Gamila closed the book and set it down next to her on the bench.

"That was a good book."

A voice in the front of her house caught her attention.

"Gamila?!"

She immediately recognized the voice and groaned, "Mm, why now?"

The man's voice hollered again.

Gamila kept quiet hoping he won't find her in the back but alas he did.

"Aswad... What a surprise."

He laughed, "Isn't it?"

He walked his way around the goats and puddles of mud so he won't dirty the expensive clothing he's wearing.

Gamila took notice of this, "That white robe looks very expensive. What's the occasion?"

Aswad didn't hesitate and asked her straight out.

"Gamila, you've always known that I love you. Will you marry me?"

"Uh-um... Well."

"Come now Gamila. I am extremely handsome and you are the most beautiful girl I have ever laid eyes on," He walked next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, "What a more perfect couple we will be."

Gamila shrugged him off and backed away from him.

"Aswad, I don't...," she began as she looked over her shoulder to see one of her goats laying down on the ground.

Aswad kept walking closer and closer to Gamila, but she kept her distance away from him.

"I... Don't know what to say."

"Say you'll-" He stopped midway when a goat yelped. He looked down and saw that he stepped on its tail.

In rage the goat got up and head butted him in the stomach causing Aswad to loose his balance and slip on a puddle of mud and fall on his back.

"I'm very sorry, Aswad, but... No," patting the young goat on the head she ran back into her home.

~***~

Aswad stood up with rage. He could feel the cold mud all over his back on his expensive clothing. He pushed the goat aside and stomped off out of the pen.

His face is even more red in anger when he sees a crowd of people standing in the street in front of Gamila's house waiting for him.

All the men laughed at the sight of him while the young women gasped in horror.

"Turned you down huh?" One man shouted.

Aswad glared at the man as he pushed him aside while he went through the crowd heading back home.

"Mark my words, Gamila, you will be my wife."

~***~

After thirty minutes Gamila stepped outside to see if Aswad left. Seeing that it was safe she walked out to the side of the house where there are stairs that led to the roof.

"I can't believe he asked me to marry him," she said with anger while walking up the stairs.

Once she got to the roof she looked out towards the great dessert before her. It seemed that it went on forever to the ends of the Earth. The setting sun gave it a beautiful orange glow and it gave the clouds of the sky a pink/orange shade to them. It calmed her down looking at the magnificent sight.

She rested her elbows on the edge of the roof," Oh how I wish I can have some sort of adventure out there. I want so much more than this boring life," she sighed.

"Gamila?" a voice called out to her.

Gamila looked up in surprise at the voice and walked over to the other side of the roof, looking down to see Humam.

"Father? You're back so soon."

He looked up at her with a solemn expression that Gamila didn't quite understand.

~***~

Humam explained everything that has happened to him to Gamila

She looked down at her folded hands on her lap thinking over everything her father has told her.

"Gamila… I'm not going to let that monster have you. By the end of the second month I will return to him."

"No," she grabbed his hand between hers, "I will go. I will not send my Father to his death."

"But, Gamila, he will kill you. I will not lose my only daughter and I am old. I've lived my life."

"He never said he will kill me did he? Father, please... I must go. You have done so much for me now I will take this promise from your shoulders and put it on mine."

Humam looked his daughter in the eye. He lifted his hand and stroked her cheek.

"My dearest daughter," he choked out the words as tears ran down his face. Gamila wrapped her arms around him and he held her back. They stayed like that till the sun went to sleep beneath the starry sky.

"I will leave at the end of this month then. I love you, Father"

"I love you too my child."

~***~

It was early morning when Gamila woke up. A feel of sorrow came over her. Today is the day the promise must be fulfilled.

She dressed herself in her usual outfit and grabbed a bag of what she has prepared the day before for the journey across the dessert.

The pen in her hand felt heavy. Words couldn't form a proper goodbye for her father in her head. She wrote down the only thing she can.

Goodbye Father. You will forever be in my heart. Please take care of yourself.

I love you.

Your daughter,

Gamila

Gamila held back her tears. She walked towards the door, opened it and stood at the doorway. She took one last glance at her home. Though she has only lived here a short amount of time she loved it and will miss it.

The house is so quiet she can hear the faint snore of Humam in the other room. She looked away. The thought of her father waking up to find her gone already left a heavy feeling in her chest but having him seeing her off would be unbearable.

She has to do this. For her father's life.

She walks out the door and went to the back of the house where Gamal is waiting for her. She grabbed his reigns and led him to the front. Then she heaved herself up him and without taking one last glance at the small town she rode off to the endless dessert.

~***~

Following the directions on the map Humam gave her, Gamila finally came to the large gates.

She awed at the size of the palace and the pure golden roofs. The gloominess and emptiness of the place though sent her heart beating fast, but she didn't let fear grab her. She has to do this for her father.

She slipped off of Gamal and walked towards the gate. She reached out her hand towards it but the door of the palace opened to reveal a cloaked figure.

He walked around the fountain to the gate and with a swift movement of his hand he unlocked it allowing Gamila entrance.

Gamila swallowed and clutched onto her cloak as she walked towards the dark man with Gamal following close behind her.

"Follow me please, Mistress."

Gamila followed and another cloaked figure appeared beside Gamal and took him away to what looked like a stable far off to the other side of the palace where it was mostly covered by plants showing only the door.

Gamila continued following the cloaked man and once she stepped inside she found the hall illuminated with candle lights and their reflection was on the white tiles making the floor look aglow with fire. The only part of the hall that was not lit was the staircase. It was dark and was only slightly visible by the light shown off from the hall.

Gamila soon then realized that the cloaked man is no where to be seen. She stood with her hands clenched onto her cloak, unsure of what to do. But soon the sound of footsteps coming from the stairs reached her ears. The sound of the slow footsteps coming down the stairs had Gamila stand still where she is standing. She remembered her fathers words of the inhuman creature that lives here. The one who would of killed her father if not for her taking his place.

A new feeling inside her grew slowly consuming her fear. She hated this creature. Because of him she is separated from her father and never to see him again. It has given them even more hardship to face and after they were just starting to live comfortably in the town after their misfortune.

The footsteps then stopped at the bottom of the stairs. A lone figure stood there with its face hidden by the shadows.