He threw her on the bed and started to undress.

"What are you doing??" Arta said looking shocked.

He did not reply and continued taking off his dress. He only had his underwear on.

"You told me you won't touch me until I want you to." her mouth was dry, and her heart was pounding like a scared sparrow.

Osman looked relaxed and that made Arta even more scared. He went to the table and poured a glass of water and drank it. Then he turned off the lanterns except one by the bed and walked to the other side of the bed.

"You bastard! I'm not going to sleep with you, you cannot touch me!" Arta screamed and was about to leave the bed when Osman grabbed her waist and pulled her toward him.

"Let me go!" She was shouting and hitting him.

"Hey!" Osman roared. "Stop begin a child and sleep, I'm so tired woman." He said looking serious.

"What do you mean?"

"I meant what I said. Good night!"

"What? then you don't want to...Then why did you...? Unbelievable!!" She was angry.

"What were you expecting? Sorry for disappointing you tonight, I'm so tired. Maybe another night I'll give you what you want. Now be quiet and let me sleep!" he smirked and hugged Arta from behind, so she could not leave the bed.

"Shut up, will you? I did not want anything. You pervert!"

After a few seconds, she said "Then why did you undress??"

"no one in its right mind would sleep with those wedding dresses."

"But I'm in my wedding dress! Are you saying that I'm an idiot?" she said with an accusing voice.

"Oh please for the sake of whatever God you believe in just take off your clothes if you wish and let me sleep!" he said pleading with a tired voice.

"heh, you wish! I won't take off my dress!"

"I said if you wish! Seriously good night!"

"Whatever!"

A few minutes later Arta could hear his breathing became heavier and he fell asleep quicker than she was expecting.

"He was really tired!" she said to herself.

She was uncomfortable in her wedding dress. She decided to go to her room and sleep peacefully there.

She slowly lifted his arm and dragged herself out of the bed. She tiptoed toward the door and pulled the door to open. It was lucked. "Shit!".

She started to look for the key in the darkness. She looked into the drawers and on the tables. She was so determined to find the key that she did not realize Osman was sitting on the bed and watching her.

"Looking for something?" he said.

She jumped and turned her face "Why did you lock the door?"

"Isn't that obvious?"

"I need to go to my room and change my dress. I cannot sleep with this dress. So give me the key." She extended her hand.

"OK!" Osman stood up. "I'll go and bring you some clothes. You stay here!"

"No, I have to come. You don't know what to bring!"

"Relax woman. I'm not going to choose a gown or a formal dress for you. It's just simple sleeping clothes, how difficult that could be. I'll be right back." He left and locked the door again.

"I hate you!" she shouted.

After a few minutes, Osman came back with two small pieces of clothes in his hand.

"Here!"

"What are these?"

"Sleeping dress." He shrugged and put the clothes on the bed. "Wear those and come back to bed!"

"These are underwear, you idiot!"

"I'm pretty sure you have worn those before for sleeping!"

"What!!?? how do you know that??"

"It's simple. I've seen you with those."

"I'm going to kill you!" she screamed and attacked Osman. She had enough of his mockings for that day.

She threw herself on Osman and pinned him on the bed while sitting on him. She raised her hand to hit him on the face, Osman grabbed her hand in the air and with a swift move turned her back to the bed and now he was on top of her with her hands locked in his.

"What were you thinking? Attacking me? What do you think of yourself? A powerful warrior or something?" he had a smirk on his face, which made Arta angrier. She tried to hit him with her leg but it was useless.

She was struggling so hard to free herself. Osman pinned her hands to the bed and lowered his head and whispered in Arta's ear "You become more desirable when you are wild and angry."

Arta felt strange as if something was tickling her stomach. She stopped moving and turned to look at Osman. She wanted to be kissed but Osman kept staring at her blushed face. His lips were so close to hers that she could feel their heat. Her mouth opened slightly, waiting painfully to be kissed. She was breathing fast and was sweating in her wedding dress.

Osman suddenly moved away from her, Arta remained in the same position staring at the ceiling.

"OK now change your clothes or sleep with these uncomfortable ones, it's your call." He shrugged and throw himself on the other side of the bed.

After a few seconds when she calmed her nerves she stood up and took the clothes. "Close your eyes and don't look at me!"

"There is nothing there that I have not seen before, so be relaxed." He said and turned her back to Arta.

She had no choice but to get rid of that uncomfortable dress especially now that she was sweating.

She quickly went to the other end of the room and away from the bed to undress. It was not easy to single-handedly undress. It was actually impossible to open the tight knots on the back of the dress. She was pulling the dress so had which made the knots more difficult to open. She was cursing Nahla and the tailor for that stupid dress.

Hearing her struggle Osman said "Need help with that?"

"No!"

She tried for a few more minutes but no progress, the knots on the back was too tiny and tight to be opened by herself.

Osman turned and sat on the bed "come here, let me help you."

"I said no!"

He stood up and walked toward her "I cannot sleep when you make all these struggling noises. Now turn and let me help you, thickhead!"

"It's all your fault. If you had let me go to my room Nahla would have helped me with my dress."

"What would have people say if they see you alone in your room and not with me in my room at our wedding night? Now it's only me here. Deal with it." He then turned her to the wall and started to untie the knots one by one and very slowly.

His brief touches on her back made Arta's heart to pound faster than ever. They both were silent. The last knot was untied.

Osman pushed the back of her dress away and lightly kissed her bare shoulders and back. It was getting difficult to stop himself from kissing her and she was enjoying his kisses. With each kiss, her heart was beating faster and faster. She arched her head back out of joy and Osman kissed her neck from behind.

He was about to pull the dress off her body when she grabbed his hand and whispered "no, not tonight!" they were both panting with exhilaration.

It was the most difficult thing for Osman to get his hands off of her, but he did. He turned her back and put his hand into his hair and inhaled sharply. He walked back to the bed without any more words.

Arta changed her dress and went back to bed and slept on the other side of the bed. She was cursing herself for being so week in front of him. She reminded herself what had Sultan said to Kabir. She is just an Ajam to them and they will get rid of her as soon as they reach their goals. They abused her and her trust, especially Osman. She will not forgive him. Her heart, beat with pain and her eyes were slowly welling with tears.

***

The next morning Arta woke up to the sound of the door getting opened and closed. She opened her eyes and looked around. It took a few seconds to realize where she was.

Osman placed the tray of breakfast on the table "Good morning!"

"Good morning!" she replied weakly.

"Come and have breakfast."

"I'm not hungry."

Osman shrugged and started eating breakfast.

Arta's stomach growled. It was so loud that she covered her stomach with her hands. Osman laughed. "Why are you torturing yourself? Come and eat."

"I need to get dressed. Let me go to my room."

"First come and eat something then we will go together and pack your things. Or I can pack my things and move to your room. I think that's easier since I don't have many things to pack."

Arta hissed looking annoyed and looked away. Living with him would not be easy.

She wrapped herself into a quilt and sat behind the table and started eating breakfast.

After breakfast, Osman collected his few belongings that he had and put them in a chest.

"Let's go!"

They went to Arta's room.

"Where should I put my clothes?" Osman asked.

"I don't know. You know that you are not welcome here. I suggest you take your things and head back to your room."

"You know that you are stuck with me for the rest of our lives and I want to wake up by your side each and every morning. Besides, I'll not leave you alone until you tell me what did happen last night that changed your behavior like this."

"Don't play with me. I know what is going on in your head."

"So tell me what is going on in my head?"

Arta hissed and went to her dressing room to wear something more appropriate for the day.

Osman stood in the dressing room door frame and crossed his hands waiting for Arta's reply.

"Hey! turn around and don't look at me while I'm changing." Arta said looking annoyed.

Osman did what he was instructed.

After changing Arta walked back to the room and started combing her hair.

"Well, I'm listening." Osman said.

"You cannot fool me again. You and your father have abused me enough."

"Don't talk about my father like that." He warned her.

"What? didn't you? you just used me to your benefit."

"It is partly true! I'm not gonna lie but as you know this marriage does not only benefit Arabs but also your people. Now they have also you as their ruler. We talked about this, remember?"

"So you don't deny that you have abused and tricked me into this marriage."

"What? no, I'd never tricked you into anything. This marriage is a mutual interest. Think of all the things that we can do together to improve in Persia and for the Persians. We can unite our nations."

"Enough with this nonsense. You know better than me that these are just beautiful words to delude me."

"You've become crazy, have you hit your head somewhere last night? Cause I don't understand a word you say. Delude you??"

"Of course you should not understand me because that's the ugly truth that you were trying so hard to hid it from me."

"Enough! Get ready we should go and see my father before he lives for Arabia today."

"Oh, I see he is in a hurry to get you a new wife from Arabia." She said with a fake smile on her face.

"Arta!" Osman shouted "enough with these stupid thoughts. Now get ready!"

"I'm not going anywhere!"

Osman had enough of her. So before he loses his temper he left the room and banged the door behind him.