Love me. I am pitch black, sinful, bland, confused. But if not you, then who else is going to love me?

—

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Khalid ibn Al Malik is dead. The kingdom is left without its caliph. The news is a wild fire burning everything in its wake. And amidst the mayhem brews rebellion against the son of Khalid by the governor of Qahira.

Princess Halah couldn't bear hearing about the death of her brother, let alone an even deeper wound given to her by her husband for leading the rebellion. Where he couldn't see his mother in the state she's in, fate has some rather crueler plans that what they're dealing with already.

The caravan is looted at the border of Iraq. With war ongoing, every person is struggling for their own life and survival. The travelers are enslaved. And those who resist are killed. This is the first time for him to see bloodshed in its most brutal form. The events leave a scar on his mind.

His mother carries him in her arms as the people around them are attacked. They're seeking a place to hide and save themselves. Those who came with them from the palace are already dead. But then what they dread has to unfold, and he's torn away from her embrace.

"No! Don't take away my son!"

Then, he loses his freedom to slavery and his mother becomes a memory.

Destiny is never simple. Maybe that's why love isn't either. Desires aren't either. Sometimes, certain things are only a fleeting caress of time; they touch, they leave. Other times, they're like a grip of a claw-- if you try to separate them from your skin, they'll rip your flesh with them. Such things will always leave a mark.

She watches him as he saddles his horse and the breeze of dawn plays with his hair. She stands far from him at the door of the cottage twirling in her own musings.

Since when did Adam start smothering the flames burning underneath her ribs? When did he save her heart and she named it after him? How could their daggers at each other's throats become the veins of life instead? She doesn't know how could he bring spring to her when the sands of time tried to seethe her all this while. She doesn't try to find when she has found him.

A smile tugs at her lips and she bites it back when Adam turns to her. He pats the horse before making his way towards her and she composes her expression into a sober one, waiting as he approaches her.

"Noura?"

Her names never sounded sweet to her from his tongue before now. It never sounded safe coming from him. But now he's the one seeming to guard it. She allows it gladly.

"Yes?"

He comes to stand in front of her and smiles down at her. "There's still time for the caravan to leave. I'll go to the bazar and get us some other things of necessity. The way is long, it's better to have everything we need."

She nods at him.

"Do you need anything?" he inquires.

She thinks for a moment, then says, "Get us some dates."

His smile stretches but like her, he subtly bites it back. "Noted." He strokes her cheeks and she subconsciously leans into his touch, gazing up at him. "Don't mingle with anyone while I'm away, azizi," he advices. "If someone comes to you or ask something, tell them we're from Najaf. My name is Jabir and I'm a merchant. We're traveling to Mashhad to expand our trade. And you're my wife, Salamah."

Noura listens to his story carefully, lifting a curious eyebrow. "Why the lies?"

"If we're followed, we'll need to lose the tracks," he suggests. "Anyone from the palace will know us, but an outsiders will need to confirm our identities. Now the Khalifa or the vizier won't send anyone to harm us, but with riots and rebels, there are enemies we need to be wary of. The lies will mislead them."

She nods in understanding. "Be back soon."

"I will." He leans down to kiss her forehead. "Fi amanillah."

"You too."

Adam goes to mount his horse. It trots away from the cottage. He snaps the reins and like a gush of wind is out of her sight as the horse gallops away from her.

Noura gets inside the cottage once he's gone. She begins to pack their things. They need to be ready before the caravan leaves. But it isn't long that she hears loud banging at the door. It's urgent and rapid, and it alarms her. She quickly reaches for her dagger and unsheaths it, tipping towards the door.

"Is someone inside? I need help please!" A woman's voice calls, followed by more knocking.

With her dagger still clutched behind her, she goes to receive the visitor and opens the door halfway, finding a woman about her own age in a disheveled state at the threshold with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Sayidati," she cries. "My husband, someone attacked him in the woods. I came looking for help. There wasn't a place close by besides yours. Please, help me."

Her grip on her dagger tightens as her eyes searches behind the lady only to find she's alone.

"Sayidati," she begs again, "he's wounded. I need to get him to an infirmary. If there's a man with you who could help us, or if you could please come with me. We don't have a horse to carry him."

Noura hesitates, the idea of going anywhere with this stranger unsettling her. She cannot trust her, but if the woman is telling the truth, she doesn't want to leave an injured man to death either.

"For God's sake, sayidati, it's a matter of life."

Against the tears of the woman, she finds her heart softening.

"Alright," Noura agrees to help, sheathing her dagger and stepping outside. "My husband isn't home, but he'll be back anytime now and will look for me," she informs her meaningfully. "We better hurry."

The woman nods briskly and squeezes her hand in gratitude. "Thank you. God bless you."

Noura takes her horse and mounts it and she mounts behind her.

"This way, sayidati." She guides her and the horse goes galloping into the woods.

When the trees turn thick and the village is left far away, she hears the sounds of hooves behind them. Someone is after them, and they're more than one in number. Her doubt is confirmed when she hears the neigh of a horse, followed by multiple more. Her heart slams against her breastbone in apprehension.

"Where is your husband?" she asks the woman who grips her waist firmly.

"With them," she replies lowly, gravely. "Forgive me but I didn't have a choice."

With this, she tugs her harshly down the horse.

"Ah!"

The reins burn her palms as she falls to the groud. She's dragged after the horse and has to let go of them. The woman leaves her behind and disappears into the woods up ahead. Noura stares after her in horror and the sound of the horses following her grow louder. She rushes to her feet but it's already too late as an arrow flies past her when she tries to run away.

"Noura Al Makhzum!" a man calls out to her, but she cannot figure out who as a dozen men on horses form a circle around her. Their faces are covered, except one, whom she recognizes as the one from the village watching her while she waited for Adam to return from the bazar. Her ribs close upon her heart in dread.

"Who are you?" she manages to ask.

The man from the village dismounts his horse and stalks towards her. "The amira has send greetings for you, my lady."

The hair on her skin stand up and a shiver runs through her spine. She clenches her jaw in regret and wrath. "Who amira?"

"Maysoon bint Khalid."

It takes her every bit of her patience to remain stoic as each of her fiber burns to ashes. Such hatred. Such betrayal. She thought once was enough. But maybe her blood is what might quench the princess's thirst.

"I don't know what that means," she feigns, nearly choking, trembling in contemplation of what might await her. But she hasn't seen the man at the palace, and it's enough for her to give a shot to her luck. "My name is Salamah. I'm here with my husband, Jabir. We don't know who is the amira or what she wants with this woman Noura."

The man laughs in her face, mockingly, but she keeps her expression neutral. "You take me for a fool, lady? I've been following you from Baghdad."

"I say you've been following the wrong people, sayidi. We're traders. We have anything to do with the palace or its officials."

The man grabs her arm and jerks her to himself. She instantly reaches for her dagger to attack him but her catches her wrist and twists it, making the dagger fall from her hand. Noura winces in pain and glares up at him.

He snarls. "Enough of the lies. You're here with a guard from the palace-- Adam."

"Who is Adam?" She struggles with him to free herself. "I'm not here with this man. You're putting a serious accusation upon me. My husband will end you if he hears of it."

"Oh, so obedient, aren't you?"

He backhands her, sending her to the ground once more. Noura barely catches her breath that the man falls to the ground besides her too, dead, an arrow sticking through his neck and blood spurting out.

She scrambles away from him in shock and her head snaps to the side at the sound of the hooves hitting the ground.

Adam. The soul that was dragged out of her body sinks back in.

Two more arrows fly, two more bodies fall, the arrows hitting their targets precisely.

"Which of you bastards is next?" Adam roars, loading another arrow in his bow and directing it towards them.p

"Kill the woman!" one of the men commands before the arrow comes to stick into his neck.

"Get help!" another one calls.

Adam takes his mark at the horsemen who steer in the direction of the woods and hit one of them, the other escaping as the remaining offenders charge at him, one of them storming towards her.

She hunts for a weapon for her defense and snatches a dagger from a nearby dead body. As the attacker lunges at her she rolls away. Noura swirls the dagger at him and buries it in his back. He growls out in torment and latches upon her neck. She claws at his hand and he pushes her to the ground, compressing her airway. She gasps for breath and tries to kick him but to no avail.

In the distance, she hears swords clashing and catches sight of Adam surrounded by the left out men, others already done and dusted.

Her hands search around her in her frenzy to save herself but gather nothing. She reaches back towards the man and finds the dagger still stuck in his flesh. Noura pulls it out before thrusting it back in. He howls out and chokes her harder.

She feels her vision starting to blacken out. Her eyes begin to water. And just before she could lose her consciousness, the man is grabbed from behind and ripped away from her. Noura coughs violently, inhaling sharply, and Adam kicks the man to the ground before burying his sword in his heart.

"Noura?" He falls to his knees beside her and takes her in his arms. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

She can only nod at him, unable to find her voice as her own eyes scan him for injuries.

"You?" she croaks.

"I'm fine." He hugs her closer to himself, embracing her, and she kisses his neck as she sniffs. "My God, Noura, I nearly died moments ago. I died of the fear of anything happening to you. When I didn't find you at the cottage, I lost my mind, habibti." He pulls away and takes her face into his hands. "How did you get here? I told you not to--"

"Adam!" she shrieks as she catches sight of a man shooting an arrow towards them. She jerks out the way, dragging Adam with her, enough to save him getting hit in his back, but the arrow hits him in his shoulder instead.

He groans out in anguish, his eyes going round as he swallows back another hiss. His muscles go taut and Noura sees hell unleashing in his orbs.

"Adam?" She touches his shoulder and her fingers stain red with blood.

He looks behind him and she sees the man who had escaped earlier has returned with help, men double the size of their earlier fellows to get the job done. The amira must really want to get rid of her to have taken measures necessary to get the job done.

"Noura," Adam grasps her wrist gets to his feet. "Take Hayat and leave."

"What?!" She gapes at him in disbelief. "And leave you here to die? No!"

"I said leave!" He pushes her towards his mare. "Go! Don't turn around. I'll try to hold them back."

"They're too many for you to take alone."

"Noura," he growls dangerously, eyes ablazed and unforgiving. "For the love of Almighty, leave already. This isn't the time to argue with me."

"Where do I go without you?" she begs, clinging to his side. "I'll stay with you and help."

He doesn't get time to fight with her anymore as the offenders once more charge at them. Adam pulls out the arrow from his shoulder, disregarding his bleeding wound as he swings his sword.

"Allah 'akbar. May Lord help us against the transgressors. "

The chaos breaks loose. She knows it's impossible for them to defeat them all even with Adam's professional skills and her unprofessional ones. The way he slashes body after body into a pile and her getting her hands on a bow and arrows to shoot anyone who gets too close can only hold the men so long until they begin to overpower them.

The arrows run out. She's left only with her daggers. Her eyes catch sight of her husband and find him injured, his strength waning with every blow coming at him. He's bleeding from his thigh and clutching his side. She runs towards a sword lying on the ground to help him and few of the men block her path. She steps away from them and brings out her dagger.

"Don't come near me," she warns, and a man lunges at her. A dagger comes flying hitting him in the chest and she looks behind herself to Adam having saved her before he's hit on his back and pushed to one knee. He buries his sword in the ground to support his weight.

"Adam!"

Noura tries to get to him but is held back. She looks helplessly at her husband who tries to push himself up to his feet but one of the attackers brings his sword to his neck, halting his attempt.

"Enough of this nonsense. It's time to end the show." He motions to the man holding her who places his dagger at his throat. Then he turns back to Adam. "I would've spared your life had you not intervened and caused us all this damage. But I'll punish you by making you witness the death of this woman and bleed out to your death after her."

"I can still very well shred you to death instead," Adam mocks, his eyes and words cutting like knives, head held high and challenging the man's stare boldly.

He laughs in disdain, humming, pressing the sword up against his jaw. "We'll see who dies first." He then directs to Noura, scorning, "Any last wishes? I'll try to be kind to fulfill it."

"I spit on your kindness," she retorts, but before she could pay for her insolence, another party interrupts.

"I've a suggestion: how about you die first?"

And an arrow is shot at the man holding the sword at Adam's throat, followed by another one at the man behind her. She jerks in the direction to find a troop of soldiers from the palace lead by their commander.

Muawwiz sits on his horse, holding out his sword, and announces loudly, "By the order of the crown, you're liable to punishment for attacking the member of royal court and vizier of Yusuf bin Khalid, and the lady who's under the protection of the Khalifa." He directs to his men, "Get them each. Kill them each."

Amidst the havoc exploding again, she sprints towards Adam who's now lying on the ground with the blood pooling around him. She falls besides him and cradles up his head on her lap.

"Janem, hayati, look at me." She pushes back his hair from his face and pats his cheek as his lids flutter shut. "Adam, stay with me habibi."

Muawwiz appears besides her and quickly begins to undo his shirt. "Men, burn a fire right away!" he yells and the soldiers get to it at his command.

"We need to get him to the village," Noura tells him. "There's an infirmary--"

"The man is bleeding out. We don't have time."

"What are you doing?"

"Searing close his wounds," he informs her, and she shudders at his statement. He rips off a piece of cloth from his cloak and ties it around his thigh to stop the blood from flowing before motioning over one of his men. "Hurry! Heat the sword in fire and bring it to me," he gestures to her, "and take the lady away."

"No!" she protests fiercely. "I'll stay by his side."

"Take her away," Muawwiz orders and she digs her nails into the ground.

"I won't leave Adam!"

"Sayidati, please come with me--"

"No!"

"Woman," Muawwiz hisses at her in frustration. "I need to deal with him. You can't be here to see him in this state--"

"He's my husband!" she exclaims helplessly, hiccuping, as her tears fall one by one. "I'll stay with him, please. Don't send me away," she sobs.

Muawwiz stares at her in shock, the news seemingly hitting him fair and hard, unable to respond to her. Then gathering himself, he waves the man away and let her stay. Ripping away some more cloth and wrapping it around a small piece of wood, he puts it between Adam's teeth.

"Fine, stay then if you've the heart to see this."

A soldier hands him the heated sword, it's metal glowing red like burning coals, and her heart sears to death as Muawwiz brings it down to her husband's chest. She clenches shut her eyes as she listens to his groans of agony. Noura tightly grasps his hand into her own.

"You're my life, please hold onto me," she mumbles quietly. "Don't let go, eshgham (my love), please hold onto me."

At that moment, she's realizes a life without him is a distant thought she no longer entertains but one with him is what she desires. And so she will fight for it.

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Any new theories or change of theories now when we're close to the ending? What are your expectations?

About five more chapters to complete the book. My final year has started and I spend 8 am to 5 pm at college/hospital. I'm too tired for anything when I return home, so please be patient with me if updates get slow. I hope you'll understand me.

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