Epilogue
"Wow, is this all yours Em?" Michelle asked, looking around the opulent surroundings of my quarters of the palace.
"All mine," I replied.
"What I don't get is why he hasn't freed you." Rhona said.
"Let's just say he tried, but I don't want to be free, we can't be married, he has four wives already, so this is the next best thing," I explained.
"And the man mountain, he's not your keeper?"
"He was, now he's on my staff, but very much mine and the children's bodyguard. He might look scary, but he's not, and all the children adore him."
"I never pictured you as a mother, I thought you were gay," Michelle said.
"Me neither, but that first time he made love to me under the stars in the desert, I just knew he was the one for me."
"Sounds romantic, just the two of you under a canopy of stars," Rhona said wistfully.
"Well apart from his bodyguard, my minder, and three servants, apart from that, just the two of us!
We all laughed, no one mentioning the elephant in the room. There had been seven of us, now there was just the three of us, Cara was dead, the others no one knew. We all knew we were the lucky ones; we were here. Leila had arranged for Michelle and Rhona to be flown out by private jet. We were all silent for a moment.
"Tea anybody?" I asked.
"I'd murder a gin and tonic," Michelle said, "and she'd like a vodka slimline!"
"Sorry girls, but I'm a Muslim now, and alcohol is forbidden, I'll have my new servant mix some non-alcoholic iced drinks, you'll like them, I promise."
"New servant, how come we never had servants!" Rhona laughed. "But really a servant?"
I pressed a button in the side of my chair, summoning the girl, although she was just a couple of months older than me. She came hurrying.
"Mistress Leila, how may I serve you," she said bowing respectfully.
"My guests wish iced drinks, and a tray of those delicacies cook prepared earlier, but first introduce yourself to my friends."
"Greetings friends of Mistress Leila, I am here to ...."
"Laura!" Rhona shouted.
Laura smiled, stood beside me, then reached down and held my hand.
"My name is Husniya but once I was Laura, but that as you all know was a very longtime ago."
"Husniya?" Rhona asked.
"It means goodness and excellence." I answered for her, squeezing her hand.