The Billionaires Desert Queen

For many in New York, the pouring rain that overtook the city would have been nothing far from a disaster but for Prince Aryan Arsalan, it was a blessing. While many viewed the pouring rain as a hindrance to their day, for him it was a blessing. Prince Aryan smiled as he looked at the busy streets from his twenty-fifth floor penthouse, although it was raining, the roads were busy as everyone ran for cover or simply to the nearest cab.

Aryan took one sip from his glass of brandy and that warmed him up, not that he needed any warming up because the new and improved heating system warmed his penthouse perfectly. He removed himself from his window and just as he landed onto his Italian leather couch, his doorbell rang.

Aryan hated this but he knew that it must have been important. For the past three days, he had been in his penthouse, avoiding yet another drama from yet another gossip columnist and Aryan made it clear that he did not want any visitors unless the sky had fallen down, well the sky must have fallen down then.

“Come in!” He called out, there was a click of the door and when Aryan turned around, it was none other than Fahd, his personal bodyguard walked in. Aryan turned to face the older man, looking bored and uninterested in Fahd’s presence.

“Greetings my prince” Fahd greeted Aryan, who rose from his couch and faced Fahd dead in the eyes. Fahd quickly looked at his feet, knowing just what he had done wrong.

“I thought I told you not to call me prince, that part of my life has been forgotten and I hate being reminded of it” Aryan told his bodyguard, who quietly nodded his head.

“I’m so sorry, Boss” Fahd apologized and Aryan smiled at the man. He hated that they called him a prince and he had made it known to Fahd many times but it seems that the older man still bound by his vow to respect and protect the prince with his life.

“You are forgiven” Aryan told the older man, whom then looked up to face him. Aryan had seen the look on the older man’s face and even he had to admit that Fahd looked shaken and Fahd was not a man that scared easily.

The man before him had fought more tribal wars that Aryan could count and he was amongst the bravest warriors that their kingdom could ever have produced.

“What is it that was so important you had to disturb me? Make it quick, I do not have the whole day” Aryan spoke, asserting his order.

Fahd bowed his head and stepped back before he spoke and all these formalities bored Aryan so much that he simply let out a deep breath.

“I am sorry, boss but I am afraid I have bad news for you. I was just informed that your father, King Abdul Imran Arsalan has passed way” The news hit Aryan so much that he slowly sat back onto his couch.

For just a second, Aryan’s mind has left his surrounding as millions of thoughts entered his mind. He slowly turned to face the concerned Fahd, who still looked shocked. Aryan did not mind that Fahd was concerned with his father’s passing, after all the two men have fought side by side and had won countless wars together.

Aryan deposited his glass of brandy into his glass table, folded his hands in a praying posture and placed it to his mouth. Aryan did not know what to feel other than relief that finally, the old man was dead; his deeds must have certainly caught up with him.

“Why are you informing me of this?” Aryan asked Fahd, playing his father’s death as nothing more than a nuisance. Fahd not in the least shaken by Aryan’s behavior at all, he knew that both father and son had had their differences and until the king’s death, the two have never resolved their differences.

“Your mother— Your stepmother Queen Aida has asked me to inform you of this, she has asked me to tell you that if not for your father, then do this for her sake” Fahd informed Aryan, who quickly shut his eyes.

Ever since his mother died at the age of ten, his stepmother, Aida had taken him under her wings when the king’s other wives refused to treat him as one of their own. Denying his stepmother this wish would be a slap in her face and Aryan knew that he could not do that to her.

Irritated that his mother had put him in a difficult situation, Aryan picked up his glass and threw it against the wall, splattering brandy all over his wall.

“When do we have to leave?” Aryan asked Fahd.

“Whenever you like, either ways his body would have been long buried before we get there” Fahd answered. Aryan did not have to be told of the cultural practices, he remembered it quite clearly when his mother had passed away.

Aryan let out yet another frustrated breath, he turned to face Fahd, and the man still looked shook.

“I guess my brother will be performing the burial right?” Aryan asked, not really expecting an answer from the older man but a nod from Fahd was enough for him to confirm that Aryan was right. Now that Aryan looked at his window, he hated that a day that had turned out perfect for him had slowly gone downhill from there.

“Get my house help to organize my luggage and book me a ticket, we are leaving tomorrow and not a day later” Aryan ordered, leaving the living area before Fahd could utter another word.

“Dolly!” Fahd called out to the lovely, young house help who appeared before he could call again.

“Yes sir, how may I help you?” She asked, always so friendly and with a smile on her face.

“I would like you to pack Sir Ryan’s bags, he will be going on a trip” Fahd informed the young woman.

“Sure Mr. Fahd, how long would he be gone for?” She asked her voice always soft and gentle. Fahd turned to her and he smiled.

“Just pack enough, I feel that this would be a long trip” He informed Dolly and he walked away.

**

Tatyana race-walked to her boss’s office, her heart beating against her chest. Mr. Wilson had called her into his office and she hoped that it had nothing to with firing her. For the past five years, Tatyana had been working at Bridge Fort News Company. She had desperately tried to climb the ladder and it seemed as though that would not be possible.

As Tatyana walked down the hallway to Mr. Wilson’s office, all eyes were on her. Walking to Mr. Wilson’s office meant one of two things, you were about to be promoted or fired and from the looks of things, it was the latter.

Tatyana now stood in front of Mr. Wilson’s door, she let out her breath, and finally this was it. She rose up her hand, balled her hand into a fist and she knocked onto the door.

“Come in!” She heard Mr. Wilson call from inside his office and she froze on the spot. For someone who was as confident as she was, Mr. Wilson still managed to scare her. Tatyana unlocked the door to her boss’s office, when she walked in there her boss sat, in his big leather chair and he looked right into her eyes. Tatyana quickly put up a brave smile and walked towards Mr. Wilson’s table.

“Good morning Mr. Wilson, I must say that you look very good this morning sir” Tatyana complimented her boss, hoping that this would soften the mood and hopefully help her keep her job.

Mr. Wilson on the other hand did not seem one bit interested in what Tatyana had to say, he simply looked up from his laptop and gestured her to sit down and Tatyana complied.

Please do not fire me. Please do not fire me. Tatyana mentally hoped that this was not the end of her career. Her heart stopped when her boss shut his laptop and looked right at her.

“Mrs. Johnson—”

“It’s Ms. Johnson sir, I am not married sir” She corrected her boss, who seemed uninterested in what she had to say. Tatyana shut her eyes for a few seconds and wished that she had not uttered a word.

“So Ms. Johnson, I have been informed that you covered the few important events and from the looks of things, you have done quite well” Mr. Wilson complimented her and this pleased Tatyana.

“Well thank you sir” She thanked Mr. Wilson, who surely looked uninterested in having an employee that he never cared about, thank him.

“You are welcome. Anyway, let us talk about more important things” Mr. Wilson looked even more serious than he looked before Tatyana walked in. She swallowed the lump in her throat, hoping that her boss’s earlier compliment was not to soften her up for her dismissal.

“Tatyana, do you have a husband, kids or any dependents?” He asked her and her heart sank to her stomach.

That is it. I am fired for good. Tatyana told herself as she mentally prepared herself for her dismissal.

“No sir, I do not have children, a husband nor anyone that depends on me but I do live with my mother” Tatyana replied, hoping that this would soften Mr. Wilson’s heart.

“Good, then you would have no problem with packing your bags” Mr. Wilson informed her and that threw Tatyana back a bit.

“I am sorry sir, but why would I need to pack my bags?” She questioned him and Mr. Wilson smiled back at her. Tatyana raised an eyebrow; never in her five years of working for him had Tatyana seen him smile.

“Because I am going to give you the big break that you so desperately crave, pack your bags, tomorrow you are leaving for your next big project” Mr. Wilson informed Tatyana and she smiled because she could not contain her excitement but it then hit her that she had no idea where she was headed to.

“I am so sorry sir but where would I be going to?” She asked her voice soft as not to offend Mr. Wilson.

He smiled at her, something that scared Tatyana because this often meant that her boss was thinking something that she might not like.

“Your next assignment is in the middle east, in a remote Arabian kingdom” Mr. Wilson informed Tatyana and even she could not hide her excitement. For the first time she was actually doing a field assignment in a place other than New York City.

“Thank you sir, I really appreciate this opportunity” Tatyana thanked Mr. Wilson. Her boss then took an A3 brown envelope and handed it to her and Tatyana received it. Tatyana examined the envelope and she still could not make out what it was.

“That there is all the information that you will need. See the king has just died and one of his son’s will be taking over, now I am entrusting this job to you and do not mess this up” Mr. Wilson sounded that warning to Tatyana and she took it to heart.

“Yes sir, I will not mess this up for you” She promised her boss.

“Good, inside that envelope are all the locations that you and the team will be filming at and also you will find your permits that allow you to film at certain areas. You must understand that this country is in the middle east and they have a strict way of living and all their rules must be obeyed at all times” Mr. Smith warned Tatyana.

“Yes sir, I understand”, she told her boss. Mr. Smith stood up from his chair and walked over to his window, which overlooked the streets of New York. He put his hands into his pocket in a boss like manner.

“Good to know that you understand. Get ready, you will be leaving tomorrow morning” Mr. Smith informed her and this undoubtedly left Tatyana stunned.

“Tomorrow?” She asked her boss and he turned to face her.

“Do you have a problem with that or should I assign someone else to do the job?” Mr. Smith asked Tatyana. She knew that she could not say no, this was her last chance to make it in the journalist world.

“No sir. I will be ready for the trip tomorrow then” Tatyana informed her boss. With one last smile from her boss, Tatyana was ushered out of his office. The entire drive home, she wondered how she would break the news to her mother.

“Mother you have always said that I was not adventurous enough, so here I go” Tatyana whispered to herself as she navigated the busy roads of New York City.