridiculously expensive. If she sold only one piece of furniture from this place, it would cover months of her rent in London.
Everything was extravagant. The living room was large and furnished with leather cream sofas with a gold base. The flat screen television was at least one hundred inches with an amazing cinema system. The floor was Carrara marble. The bedroom had a 4-poster, king-sized bed with lace canopy and drapes, which were pulled back. There were so many pillows on the bed; this was a plus for Saja. She loved pillows. The walk-in closet, which on it’s own was the same size as her bedroom in London, was filled with expensive clothes and shoes.
The bathtub could easily fit three people. The shower was also large with multiple sprayers. The sink was glass and shaped like a bowl. Two entire walls were mirrored and the remaining walls and the floor were tiled in a beautiful stone pattern. Saja was amazed at how beautiful her quarters were. It was unreal. The one thing that made her the most happy was the kitchen. It was fully stocked with food. Back home she was always so busy; she never had time to eat properly. Here, she had her own maids and a full kitchen. She sighed deeply; it's not as if she was going to stay here for long.
“What is your name?” Saja asked the maid.
“I am Mona and I will be serving you. If you need anything do not hesitate to ask me,” the maid replied.
“Thanks, Mona. Who was that man I just met?”
“That was Prince Basil Al-Qadir.”
“Right, okay. Apparently, that's my betrothed. Tell me about him.”
Mona hesitated for a second, unsure if Saja was serious. “You truly don’t know about him? He is the third prince and has control over the south of Basrat. He’s extremely powerful.”
Saja placed her hands on her hips. The situation was not as simple as she thought. The only thing she was sure of was that this was a marriage of convenience. And since he is a prince, this meant that the situation was going to be harder to get out of than she had anticipated.
* * * *
Prince Al-Qadir sat in his office. Badir, his friend and head of security walked into his office, bowing before he sat down.
“Is there something on your mind your highness?” Badir asked him.
“I just met my betrothed,” he replied flatly.
“Ah yes, Miss Saja. What was your first impression of her?” Badir asked. The Prince sighed deeply and rubbed his temples. “It can't be that bad,” Badir added.
“There is a lot to say already.”
“Please, enlighten me.”
“For one, she did not even know who I am. She walked in here wearing improper clothing, behaved inappropriately and had no idea why she was here.”
Chapter 3
“That's preposterous! Who in this country does not know you?” Badir said.
“Her father told me that she grew up in London.”