Golden Chains (The Colorblind Trilogy Book 3) Read online

  The cheers from the audience became louder. It was almost deafening, and the thumping in my chest grew even stronger and faster. My eyes were still closed as I heard Mazen’s cry, “Ya Allah! Alhamdulilah! Alhamdulilah!”

  The butterflies in my stomach moved their wings in a frenzy, and before I could open my eyes, Mazen’s chest blocked my vision as he hugged me tightly, repeating ‘Alhamdulilah’ over and over again, almost hysterically.

  “May God bless and grant him a long and a happy life,” Mazen said. “My life only keeps getting better with you in it, Marie.”

  I swallowed thickly, looking up at Mazen’s joyful eyes, not believing my own ears. “Him?” I asked in a whisper. I was surprised that Mazen could actually hear me over the noise around us.

  My husband chuckled. “Yes, princess. Him. Look around you!”

  I turned my head and saw the sky filled with baby-blue balloons. I could never explain how ecstatic I was, nor could I ever explain the happy tears that fell from my eyes as I heard the cheers of ‘Long live the King! Long live the Queen! And long live the Crown Prince!’ I had to hug Mazen again as I cried, “Oh, my God. Praise the Lord.”

  Life couldn’t be any more perfect, Mazen and I were having a son: Adam.

  For the third day in a row, I woke up to the sound of beeping, the most annoying kind of alarm. It was horrible.

  “Dear God!” It was the first thing I said as I rolled onto my back, covering my face with both of my hands in frustration.

  “Your Majesty, Your Majesty, we need to get you out of here!” one of the female royal guards yelled as she rushed into my bedroom.

  Of course!

  “I’m fine!” I yelled back.

  “We need to get you out of here,” she said again.

  With the help of another royal guard, they whisked me right off the bed.

  “I need my robe,” I said. There was no way I was leaving my wing with a nightgown again.

  Just as I was leaving my room, I heard my phone going off. “Give it to me, please,” I said to one of the royal guards.

  Of course, it was Mazen. At least this time he only called, instead of flying from his office on the first floor all the way here again.

  “I’m fine,” I said when I picked up.

  “Thank God, you are.” He sounded relieved.

  “Don’t you all know what it is by now? Is clearing the wing really necessary?”

  “Of course, it is, princess. We wouldn’t want to assume the boy cried ‘wolf’” he said, and I rolled my eyes, even though I knew he couldn’t see me. “I’m glad it’s nothing. I have to go now. I love you.”

  I cried in frustration once he hung up, standing outside of my wing surrounded by my guards. They were so dramatic.

  “Please, come with us to–”

  I interrupted my guard by walking away, knowing fully well that both of them would be right behind me.

  I made it all the way to the wing opposite from mine – Rosanna’s.

  “I would like to meet with Princess Rosanna, please,” I said to one of the royal guards standing by the main door to her wing. I went against protocol by asking to see Rosanna myself, instead of coursing the request through the palace managers or even one of my servants. I couldn’t care less about that at the moment.

  “Of course, Your Majesty,” he said, pointing to one of Rosanna’s female guards, who assisted me inside the wing and to the living room, where I paced the floor, too frustrated to sit down.

  Not a minute later, Darin – Rosanna’s new maid – appeared, looking troubled, which made me frown.

  “Uh, um … welcome, Your Majesty,” she said, “Uh, I’m so sorry, but – uh, Princess Rosanna told me to inform you that she has immigrated to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.”

  My frown deepened for a second, then it dawned on me what Rosanna was doing. “She’s in her bedroom, isn’t she?” I asked, and the troubled girl only nodded, biting her bottom lip and looking down.

  My legs took me to the closest secret door, and after a fast scan around the room, I spotted Rosanna in bed, hiding under the covers.

  I marched over and yanked the covers off; she was completely still.

  “Seriously? Are you going to play dead now?” I demanded, hands on hips and everything.

  She didn’t reply, but I could see her shaking as she tried to stifle her laughter.

  “You think it’s funny? This is the third day in a row that I’ve woken up to a blaring fire alarm. The girl you hired is clueless!”

  “Marie, I know you’re upset, but flashing me a full boob is cruel and unusual punishment,” she giggled, pointing at me.

  I looked down to see what she was talking about. My robe had opened a bit, and sure enough, there was a nipple peeking out from my nightgown.

  I swatted her hand away, “Jerk!” I said before fixing my silk robe back in place.

  “She’s cooking breakfast again?” Rosanna chortled.

  “What do you think? I swear I freak out every time she goes into the kitchen. Yesterday she put the kettle on the stove to make Mazen some tea, for God’s sake!”

  “So?” Rosanna frowned, looking confused.

  “The electric kettle!”

  “Oh, my God!”

  “Exactly! I’m telling you, she’s very clueless!”

  “And that’s exactly why I hired her – she’s trustworthy.”

  “Not inside the kitchen, I promise you.”

  “But she cleans like a pro; she is a pro.”

  “Well, that’s something I can’t argue with. Everything is spotlessly clean, but I really don’t want to burn to death at her hand.”

  Rosanna only giggled, and I glared at her just for a second before I laughed along with her.

  “She’ll do better, give her a chance until we find another.”

  “Whatever!” I shook my head, “I really need to pee, may I use your bathroom. I don’t think I can hold it all the way to mine.”

  “Too much information, dude! Just go!”

  It was unbelievable how everything in Rosanna’s wing matched mine, with only a few of the decorations that were different. If I didn’t know better, I would’ve thought it to be my own.

  As I was washing my hands, I noticed something on the floor. I turned my head to see what it was, and I found it to be an object that I had seen so many times before. I was sure that Rosanna had seen it even more times than I did – a used pregnancy test.

  I didn’t need to take a closer look to know the result, given that it was on the floor right next to the trashcan. Likely, she threw it in frustration since it wasn’t a successful aim.

  My chest tightened, knowing full well that she’d probably just taken the test minutes before I arrived. I had seen her bloodshot eyes, but I’d thought it was because she’d just woken up, though that was stupid of me. Like Mazen, she would’ve woken up early for the first prayer of the day. Her eyes were red because she’d been crying.

  I swallowed thickly and took a deep breath, then came out of the bathroom. Rosanna was in a silky blue robe in front of her window, gazing out of it and looking completely lost in her thoughts.

  “Hey!” I said.

  Rosanna smiled. “Darin has just finished making breakfast. Please, stay.”

  “Trying to pay me off with food?”

  “Very much,” she chuckled lightly.

  I couldn’t believe how Rosanna was able to pull herself together this way; she looked completely fine, without a care in the world. But I was her best friend, and now that I’d seen the used pregnancy test, I was sure she was pretending.

  How I wished to tell her she could share her thoughts, that she didn’t need to fake it with me, that I knew how much she was hurting right now. But I didn’t want her to think I was prying on her or her life somehow. Instead, I waited for her to tell me on her own terms, at her own time, and, eventually, she did.

  There were tears and choked words, hand holding, and tight hugs. One thing she said felt like someone had
just stabbed me right in the gut.

  “Could it be that we’re not ready to be parents yet, Marie?” Rosanna wondered with tears running down her rosy cheeks. “I know that God has a plan for everything, but I keep thinking that maybe our love is not strong enough for us to be blessed with a baby to share it with.”

  When a guard told me I could go back to my wing, I did. I was running late, and everyone was waiting for me. As I took my shower and got ready, Rosanna never disappeared from my thoughts.

  Although I was an hour behind schedule, instead of going to the office right away, I went to my chapel. I got on my knees and held my cross after making the sign of the cross, and I prayed.

  I prayed for Rosanna with the same passion I had prayed for myself when I was craving a pregnancy. I prayed – maybe like I had never prayed before. I shed tears as I asked God to bless her and Prince Fahd with a child that would light up their lives like He had blessed us with Adam.

  I prayed, and I trusted in God. He never failed.

  By the end of the day, I was dead on my feet. I couldn’t wait for Mazen to get back so I could cuddle him senseless; only his hug would make me forget my weariness.

  When he finally made it home, I welcomed him with a warm smile and a hug, but he barely hugged me back, and his face was gloomy. I was instantly worried.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked. “You look like you’ve just seen a murder.”

  Mazen’s sad eyes looked straight into mine before he replied, “I did.”

  A murder.

  I stood there gaping, a million awful pictures running through my head. My blood ran cold, and my throat went dry. My mind couldn’t gather a thought, and my heartbeat couldn’t stop racing.

  Who could it be?

  In one second, I imagined the worst and the ugliest answers to that question in my head. Despite the fact that a murder was a horrible thing no matter what, I was selfish enough to hope that the victim wasn’t someone dear to me.

  “Oh, my God!” I exclaimed. “What happened?”

  As Mazen came closer, his pale face was scaring me, and his troubled features were breaking my heart. He held both of my hands before speaking.

  “You need to sit down, Marie.”

  “Mazen, you’re scaring me! Please, tell me what’s going on.”

  He led me to one of the armchairs near the bedroom door and knelt down in front of me.

  “Someone poisoned some of our horses.”

  “What!” It wasn’t a question, just a disbelieving cry.

  “I’m so sorry, princess.” The look in Mazen’s eyes was breaking my heart just as much as the news was.

  “Which ones?” I asked in a choked voice, tears already running down my face. I almost knew the answer already, but I still didn’t want to believe it.

  Mazen touched my cheek, took a deep breath, then spoke, “Hope and Faith.”

  My eyes almost bugged out of my skull, and my hand left Mazen’s and flew up to my mouth.

  “And … Salma,” he choked out.

  “No!” I exclaimed. The pain I felt for our horses was checked by disbelief. Maybe they were just hurt – maybe they only needed medical care, and they’d be okay? Maybe they appeared dead, but they weren’t? Maybe I was having a nightmare.

  Oh, please! Let it be a nightmare.

  “I’m so sorry, princess,” Mazen soothed.

  “How? Why?” I asked a minute later, now that what he said was settling in my mind: the young horses were dead.

  “Someone poisoned their food.”

  “Oh my God!” I cried. “Why would anybody do that?”

  I could see Mazen trying to hold his pain in, but it was written all over his face, even if he didn’t allow his eyes to spill the heavy tears that I knew he wanted to shed. He loved Salma, and the twins meant a lot to him.

  “We don’t know anything yet, Marie. But when we do – those criminals will get no mercy. I promise.”

  I was still grieving for our horses a week later. Mazen refused to let me go and see them before their burial; he didn’t want my last memory of them to be miserable.

  I hated that it had been so long since I saw them last, almost three weeks before their horrible deaths. Faith was always the shy one, but she didn’t shy away from me as she did from everyone else. Hope always rubbed my chest with her head; that was what I looked forward to the most in my visits with them.

  It hurt me terribly to know that Mazen was deeply hurting, Salma was so precious to him, but he stayed strong for me.

  It was as though we were grieving over our unborn baby all over again. It was almost the same thing, the pain of them being ripped away from us too early, and before we got the chance to say goodbye. This was horrible.

  Why would anyone commit such a terrible act, to innocent animals, no less? Who would want to hurt the young horses so badly?

  The security cameras didn’t show anything out of the ordinary; it was just like every other day. The three young ones ate the same thing, and the poison was discovered in their food. We couldn’t find out who did it, or even how they did it. It was discouraging.

  The investigation continued, and I could only hope the criminal would be discovered soon.

  It was Mazen’s idea that we spend a couple of days before the opening of the hospital in Al’ameria at the beach mansion, to relax. We had a million things to do in the capital, but I couldn’t refuse or delay the holiday. I knew we both needed that break.

  The new hospital was much better than I had imagined, and that delighted me. The fact that this hospital would be able to help so many people daily was a joy that nothing else could create in my heart. Well, other than Mazen’s love, of course; nothing would ever compare to that.

  Queen Marie’s hospital was built in record time, and if it weren’t for Rosanna’s help, nothing would’ve been as it was now.

  “We have 425 rooms, which can hold over 1,000 beds in case of emergency. The Intensive Care Unit has 50 beds, and the latest medical equipment that we could possibly need,” Doctor Basheer, administrator of the hospital, boasted. “We also have six operating rooms, a special unit for premature newborns, and a unit for children connected to a play area to make the experience of our young visitors as painless as possible.”

  I smiled, my eyes roaming around the model sitting on a large table in front of us on a large table.

  “That sounds good,” Mazen said. “Is there a possibility to make other units in the upcoming year?”

  “Yes, of course, Your Majesty,” the general manager replied. “There will be a smaller building right next to this building which will only be for Women and Obstetrics. We will move the premature newborn unit there as well and modify the area here to be for orthopedic surgeries only.”

  “That’s great,” I said. “Will the hospital be able to receive childbirth cases this year?”

  “Yes, Your Majesty,” he said. “The hospital will be able to handle up to 30 births daily in the coming year. But when the other building and units are finished, we will be able to receive cases from all over the princedom and from other princedoms, as well.”

  My smile was wide. “That’s fantastic.” It was such a great accomplishment that I felt very pleased to have had a hand in it.

  “We are very honored that the final results satisfy you, Your Majesty,” the doctor said.

  “They surely do.”

  Someone handed the General Manager a bouquet of purple and pink roses, and with a smile, he offered it to me.

  “Happy birthday, Your Majesty,” he said, and the clicking of the cameras from photographers and reporters sounded louder.

  “Oh, thank you very much, Doctor Basheer.” I smiled, maybe blushing a little as more Birthday greetings from the others in the room filled the area.

  It was a memorable day.

  May was pretty much the best month out of the year, weather-wise. It wasn’t hot nor cold, but simply perfection. The princedom of Al’ameria was the best location in the country to enjoy
such wonderful weather.

  Through my studies of the Kingdom in the past year and a half, I learned that the princedom of Al’ameria had been the capital for decades. The royal family moved the capital of the Kingdom from Al’ameria to the current one in Aldeera – where I lived with Mazen – right after King Qasem’s marriage to my mother-in-law, Queen Mother Shams.

  Because of its importance, King Qasem appointed his brother to rule Princedom of Al’ameria, and Prince Hamed later stepped down because of medical issues. He named his son, Jasem, as his successor. Unfortunately, under Jasem’s mismanagement, Al’ameria fortunes changed – from being the richest and brightest princedom to the poorest in the Kingdom.

  I sighed at the thought; it was a very sad thing. However, that would change soon. With the hospital now running, the school under construction, and with over fifteen factories being built ― with another four already manufacturing much-needed products – everything would change for the best. I was very sure of it.

  Rosanna had been a great help. Her thoughts on everything, her remarkable suggestions, and wonderful edits on projects – all of them were making everything much better. I wouldn’t know what to do without her. Nothing I could say would be enough to explain how much I was grateful for her being in my life, as a member of the royal family, and most importantly, as my best friend.

  She and Prince Fahd attended the opening ceremony and intended to return to the palace right after to take charge of the Kingdom while Mazen and I took a few days off. I wish we all could take a vacation together, but that didn’t seem possible. To be honest, neither Mazen nor I would trust anyone other than Fahd and Rosanna to rule the Kingdom in our absence.

  The sensation of swaying was the first thing that I became aware of as I woke up from my deep sleep. I spent a wonderful night on our yacht. It was so romantic and sweet and reminded me a lot of the night when Mazen proposed to me in London. Not to mention the soul-delighting sex.

  Before I could get lost in that thought, my new maid’s high-pitched voice took me away from my lazy attempt to get out of bed.

  “Want me to prepare the bath for you, Your Majesty?”