The Sheik and the Slave (4 page)

A voice with a strange foreign accent answered her plea.

“
Lady,
you are in for a long journey. No one can hear you now. No one can save you.
”

Katharine sank onto the hard wooden floor. Dear God! Where
was she going? What would happen to her? She placed a hand over her mouth to
stifle the sob.

***

Mohammed laced his hands behind his head as Nahweh from West
Africa
’
s mouth
descended upon his hard cock. She bobbed up and down and he watched,
fascinated, as her dark lips encircled his cock. His hips thrust forward and
the young girl gagged slightly and continued. He was about to climax when
Yasmeen walked into his private bedchamber.

“
Be
gone, whore,
”
Yasmeen said. She slapped the girl
’
s
dark ass and Nahweh leapt from the bed and away from the couple.

Mohammed watched his wife as she circled the bed. He knew
she ruled harem with an iron fist, partly from jealousy, but also because she
hated the harem women and their place in his bed. She had a great need to prove
that she was the wife over the harem women. Even the beautiful and benevolent
Tuya, Mohammed
’
s
mother, had accepted the harem and seemed to understand that a man had needs
much more so than a woman.

“
Careful,
woman,
”
he told her,
remaining where he had been, with his cock still throbbing hard and the girl
’
s spit still on it.

“
You
are no better than the whores that serve you, husband,
”
Yasmeen told Mohammed harshly.

He enjoyed her spirit, he thought, but she needed reminding
of her place.

“
If
you deprive me of my sport, than you must replace her,
”
he informed Yasmeen, pulling her down upon
the bed and thrusting his cock inside her. He moved inside her and came
quickly. He pulled away from her and left the room quietly with no words.

Rather than feeling degraded at his treatment, Yasmeen lay
upon the bed praying and begging Allah to give her a son.

***

Mohammed stirred in his sleep. Nada and Gameela slept on
each side of him, naked and sleek in sleep. He loved women together and smiled
as his hand wandered into Nada
’
s
tight little snatch. She was the Arabian woman who preferred other women and
greatly enjoyed her time in the harem. She was always ready for him, and he
pulled her on top of him.

He sighed as Nada began to bounce up and down on him and his
cock throbbed inside her. Gameela had come up on her knees and was twirling
Nada
’
s dark nipple
in her mouth. Gameela fondled Mohammed
’
s
balls in her one hand, and in the other she fingered Nada
’
s tight little asshole.

Nada began to cum loudly, and he pulled out of her little
cunt as Gameela knelt before him and swallowed his cock whole. Her blood-red
lips took all of him and she swallowed his seed delicately.

Later, as Mohammed bathed, he thought of Yasmeen. It was not
something he had wanted to dwell on, but it had been too long not to realize
that Yasmeen was not going to have another child. By the merciful Allah, he was
allowed four wives and there had been no male heirs and no more pregnancies. It
was a bad sign.

He knew he must begin choosing his next wife. He thought of
his neighboring cousins and their little Amira. She would be of an acceptable
age soon and perhaps she would do. No, he surmised. She was too hairy and her
hooknose was not attractive. Perhaps his Egyptian family on his mother
’
s side would know of a
princess who would be acceptable.

He must give this much thought and ask his advisors. They
would surely know of an acceptable woman to be his second wife, one who would
be fertile and amiable. He wanted a woman who would understand pleasure, yet be
a kind and loving mother.

***

The voyage was long and Katharine was fortunate to be one of
the only passengers aboard. She remembered her father told that often ships
were packed to overflowing with passengers to increase the pockets of those who
benefited. Small cots would be lined up, and hammocks as well, so that people
would be crammed together; disease and sickness flourished. Katharine was
indeed lucky, as she had her own cabin and was treated well, even though she
was a prisoner.

After a week at sea, the food turned moldy and the water was
foul. She knew of one seaman who was very ill and another who had died. As
there was no way to preserve the body, his had been thrown overboard with a
small makeshift service performed by the captain.

A storm had arisen halfway through their journey to their
destination, which she still did not know, and they had been blown off course.
However, she had been told they were back on course and would arrive shortly.
Where they were and where their destination would be remained a mystery.
Katharine was completely oblivious.

She had spent the first few nights in a state of panic. She
knew that she was sailing further and further away from everything she knew and
everyone she loved. She had pounded on the door so much that first night that
her small fists were red and bruised, but no one answered her. What kind of men
were these who would do something so monstrous as to kidnap a woman from her
home? The more she thought about it, the more she decided to keep to herself
and not draw attention. They fed her, but the moldy food and water was not
drinkable. The coffee fared little better due to the water used to make it, but
she drank it to help keep her strength.

She began to lose weight and was only taken up on deck at
nights to avoid the interaction with the sailors. Because of this, Katharine
became very pale. But she was left unmolested, for which she was very grateful.
As she stared into the vast sea with nothing around the ship but endless ocean,
she worried and contemplated what was going to happen to her.

***

Bismillah Palace was the home of the Sheik and his great
court. It was not only his residence but served to function as the seat of
government where his people could be heard, conflicts resolved, and his realm
protected. It was a beautifully constructed palace home to over 3,000 people
and self-contained to function without the outside world. His audience and
consultation chambers served to oversee the government and visitors, who were a
constant flow into the palace. The palace was a vast place and had gardens,
schools, a mosque, kitchens, a harem, and large pools for bathing.

The audience chambers were adorned outside with marble, and
gold lettering glittered about the door with a verse from the Qur
’
an for those to see as
they entered:

Verily! Allah commands that you should render back the
trusts to those to whom they are due; and that when you judge between men, you
judge with justice. Verily, how excellent is the teaching which Allah gives
you! Truly, Allah is Ever All-Hearer, All-Seer
.

Inside the audience chambers, the room was decorated with
valuable Persian rugs in colors of rich garnet red and amethyst on the floors
and tapestries draped along the walls. Beautiful tiles lined one wall in gold
and cream colors and underneath a row of chairs for distinguished guests.

Court was beginning and the voices inside the chambers made
a hum like bees in a hive. People were clustered in groups together and foreign
men mingled with Arab men. Several ladies of the harem settled behind the
intricately latticed screen to watch the court proceedings as the first case
was heard. Yasmeen was dressed in gold and red, with her eyes heavily decorated
with kohl. Her lady sat discreetly behind her as they watched an older man come
forward and bow slightly in deference to Mohammed.

Mohammed sat in a carved chair facing the entire room and
nodded for the man to begin.

“
Sheik
Mohammed Aksam Al Sabid, my neighbor sold me several goats and two have since
died. I demand to be compensated.
”

Another man moved forward from the crowd and spoke in an
angry voice,
“
I sold
this man healthy goats in good faith. That they have died is no fault of mine.
No compensation is required.
”

The two men quarreled back and forth and Mohammed listened
carefully, though this case was a petty one. His eyes wandered briefly through
the court and to the latticed screen where the women sat quietly.

The men finally quieted and Mohammed made his decision. The
goats had been sold in good faith and there was no evidence that deceit had
been found in the goat
’
s
condition. Therefore, the goats had died naturally. No compensation was given.

Another case came before him. A man believed his wife to be
unfaithful. She had been seen talking to a neighborhood youth. Mohammed knew
this was not good. If a wife was unfaithful, it could mean her death, so this
was a serious case. He stroked his goatee and watched the man as he spoke. He
had learned from his father to watch people as they spoke and not concentrate
so much as what they said.

He learned to watch their eyes and it seemed that those who
would not make eye contact usually had something to hide. He watched the man
closely for signs of deception.

The case dragged on as the man brought forth a witness who
was his brother. The court collectively murmured as the second man came
forward. Witnesses were allowed but the fact that he was a blood brother did
not bode well. Mohammed watched the second man inch forward.

It was going to be a long day, he knew.

Suddenly, a buzz started at the back of the room as several
unknown people entered. The doors usually remained closed for the court
’
s session, but admittance
could be granted for important matters.

Abdullah, his most trusted advisor, leaned into him and
whispered into his ear. Abdullah was a large man who towered over most but stood
under his master Mohammed. His black hair was mostly grey at the temples, his
hooknose was long, and his dark eyes were small. He had been advisor to
Mohammed
’
s father
and had been a palace guard in his twenties. He had been a learned man and
desired to rise above his station. Mohammed
’
s
father had allowed the young man to borrow books from his library and he had
become close to Abdullah. Slowly, he had been allowed into the father
’
s inner circle, and
eventually he became a trusted advisor.

When Mohammed the son took over for his father, he inherited
Abdullah as advisor. Most in the palace kept well out of Abdullah
’
s way and few ever
crossed him. He was known for being ambitious, calculating, and, above all
else, fearing the mighty hand of Allah.

Mohammed looked up startled and then nodded to Abdullah.

Two local pirates who pillaged the seas had begged
admittance to the audience chambers and Abdullah said they were not alone.
Mohammed nodded and waved aside the man and his brother who waited for his decision.

“
Forgive
the intrusion, mighty sheik,
”
Uthal said. He bowed slightly, as did Sufyan.

“
Indeed.
What brings you to my court?
”
asked Mohammed, annoyed at the intrusion but also interested in their reason
for appearing before him.

Uthal smiled, showing his teeth, and barked to Sufyan,
“
Bring in the woman!
”

Sufyan scurried to do as he was bidden. Mohammed watched as
the door opened wider and Sufyan returned to the chamber with a foreign woman.
The woman was clothed in a long white tunic that reached the floor. Her breasts
were unbound, high and perfectly rounded. He could not see her nipples but
guessed they were pink as roses. His mouth watered and he almost rose from the
chair before he settled back again. Mohammed was uneasy. An ache began inside
him.

She was slim, with long legs that he ached to have around
his waist. He was suddenly aroused, but nothing could prepare him for what he
felt when he looked into her face. It was sheer perfection. She had an
oval-shaped face, with high cheekbones and luscious pink lips. He wondered idly
if her pussy lips would be pink and luscious as well. Why did he torment
himself?

But nothing could compare to her Arabian Sea blue eyes that
burned with hate and her hair
…
Oh, Allah! Her hair was like the great Sahara desert, golden and long, falling
down her back.

Mohammed felt like a thunderbolt had struck him. She was
beautiful. He had to possess her.

He tongue was thick and he swallowed and spoke to the
pirates.

“
Name
your price,
”
he
said. The pirates named an outrageous sum that caused several in the court to
gasp. But Mohammed waved at hand at them and said simply,
“
So be it.
”

***

Katharine had spent the day aboard the ship when they docked
and had then been taken to the palace. She knew she had been drugged because
she moved slowly and could not control herself well.

When the pirates had brought her to the palace, Katharine
was in awe of the place. She heard foreign languages spoken all around her, so
she knew she had been taken far from home. Everyone was dressed strangely and
she tried not to stare. She also tried not to stumble as she was led into the
palace.

Ushal had finally cut the strings binding her hands and told
her angrily,
“
Lady,
you can have a comfortable life here. Be nice and he will treat you well. He is
known for being fair and good.
”