“Yes, Mistress, this is not an imagined fairy tale. You are marrying one of the most powerful, wealthy and influential men in the entire world.” My chin quivered, and tears welled in my eyes. Yasmin handed me a soft hanky and knelt at my knees, “Do not fear, Anna, he loves you and that is all that matters.” I dabbed at my cheeks, and she gave me a wry smile, “That is why I’ve delayed putting on your eye makeup. Now you must promise no tears after I’ve done your lashes.”
I made a strangled gulping noise as I sniffed through a few more sobs, and then I gave her a nod as she patted my leg and stood to gather the dress. First she cinched me into a corset that sucked my waist down to a small V and made my boobs lift up to what felt like my chin. She grumbled as she did the laces and continued to tighten it. I told her I couldn’t breathe, and she said I wouldn’t fit in the dress if she didn’t get it at least as tight as she had last time.
I was still struggling with the breathing thing when she asked that I step into the dress. This too had laces up the back and was strapless with a low, plunging neck so my cleavage was front and center. Even before she tightened it down, my décolletage jiggled and wiggled with each breath I took. She said something about me eating too much and made sounds of exertion as she continued to tighten the laces.
“Did you gain weight in just your bosom?” she finally asked. Coming around the front and checking to make sure both girls were tucked in.
“Can that happen?” I asked in confusion. “I mean, I have been eating more than normal, but you know that Omar likes a little meat on my bones, and when I was at school I lost like twenty pounds.”
“I suppose you could gain weight here, but the rest of you seems the same to me. Well, correction, it is tighter across your tummy, too.”
I shrugged, still only concerned with trying to breathe in the much too tight ensemble. She finally secured the last lace and stepped back to make sure everything was where it was supposed to be. She smiled at me in admiration and turned me towards the mirror. Even though I’d seen myself in this exact dress just a few days prior, I felt as if I were looking at someone else. It couldn’t be me, could it? With my hair up and the dramatic eye makeup, I truly looked like something out of a movie, and I totally forgot about how uncomfortable the corset was and even the need for air.
“No crying, Anna!” Yasmin ordered.
I nodded and bit my lower lip. “Trying, really trying.”
What I loved the most about this particular ensemble were the millions of seed pearls that had been painstakingly sewn over the entire bodice and then trailed down in delicate strands over the long flowing skirt and train. It was a heavy gown and weighed close to twenty pounds, all told. I would have help with it initially, but when I went to Omar, I would be on my own.
She turned me away from the mirror and sat me back at the vanity table, turning me from that mirror as well, and she helped me get on the pumps that matched this dress. The heels had been made custom to match the dress, not that they showed, but they were stunning. Also white leather with seed pearls interspersed with small diamond beads sewn across the toes and down the four inch stilettoes. I’d been practicing wearing high heels more often and was now much more accomplished at not only walking in them, but looking good in them.
Yasmin did some finishing touches to my makeup and lipstick and then called in another girl to help me navigate down to the hall. We were right on time having pre-run how long it would take to get from one end of the palace to the other, since the actual ceremony was taking place on one of the expansive verandas under a canopy of wisteria. Omar had consulted with me on the actual location, and I’d said it was worth the effort to do it in that particular rooftop garden.
Since it was just Omar’s immediate family and relatives from this region, it was a relatively small gathering. I think he told me about thirty or forty all together, which was fine with me. Our plan to have an official weeklong party and another ceremony for my friends and family was going to be the real shindig and was going to take place in another six weeks. Two weeks for the honeymoon, then a month to prepare the island for the horde arriving from America. Of course, Omar was going to invite other acquaintances and friends, such as Amir Rashid and his entourage, so that week we expected to entertain well over a hundred or maybe more.
But today was just us and his family. My only problem was that I wished for my dad to walk me down the aisle both times. This time, however, I would be alone and that kind of bothered me. At least I thought it did, until I rounded the corner and a hush fell over the attendees. Omar was already standing up by the stage and when our eyes locked, I felt as if I’d been jolted with electricity. My veil was down, and I was covered entirely by a cloak, as per protocol that only he could uncover me. But even though I was covered, when his eyes locked on mine, it felt as if he’d ripped off every article of clothing and undergarments and I was standing there, bared to all, naked as the day I was born.
He was dressed as a traditional sheikh this time, and even though I’d seen him in white robes and headdress, I’d never seen him in the finery he was now decorated in. His headdress was almost like a crown, but more like ropes of gold that encircled his head. The white linen of his robes seemed the finest fabric available on the planet. As I drew closer, I saw the seed pearls that had been sewn into masculine patterns across the chest and down the arms of his robes.
His amber eyes looked as if he had an inferno boiling inside his head, and he could not take his eyes off of mine. I don’t remember walking down the long aisle, or even taking a breath for hours. I don’t remember much of the ceremony, either. All I remember are Omar’s eyes and t
he way his love for me seemed to transcend time and space and magically inhabit my body. It was as if we were one soul, and when I knelt at his feet and waited for him to uncover me, I began crying.
Sorry, Yasmin, I said inside my head, but it didn’t matter because there was no stopping the flow. I felt too much for this man, and he obviously was in the same boat. Even his eyes brimmed with a mysterious, sparkling substance. When he uncovered first my shoulders and then lifted my veil, his hands trembled. When he helped me stand and pushed the cloak to the floor to reveal all my alabaster skin, the gathered family rippled with sounds of admiration.
When I looked up and into my new husband’s eyes, and I spoke the words that would bind me to him for eternity, I spoke them in his language. That was when he lost the battle and his cheeks grew damp. Both of us cried our way through the remainder of the ceremony. Finally he kissed me and held me to his chest much longer than I think was proper. He whispered at my mouth, “You are mine, Anna, and I will cherish you with every last drop of blood in my body.”
I whispered in return, “Omar, I am yours, you are my master and my lover, and I will vow to love you till my last breath.”
CHAPTER FOUR
We stayed for only a few hours after the ceremony and enjoyed the lavish party that followed. There was entertainment in the form of belly dancers and live music and everyone drank liberally. His brothers took turns dancing with me, and each in turn told me how jealous they were of their older brother. Alath did show up, but remained silent behind her veil and never really joined in on the festivities. I wasn’t certain if it was simply the veil that covered most of her face, or just the fact she was glaring at me, but she made me uncomfortable. I hid those feelings and ignored her the best I could. It seemed as if everyone else, including Omar, were doing that as well.
I was well on my way to intoxication by the time Omar picked me up and carried me to our suite. Earlier, I’d changed from the white wedding gown into a stunning silk sheath dress in ruby red. At least this one was more comfortable, although I still had on the corset, so drinking was my only available outlet. I had tried to eat, but the tightness of the waist made that particular task difficult, so I sat and drank instead.
“Are you okay carrying me?” I asked as we left the hall.
“I am fine, my love. Now that you are back, I hardly notice my injuries. Did you not notice the absence of the cane? I don’t believe I will need it any longer.” I giggled and kissed his cheek as I clung to him. “May I tell you that you are the loveliest bride on the planet? No, the entire universe!”
“And you, Mr. Khalid, are the most gorgeous male I’ve ever seen. I like you in your native attire. You look like the King you were born to be.”
“Ahhh, yes, Mrs. Khalid, indeed, and you look the part of my queen.”
I squealed when he tossed me on the bed and grabbed my ankles to remove the red patent leather heels. His big hand wrapped all the way around my ankle, and he held me securely, making sounds of great appreciation as he fondled my stocking-covered legs and feet.
“Where are you taking us on the honeymoon?” I asked for the millionth time.
He furrowed his brow in displeasure. “I’ve told you it is a surprise. You shall not ask me again.”