Life had been grander than Hannah had ever. When she had been sold off to become a wife, she had fully expected to become a concubine for some rich merchant who had three wives already. She had been past by a few times before, the men did not like the look of her eyes. She had always been told that she had her father’s eyes. Piercing and cold, but she was not a cold person. Indeed, she often cared for her younger brothers while her mother was at market and her father was hunting. No, she understood how to care and love another. For her gaze warn many away, it was that same gaze that won her Naseem. She would have never had  believed that a prince would seek her for her eyes.

On her journey east she had learned much about the man that had chosen her. When his entourage stopped for water, he was always the last to drink. He made sure that all of his servants and their animals were well tended first before he had his fill. Each man and beast needed rest often, for the journey was long. Hannah could not believe that a prince had traveled so far just for her. 

At the end of the first week’s journey they had still not reached their goal.

Hannah approached Naseem on this night as he was relaxing with his men by the campfire. He had a smile on his face as though he was just enjoying his time.

“My lord, might I have a few moments of your time?” Hannah was a little frightened at the interaction because Naseem had kept his distance from her since the journey’s start.

Naseem stood up and grasped her hand ever so gently and led her away from the ears of his men, to the side of the tent. 

“Yes, my princess, what is it that you wish to know?” His calm was unnerving to her.

“Why did you come so far for me? I mean wasn’t there a close place for you to find a wife?” She looked away from his gaze as she felt ashamed to be near him, let alone held by him.

“Child,” His words remained kind and gentle, but seemed more stern somehow. “There were many places that had prospective wives. Some I did not like their look, others had beautiful women, a few had extremely young women; those were not to my tastes. Honestly, my guard used to be a lot larger before I came to such depraved places. All those places had no women that exhibited such a trait that I truly longed for.”

“What trait is that?” Hannah asked in a whisper. 

He smiled in the fire light as he spoke. “It is the trait that you are exhibiting right now that I first loved you. For you might consider this journey another test to see if you are true to yourself. I have seen who you truly are and I wish to know more. Whether it be at rest in the night or through the harsh perils of the journey before us. Do you understand?”

“These ideas are still foreign to me, lord.”

“You will understand more in time. For now try and get some rest for the journey continues tomorrow.” With that he kissed her hand and led her back to the inside of the tent. When she went back and closed the flap behind her. She heard the jeers of the guards around the campfire as he rejoined them. She smiled at this and prepared for sleep.

As the journey continued the next day, the caravan passed through a canyon. Naseem was at the head of the column like usual. He had said that a good leader should always be leading his men from the front, so that they would learn to follow him. They were going quite near a wall when Naseem exclaimed with joy at what he had seen. He rushed ahead and leapt from his horse and immediately began to climb the nearly sheer rock wall. Up and up he went and near the top he stopped at a ledge that had jutted out. There he stooped and picked something up with his left hand. Ever so gently he began to descend again, he only used his right hand to come down the wall as gingerly as he could. His left hand he kept close to his chest and as he came back down he got back on his horse and came back to the caravan. When he saw the wagon that held Hannah he made a direct line for it. He came along side her and gave her what was in his left hand. The beautiful purple desert flower was unlike anything that Hannah had ever seen or heard of. She placed it in her hair and he smiled at her.

That night, in camp again, Naseem was the talk of his guardsmen. Never before had any of them seen their lord scale a cliff for a flower, for the flower was a rare sight as well. It was called the Majestic Aplomado, a beautiful purple with a sharp scent. According to some of the maids, the juices of the plant could be used as poison for a blade; deadly if it entered the bloodstream, but gentle to the skin. An odd plant all around.

Hannah once again asked to see Naseem. He led her around to the usual spot away from listening ears.

“So tell me more about yourself, my lord. For though your own people know you, I know little about you.”

He smiled at her, and gazed into those deep majestic eyes. “I am an adopted son of Lord Anoch, the true ruler of these lands. Everything from the eastern seas to the western mountains, is his domain. Me and my eleven brothers act as sovereigns over appointed lands that our father has given us. My sovereign is over the lands that touch the eastern seas.”

“So much. So whose land are we currently in?”

“My brother Phillip’s. He is also adopted and is preparing my land for our arrival tomorrow. I found you in brother Nathan’s land, close to the center and my father’s home.”

“Did your father adopt all his sons?”

“No. There are four that are his by blood, and they are no less than I. For all his sons are treated the same. Though some may resent him for it, they still bow their heads lest they be toss out. Adopted or natural born.”

“So why did you risk your life for a flower this afternoon?” 

He stared at her a bit perplexed. “I did it for you. I have risked my life many more times  before today, for causes that didn’t make much sense at the time and yet after a while they made sense. This was the one time that I acted before I thought it out and it was wonderful.”

She stared at him, then with a tear in her eye, she kissed the back of his hand. “Just try not to do anything so foolish again.”

“As you say, my love. Now you need to get to bed, for the last bit of our journey is tomorrow and the sea is calling me home.” 

With that said he took her hand and escorted her back to the tent. She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow and her dreams were filled with bliss.