Zara gave her a strained smile. ‘You were always going to leave these walls eventually.’
‘You’ll come back to visit us?’ Omar asked.
Aisha mustered a convincing smile for him. ‘That’s definitely the plan.’ She glanced at Tariq, half expecting him to contradict her, but he didn’t.
When Zara didn’t make a move towards her, Aisha went to her instead, aware of the tension in their bodies as they hugged. ‘Take care of them,’ she whispered before kissing her sister’s cheek and turning away.
‘Write to us,’ Lilah said.
Aisha nodded, too close to tears to speak.
One of the palace guards approached Zara. ‘There are holy warriors combing the city.’
Tariq exchanged a glance with his head guard, then approached Aisha, pulling her headscarf up. ‘Cover your face.’
She did as she was told. She was still tucking her hair in when Tariq took hold of her waist and lifted her onto the gelding. ‘Can you ride?’ he asked as he stuffed her foot into the stirrup.
‘Yes.’ She tried to sound confident, but the sudden contact had caught her off-guard.
His eyes searched hers. ‘Can you ride well?’
‘Well enough.’
He finally took a step back. ‘Good.’ He then returned to his horse, mounting in one fluid motion and gathering the reins as he gave instructions to his men.
Baba.
Aisha looked around for her father, still nowhere to be seen, then at Zara. She must have read Aisha’s thoughts, because she shook her head.
He wasn’t coming.
He was likely in his quarters with the curtains drawn, unable to face the moment.
‘Let’s move out,’ Tariq said.
Her horse began moving without her doing anything, following the others. Aisha looked back at her siblings just as Lilah burst into tears. Her gaze snapped forwards, unwilling to watch the aftermath.
Tariq’s horse moved into line with hers. ‘Don’t leave my side,’ he said, looking at her. ‘Understand?’
Everything about the moment terrified her. It was her first time outside the walls in years, and she was doing so with a group of strange men. ‘Yes.’
A few heart-racing minutes later, the gates appeared before her, and she couldn’t look away from them. Tariq nudged the sides of his mare, and she lengthened her stride. Aisha’s horse matched the new pace.
The gates opened, and Tariq signalled to his guards. The men formed a protective circle around the two of them. Aisha looked back as the gates began to close, losing her balance in the process. Tariq’s hand shot out, catching her elbow and righting her.
‘Keep your eyes ahead,’ he told her.
Colour filled her cheeks.
The palace was located in Orinthia, Avanid’s capital. The streets outside were alive with sounds and colour. The clamour of hooves on cobblestone mixed with the shouts of merchants selling everything from eggs to fine jewellery. People glanced in their direction but quickly lost interest when they realised they weren’t holy warriors.
Fear bounced in Aisha’s belly as she held on to the front of the saddle. It grew the further away from the palace they got. The smells changed, and her surroundings became unrecognisable. She may have been surrounded by guards, but she was entirely alone.
Reality tightened around her neck.
She stole a glance at him, her future husband. His features were hard-edged as he scanned their surroundings. She looked away when his gaze slid to hers.
The party continued through the maze of streets, the aroma of spices and fresh bread creating a heady smell that Aisha found nauseating. The buildings around her felt like they were leaning in.
