Chapter 1

"Rashida!"

Rashida rolled her eyes as her brother stormed in her bedroom. "I already know what you are going to say…"

"So stop annoying me!" He angrily snatched up an exquisite diamond necklace she had 'borrowed' from Sevdi. "For God's sake, we thought this had been stolen! I should have known you'd taken it."

Rashida sighed as she slowly stood up from her couch in the sitting area. She loved this room and was grateful Hamid allowed her to have it. Their father had built several suites within Hamid's new palace but this was her favorite. The high ceilings and enormous windows made the room so open and free. It was also luxurious, and Rashida had decorated it with only the finest furnishings and art. In the last few years she had developed a rather expensive sense of taste. How could she not when she was constantly surrounded by those wanting to always please her? As the sister of the king, she was treated as royalty.

"You have changed too much."

Rashida looked across the room at her brother, a feeling of surprise going through her. "What?"

"You never cared about such things when we lived in Paris."

"I haven't changed that much. I still love to read." That was an understatement. Her room had a library of books from the floor to the ceiling. Her father had to built even more bookcases to hold all of them.

He dangled the necklace in front of her. "You never would have even thought about wearing something like this let alone stealing it!"

"I didn't steal it!"

"Look, just please ask before you take something, okay?"

"She never wears it. Why don't you just give it to me?"

Hamid's eyes narrowed at her. "I gave this to Sevdi after the birth of our second son!"

"And that was six months ago and she hasn't worn it since."

"It's sentimental."

"So why doesn't she wear it?"

"Rashida, when you have two small sons perhaps you will realize that dressing up will not exactly be on your mind all the time," he snapped.

"Fine. Then let Raja have more free time so I can spend my time with him."

"As my top captain, Suleiman has far too much to do."

"He always works!" Rashida complained.

"Then talk to him about it. I have quite enough other things to worry about at the moment!"

As she watched him leave, Rashida sighed. In the last few years she had first been very occupied with assisting her father and mother in the design and decoration of the new palace. It was still under construction, but the main buildings and suites were complete. Her father was now working on areas such as the dungeon and stables. As this was uninteresting, she was now bored. Now that she was seventeen, Rashida had just completed her final exams, graduating early from self study.

It was around mid day so Rashida ventured out of the suite and to the dining room. As always, servants came running when they caught a glimpse of her. They were always eager to try and please the king's sister.

"Are you hungry?" asked on young girl.

"Would you like some fruit?" asked another.

"Please mistress," said an older male servant, "sit and we will serve you."

Rashida shook her head. "I was just wondering if my mother was here."

"I believe she is with her grandsons."

"Of course," muttered Rashida. She actually liked her nephews, but it was impossible to have a serious conversation when her mother was around them.

"Rashida."

She whirled around to find Raja standing in the doorway and gave him a wide smile. In the last two years, the former prince now looked even more like his father with a much broader chest and shoulders. He was also now very tall and she always had to practically tilt her head upward to look at him.

"Hi! Are you finished with the latest training exercises with the newest soldiers?" she asked.

"No, but I decided to take a break. I wanted to show you something."

"Oh?"

He flashed a smile at her. "It's a surprise." She quickly walked up to him but he stopped her. His warm eyes looked down at her. "But it will cost you a kiss."

Rashida threw her arms around his neck and stood on her tiptoes. He laughed and bent down the rest of the way to taste her lips. She shivered as Raja was always full of passion and physical need. Their physical relationship had certainly grown over the last few years, but she was still a virgin. It was frustrating at times when he continued to insist they be married before completing the act of making love. And Raja held firm that he would not marry her until she turned eighteen in agreement with her father's wishes.

Raja ended the kiss and held his forehead against hers. It was a caring gesture he did often, a show of his high respect and how he honored her. Then he kissed the tip of her nose before pulling away. "Come," he said holding out his hand.

Happily, she let him lead her down the winding corridors and finally outside to the stables still under construction. The bright sun hit her face and Rashida shielded her eyes with her free hand. There seem to be quite a bit of commotion going on as she heard lots of shouting and….an angry horse?

She glanced at Raja who laughed. Rashida let go of his hand and ran around the back of the stables to the fenced-in area. There, an enormous white stallion was rearing on his hind legs, fighting the soldiers who were attempting to subdue the animal.

"Oh, he's beautiful!" cried Rashida. She felt Raja come up from behind her, but she knew he would not put his arms around her or show any sign of affection now. He never did in front of his soldiers. Rashida tried to be respectful of his position, but sometimes she could not help but feeling hurt in moments such as this.

"I knew you would like him," said Raja with a hint of laughter in his voice. "He is wild and dangerous…so he suits you."

She turned gave him a fake glare. "Fine. Then I can ride him now." She almost laughed as his face turned pale.

"I think not," Raja said in a gruff voice. "Your father will work with him first."

She sighed. "I know, I know. I was only teasing to see the look on your face."

His eyes gleamed. "You are asking to be punished."

Rashida felt her cheeks grow warm as she knew Raja's punishments were indeed painful…as in she could barely endure the amount of physical pleasure he could inflict upon her. The thought of what he would do to her made her legs weak while a familiar ache began to overtake her body.

Bur before she could press the issue further, a soldier interrupted them. "My captain, forgive me, but the latest report from our soldiers at the borders has arrived. We need to brief you."

Rashida watched as the Raja she loved once more became the captain of a large army. He was now all business and he gave a curt nod to the soldier. Without a word, he bowed low to her, his hand on his heart, and then walked away.

Disappointed, she turned to watch the remaining soldiers struggle with the stallion, pulling the animal toward the stable. She grew angry with how they were treating him and walked toward them. "Stop it! I will take him."

The soldiers looked up in surprise. "My lady, he is too dangerous, you cannot…"

But her hands were already stroking the horse as she whispered to him. For some reason, she inherited her father's gift in quickly gaining any animal's trust, and the horse grew calm. The soldiers reacted in shock as she took hold of one of the ropes around the stallion's neck and led him to one of the larger fenced pastures. When she had him safely inside the gate, Rashida calmly removed the ropes...

But the horse suddenly broke free and bolted….right toward Rashida. She gasped in reaction and tried to step aside but it was too late. The stallion swerved at the last possible moment. Rashida lost her balance and fell to the ground. She groaned in pain from hitting her shoulder hard and rolled to her back. She heard the shouts of alarm and knew the soldiers were already running to her aid which she thought was silly because she was not really hurt. As she struggled to sit up, Rashida winced as she felt a sharp pain her upper left arm. Looking at it, she was surprised to find blood seeping through the sleeve of her dress.

"My lady!" shouted one solider, "do not move!"

"She must have gotten kicked by the stallion!" cried another soldier.

"What is going on?" came a gruff voice.

Rashida looked up to see her father making his way through the crowd of soldiers who were now kneeling over her. As soon as he saw she was hurt, his eyes from beneath his mask filled with anger and fear.

"Move!" he shouted. The soldiers immediately backed away as her father knelt down. "Where else are you hurt?"

"I…I do not think I am hurt anywhere else. How bad is my arm?"

He grimaced. "It will need stitches." His hands ran over her other arm and then her legs.

"I think everything else is fine…no broken bones…."

"I will be the judge of that."

She sighed but then sharply inhaled when he touched her shoulder.

"I believe you have sprained your shoulder as well," he said softly. "Come, I will carry you."

She gave little protest as her father's strong arms lifted her. Moments later she was inside her bedroom and her mother came running as soon as she heard the news. After the servants removed her dress, her father returned with a needle and thread. She whimpered as he cleaned the wound on her arm with alcohol.

As her mother kissed her forehead and held Rashida still, her father threaded the needle. "Where is Suleiman?" he asked in a gruff voice.

"Probably with his new soldiers in the training field," she replied in a weak voice.

Hamid's voice suddenly echoed outside of her room. "Where is she? Why wasn't I told immediately?"

"My lord…"

"She is my sister! I should be the first to know when something like this happens, understood?"

Her father frowned. "Hamid," he said in a loud voice, "please come in and shut the door. She is quite distressed as it is and we do not need you shouting."

Rashida heard the door close and she soon saw Hamid's worried face. "How bad is it?" he asked.

"She was nicked by just the hoof of a horse. It could have been much worse."

"She is so pale…"

"I know Hamid. Please be quiet."

Rashida braced herself for more pain as her father began to stitch the wound. But she had lost much blood and was suddenly too weak to care. Her arm felt numb at this point and she was now only vaguely aware of the needle going into her arm.

"Rashida," said her father in what now sounded like a distant voice. "Stay awake."

She was trying to keep her eyes open, but could not. The last thing she remembered was her father urging her to stay awake and her mother's cry of alarm.