Golden Bird

“Be careful you do not burn. The sun is strong now,” he shouted.

“Rashid!” shrieked Yasmine, happy to see her beloved brother. “I do not burn, silly ... come and play with us.”

“Yes, but Sara’s skin is much fairer, and you should not keep her out in the sun too long,” he said, perhaps a little more sharply than he meant.

Sara took one look at Yasmine’s face, hurt from his reprimand, and reached up as he approached. She smiled sweetly as he leaned down to assist her from the pool. But instead of leaping out when he gripped her hand, she yanked him into the water.

The expression on Yasmine’s face changed from hurt, to shock, but then she took one look at Sara, and burst into giggles.

While Rashid was coming up for air from his unexpected dip, the two giggling females jumped out of the pool and ran to their towels. Yasmine discreetly left, wanting to avoid any scolding from her brother for Sara’s prank.Still laughing, Sara brought a towel to Rashid as he climbed out of the pool. With a look of mock anger, Rashid demanded, “Is that any way to treat a prince?”

“That’s your problem, you’re too much the prince. You’ve got to learn to stop being so dictatorial.”

Rashid’s eyes narrowed as he watched her approach, and ignoring the offered towel, pulled her to him and whispered in her ear, “And will you teach me?”

“I guess I’ll have to,” she answered as she pushed away from him.

Reluctantly, Rashid let her go and took the towel from her. He sat down on a marble bench. Sara watched as he rubbed his thick black hair with the fluffy pink towel.

“You hurt Yasmine’s feelings, you know.” she said.

Rashid sighed. “Yes, I did not mean to be so harsh with her, but I was concerned for you.”

“Now wait just a minute don’t blame this on me.”

“You are right. I will make it up to her, I promise.”

“Good. ... Now what’s all this about you going off into the desert?”

Rashid raised his eyebrows, “What do you know about that?”

“Well, nothing except Yasmine said something about the palace being in an uproar about your going into the desert. So what’s it all about?”