Sara awoke with a start. She could hear the sound of her heart beating rapidly in her chest, and she willed the muscle to slow its pace. This was the second night since ‘the incident’, as she referred to it in her thoughts, and was again racked with nightmares. She would wake up in a panic, then just couldn’t, or wouldn’t, go back to sleep.
Tonight, rather than tossing and turning until the sun came up, she got out of bed and threw on the silver robe she had left draped over her vanity chair. The moon was bright, so she didn’t bother to light the oil lamp beside her bed. She was getting used to not being able to just flick on a switch to turn on a light. Even though the Palace had most modern conveniences, for some reason Rashid had neglected to install electric lights, at least in her suite.
She walked, in bare feet, out through the sitting room to the garden. All bathed in silvery moonlight, it looked like a magical place, and while standing there, still and quiet, Sara felt as if she were a part of the magic. She imagined she was a fairy princess and this was her enchanted garden.
Rashid was in his study, working late. His eyesight was getting blurry, so he decided to quit. He set his pencil down and rubbed at his eyes. Although he was tired, he did not feel sleepy, so decided to relax with a snifter, or two, of brandy before retiring.
He clicked off the desk lamp (he had installed electric lights in his study) and pushed away from the desk, then went to the liquor cabinet. He poured some into the glass and tossed it back, closing his eyes as the fiery liquid burned its way down his throat. He refilled his glass and went to look out at the garden and across to Sara’s suite.
And then he saw her. At first he thought he was imagining things. Her hair was platinum in the moonlight, and her robe shimmered like gossamer. She was an apparition, a vision of loveliness, but he knew she was real. She looked up and their eyes locked. He set the snifter of brandy on the small table next to the door and stepped outside. His eyes never left hers as he moved towards her.
To Sara, in her dreamlike trance of enchantment, he moved as if in slow motion, and it seemed as though years had passed when he finally reached her. He stood so close she could smell the male scent of him. He bent his head and brushed her lips with his own. Sara closed her eyes and melted in his arms as they embraced. He lifted her off her feet and carried her into the bedchamber, where he gently placed her on the bed.