Steph glanced down at her elaborate dress. Compared to Mehdi's casual outfit, she definitely felt silly, even if her surroundings were appropriate for a ceremony of some kind.
"It does feel strange, to be in this gown with nothing to show for it."
"Perhaps you would like a change of clothing?" he said.
"You keep women's clothing on hand for just an occasion such as this?" she asked with a skeptical brow.
Mehdi laughed. "Steph, it's the palace of El Farah. I'm not the only person who's lived here. My parents had many dignitaries visit, and they housed many people for a variety of reasons. It is always pertinent to have spare clothing around. At the palace, anything can happen, and it has."
Steph thought about anything happening at the palace, and her thoughts turned to Mehdi's lips before she gave herself a mental shake. Obviously being in a wedding gown was not helping the direction of her thoughts.
"I would be grateful for a change of clothing, yes," she said.
"Wonderful. I can show you to one of our guest rooms. Right this way."
Mehdi started down a long, shimmering hallway, and Steph fell into step with him, finally taking the time to observe her surroundings. The walls were white, like the exterior, and they were loaded with ancient portraits, colorful tapestries and rugs.
"These are amazing," Steph said, taking in all the art.
Mehdi glanced around, nodding nonchalantly. "Yes, I suppose so. These pieces of art have been in my family for generations. The whole palace has, actually. El Farah, if you haven't noticed, is really big on tradition, history, and family loyalty. It is because of this that the palace has remained unchanged for many centuries. We update it, of course, when the gold starts to get weathered, but generally the place looks exactly as it did when my ancestors lived here."
"You make that sound like a bad thing," Steph said.
Mehdi shrugged. "I think tradition certainly has a place, but I'm not the same man as my great-great-grandfather. Why would I want to live in a palace coated in gold? It's a waste of resources, and the upkeep is atrocious. I don't want our tax dollars going toward something like this."
"Do the people agree with you? Perhaps you could use popular vote to create that change."
Mehdi frowned. "They do not. As I said, tradition is a big part of our culture. The people like the palace the way it is. They want it to look like this for their grandchildren and beyond. I'm afraid any children I may have will have to endure the level of exorbitance this castle provides."
Steph was surprised to hear a sheikh speak in such a way about his palace. Mehdi seemed to like things simple, even as he complicated her own life with wild, spontaneous gestures like a secret limo kidnapping. He was an enigma, a puzzle she wanted to pick apart and solve.
They reached the end of the hallway and Mehdi opened a door on the left. The room was expansive, but Steph hesitated before going in.
"What is it?" Mehdi asked.
She blushed. "I just … I'll need a little help getting out of this dress."
"Oh," Mehdi said, clearing his throat.
"Not a lot! Just the buttons on the back."
They paused for a moment before Mehdi nodded and she turned her back to him. Steph felt a searing heat as his fingers brushed lower and lower down her back, pulling each button from its loop, before stopping right at the base. She took a bracing breath, trying to calm herself as she turned back to him with a sheepish smile.
"Thank you," she said.
Mehdi's expression was unreadable, but in that moment Steph was sure he was fighting the urge to kiss her, too. After a pause, he stepped back toward the hallway.
"No problem. You'll find spare clothing in the armoire by the bed. I'll have someone come get you in a bit. I imagine you haven't eaten yet?"
"I have not," Steph agreed, stepping inside her room.
"Good. I'll have something delicious prepared. See you soon," he said, nodding to her before turning and walking briskly in the opposite direction.
Steph watched him go once again, and she couldn't believe her life.
She was in a palace, with the Sheikh!
EIGHT
Steph
The room Steph was in was all high, arching ceilings and tasteful furniture. The dome theme continued, the room arching over her like a sand-colored rainbow, curling over a large, comfortable-looking bed. Her back still tingled where Mehdi had touched her. Knowing now that he had servants, she wondered why he hadn't sent a maid in to help her instead of taking on the task of undressing her himself. She decided not to think about it, lest she get any more ideas in her head. The man was a king, for heaven's sake. There was no way she could entertain a relationship with him. He probably had an arranged marriage himself!
Allowing her dress to fall to the floor, Steph padded across the room in her slip to the spectacularly large armoire Mehdi had mentioned, tossing the doors open and taking a look inside. The clothing was splendid. There were many variations of sizes, and Steph poked through until she found a pale yellow dress and a white cardigan-simple, just as she liked it. She slid into the dress before turning toward the mirror.
Her makeup was still perfect, but it seemed a little much for the simple outfit. She carefully unpinned her hair until it was in a curly ponytail and washed a layer of makeup off. By the time she was done, she looked perfectly suited for a late afternoon lunch rather than the wedding she was meant to be at.
Another rush of guilt shot through her, but she pressed it down. Steph was allowed to enjoy her own life, and she had never before done anything she'd truly wanted to do. In this moment, what she wanted was to be with Mehdi, enjoying his company in a country she was still getting to know. Who better to get the details from than the ruling monarch himself?
As she finished cleaning herself up, there was a knock at the door. Steph walked over to answer and found a young woman there, who bowed.
"His Majesty has sent me to guide you in the right direction, miss," she said, her voice slightly accented.
Steph nodded, smiling, before she looked down and realized she didn't have proper shoes. The young woman took notice of the direction of her gaze and entered the room, opening a drawer at the bottom of the armoire and showing Steph the selection there. Steph picked out a delicate pair of flats and slid them on before following the young woman out of the room and down several corridors.
Mehdi hadn't been wrong. The palace was showy in a way that didn't suit his personality at all. Steph wondered what it would take to make some changes, though of course that was far beyond any decisions she could make. The woman opened a veranda door which led to a small, shaded courtyard. There, Mehdi was enjoying a cool drink as he sat at the table, and when he saw her he stood.
"That looks far more comfortable," he said, his eyes taking her in.
Steph blushed again beneath his stare, but she smiled. "Thanks for giving me access to your collection. Everything was so beautiful. It was difficult to find something I liked most."
"You have chosen admirably," he said, gesturing for her to sit down, which she did, thanking the girl who had guided her there.
"Are you hungry?" Mehdi asked, and she nodded.
"I couldn't stomach food all day, but now that things have relaxed a bit, I could eat a horse!"
"Well that is barbaric," Mehdi said, appalled, and Steph laughed.
"It's just an expression; don't worry. Anyway, wasn't it you telling me not to question the meat I was eating just the other day?"
Mehdi grinned. "That was because I knew it was regular old beef, but I wanted to see if you'd dare to try it."
"Did you think I'd chicken out?"
"You? Never." Mehdi laughed, taking another sip of his drink. "Do you like punch?" he asked.
Steph nodded. "As much as anyone, I suppose. Why?"
"You must try this. It's made with fruit which is only grown here in El Farah. It doesn't travel very well, which is why you've likely never tried it, but it is delicious."
Steph reached for the ornate goblet in front of her and took a sip of the red punch. Her eyes widened at the taste. It was sweet, citrusy, and delicious. It was the perfect thing to calm her nerves after a couple of stressful days.
"This is outstanding!" she said, and Mehdi smiled, satisfied.
"We'll also be having a lunch of all of El Farah's traditional dishes, so I can introduce you to anything your mother might have missed in your education of your heritage."
Steph grinned. "I can't wait," she said, taking another sip of punch. "So what do you do, as the sheikh? I'm surprised you have enough free time to kidnap unsuspecting women from their arranged marriages."