Desert Heat

CHAPTER NINETEEN: TOUCH

Three days had gone by, and King Aziz was slowly responding to treatment in the comfort of his bed. The doctor had informed them that, luckily, the king was not poisoned, but he did pass out of exhaustion.

Hearing this news had put Lily at ease; she was relieved that no one was trying to kill her husband, but she was mad that he worked himself so much. She could not explain where her sudden need to protect her husband had come from. For the past three days, Lily had done nothing else but care for the king. She made sure that he had his bath, ate his food, and hydrated himself.

She hated seeing him so weak—so much so that he relied on her. Lily missed her vibrant husband, who would order everyone around; all who he ordered bowed at his command. Now he just laid on his back as she fed him.

"Are you sure you don't want to eat any more of this food?"

"I am sure; I'm not that hungry." He responded, his voice low and weak.

"Okay, then let me arrange your pillow for you."

"Stop!" King Aziz exclaimed.

"No, I can do it for you and—"

"I said stop!" King Aziz raised his voice at Lily, who obeyed; she looked away from his eyes as she busied herself with removing the plate of food. Before she could move away from him, King Aziz grabbed her wrist and stared deep into her eyes.

"Why are you doing this?"

Because I have feelings for you, I realized that you mean a lot to me. Lily thought of all that, but she knew that she could not utter those words to Aziz. Deep down, she felt that he did not feel the same, and the evidence was the fragrance on his shirt the day he had come home.

"I am your queen, and it is my duty, isn't it?" She asked King Aziz, her heart hurting at the thought of not telling him the truth.

"Yeah, it is your duty as my queen." He smiled, or he tried to smile.

"My queen, the Queen-mother, wants to speak to you." One of the maidens came into the room to inform Lily, who was now torn between taking care of her husband and going to see the King's stepmother.

"Please tell Mother I will be right there; my husband needs to—"

"You may go." The king informed her; not once did he look at her as he said this.

"But you still need more help," Lily argued, but King Aziz raised his hand, indicating that she should stop. Lily turned towards the maiden and smiled at the young woman.

"You may leave and tell the queen I will be right there with her."

"Thank you, my queen," The maiden responded as she walked away. Lily turned her attention to her husband, who was grabbing some documents on his bedside table.

"Can you stop with that?"

"Stop with what?" he asked.

"You almost died, and now you want to work; I cannot believe this."

"I am the King, and if I do not do this, then no one will."

If I lose you, then I will have no one else. Lily thought, but all that died in her head as she could not muster up the courage to tell the King how she truly felt about him.

"You can always ask Amaan to do it."

"He is my advisor, not the king."

"Then maybe you—"

"Maybe I should do what? Stop treating me like a patient; I am the king."

"But you are sick," Lily argued, but the king was not having it.