The Sheik’s Expecting Bride by Erin Snihur

12

Hasna glances around the well-lit terrace and makes her way down the sloped steps. Scanning the many faces that shoot her congratulatory glances and words of praise, Hasna forces a tight smile on her face and manages to push her way through the crowd until she finds herself standing beside a table filled to the brim with delicious appetizers and seafood platters behind her.

The well-lit pools of the Nilan capital palace sparkle with groups of flowery blossoms floating atop the crystal clear water. Fearful of getting too close to the hazardous water, Hasna steps away from the pool but finds herself bumping into the seafood platter table.

Instantly assaulted by the scent of the seafood, her stomach curdles. Disgusted, she turns away from the seafood. Hasna scans the crowd once more, praying that she will find the man she is looking for. Her fiancé.

Shouldn’t he be with her? Shouldn’t he be meeting these guests with her, escorting her around or introducing her to people? Instead, her fiancé seems to have disappeared and left her to the metaphorical wolves. With their engagement party in full swing, Uncle Bandar is taking full advantage of the five-star guest list by making acquaintances she realizes will only be interested in him because of his connection to Sheik Kamran. Unless they reach out to him for the schemes he has planned. Stomach rolling, Hasna glances away from the crowd, not wanting to appear nervous or concerned for her guests.

These people are here to see her and Kamran. Instead they were stuck only observing her, the Princess of Sheepherders. Since her uncle had informed her of their engagement, Hasna had attempted to call him by phone, sent urgent notes, but all of her attempts were unanswered. She even tried calling Nashat with no luck. He had never been one to ignore her calls or texts before.

Perhaps he too is hiding out because of the news media footage on this rapidly planned wedding. Cringing at the reminder of the press waiting outside the palace, eager to get a shot of the newly engaged couple, Hasna glances back at the table and attempts to find something suitable to calm her rolling stomach.

Muttering a Jazah curse under her breath, Hasna shakes her head when she finds nothing edible. As she is about to turn away from the table, a figure appears at her side before she can cover up the sound of her inappropriate statement.

“Is that phrase Arabic or some other dialect?” The figure asks softly in rushed Arabic behind her.

Turning, Hasna gasps softly at the sight of the blue-eyed, blonde-haired goddess standing before her in a sleek silver dress. Hasna instantly recognizes the woman as Sheikha Seline al-Obeid, Sheik Kaleem al-Obeid’s wife. The woman who had managed to find love halfway around the world.

Flushing at having been caught cursing in such an inappropriate place, Hasna stammers in English, “It is just a saying from my childhood, Your Majesty.”

Seline’s face instantly brightens as she shifts forward and responds in articulate English, “I would be very fascinated to hear all about your childhood. I heard you grew up in the mountains. Jazah, I believe. I have never experienced such a simple lifestyle myself.”

Flushing at the woman’s genuine intrigue into her life, something no one has ever asked her, Hasna nods slowly. “Of course, Your Majesty.”

Then Hasna realizes exactly who is standing before her and grasps onto a plate set out on the table. “Would you like me to make you a plate, Your Majesty?”

Seline’s face grimaces as she scans the table, something similar to Hasna’s own face, and pats her stomach slightly.

“None for me, thank you. I have to avoid seafood when I am pregnant.”

Hasna gasps slightly and Seline laughs charmingly with a wave of her hand. “Oops, I wasn’t supposed to tell you that. Or anyone, really. We haven’t announced it yet.”

Laughing nervously, Hasna offers the woman a handshake, to which Seline responds with a firm handshake back.

Bowing slightly, Hasna murmurs, “Your Majesty, it is an honor to meet you in person and don’t worry, I will keep your secret.”

Seline grins. “Of course you will. Kaleem told me you are a very trustworthy friend of his.”

Flushing at the reminder of another of her uncle’s schemes to have Hasna marry Seline’s husband, Hasna scans the pool side patio area, but doesn’t find Sheik Kaleem among the other guests.

Seline waves a hand in the air towards the palace and chuckles. “My husband is always discussing business with one dignitary or another. I’m sure he’ll find me soon when I decide to finally stuff my face with some of the chocolate hors d’oeuvres your staff has been serving tonight.”

Hasna chuckles and quickly smothers it as a servant appears behind the table with the plate and tongs at the ready.

“May I offer you something, Your Majesties?”

Both women shake their heads as another servant appears with a tray full of glasses of champagne at that same moment. Both women respond as the man asks what they would like to drink.

“Water, please.”

Seline glances back at Hasna and the two women smother their laughter as the servant marches off to gather their orders. Hasna smiles genuinely for the first time in a long time and cheekily responds, “I don’t suppose you partake in the game of jinx?”

Seline chuckles as well. “Not since I was a child. Though my daughter Laila enjoys the game and often catches her father off guard with it.”

“I’m glad I’m not the only one not drinking tonight.” Seline leans forward and conspiratorially whispers, “Even though we haven’t announced our pregnancy, I’m trying to keep it under wraps as long as I possibly can.”

Noticing Hasna’s glance of concern, Seline’s smile brightens, “Kaleem would like a little bit more time together to prepare for this child. As we were not given the same luxury with our first.”

Hasna nods and inwardly thinks, Neither are we. Grimacing at that thought, Hasna’s resolve hardens. She must find Kamran and tell him the truth before it is too late. Before he throws his life and a chance at happiness away, even if it means hurting her.

Seline eyes her from top to bottom and whispers, “You’re very beautiful. I can see why Kamran snatched you up before anyone else could.”

Before Hasna can humbly deny that compliment and brush it off with as much grace and decorum as she can muster, an elbow is being jabbed into her lower back. As the elbow jabs her from behind, the water the waiter delivers to Seline splashes all over Hasna’s golden floor-length cocktail dress.

Crying out in disappointment and frustration, Seline mutters apologetically, “I’m so sorry. I’m such a klutz.”

Shaking her head as Seline attempts to blot out the water on Hasna’s dress with a few napkins from the table, Hasna mutters, “Don’t apologize, it wasn’t you.”

Turning, Hasna tilts her head up to meet the icy eyes of Fikra el-Hussain. Tensing at the sight of the tall woman who had been photographed with Kamran and was believed to be his fiancé-to-be, Hasna strains her neck to meet the woman’s gaze.

Hasna’s insecurities slowly begin to bubble up as Fikra places one hand on her jutted-out, model-thin hips. Fikra croons out an innocent gasp and bats her eyelashes like a viper as she motions to Hasna with her champagne glass at the obvious water stain on her dress.

“I’m so sorry about that, princess,” she cattily croons.

The way that she croons the word princess has Hasna’s spine shivering and her fists clenching at her sides. Behind Fikra, a few women join her with snickers of amusement as they shoot daggers Hasna’s way.

Behind Hasna, Sheikha Seline mutters, “Mean girls.”

Hasna is only barely able to nod before Fikra’s eyes rake over Seline in a mocking expression of surprise. Hasna swallows, already feeling a hint of insecurity bubbling up at the mere presence of this bully. Even though she had only met Fikra a handful of times as a child, when the young girl came to visit their Jazah palace with her own family before Hasna’s father sold everything off, nothing appeared to have changed regarding the woman’s personality.

Fikra had been a cruel child and from what Hasna could see, the model had grown into an even crueler adult. This time, with her obvious hooks sharpened for Kamran and his royal title.

Swallowing her dry mouth, Hasna forces a tight and kind smile on her face as she nods her head towards Fikra. “Welcome, Fikra. It has been too long.”

Inwardly, Hasna’s more vengeful side is hissing, Not long enough.

Throwing her luscious brown hair over her shoulder, Fikra smirks widely, white teeth sparkling back at Hasna, causing her to visibly flinch at the sight.

“Yes, it has. Though, I have to say I am a little shocked at the announcement of your engagement to my Kamran.”

Behind her, Hasna can feel Seline’s energy tensing up at the mere mention of Kamran. Raising her chin, Hasna calmly answers, “According to my fiancé, Kamran, I doubt anyone is ever truly his.”

Fikra throws back her head and laughs, gaining the attention of others around them. Hasna inwardly winces when a few people begin whispering, no doubt gossiping about her and her past.

“Please, Hasna, you don’t honestly believe that a man like Kamran truly wishes to marry a sheepherding princess, do you?”

Seline begins to interject and attempts to stomp around Hasna to confront Fikra, but Hasna quickly halts the American woman with one hand.

“I’m sure whatever you and Kamran had is in the past, something I can’t say about my relationship with Kamran.”

Fikra’s eyes squint as she hisses, “You bitch.”

Ignoring Hasna’s attempts to stop her, Seline stomps around her and pushes in between Hasna and Fikra. Glaring at the woman until she takes a step back, Seline mutters as she pointedly eyes Fikra, “Come, Hasna. Let’s go find my husband, Sheik Kaleem. I’m sure he cannot wait to celebrate your pending nuptials.”

Before Hasna can argue, Seline is grasping her by the wrist and pushing past Fikra. Hasna only has a moment to see Fikra’s eyes widen for a split second before the vile woman’s face morphs into an ugly grin and she takes a step towards Hasna.

All of a sudden, Hasna’s hand is pulled out of Seline’s tight grip. Stumbling, she is only barely able to right herself before a foot is sticking out, causing Hasna to trip and fall back-first into the sparkly pool.

Floating flower petals and bobbing lights flicker all around her blurred vision as she struggles to force herself to float. The heavy weight of her dress drags Hasna down as she kicks and waves her hands in the murky water, holding onto her breath as tightly as she can. Above her, she can make out the bright lights and the sounds of muffled screaming.

In that moment, Hasna realizes she is drowning as her lungs burn and her eyes blur and ache. Everything around her begins to go dark.

Inwardly, she is screaming that this can’t be how it ends.

My baby!

Suddenly a dark figure plunges into the water. Through her fading, blurry eyes, she manages to make out a face that has haunted her since the night of a particular gala.

Her fiancé, Sheik Kamran.

* * *

Kamran glaresacross his chambers at the shivering mass of pale flesh wrapped in a thick blanket. The shivering mass, his fiancée, seems to refuse to meet his darkening gaze. Unsatisfied, he quickly turns back as the garbled speech of the royal family’s physician gathers up his medical supplies.

Finally focused on the man’s words, Kamran hears, “If you are very concerned about the fetus, we can do an abdominal ultrasound to ensure the baby’s heart rate is normal and functioning.”

Wanting this man removed from his sight, Kamran agrees and waves his hand at the man, dismissing him. As he marches back towards the bed, guilt begins forming in his gut.

Kamran sighs and shakes his head, muttering under his breath at the sight of Hasna shivering on his bed. Her lips had begun to turn purple and her eyes seem to be glazed over with a faraway look.

Trauma.

“Why haven’t you gotten out of those wet clothes?”

This question seems to startle Hasna as she slowly lifts her face up to gaze at him with her dulled, sea green eyes.

Hands clenching tightly at the sight of her eyes beginning to brim with unshed tears for a brief moment, Kamran wonders if she will actually respond.

When her purple lips open and a faint whispered answer of “I don’t know” escapes through the mouth, he sighs glumly.

“Can you walk?” he asks gently as he kneels down by the bed slightly to be at her eye level.

Slowly, she nods as she whispers through chattering teeth, “I think so.”

Struggling to stand, Hasna finally collapses back into the bed, her throat raspy as a cough takes over deep in her chest.

Cringing at the thought of her getting hypothermia, Kamran growls, “Let me help.”

Before she can protest, Kamran swoops down and scoops her up into his arms. Thankfully, he doesn’t have far to carry her dead weight as he marches into his ensuite bathroom.

The only indication that Hasna heard him was the squeak of surprise that escapes her lips as he begins carrying her into the bathroom. Setting her gently on the sink counter top, Kamran gently begins pulling apart her wet blanket.

As if just waking up from a dazed dream, Hasna screeches and tries to pull him to a stop when his fingers attempt to pull apart her ruined dress.

“No, Kamran, stop. Please, I don’t want you to see me like this.”

Kamran smirks and tilts his head, leaning over her so that their eyes meet. “Perhaps we should have the doctor check your head. As you undoubtedly recall, I have already seen everything you have under that skimpy dress.”

Hasna raises her chin stubbornly as her sea green eyes seem to sparkle with that same fire he saw on their night together.

“Just because you saw it once doesn’t mean that you get to see it again.”

Kamran chuckles and slowly slides his hands up her bare arms until his fingers curl around the straps of her golden dress.

With one swift tug at the top of her dress, it is pulled down, revealing her rising and falling bare breasts to his attention, thrust out and pebbling in the cold air.

Gasping in shock, Hasna’s arms immediately snap upwards, covering her bare breasts from his eyes. Kamran smirks as her face blooms with the first bit of color seen since he pulled her from the deep waters of the pool.

“Don’t you think my reward for saving your life should be a chance to see your naked beauty once more?”

Hasna shakes her head, her wet curls slapping against her bare back. “I thought we weren’t supposed to talk about that.”

Kamran chuckles. “I think that ship has sailed, fiancée.”

When she doesn’t answer, Kamran continues, “Do you want me to make you feel better? Perhaps I should change as well? After all, I did do the saving and I’m just as cold as you are.”

Before she can protest or argue with them, Kamran takes a step back from the sinks and shucks his sopping wet dress shirt and dress pants, leaving himself only in his skin-tight briefs. Not waiting for her to protest, Kamran shucks that wet fabric as well, leaving himself completely bare for her viewing pleasure.

Instead of keeping her breasts covered, Hasna shrieks once more as he stands there, fists clenched on his hips, and immediately covers her eyes. Her breasts bounce right in front of him like two teasing balls would to a playful puppy, and he chuckles at the delicious sight.

Kamran shakes his head. “You’ve seen all of me, Hasna. Don’t tell me you’ve gone shy on me.”

Motioning behind him to the shower stall that is big enough for four people, Kamran croons, “Let me get you warmed up and washed. It’s the least I can do for scaring, and I doubt you can stand for yourself.”

Stepping back in between her thighs that remain open, much to his amusement, Kamran stares deeply into Hasna’s eyes that peek out from between her fingers as he tugs on her gold dress that has rolled up to her stomach.

Seeming to sense where he is going with his tugs, Hasna shakes her head as she manages to cry out behind the protection of her splayed fingers, “I’ll get claustrophobic with you in there with me.”

“No, you won’t, Hasna. All you need to do is breath and trust me.”

Lifting her bottom up, so that he might slip the dress down her curvy legs, Kamran’s entire body clenches as his cock rushes full with blood, hardening at the sight of a skimpy little thong covering Hasna’s core.

Muttering a curse under his breath, Kamran growls, “What exactly were you trying to do going around dressed like this.?”

Hasna sniffs and raises her chin. “This is what your fashion expert picked out for me.”

Fingers brushing the fabric that latches around her waist and disappears behind her, Kamran growls once more, “Remind me to fire her.”

Gasping at his close contact, Hasna shakes her head and flushes red once more as she protests, “You can’t fire her just because…”

Kamran interrupts, “I can and I will. No one should be allowed to see you like this or even think about you like this, but me.”

Then his eyes flash as he meets her sea green gaze. “No one should be allowed to imagine what you look like beneath your clothes, except for me.”

With their faces so close to one another’s, their breaths mingle together as Hasna’s chest rises and falls rapidly. As Hasna’s nipples jut out enticingly before him, Kamran’s cock throbs, straining to be released from the fabric of his constraining boxers.

Think about the baby. You don’t want to hurt the baby.

Hasna shivers in his arms and whispers, “I can do this myself.”

Kamran leans forward brushes a finger across her cheek, whispering, “Are you saying you don’t want my help?”

Kamran grins at the sight of goosebumps pebbling her nipples and arms as he slowly leans in to brush a kiss against her purple lips, tensing up at the feeling of her cold mouth. Kamran forces his aching desire to the back of his mind and without warning picks her up with two handfuls of her plump ass.

With her legs now firmly wrapped around his waist and her core brushing against his cock, Kamran growls once more and steps into the shower.

Ignoring her attempt to protest, Kamran swipes on the water, pleased when the warm jets begin pounding his back almost immediately.

Gently setting her on her feet, but forcing her hands to splay out on the tile walls so that she might not fall, Kamran manages to flick open a shampoo bottle. Lathering it up in his hands as the shower spray trickles down from above like a tropical waterfall, Kamran groans at the sight of Hasna’s half-naked body dripping before him.

“Close your eyes,” Kamran mutters, trying to reign in his throbbing erection as it brushes against Hasna’s ass with every movement.

Not bothering to check if she does as he bids, Kamran gently uses one free hand to massage the shampoo into her wet hair. Stroking slowly as he works his way through her soapy strands, Kamran can’t help but let a moan escape him when he looks down to see her plump ass cheeks scooching closer to his at-attention erection.

Washing away the shampoo, Kamran grabs a bit of body wash next and holds the liquid in his hands up to her face from behind.

“Would you care to do the honors, or shall I?” he asks softly.

Hasna’s voice, having not spoken for nearly five minutes since he marched them both into the shower, is raspy as she speaks.

Her voice, while raspy, also hints at a bit of the seductive side of her, like the night they spent together. Kamran’s cock throbs at the reminder as she leans back against his chest to scoop up the soapy body gel.

“Why don’t I take care of that,” Hasna whispers. Before he can stop her, Hasna is turning around to face him.

Enjoying the show, Kamran leans back against the glass wall at the opposite end of the large stall and watches as Hasna’s hands lather the foam up. As sensually as she can muster on her trembling feet, Hasna slowly begins washing her arms and shoulders, all the way down to her breasts and down her flat stomach.

Before Kamran can stop her, her fingers have clasped onto her thong at the sides of her waist and she slips it down her curvy legs. Without a care in the world, Hasna lets the wet fabric pool around the drain. With one soapy hand dripping at her side, the other soapy hand slowly begins to cup her core, teasing him slightly as she washes the outer lips of her bare core.

Kamran falls for her trap and immediately grasps onto the head of his bulging cock as it strains in Hasna’s direction like a homing beacon.

When his other hand reaches out to grasp her once more and drag her towards him, Hasna steps off to the side until she is directly underneath the shower spray.

Groaning once more, Kamran watches with delight as the soapy suds slip down her wet form until they pool and wash away in the drain.

Completely clean, Hasna smiles slightly, her purple lips now a warm pink color. Tilting her head underneath the shower spray, she whispers, “You could have taken me back to the hotel to recover from my fall.”

Kamran growls as his hand fists his cock, unashamed as her eyes rove over him, watching as he pleasures himself to the sight of her wet, dripping body.

“I have to get to the bottom of how you fell in, in the first place.”

She shrugs quickly and before she can turn away from him completely, Kamran catches something in the corner of her eyes that flashes with understanding. Before he can question her on it, Hasna is backing out of the shower stall and struggling to patter over to the sinks where a pile of neatly folded towels waits.

Not wanting to upset her after her traumatic experience, Kamran murmurs, “I doubt Bandar would have been as accommodating as I have been if I had brought you back to your hotel like he wanted.”

Hasna snorts and nods in agreement readily as she slowly begins to comb through her wet hair with a black comb also found beside the vanity sinks.

Watching her watch him through the mirror, Kamran tilts his head as he slips underneath the shower spray. Quickly switching the hot water for the cold to sooth his aching erection, Kamran is quick as he uses soap to lather his body up and wash away the chlorine from the pool.

Kamran mutters under his breath, “I could have sworn you knew how to swim.”

Hasna slowly shakes her head. “I haven’t been swimming in a long time. Even taking a deep bath is difficult at times.”

“Not since…” She continues, but her voice cracks as she holds the comb against her chest and her back tenses up with a shudder.

Feeling like a heel for having reminded her of her parents’ tragic death, Kamran curses under his breath and nods his head. “I’m so sorry.”

As he finishes up underneath the shower spray, Kamran notices the Hasna’s legs still tremble and in the mirror, her face winces in pain as she struggles to make it to the towels. Even wrapping one of the soft towels around her curvy form causes her aching body to wince as she attempts to dry herself off.

“Let me help you,” Kamran orders as he steps out of the cold shower and smirks as her eyes widen at the sight of his softening cock bouncing between his thighs.

Wrapping a towel quickly around his waist, Kamran ignores the droplets of water that land on the tile floor.

Kamran murmurs, “It’s the least I can do.”

“So, you still feel guilty for lying to me about that night?” Hasna whispers and then shakes her head as he slowly begins to dry her off with a new towel. “You saved me, Kamran, not the other way around.”

Kamran smiles slightly and murmurs, “Consider it my way of saying thank you for having to endure such a tedious party.”

Kamran dries off Hasna’s entire body and notices that her eyes seem to tense up at the mention of their engagement gala as he begins wrapping a towel around her shoulders and waist.

Hasna whispers, “Where were you?”

Confused, Kamran asks back, “When?”

“At the party,” Hasna explains, her tone frustrated that he hadn’t picked up on her anger.

“I was looking…”

Kamran starts to explain, but Hasna quickly interrupts, “So was I. For you. I endured the congratulatory toasts and well wishes all by myself while you were off mingling without me. I thought this was our engagement party. If we are to be engaged, don’t you think that we should mingle together?”

Hasna’s voice grows higher and higher as he bends over to begin drying off her curly mass of hair. Kamran rises up and wraps the towel firmly around her middle, keeping the rest of her body completely covered from his eyes.

Tilting his head, Kamran growls, hating the sound of guilt leeching into his voice, “Sheik Kaleem and I were discussing our wedding date.”

Hasna’s shoulders straighten as she stares up at him in confusion. “Well, if you decided to talk to Sheik Kaleem about our impending wedding, then don’t you think that you and I should talk about it as well?”

Kamran’s expression morphs into one of confusion as he tilts his head and stammers, “Yes, but…”

Hasna interrupts, using her strength and obvious anger to wrap the towel tighter around her shivering body. “Good, because, Kamran, there is something that we need to talk about…”

Suddenly a knock at the bathroom door startles both of them apart and Kamran growls, “What?”

The garbled sound of the royal family’s doctor calling out beyond the door has both Hasna and Kamran rolling their eyes.

“I apologize, Your Majesty, but I have brought the necessary equipment for an ultrasound.”

Turning back to face Hasna, Kamran hesitates as he watches her eyes widen in fear. Unsure of what has caused her to begin biting her bottom lip with worry, Kamran is about to ask when the doctor knocks again and asks if he should come back another time.

“We will be just a few more minutes.”

Once the good doctor leaves the closed door alone, Kamran steps away from Hasna to grab a robe from the ensuite bathrooms’ closet. Kamran ignores her protesting hands as he slips the robe on her, allowing the silken fabric to mold to her shape and fall at her feet like a long wedding train behind her.

“But, Kamran, really, we must speak about…” Hasna begins.

Kamran interrupts her with a press of his thumb to her lips. Brushing his calloused digit against her now full mouth, he smiles gently.

“I know, but it can probably wait until after the ultrasound.”

Hasna shakes her head and pushes aside his hands, seeming frustrated with the entire situation as she mutters “No, it can’t.”

As Kamran ignores her in favor of escorting her from the steamy bathroom, Hasna continues to plead with him to stop this. Whatever this is that she is talking about, Kamran has no idea.

Just as he is about to push her into his bed where the good doctor is arranging his equipment for the ultrasound, Kamran is brought to a halt. Turning to glare at her for stopping, his own eyebrows rise at the sight of Hasna’s shocked face, open mouth and wide eyes galore.

A clearing throat in the bedroom answers Kamran’s unspoken question as he turns to face Hasna’s old guard and friend, Mahdi.

Mahdi, seeming unsure about the entire situation, shifts his concerned glance over Hasna before settling it over towards Kamran.

“What is it?” Kamran snaps, frustrated that they have been interrupted for a second time.

Mahdi holds up his tablet. “It’s about the security footage of the pool.”

Nodding furtively, Kamran ushers Hasna to the bed, letting the doctor take over to guide her to lay down with her robe opened partly around her stomach.

“What is going on?” Hasna whispers to Kamran, but he ignores her, his attention solely on seeing the footage of the security cameras.

Marching over to Mahdi’s side, Kamran watches the footage over and over again. Taking in every detail, his frown deepens as his fists become clenched together tightly.

Kamran’s vision turns red as he swings around to face Hasna once more. Growling, he seethes, “Fikra tripped you?”

“More than likely she was trying to weed out the competition,” Hasna mutters blithely back. “Should I have just told her she will be added to your harem at the second wedding, or shall you be the one to deliver her the bad news that you’ve decided to remain a one wife type of sheik?” Hasna continues and then gasps in shock when the doctor smooths a clear jelly on her stomach.

Before Kamran can growl back at her and deny what she is accusing him of, the doctor flips on the rolling carts screen and presses the flat-headed wand against her stomach.

Kamran marches up to the bed and mutters, “This isn’t the right time to discuss Fikra. Besides, she means nothing…”

Thump, thump, thump, thump.

The echo of something like a heart beating breaks through the speakers of the monitor as the doctor gently presses the wand against Hasna’s stomach further and moves around the jelly in all sorts of different patterns.

Everyone in the room seems to go still and silent as the doctor murmurs to himself and to Hasna, “That is one healthy heart rate your baby has, Your Majesties.”

Kamran loses his breath as he takes in the monitor’s screen. Unsure of what he is actually seeing in the dark mass, all he can think is that that blob is a baby.

Then his gaze falls on Hasna as she begins crying, despite the smile on her face. At the sound of the thumping heart and out of instinct, Kamran clasps her hand and inwardly thinks, That’s our baby.