This is one of the favourites amongst my fans and I've decided to rewrite it for the sake of improvement. ^.^ I do believe this rewrite may intensify the effect it's had on my readers. Some parts will be changed and others will just be improved :D
Enjoy :)
"Aaliyah!" the young woman heard. She knew those voices, it was Farrah and Dania—her closest friends. She walked over to them quickly once her eyes found them.
"Hello, friends. How are you today?" she asked the two with a smile on her face.
"We are good." Farrah answered.
"How are you on this day?" Dania asked in return.
"Not very good, to be completely honest."
"Ah, Dania…I think she is with child." Farrah said while nudging her friend with her elbow, eyes never leaving Aaliyah who was now choking on her own air while the two of them giggled.
"W-what?! No! Never!" the woman exclaimed.
"Sure, sure." Farrah waved her off. "Tell me, have you and your husband been doing well in bed?"
"Farrah, you know that Altaïr and I are not intimate."
"Then let me have him." Dania smiled and winked at her friend.
"I thought you are fond of Kadar, Dania." Aaliyah quirked her eyebrow mischievously at her friend, folding her arms.
"This is quite true…but he will never return this feeling I have. He does not even acknowledge me."
"That is not true and you cannot be certain that he does not share those feelings as well, Dania. You have not even spoken to him about this matter."
"How am I supposed to do that?"
"Just approach him and confess your feelings, I guess. I am not good with these situations." Aaliyah admitted.
"That is because you have already found your husband." Farrah pointed out.
"It was an arranged wedding…" Aaliyah said sheepishly.
"But tell me, my dear Aaliyah, do you not love your husband?" Dania asked.
Aaliyah did not answer.
"Aaliyah, ever since you laid eyes upon Altaïr, you wished to be close with him. I would expect you to be happier with the man. You were so happy when you were betrothed to him." Farrah reminded the young woman.
"He is not kind, Farrah…he is not what I expected him to be."
"Yet you still love him immensely." Dania commented.
"…I wish I could say no." she almost whispered.
"But you do." Farrah stated in a matter-of-factly tone.
"Yes…I do…"
"Altaïr, you are such a fool." Malik said while scanning through the library of Masyaf Castle.
"What makes you say such a thing, Malik?" Altaïr asked in return. He was sitting on the floor against a bookcase, playing with his apple. He was complaining to his friend about his wife's incompetence.
"Can you not see that your wife cares for you?"
"She is worthless. I do not need her, and she hates me."
"She does not. Need I remind you how many times you have told me that you want to sleep with her again?"
"Silence, Malik." Altaïr growled.
"Suit yourself, Altaïr. But let me just tell you that one day, you will regret your decisions."
"And why is that?" Altaïr asked, curious to know his best friend's reason. Malik chuckled.
"Because you love her."
"I do not love her."
"Do not lie to me, Altaïr. It is written upon your face every time her name is mentioned. Fear not, my friend. Her heart is yours. It is what you choose to do with it that matters."
"It has been nearly five years since we have been in bed. She refuses to sleep with me again."
"Perhaps you should treat her better."
"I will when she deserves to be, which is doubtful."
"Just ask her. Stop sleeping with other women. It is unjust."
"I will do as I please. I do not need her for intimacy."
"Oh, but you do. You cannot get what you have with Aaliyah through other women. You loved the feeling of Aaliyah's back arching to you as you held her and pleasured her, the sound of her moaning and begging for more of your touch. Remember telling me that? Does she know that you hold her in your arms at night when she is in a deep sleep?"
"No, she does not." he answered quickly and bit into his apple.
"What about kissing her and telling her that you love her when she is in the same state? Does she know any of this?"
"No, she does not, Malik! Now be quiet!" Altaïr hissed, throwing the apple at his friend. Malik only chuckled.
"Just remember, Altaïr, that you wished her to be your wife the moment you laid eyes upon her; and you came to me crying with overwhelming joy when you found out she was indeed to be your wife."
Altaïr growled and got up, walking away from his friend.
That night…
Altaïr walked up the stairs to his room with as much silence as possible. He could hear humming as he got closer and rolled his eyes.
She is singing again…she has probably not even done her duties today…
He peeped through the crack in the door to see her sitting on the bed in her night clothes, playing with his…
"My gauntlet!"
Aaliyah snapped her head up, holding the gauntlet to her chest.
"You took it!"
"No, I did not." she said, still holding it closely.
"Then how did you get it?!" he yelled. He was getting rather furious already.
She held it out to show him, pointing to one of the plates, "I saw it laying on your desk and this part here looks like it needed fixing so I was only seeing how mu—"
Altaïr snatched it out of her hand and the said piece of decorated metal sliced her palm.
"I am sorry…" she whispered. Tears began to roll down her cheek. Altaïr felt a ting of guilt for being so harsh to her when she only wanted to help him. He then noticed that blood was running down her arm.
He reached for her hand but she yanked her hand away from him.
"Do not touch me!" she yelled, slapping his face with her good hand.
"It is your fault that you do not know how to leave what is not your property alone."
"It is always my fault and it is never your own."
She took off her clothing and he watched her intently as she dressed her naked body in different clothing. He would never get over the sight of her beautiful figure. Malik was right and he knew that. What he was getting from other meaningless women could never amount to what he felt for his wife.
"Where are you going?" Altaïr asked. He hated it when she walked away from him.
"Anywhere. Just away from you."
≺) [ṃȧƌạṁeḤuɲʈǝrr]