It was an old Arabic saying that Altair had always believed it to be true, and the words had never weighed heavier in his mind than they did now. It was one thing to know and feel that his heart now beat for the princess, but for him to speak those words...
He just didn't fucking know if he could still risk pushing through with it.
"You appear lost in thought."
Altair recalled himself with an effort at the older man's words. "Maehdina." I'm sorry. "And as for Urwa..." How the fuck had Safiya's father heard about it when the whole fucking search was supposed to be a secret?
Mahmud simply shrugged at the other man's narrowed gaze. "I do not need to leave this house to have eyes and ears in the outside world."
"That sounds like a warning," Altair drawled.
"But it is not. I am only stating a fact, alshaykh, and whether you believe me or not..." Mahmud's voice turned gruff. "I was not lying either when I promised you justice and retribution in exchange for my daughter's care. I know my past actions suggest otherwise, but she matters a lot to me."
"You're right," Altair said after a moment. "Your past actions suggest otherwise."
"I deserve that," Mahmud acknowledged with a grimace. "But even so...it still does not make my words a lie."
Altair's jaw clenched. "You truly expect me to believe that one of my kinsmen is a traitor?"
The princess' father did not speak right away, and when he did, the older man threw Altair for a loop when he suddenly started talking about Safiya's deceased mother.
"She was the sweetest little thing, alshaykh. The kindest and the prettiest. Not a single evil bone in her body. And my daughter, she takes after her mother in every way, so you can just imagine how hard and fast I had fallen for her."
A reminiscing smile briefly softened the man's weathered features.
"And then there was me. An ugly, coarse-mannered mug who shouldn't have had a shot in hell at winning her hand. But I did. Why she chose me over all the others will probably remain as one of the world's greatest mysteries. But she did. And we eloped. Her parents never forgave her for marrying me, and their disapproval hurt her badly. It was why I swore then...I would make my daughter the queen of Ramil so her parents would see that Maia had not been wrong in choosing me."
Altair remained silent as he pondered Mahmud's words. What was the other man's point in telling him this? Or did Safiya's father simply mean to remind Altair that he, too, was nothing but an ugly mug next to his ethereal-looking daughter?
"When my wife died...I lost my mind a little. All I could think of was bringing honor to Maia's memory, and Safiya...she reminded me too much of my wife at that time I could not bear looking at her. So I decided it was best to simply throw myself at making Farigha rich while I left it to the others to educate and train my daughter in the way that was befitting a future queen."
There was another moment's silence, and then Mahmud said in a voice filled with harshly bitter self-loathing, "In all those times I was gone, I had not known that the man I put in charge was the kind who raped women and beat children. The kind that constantly punished my daughter with starvation because any other punishment would've left damning evidence."
Altair's face had turned ashen by the time Mahmud finished speaking. "Who is he?"
"I believe you've already met him. Saul—-" Mahmud saw the younger man's gaze darken, and he knew right away that Altair had recognized the name.
"Is that not the name of your right-hand man?" Altair gritted out.
"Nem."
"Where is he now?" Altair demanded.
"He escaped during the revolt." Mahmud's voice was flat. "I have not seen or heard from him again, but if I do..." The older man's voice turned vicious. "He would wish he had never been born."
Altair stared at Safiya's father for several moments. While Mahmud's revelations about his relationship with his deceased wife and his former right-hand man were nothing short of confounding and abominable respectively—-
Mahmud was unsurprised by the wariness that remained in the younger man's gaze. It was only to be expected that Altair question his motives for saying the things he did. And as for his reasons why—-
"I told you my wife's story because I wanted you to understand that being a queen has never been Safiya's desire. I am hoping that by knowing this, you will have less reason to misjudge and distrust her. And as for Saul...few people know this, but he is my half-brother. It is why I trusted him so much, and why I never thought he would even think of defiling his own niece. But he did. And his betrayal is something I hope you may learn from. Blood is not always thicker than water, alshaykh."
Altair wanted to say he disagreed.
But he could not.
Because his vision had already started to waver, and by the time he realized he had been drugged, it was already too late.
Yara was the one who found the sheikh unconscious hours later, and Yara was also the one to tell him that Mahmud had escaped.
Chapter Seventeen
Dear Mama,
Papa has escaped. And I feel this is the beginning of the end.
MALIK HAD YARA PUT his older brother on the phone as soon as he received news about Altair regaining consciousness and showing no signs of any serious injury. "Do you need me to do anything?"
There was a slight pause, and then the other sheikh answered, "Nem."
"Tell me then. As long as it's within my power, consider it done." Malik meant every word as he also knew this was the only way Altair would allow him to be of assistance. As much as he wanted to ask how Altair was feeling after Mahmud's escape - a man who was, for all intents and purposes, Altair's future father-in-law - Malik knew it would be pointless to do so. Altair had never been the type to share such things, and the other man had become even less prone to talking since their father died.
Altair relayed a series of instructions, and while most of it had to do with palace security, which made sense, it was Altair's last request for the princess that made Malik frown.
"Do you not think it's safer for her to be in the palace?"
Altair's jaw clenched at the question. "It's just as safe in our base."
"She is to be your wife, Altair—-"
"Do you think I am not aware of that?" Altair snarled under his breath. "I cannot make the same mistake again, Malik. I just fucking can't, and with Mahmud’s escape—-"
"Exactly," Malik nearly growled. "It is Mahmud who has escaped, not his daughter—-"
"It does not matter." Altair's jaw clenched. "I have made up my mind—-"
"Just fucking think of what you're choosing to do," Malik cut in harshly. "Just think. Do you truly believe the princess has anything to do with Mahmud's escape?"
No.
His heart told him this, and his soul said the same thing.
But God...
The fucking risks...
How the fuck could he take even the slightest risk when he remembered all too fucking clearly how Safiya had never asked a single thing about his first meeting with Mahmud?