Osman had never been angrier in his life before. How dare she compared him with Azim. Azim who wanted to rape him. So, she preferred Azim over him. No problem with Osman. He would be a husband like Azim for her if that's what she wanted.

She harshly grabbed her arm and violently threw her on the bed.

"What are you doing? Have you become crazy?" Arta screamed looking scared.

"I'm doing what you asked me. I'm becoming like your precious Azim."

"What do you mean? Let me go!" Osman sat on top of Arta, secured her hands under his knees so she could not move.

She was moving to the sides to free herself, but it was useless, he was far bigger and more powerful than her.

"What are you going to do to me? Please Osman, I beg you don't..." before she could finish her sentence Osman grabbed her dress collar and ripped it apart.

"Please Osman, I beg you."

"You prefer Azim over me, ha?"

"No I don't, please don't do this to us."

"Now we are us? Ha? Now tell me who is deceiving who?"

Arta started to cry "Please Osman, I beg you."

Although Osman was angry and heartbroken, he realized that he could never hurt her. Watching her crying was like torture to him.

With a deeply sad and disappointed voice, he said "I'm not like Azim." Then he moved away from Arta and without throwing her a second glance he left the room.

Arta sat up on the bed. She was crying and shaking. Deep down she knew she is going too far with all this, but she could not forget what Sultan told Kabir as well. Also, to her, it was impossible that Sultan wanted to arrange for Osman's second marriage without his knowledge.

***

It was almost dark when Osman came back. Arta was leaning over a cushion on the floor playing with her mother's necklace in her hand, thinking and thinking things over and over again. What if he truly did not know anything? Now she was not sure about anything and felt a bit guilty for her behavior.

Osman came in, briefly halted, and looked at Arta without saying anything. He walked past her and went to the dressing room.

When he passed in front of Arta to go to the dressing room a drop of blood dropped on the polished marble floor. When Osman was out of her sight, she moved closer to examine the red spot, it was blood for sure! But whose blood?

Arta's heart sunk. "Had he killed someone?" that was the first thing that came to her mind and she got worried especially for Abtin. Maybe they wanted to enter the palace and got captured.

She tiptoed and got closer to the dressing room. She stealthily watched Osman taking off his clothes. There was a bloody bandage around his hand, which blood was dripping from.

He made a hissing sound when he wanted to wear a fresh cloth on, he was in pain. Arta was wondering what has happened to his hand.

"What do you want?" Osman asked coldly without turning his head toward Arta.

Arta jumped "um..what has happened to your hand?"

"nothing." He tried to hide his hand.

"Let me see it." She walked in.

"I said it's nothing." His voice was cold and void of emotion.

Arta did not listen to him and knelt in front of him and pulled his wounded hand toward herself. First, he refused to give her his hand but when she pulled harder, he gave up.

She slowly unwrapped the bloody bandage. She inhaled sharply when she saw the deep wound on his palm.

"This is too deep. I'm going to call for the doctor." she stood up to leave but Osman stopped her by grabbing her hand.

He looked tired and without energy. He did not say anything just slowly shook his head.

"That wound is too deep and it should be cleaned. Let me go grab some medicine and fresh bandages at least."

Osman looked at her for a few seconds and when he saw how concerned she was, he slowly let go of her hand.

Arta quickly left to find Khadijeh, who was busy preparing dinner in the kitchen and asked for ointment and fresh bandages and rushed back to Osman.

He was still sitting in the dressing room. He was looking paler comparing to when Arta left him a few minutes ago. The blood still dropping from his hand.

She got worried "Why don't you let me call for the doctor? You are losing lots of blood."

"This is just a scratch comparing to other wounds that I had before. No need for a doctor. It'll heal."

She first cleaned his wound with water and then carefully put some ointment on it and then wrapped the bandage around his hand. But the bandage became bloody in just a few seconds.

"This is not good, the doctor must see your hand."

"I said no!" He roared.

"Why not? Are you trying to kill yourself? Here is not a battlefield let me call the doctor for you."

Osman looked at her with anger and Arta knew that he would not change his mind, so no doctor.

"What has happened to your hand anyway?" she asked trying to look indifferent.

"An accident during practice."

"You were practicing very hard I can tell."

"Sometimes it helps to clear your head and empty your anger."

"I see"

They spend a few minutes in silence.

"I owe you an apology for saying those things to you." Arta said shyly not looking at his face.

Osman did not reply. He stood up to leave the dressing room. When he reached the door without turning around, he said "I'm sorry for my behavior too." And he left.

After dinner, Arta brought the ointment and a bowl of fresh water once again and sat on a cushion in front of Osman on the floor to check his wound and change the bloody bandage.

This time Osman gave her his hand without any objections and he intently watched her while she was taking care of his wound. The bleeding had stopped and now that he had dinner he looked more energetic than before.

After Arta was done with his hand, she kept hold of his hand in hers. How much she had missed a kind touch, a safe embrace, someone to spoils her and tells everything will be alright. She needed love and caring. Tears dropped down her eyes. She was looking at his hand, feeling guilty for his wound and lonely beyond her tolerance.

"I'm sorry Osman." more tears came.

Osman did not say anything.

"I shouldn't have compared you with Azim. I'm sorry for what has happened to your hand. It's my fault." She was crying and shaking.

Osman placed gently his index finger under her chin and lift her head. "I forgive you. please stop crying. I cannot bear to see your tears."

And Arta cried even harder. "Why are you so kind to me when you know that you are going to remarry soon again to one of your own people?" she managed to say between her sobbing.

"Arta listen to me. I told you before, I honestly don't know what you mean by all these remarrying things you are saying. Please tell me what you mean? Who had put this stupid idea into your head?"

"your father, Sultan." Arta said wiping her wet eyes with her fingers and looked at him.

"That is impossible. Why would he tell you such a thing?"

"He did not tell me directly."

"Then who told you? Whoever told you these things is lying. You must not believe them. Was it one of the maids?"

"No, I heard it from Sultan's mouth but he was talking to one of his generals and I accidentally overheard them when I was going back to the palace on the wedding night."

"What? You must be mistaken then. If he had such plans he would have told me."

"But I heard him, loud and clear. I'm not making this up Osman. I thought you knew."

Osman looked confused. He was trying to understand why his father would have said such a thing to one of his generals. That general must have been Kabir. He suddenly stood up to go and talk with Kabir but before he could take a step everything spun, and he lost his balance. He got hold of the wall to prevent falling.

Arta grabbed his arm and helped him to stabilize himself.

"You should rest." She said kindly and walked with him toward the bed.

He decided to talk to Kabir tomorrow morning.

When they reached the bed they both sat at the edge of the bed.

"Arta believe me, I did not know anything about this. I still cannot believe that my father has planned a marriage behind my back."

Arta said nothing.

Osman continued "You should have told me sooner. You must know that I'll never betray you. you are and will be my one and only wife."

Arta turned her head toward his and placed a light kiss on his lips.

That was a surprise. It was the first time that Arta was willingly kissing him.

He froze in the same position for a few seconds, not even breathing.

Then Arta kissed him again, this time a longer kiss.

Osman blinked several times. He wasn't dreaming. Was that a signal from her?

He kissed her back and she did not pull back like always.

He was confused and he did not know what to do.

Arta shyly smiled "You better rest now" and she gently touched his face. She stood up while Osman was watching her in disbelief and went to turn off the lanterns. Her cheeks were red, and her heart was pumping so fast. Approaching the last lanterns on the far end of the room she took several deep breaths to calm herself then she turned off the lantern. The moonlight was illuminating the room.

She jumped when she felt a hand around her waist.

"You scared me" she said giggling.

Osman kissed her neck "I'm sorry" he said whispering in her ear.

she smiled and turned to face him.

She looked him in the eyes and then hugged him. He hugged her back and pressed her to his chest. He smelled her hair, she had the sweetest smell. He freed himself from her arms and he cupped her face in his hands and leaned in to place a soft kiss on her lips. Luckily his hand had stopped bleeding and the fresh bandage was clear of blood.

Then he kissed her cheeks one by one. Slowly he moved to her neck and placed several soft kisses on her neck. She was breathing faster and faster by each kiss. He was slowly kissing and moving down her neck.

Arta was wearing a white cotton v-neck, short bell sleeves dress which Osman easily removed from her shoulders and the dress slipped onto the floor. Her naked body was glowing in the moonlight and Osman was looking at her perfect body in admiration.

She crossed her hands to cover her breasts. She was embarrassed standing naked in front of him. Osman took her hands "Why are you so shy my love?"

Arta laughed nervously and looked around to avoid his gaze.

With a swift move, Osman lifted Arta in his arms and took her to the bed.

He gently placed Arta on the bed and knelt between her legs, he bent and kissed her lips. First gently but then more passionately while running his hands all over her body, he was exploring every inch of her body.

They both were breathing fast. Arta put her hands around his neck and pulled his body toward hers. She was trying to undress him by pulling up his shirt, she wanted to feel his body too.

Osman suddenly sat up and quickly took off his shirt and tossed it away. Then he took off her panties and started kissing her body all over again. A faint moan escaped her mouth and he realized that she is ready for him.

He took off his pants and knelt between her legs. "I love you Arta." And he slowly entered her.