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Love of the Desert [[ShadyxHoudini]]

((Please, it's fine. We all have times where we're not at our best. Really hope you feel better! Besides, I didn't think it was bad anyway. xD))

Hamadi gulped quietly, as Tahirah turned to face him. He knew that she was concealing some inner contempt, not that she showed it. Her training prepared her well to hide such emotions from her superiors, but her voice didn't have any of the usual excitement, any of the unintentionally seductive tone which normally drove him crazy. He walked over to her, not saying a word, but his mind racing a mile a minute, wanting to blurt out all of the feelings that were racing through his mind. As he stood near her, his heart beated so hard that it seemed to want to escape its confinement of his chest.

"I came to find you, Tahirah, because I..." Despite all his education, he was never trained in apologies or humility. It was not something a person in his place was expected to have much use for, but he knew he needed it here. "Well, I feel terrible about what happened last night. I know it's not an excuse, but I was afraid of my guests. You didn't deserve what you got. Although I'm sure it won't make you feel any better, I just wanted you to know that I would give anything to take it back. I couldn't bear to watch it, even though I must admit, my friends took cruel pleasure in the spectacle."

He put his hand lightly on her dark chin, and nudged it upwards a bit, noticing the tenseness in her neck. "I wish you could bring yourself to look at me without being afraid. It's fine," he assured her. He looked into her hurt eyes. "Are you okay?"
 
(( Hehe, thanks. You still enjoying this? ^^ ))

As he walked closer it took all she could manage not to shy away from him, to retreat backward a few steps, closer to the table, to the balcony - anywhere. She swallowed back hard as his scuffing came to a stop in front of her. Her eyes closed slowly as she listened to his words. She expected some sort of request, perhaps to move out of the way, or leave her work here for later - maybe he needed the room for something. The soft, sincere tone that came out of his mouth was far from what she had expected. Almost uncontrollably she shifted on her feet as he spoke. Was he actually apologizing to her?

Although the words "I'm sorry" didn't escape his lips, she could tell he was struggling with even what he had said. "Your highness, I was given a punishment I deserved for my transgressions against you and your guests. My behavior was improper and clumsy. I am the one to apologize for embarrassing you..." she said before he touched her, swallowing back. If he hadn't been taught to apologize, she had been taught to overcompensate for him - especially in the presence of a royal. One was to never allow them to think that something was their fault; bring the guilt back on your shoulders...

Her jaw tensed and her teeth clenched as he reached out to touch her. As his sincerity grew and he made the request that she look at him, she almost felt her own eyes begin to tear. It had been a long time since anyone had touched her with any sort of compassion, and coming from him, it made her heart sink into her chest for various reasons. She couldn't return the touch, couldn't show emotion and couldn't allow her mind to wander to feeling his arms wrapped around her, his cheek pressed lightly to hers...

Even as he lifted her chin higher, her eyes darted around, purposefully avoiding him and it seemed like she might actually be resisting his touch - but it was more the tenseness of her body that was pushing against him. How was she supposed to deal with this? "I'm fine, my lord..." she said shortly, not sure what kind of answer he wanted. Tahirah opened her mouth a little as if to say more, but she closed it again, unsure what to say - it was best to leave it at that for now.

In truth, she wanted to nuzzle her cheek into his hand, feel the warmth of his skin against her own, look at the lovely contrast and smell his sweet scent. Her dark eyes finally twitched over his face, finding it nearly unavoidable now. Her eyes turned a little red from the tension in her body and the emotions she felt - confusion, mostly - but she held it back, never to show such things in front of the Prince.
 
((I am most certainly still enjoying it. I hope that is mutual. ^^))

As he listened to her response, he could tell that she was still tense, and answering him mechanically, as she had been taught to do. He wondered how he could convince her that he really did care for her. He wanted more than anything to squeeze her tightly right there on the spot. His eyes searched for a meeting with Tahirah's deep, dark eyes, but found none. He watched her soft, pink lips quiver in uncertainly as to what to say to him. How he wanted to kiss those soft lips, long and tenderly. As they stood close together, he detected a whiff of that familiar, lovely scent which was so comforting. It seemed mixed with something else, maybe some salve which she had used to clean her wounds.

"Tahirah, you didn't deserve it. No one knows more than I, how careful, and dutiful you are with everything which is entrusted to you." His soft touch moved away from her chin, and he placed his hands gently on the tan skin of her upper arms, hoping this was reassuring to her. "And just when I thought nothing could be worse than the pain I felt for you last night, the worst part was when that other girl came in this morning. I only changed your assignment because I didn't think I could bear to face you today after what happened." He thought about how Tahirah's visit was the best part of each day, even though he wouldn't admit it before, he looked forward to seeing her each morning more than anything else.

Although he refrained from an apology, or an outright declaration of love at the moment, he hoped that his true feelings would be understood by the girl. "Call me by my name, please - Hamadi", he requested of her. "I have not acted deserving of any of the lofty titles you have been trained to call me by." He examined the parts of her shoulders not covered by her garment, looking for a trace of the wounds. "But those strokes must have hurt so much. Aren't you in pain?"
 
(( Most definitely! I look forward to every post. ^^ ))

His increasing closeness made her stiffen. Even still as his hands moved down from her face, her chin nearly followed it - she didn't want him to pull away, but she stopped herself, breathing in sharply when she felt his strong, soft, barely worked hands on her upper arms. His words flattered her, as did his attention, and Tahirah's eyes moved quietly behind him, toward the doors he'd walked in through, wondering if someone would come in. Her nerves were on edge with the Prince so close but she couldn't make herself pull away.

Tahirah's thoughts trailed to the girl that would have walked through his doors that morning and finally her eyes met his. She was shaking lightly and clearly was nervous about looking him in the face - she had never been so bold. She swallowed back and breathed deeply trying to steady herself and her feelings. "A-Akila is... Is a w-wonderful girl... Very loyal..." she breathed quietly, looking over his face again. That chin and jawbone that seemed carved from solid rock, the beautiful way the dim light coming in through the balconies swept over his bronzed cheekbones. His full eyelashes and lips, pink and slightly wet with his own saliva. Hearing him ask her to call him by his name, her eyes dropped again - she could not believe what she was hearing.

The concern in his question made her eyes blink rapidly a few times as she held back tears, letting her chest rise and fall with a few breaths before she answered him. "I have had worse," she said simply, looking up at him, watching his eyes trail so unabashedly over her skin. Her shoulders showed little to no trace of her wounds, though her back was dotted and trailed with red marks, covered in salve to clean them. "M-Most of them struck on my back," she explained, continuing after another breath, "I am sore, but the pain is numbed by my stretching and bending while I work..." Her voice was slow, almost as if she were testing the waters, so to speak. His name would not yet cross her lips; she was not quite that secure, nor that bold yet, no matter how much he may have longed to hear it from her softly purring voice.
 
As he watched her and listened to her speak, the wonderful soft purr seemed to be creeping back into her voice. That was encouraging, he thought. But obviously, she was still stiff, and forced, when speaking with him. And who could blame her? After all, he was the one who gave the order for her to be whipped less than twenty-four hours ago, regardless of what he was saying now. And in such a humiliating manner. He thought that this would not be the time to tell her fully how he felt, difficult as it was to hold back, the way that her soft voice aroused such a tingle inside of him. “Akila seems quite pleasant”, Hamadi admitted, “but looking forward to your arrival has been the most pleasant part of my day these last few months. And not just because you serve breakfast well – although you do.” He sighed softly. “There’s just something… nice… about your presence each day.”

He looked at her shoulders, knowing that the red stripes existed just below the visible area. "Those wounds - I hope that they heal quickly, and do not cause you too much pain." He thought to himself that perhaps his sincerity would be demonstrated to Tahirah if someone else knew of his concern for her. He was not about to go tell his father that he was crazy about a slave, but he did have something in mind. “You shouldn’t be working hard like this the day after… well, what happened. Your wounds will never heal properly. I’m going to find the woman who normally cares for my sister. She knows all about skin care. I will have her rub the finest salves into your wounds, and rub your sore muscles to soothe them. I’ll have some fine food brought to you, so that you can rest and heal today. Please, don’t try to refuse. I won’t let her tell anyone about it.” He looked into her eyes, sensing for the first time that she seemed almost on the brink of tears. Her entire chest seemed to heave with emotion. Again, he resisted the urge to hold her, to sweep her off her feet and comfort her, as he nervously waited for her response to his offer. "And I'll come to see you afterward, to make sure everything is well. Just consider it a partial repayment for an unjust punishment"
 
A quick, gentle, almost pleased smile crossed over her face as he said that seeing her brightened his day. Tahirah's mind couldn't help but think of the times he'd engaged her in conversation, only to seem to get suddenly and unnervingly frustrated with her before he turned around and left her to her own thoughts without a simple goodbye. He'd turned his back on her more than once and last night was no different. Even still, his soothing voice and words made her slow down and almost seem less tense, though her breathing was still slightly forced and concentrated as she thought through exactly what he was saying.

Tahirah's eyes floated over his face once again when he talked of the woman treating her. She bit her pink bottom lip between her teeth, rolling it for a second before letting go. "B-But, your hi-... But, my work... It needs to be finished..." she said, turning her head toward the basket of linens on the floor still needing to be hung and placed. "I'm afraid if... If I take the time to do as you have offered, I will be... Beaten even worse than before," she said, swallowing back. Not doing her assigned chores would definitely lead to worse injuries than the ones she had suffered in the dim courtyard the night before.

Her own skin seemed to tingle under his touch and all she wanted to do was lean forward into him, get lost in his arms, smell the sweet almond and lotus flower on his tunic. Her eyes fluttered slightly at the lovely thought before she swallowed back. "I am already on thin terms with the headmaster for my... Performance at your party," she swallowed, dropping her eyes slightly. Her jaw clenched as she toyed with the idea of saying something vaguely insulting - but she couldn't make herself do it. "I cannot afford to leave my chores unfinished," Tahirah mentioned quietly, "Though I greatly appreciate your... Concern, H-Hamadi." His name rolled smoothly off her tongue, though her mouth closed quickly after. The girls' voice had cracked slightly when she went to say his name, but figured if she was going to do it - and if he wasn't sincere, or was going to get angry with her - it was best to find out here, now, in seclusion where he could strike her with no witnesses. Even still as she thought that, part of her brain could not process that he could be so unpleasant with her - already today he'd shown her more of himself than he had in the months she'd served him, not to mention the sincerity in his dark eyes.
 
He smiled widely upon hearing her pronounce his name, even in such a delicate manner. "I've thought of that, Tahirah," he explained. "I'm going to go back to the headmaster, and explain to him that although Akila did an excellent job, she doesn't know how I like everything as you do, and I've decided to change your assignment back. I'm going to tell him to reassign you now to make up my quarters, and Akila to finish your work." He took his hands off her arms, his palms now a bit sweaty, the moisture mixed with hers, both of them perspiring, not only from the midday heat, but from worry about the unspoken, forbidden sexual tension between them.

He resolved to himself that he would give in to conflicted emotions no more. Never again would he be kind to the lovely girl one moment, curt the next. "I would rather suffer such treatment myself, that see anything of the sort happen to you again. I just won't let it happen." He licked his lips a bit, glancing back at the door, still a bit nervous about everything, but the halls seemed to remain clear of any activity.

((Hope my posts aren't getting too short for you. I'm just enjoying the back and forth conversation))
 
(( It's no problem at all. =) ))

His smile made her heart flutter - she'd seen him smile a few times before, but nothing so wide, so sincere... So much about her. She breathed out heavily, apparently relieved by his reaction. Hearing him explain his plan, she nodded softly and swallowed back - he was much smarter and better at planning things out than she had perhaps given him credit for. "I... I appreciate that very much," she replied, formally bowing her head lightly. Even with his request for his name and less reluctance to look him in the face, some things were ingrained so deeply in her head, it would be hard to get rid of them. Tahirah frowned softly when he removed his hands, though it seemed to help them both relax a little. She shifted on her feet lightly even still, trying to establish equilibrium within herself.

"I will... Wait here until you return," she said quietly, finally looking up at his face again. She stood a little shorter than him, so looking up at him was a near-necessity. Her hand squeezed into a light fist at her side as she resisted the urge to reach out and touch him, stroke her hands around his slightly exposed collarbones, over his muscular arms, down his cheek. "Unless you would prefer I wait somewhere else," she added quickly with a blink of her dark brown eyes. From his reaction she wished to repeat his name over and over and over again, saying it to make him smile, but she held herself back, waiting for him to carry out the rest of his plans. Refusing his offer would be both rude and silly of her - she wanted to be close to him, in whatever capacity she could manage, not to mention the treatment he was promising her sounded above and beyond how she would ever again be treated in her lifetime. It was a package far too good to pass up.
 
Relieved that she had accepted his offer, he stepped back from her, not wanting to leave her presence even momentarily, although it was necessary. After all, her soft, submissive speech was driving him into even more of a frenzy inside. He hoped she had not only accepted out of duty or fear. "I would prefer you to wait in my room, but I think it's best to stay here until I clear everything up with the headmaster, so no one thinks you're slacking off." He looked back at her, his gaze locking with hers, and lingering for just a moment until she looked down again. He sensed some slow wearing away of her rehearsed, polished, slightly fearful behavior, and was glad for that.

He headed out of the room, leaving Tahirah with her work, but with less despair than a few minutes ago, he hoped. He went out to the area of the palace where those servants who attended to his sister Rashida usually were found. His sister was sixteen, three years younger than he, and she liked to keep as many servants on hand as possible. She thought nothing of having one servant work on her hands, another on her feet, and a third fanning her with a large palm branch. Fortunately, there were so many, that it wouldn't likely be too difficult to sneak one away. He found the one he wanted, leading her to a free room in a rarely used section of the palace, and instructing her on the care to be given Tahirah. "And no one is to know of this," he warned her.

Hamadi was off next to the headmaster of the slaves, informing him that he was going to have Tahirah back, and assign her immediately to re-doing all of Akila's current work, so that she would be occupied for some time. "The new one is an excellent slave, I don't want her disciplined in any way. I am just a particular person, and don't want her to spend the next month learning how I want everything, when the old one already knows."

He nearly floated down the several stone corridors back to the dining hall, his tunic trailing behind him as he moved quickly. The hurried movement during the early afternoon heat caused a few beads of sweat to develop on his forehead. As he pushed open the door, Tahirah was still alone inside, working at smoothing the large cloth over the table. He ran over to her, his heart racing. A broad smile crept across his face at the sight of her, causing his cheekbones to rise higher than usual, and his chin to jut out a bit. Impulsively, he grabbed her soft, dark hand, squeezed it inside of his, and led her towards the door. "Let's go, I have everything arranged!" He quickly thought that it may not be prudent to let anyone see this type of contact with her, and let go of the hand, once he thought of that.
 
Her eyes floated over his face for what time she had left to look at it before he left her there alone. It was like she was trying to drink in every detail, almost as if she were to never see him again. Her head nodded lightly as he left, twiddling her thumbs idly in front of her body. A smile crossed Tahirah's lips softly as he spoke and after he was gone, she slowly turned back to her work and the cloth she'd placed down on the table when he'd walked in. Her mind was spinning now that he was gone - what had just happened? Her thoughts were jumbled and she was nervous again; nervous about his plan, about getting so close to him, about the feelings that neither of them seemed to even want to speak about. That the couldn't speak about.

To ease her nerves she reverted to something familiar - and that was setting the cloths in place. The deep, rich purple runner stretched lengthwise down the long, heavy tables. She bent over the table, smoothing it out on top of the impeccably white linen underneath. Tahirah had been so absorbed in her own thoughts inside her head, she hadn't heard him come in. Feeling his hand grasp at her, she gasped and nearly tumbled over from surprise. Suddenly she was on her feet and being pulled toward the door before he let go. Her eyes blinked and she glanced down at her hand, almost aching to put it back on his skin. It was a good thing, however, that he let go, seeing as the headmaster came in with Akila to have her finish Tahirah's chores not long after. "My Prince," she bowed, giving Tahirah a bit of a look before she continued into the room to finish what Tahirah had not.

"Tahirah... The Prince will be taking you back into his circle of personal slaves. You best be careful," the headmaster leaned down to whisper at her. He stood up straighter, speaking to everyone now. "Akila will finish in here. Prince, I assume you can lead Tahirah back to your quarters to do what it is you want finished," he said, bowing his head lightly as Tahirah walked cautiously toward Hamadi, and then out the door and into the corridor with him. Her eyes moved up to him, still obviously a little hesitant, but she gave him a sheepish smile which, while brief and fleeting, was still progress. She was amazed this plan was working so far - and only hoped they wouldn't get caught. Or, rather, that she wouldn't be caught - the Prince really had nothing to worry about aside from somehow losing her.
 
As the headmaster entered the room, Hamadi was taken a bit by surprise. He had almost taken for granted his privacy with Tahirah in the dining hall. "Yes, I will show Tahirah what needs to be done. I'm sure she will do as she's asked. Thank you for you assistance," he answered the headmaster. He didn't say anything to Akila, he thought that he didn't owe her anything beyond making sure she wouldn't suffer for her role in this matter.

Once the left the room, he turned toward Tahirah and smiled. Beyond the excitement of their unspoken feelings towards each other, there was now the thrill of being involved in a secret plan of sorts, one that only the two of them knew about. "That was close," he remarked to her, doing his best to speak to her as a friend, and not as a cruel owner. "I have everything arranged. The girl is going to clean and treat your wounds properly, and give you a thorough massage to relax you. Then, while you are resting, she will bring you a plate of food from my father's own table" They will be leftovers of course, but I hope you will enjoy them.." He looked over at her as they walked along, glad to be in the presence of her sweet scent again. "I know you probably have no reason to trust me, but I wish you would trust me enough to speak honestly with me. You don't have to admit it if you don't want. But I imagine that you must have been angry, or at least disappointed, in me last night. And I hope this will help you forgive me."

It was clear to him that in their relationship, if there was going to be one, he would have to be the one to make all the moves, without knowledge if his feelings were shared by her. She clearly was not going to outright reject him, yet she was also unlikely to share any feelings she had for him. However, he had a sense that he could look into those dark, beautiful eyes of her, and understand what she was thinking, and that was enough for him to put faith in. As they approached the room he had waiting for her, he opened the door. "This is it," he explained. "I'd like to come back to see you afterward," he whispered to her, as the girl who would be working on Tahirah heard them enter and turned around to face them.
 
Tahirah's soft smile remained playing across her lips, even dancing softly in her eyes. There was something nice about being involved so closely with something having to do with the Prince. Something that the two of them shared, that the two of them mutually understood, at least to some degree. She followed quickly behind him, letting him set the pace as they walked toward the room. She frowned for a split second when they passed by the corridor that would lead them to his room. The girl was sort of hoping, somewhere in her mind, that this would take place in his bedroom. That she'd be able to be treated laying face down in his bed, ensnaring herself in his soft, sweet-smelling sheets. She wanted him to stand there watching over her, even as embarrassing as it may well be. Even still as they stopped at the correct door she could smell the almonds. She wanted to lean forward and press her lips against the skin on the back of his neck, to smell his skin and his clothes all at once, but she stopped herself. What improper thoughts!

She was flattered by the way he had really arranged for everything. Hearing him talk about the food was probably among the most exciting - she even quickly stifled a giggle when he talked about the leftovers. Their leftovers were better than the food for the slaves any day. So she nodded her head in agreement, following him farther down the hallway. "P-Prince, I..." she started, but bit her tongue, moving her eyes up to his form again. It was a slip to call him Prince against his wishes, but she couldn't help herself. "I was... Disappointed in myself, for thinking I had displeased you. A-And..." she started, but shook her head. She wouldn't admit she was angry with him, because she couldn't understand why. She had no reason to be angry with him - at least, no reason that made any sort of sense, given their situation.

"I was disappointed, more, when I was told I would be taken away from my duties, Hamadi..." she said, her soft, delicate voice just barely above a whisper as they reached the doors. His name rolled off her tongue once again and she couldn't help but look to see the expression on his face - both from her confession and his name coming form her lips. Looking up to see the other slave, her head bowed quietly and she smiled at him softly when he asked to see her again - it put a little more faith in her and her head nodded gently. "I-I... I would appreciate that. If you came back," she said, letting a brief smile onto her lips before she bit at her bottom one and slowly moved forward into the room, shuffling over toward the woman that took care of Hamadi's sister, a royal.
 
He left the room, giving a fleeting glance back in Tahirah's direction as he closed the door. He hadn't told her, but he was the one who was going to fetch her meal for her while she was being treated. He thought it would only make her nervous to know that a prince was going to be delivering her meal for her. However, that was the only way to get the food to her without involving another slave to do it. And he wanted to involve as few others as possible at the moment. As he walked away, he signed, wishing that it would be his own hands working the soothing salve into the dark, scarred skin of her back. He wished that it were he rubbing her gently, taking her pain away.

He went down to the food preparation area, and hold the head baker that he hadn't felt up to dining formally for his midday meal today, and just wanted to take something that he could eat quickly in his room. "Don't prepare anything special," he insisted. "I'll take whatever is ready, why not what remains from my father's noon meal?" The baker agreed, and wrapped him a generous portion of figs, cucumber, fish, and fresh fowl. He also took with him a large wine skin filled with fine wine, and two cups wrapped in a linen cloth.

Once he hurried back up to Tahirah's location, he paced around the area a bit, not wanting to make her uncomfortable by interrupting her relaxing therapy. He walked through the nearby corridors, making sure no one was in the area who might suspect anything. Finally he settled down in the empty room next to the one Tahirah was in, having instructed the slave assigned to her to come in once she was finished, to get the food and drink. As he waited, he looked around the room. There was a luxurious bed in it, covered with silk sheets. Gold and precious stones adorned the walls and all the furniture. And no one had ever even lived in this room. It was created for the possibility that a royal might need it someday. "A waste", he thought to himself. He had never thought this way before, but it seemed that subconsciously he was starting to think the way a person of Tahirah's upbringing might view things.

As he waited, he thought that he heard a few groans of enjoyment from the next room, but he wasn't sure. After waiting about another half-hour, his sister's slave came in for the tray of food. He gave it over to the slave, and although he had initially thought Tahirah may want to eat alone and relax, he was anxious to see her, and said to the slave: "Ask her if she would like some company while she eats. Come back and let me know what she says."
 
Tahirah had laid down on a bed in the room, face down. Her Kalarsis had been unclipped and the back had been pulled down to expose her raw back. Her skin hid a lot of the red marks, but the strikes of the whip were still not very mistakable. The thing red stripes trailed over her skin and the other slave gently wound her finger over them, mostly to examine them. Tahirah's faced her head to her left, breathing deeply and slowly, trying to relax. Her skin had scabbed over where it had started to bleed, except where she was bending and stretching - her shoulders and about her waist were still raw and open, and while not bleeding, the cheap salve she'd used before did not do much to heal the wounds.

Soon enough the other girl got to work. Her hands started with a light massage and Tahirah closed her eyes. Then came some salve to be stroked lightly over her wounds. She drew in a sharp breath when it was placed down on some of the more tender spots, but otherwise held her tongue. There was no reason to complain here - this was better treatment than she could ever have asked for. Her eyes closed and after a few minutes of letting it dry, the woman began to gently massage her shoulders, avoiding the red marks that were slowly fading into her tanned skin. Down her shoulders, over her arms a little. The process didn't take long, but Tahirah was in heaven, enjoying every moment. When it was done, she was told she could sit up and put her clothes back on. The woman was now going to get her food.

Tahirah just laid there for a few seconds before groaning softly. She was a little stiff and laying there in the soft sheets felt good - she didn't want to have to get up. Slowly, though, she rose and pinned her kalarsis back together. When the woman came back in with her food, she grinned and offered her a piece of sweet fig before nodding and telling her to tell Hamadi that she wouldn't mind a bit of company. "Thank you... For everything," she was certain to say, never one to be rude to anyone. She looked down at the food in front of her and wasn't even sure where to start. Cautiously, as if afraid she was going to get in trouble, she reached out for a cucumber, putting a little of the fish on it to eat before she brought it to her mouth to taste.
 
"The girl would like you to join her," the slave told him softly, returning to the room Hamadi was waiting in. He wasn't sure what other response he could have expected. He was sure Tahirah wouldn't tell him no, even if she did want her privacy. He would feel her out, he decided, and leave if it didn't feel right. That was easier said than done, of course, as if he was being honest with himself, he should have known that he would never want to leave, once in her intoxicating presence. "You can return to my sister's service", he told the slave. "If anyone inquires as to your absence, tell them I wasn't feeling well and I needed a massage. Don't say a word to anyone about the girl." He handed the slave three gold coins, although there had been no agreement to do so. He didn't want her to be tempted to try and make a name for herself by blowing the whistle to the royal court about what was going on.

As he walked into the next room, he was greeted with the sight of a more relaxed looking Tahirah, sitting up on the bed, eating. Her manner of eating was so dainty, he thought. She took small bites, and chewed each bite quietly, her soft lips smacking together ever so slightly in between bites. It was almost sensual in his estimation. He realized that he had never seen her eat before, despite the many times she had attended to him during a meal. Slaves attended to the nobles and royals while they ate, not the other way around. He gazed over towards her, walking silently in her direction, and sat on the bed next to her, placing his hand on her knee, and kneading it gently. "I hope your treatment was refreshing," he said, sliding over to the table next to the bed, and pouring some wine of the skin into the two cups, offering one to her.
 
The slave woman held out her palm with the coins he'd placed there and stared for a minute, tilting her head. This hadn't been part of the agreement, but what she could get with this! She smiled at him and bowed her head, promising her silence to him before he scurried into the room where Tahirah was tentatively eating her food. Tahirah sat on the edge of the bed with the tray in her lap, sampling some of the food. She took a nibble out of the piece of fig and nearly moaned from the taste in her mouth - the slaves never got fresh fruit. It was far too expensive, far too in demand, for them to get it. Instead they got bread, usually a day old, maybe some jam, a little bit of meat or fish of some kind once a day. If they were bold they would sneak from the kitchen... But the punishment for that was severe. Which was, perhaps, part of the reason Tahirah was so cautious about eating the food.

Seeing him walk in, she smiled softly and swallowed back, blushing softly, though the color was barely noticeable on her bronzed cheeks. Her body shuddered quietly, something she could not control, when he placed his hand on her knee. The gesture seemed innocent enough, but feeling his warm, soft hand on her skin made her want to lean over and nuzzle her head into his chest. She caught a whiff of his scent and smiled softly before finishing off one of the figs. "Would... Would you like something to eat?" she offered, sliding the tray a little toward him. When he handed her the glass, she smiled and took it. "Thank you," she said, sipping lightly and letting her eyes clothes. It wasn't watered down wine, something the slaves got occasionally - this was real, pure, royal wine. Her lips puckered lightly as she swallowed it, before she answered him.

"My treatment was exquisite, Pr- Hamadi," she said, obliging him by calling his name. She did love to see him smile. "Better than I could have hoped for... Thank you. Very much. I don't know how to thank you for something like that..." she said, stopping herself from rambling on, or going to far by biting into a piece of fowl. While cold, the spices were still there and she smiled down at the tray, avoiding his eye contact a little - Tahirah was still obviously a little nervous and skeptical about all of this.
 
His smile widened as he heard her catch herself and call him by name. He looked at her, watching her perfect white teeth take in the fruit. He loved the way the smooth tip of her tanned nose twitched up and down a bit with each bite. Every tendency of hers seemed to be just as perfect and wonderful to Hamadi as her beautiful form. "You shouldn't thank me for this. It was the least I could do." He accepted her offer and picked up a fig, biting off half of it in his mouth. "Thank you for offering. I haven't actually had lunch yet myself, I was so concerned about you, and well...this," he said, motioning around the room with his hand, bringing attention to the fact that this wasn't how the slave girl was supposed to be passing her afternoon.

He took a sip of wine next, enjoying its smooth taste, and thinking to himself, before removing his hand from her soft, slightly pointed knee. "I hope I'm not making you uncomfortable by touching you," he offered. "I would really want you to tell me if I was," he added, just a bit sternly, hoping that this would give her an opportunity to express something positive towards him, if it existed in her heart. After all, he had seen her steal glances at him before, and had an idea of how she felt, but he still tended to have a bit of pessimism that she would be truly interested in him, despite his rank.

"I wouldn't hurt you or hold it against you, no matter how you felt," he said next, craving the feel of her skin again, now that he had let go of it. He wished he could only take a hold of her and fall back into the bed together, cuddled next to each other, holding her body close to his. "Its just that... like I was saying before, the more that I'm around you, the more I want to stay with you. I know I'm a prince, and I'm not supposed to feel that way, but I can't help it. And to be honest, I like that feeling." He took another long sip of wine, hoping it would calm the nerves that attacked him, a result of admitting more of his true feelings to her than he had done so far.
 
(( Sorry for not posting all day. Mondays are my busiest days of the week. @__@; Haha. ))

Of course Tahirah had figured he hadn't eaten - he had come to her early in the day, before he ever got his meal, as she well knew, but she kept her mouth shut and just smiled, nodding lightly when he took a bite from a fig. Her eyes traveled around the room and she looked at all the fine things, the things that were untouched and generally unseen. Her nose twitched lightly before she took a bite of something else, then bit into a cucumber, turning to take a sip of her wine when he spoke.

"I-It doesn't really bother me," she said quietly, letting her lips twitch into a gentle smile before she dropped her eyes back to her tray. Her tanned cheeks grew warm and she turned her head the other way, pretending to look at some wall hanging before sipping lightly at the wine - she had the same thought that maybe it would calm her nerves some. But, even this embarrassment would not shield her from the words she would be hearing from his mouth next. Her head slowly turned, her silky black hair falling down over her shoulders as she held the glass to her lips, even though she wasn't sipping at it's contents.

Tahirah slowly lowered the cup, swallowing back as he spoke. Was he admitting to enjoying her company? She had accepted his apology, at least in the way he'd chosen to express it, and she thought that would be the end of it. Even so, she knew it would be rude to ignore him - to not say something. She had to come up with some sort of explanation, some feeling or even a word that could come from her mouth. "Hamadi, I..." she started, blinking slightly. "I also enjoy spending time with you when I am allowed. It's why I was mostly upset with myself over... What happened. Knowing that... I wouldn't be able to be... Around you, to serve you." And to see you smile, watch you breathe... she thought, swallowing back before sipping at her wine again. Those feelings would be inappropriate to speak of. "I enjoy our conversations... And I am not angry with you," she assured him quietly, finally lifting her eyes to his face for a second before she lost it and pushed around a bit of her food again.
 
He took a couple of pieces of cucumber while listening to her answer, eating a whole slice and keeping the other in his hand for now. It probably was the most that he had ever heard her speak all at once, at least about herself. Enjoyable as it was, most of their past conversations had been about what she could do for him, certainly not about her own feelings. Although he expected her to say that his hand didn't bother her, as he peeked over at her while she spoke, the soft smile that crossed her face while she said it told him all he needed to know.

Her next words, however, were possibly the happiest words he had ever heard. Could she really have been more disappointed to lose the prospect of being in his company, than in the fact that she was embarrassed and punished publicly? His heart raced and his loins tingled as he knew that his feelings were not unrequited. "I was hoping that you might consider this, not only an apology, but, well, a token of my desire to also be around you." He paused, before draining his wine cup and setting it down, resting his hand back on her knee. "But not for you to serve me, even if, as you said, you enjoyed that."

As he turned to her, her pillowed lips slightly puckered as if in expectation of another sip of wine, he could hold back no longer. He slid his hand from her knee, around her back, curling it around her hip, and slid closer to her on the bed, his chin almost touching the top of her silky, straight hair. As he looked down at her, locking eyes, he added softly "I wondered if there could be something more than serving, or even conversation, between us," before dipping his head down and holding his nose almost against hers.
 
If his words didn't make the poor girl nervous enough, his hand back on her skin certainly did. Tahirah's body shuddered lightly, not because she was cold or his hand had startled her, but because she was nervous. Her eyes fluttered around her own lap, finally resting on his fingertips. When she heard him begin to speak her eyes closed for a second before her head titled upward to look at him - she was completely amazed by what it was he was saying. Was he being serious? Suddenly Tahirah wanted more wine but she had already put down her cup and she figured picking it up would have been a little rude.

Tahirah had thought about something like this time and time again, but now that he was actually moving closer to her on purpose, she swallowed back hard and couldn't find the will to move any part of her body willingly, except her eyes. Suddenly a rush of his smell came into her nostrils. With him so close all she could smell was almond and lotus, even maybe a little perspiration - was her nervous? No, it was just hot in here. Right?

When he leveled his face with hers, though, she had no choice but to look him in the eyes. Her jaw tensed as she tried to open it for a response and it took her a few seconds to muster any sort of movement. "I-I'm not... Sure what you... Mean, H-Hamadi," she breathed, her tender voice purring as a whisper over his skin. With their faces so close she could feel his warm breath against her lips and all she wanted to do was close the distance, but that would be inappropriate. Her eyes searched over her face as she obviously seemed vaguely confused, but not enough to resist or pull away.
 
As his advances rattled Tahirah, the prince became more anxious himself. As it was, she would in fact be in the most danger, should anything happen between them. However, thoughts flashed through Hamadi's mind of what his parents, what his family would do, were even their current encounter discovered, much less anything beyond that. His hand started to tremble ever so slightly on her hip, and he removed it and pulled away from her for a moment, placing it back on her knee, glad to at least retain some tangible connection with her body. "I'm sorry, Tahirah," he said, looking down at the floor. "I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

He did all he could to stop himself from throwing Tahirah back onto the bed and kissing her passionately, now that the feel of her skin was on his hands, her scent in his nostrils, in his mind. Although he was only a moment away from his wildest dreams coming true, he held back out of deference to his beautiful slave. "It's just that I wonder why we can't- can't just be a boy and a girl. Every interaction between us, even now, in private, has been defined by what we were born into. I only wish it could be some other way," he sighed lightly. He finally took his hand away from her, and poured them both a fresh cup of wine. "I think we could both use some more," he said with a nervous laugh. As he sipped it, he took a lock of her hair and twirled it playfully around his finger. "Will I always be 'the prince' to you, or do you think you could ever see me as just 'Hamadi'?" he wondered aloud.
 
Tahirah frowned lightly when he pulled away from her, thinking that she'd upset him in some way. Her body relaxed again with his hand on her knee, though she shook her head when he apologized. "I'm not... Uncomfortable," she smiled softly, reassuringly, watching as his head turned downward, away from her. While listening to him speak she took the glass from his hands with a grateful smile, immediately sipping at the sweet liquid, letting it calm her nerves slowly but surely. Why was she so nervous? Why couldn't she take this for what it was for? Certainly because Hamadi was the Prince - and even if feelings were there, she was a slave. While he might feel the immediate wrath of her father, she'd be lucky if she wasn't killed for being so intimately close to the Prince. A royal of all people! She had audacity. But, it would only get harder to keep herself from being close to him.

The light tingle caused by his hair-twirling made her smile in gratification - she would be content, perhaps, to sit with him so quietly for now, just listen to his breath. But, at the same time, she knew she had to say something. His words crushed her soul for a reason she couldn't understand - why couldn't they just be a boy and a girl? Why could he like her for who she was and not be afraid because of what she was born into? Her eyes flashed down into his lap and she shifted slightly as she decided on something more bold. Something that may very well get her in trouble - but she was damned either way at this point. Either go for it or refuse him, which would hurt her heart and would end with bitterness on both sides.

Slowly her tanned hand slid off the bed and she slowly reached her fingertips to the opposite side of his face. Sweeping them lightly across his chin, she tugged lightly to turn his face toward her. She was obviously nervous - touching a royal was forbidden. If they touched you, that was one thing... But to dirty his skin with her touch... Well, that didn't matter anymore. Tahirah's breathing slowed considerably as she tried to find the perfect words to say. "We will never escape our roles," she said softly, her eyes struggling to maintain contact with his. Her thumb gently swept just under his bottom lip and a sigh escaped from between her lips. "We tread on dangerous waters, more dangerous than the Nile... I'm afraid of what it wi- would take to keep our heads above water," she whispered quietly, furrowing her brow for a second, not sure if he'd understand her analogy. Her hand fell from his face, almost sadly, and both it and her eyes landed on his hand that was on her knee.
 
As he saw her forlorn expression when he pulled away from her, he realized that she wanted to continue down the direction they were heading, despite the fear they both shared of the unknown. He gazed into her eyes, thinking that he had only wanted the moment to be perfect when he first tasted her sweet lips, first shared a tight embrace with her. He thought about her prospects briefly. Of course, he didn't want anything bad for her, but was he being selfish, he wondered? He was putting her in danger after all. Hamadi resolved to be careful not to get caught, more for her sake, than even his own.

His hand tingled as it felt the touch of Tahirah's soft palm. But this didn't prepare him for what she did next. As she touched his face, turning it until it was directed towards hers, he immediately realized there was something extremely sexy about this forbidden act. Her boldness, and confidence, despite the place that society told her she held, was a huge turn-on for Hamadi. As he nodded at her eloquent comparison to surviving a dangerous river, he leaned in closer to her. There could be no more holding back of the inevitable, he thought. As he inched ever closer to her face, he kept one hand on her knee, and placed the other delicately on her shoulder. He leaned in further without a word, until their lips touched softly, closing his eyes. He pulled back away slightly for a moment, before bringing their lips together again, in a soft kiss. At the same time, he inched his hand from her knee, a bit further up her smooth, tan leg, until it was an inch or two underneath the skirt of her kalasaris, softly rubbing her thigh just above her knee.
 
It didn't take long for Tahirah to realize that he was leaning closer instead of staying where he was or even leaning away. She felt the bed shift lightly under his gesture and without thinking, she brought her head up to look at him. Suddenly he was barely an inch from her face. She smelled is warm breath then on her skin, so close as they had been before. Then it was his hand on her shoulder, pressed lightly over the clip of her kalarsis. She looked unnerved by the gesture, nervous and afraid of what was happening. Her body tensed as he finally closed the gap between them. Her soft lips made contact with his for the briefest second - almost like they had never been there at all. Even still, her fear seemed to slowly melt away. When he pulled away, she swallowed back, frozen in place, with her eyes open.

When he came back for another kiss Tahirah's lips pouted out lightly to the feeling, her eyes fluttering closed. This was wrong, it wasn't right - or maybe it was that it was just looked down upon heavily. It's what they had been taught. How could this be wrong? Her stomach fluttered lightly and she shivered a little when his hand moved up her leg. Even still, her lips remained pressed to his. Tahirah's body turned a little toward him, just so she wasn't being awkward with the angle of her neck, but she stayed mostly where she was, and sitting. Gently her hand came up to his face again, drawing her fingertips over the soft skin. She could sit forever and drag her fingers along the softness, she thought. Draw little circles on the skin, feel it's warmth under her palm. Finally she pulled away to breathe, drawing in a quick breath through her slightly open mouth.

When her eyes finally opened, her lips twitched lightly into a sheepish smile. "I guess... Someone has to be brave enough to cross the river, right?" she breathed quietly, swallowing back while finally closing her mouth and keeping her face close to his even as her dark brown eyes danced over his face.
 
He smiled like a little boy at her once he pulled away. "If no one was willing to cross the river, they would never know what it was like on the other side." He smiled even wider, rubbing her cheek softly with the tips of his fingernails. "I have to say, I like what I've seen of the other side, so far." He took advantage of the more comfortable way that Tahirah had positioned herself to draw close to her in an embrace, resting his chin on top of her head, burying her face in the scented lined of his tunic. "I don't want you do be found out," he whispered to her. "I couldn't live with myself if my actions caused any harm to you."

He pulled away from her gulping down, and looking around at the empty room nervously. "I can't imagine too much time could pass before someone will come looking for me. And my father will expect me at his dinner table shortly. I can't bear to part with you now, but I wonder if it would be wise to stay here too long." He put one hand on the bare skin of her upper arm, just below her shoulder, rubbing circles with both hands, feeling what he thought were the remnants of small goosebumps on the smooth skin.
 
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