CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

"Farah, I think you're getting greedy," said Burkhard. "Egypt has allies, and you may start a war that you cannot finish nor win."

"You have the weapons stockpile, even a nuclear warhead. I'd say that's an advantage," she grinned slyly, rubbing her leg up and down his own.

"And do you not think others have nuclear warheads? They will come for you if you can even get by the military. Listen, I appreciate big dreams just like anyone else, but you're underestimating their abilities."

"Are you backing down, Dag? I didn't figure you for a coward," she sneered.

"Careful what you say, Farah. You're no longer protected by your family. I won't hesitate to slit your throat and leave you drowning in your own blood."

"You wouldn't dare," she smiled. "You enjoy my money and my ass far too much."

"Money I can find elsewhere. And pussy is something I can get any time I want. I don't need one that comes with conditions."

She glared at him, ready to go into one of her famous tantrums. Explosions of emotion that usually ended up in broken items and people bleeding. She'd tried to control them over the years, at first coddled by nursemaids and teachers, then by her own parents. When they realized they couldn't control her, they medicated her.

First, it was heavy medications just to get her through state dinners and formal gatherings. Then, it was anti-depressants, anxiety medications, mood-altering drugs. Hell, her older brother even introduced her to heroin. That worked for a while. Then she became numb to it as well. Now, she relied on other, more painful methods. Burkhard was good at that. He didn't mind delivering pain to her when she needed it.

"Then leave what I've paid for. Let me have the men and the weapons and leave. I don't need you, Dag. I only needed what you offered."

"You really are a cunt, Farah."

"Yes, I know," she smiled. "I'm very good at it as well. Surely, you've figured that out." She dangled a bare leg over the side of the chair, her navy Yves Saint Laurent suit hiking up her thighs. At her neck was a wide strand of pearls with one of the famous rubies belonging to the Saudi family. Her ears dripped in diamonds and rubies.

"I could take what I want," he growled.

"Then take it."

He leaped from his chair, grabbing her throat as she lashed out, clawing his forearms with her nails. Gripping the necklace, he pulled, and pearls scattered across the floor, the ruby in the palm of his hand.

Farah tried to kick out at him, but he pulled her legs, tossing the expensive shoes out the window like a plaything.

"You bastard!" she growled.

"You enjoy this, little cunt. You just said it. You enjoy it. Don't you, Farah?" Tearing the skirt from her body, he unzipped his trousers and buried himself inside her. She'd chosen to have a hysterectomy instead of producing children for the crown. It only made his life easier.

Still clutching her throat, she gripped his fingers, squeezing harder, forcing him to fight back so as not to kill her. When he spilled his anger inside of her, she pushed back, opening her legs wide and wiping his seed with her fingers, licking them one by one.

"You should have been a whore, Farah."

"I am," she smiled. "But after tomorrow, I will be a whore to no man."

He zipped his jeans, then reached for the ruby beside the table.

"I'll take this as final payment. Your weapons and men will be there tomorrow. I'll be gone."

"You're leaving me?!" she snapped.

"Yes, Farah. As strange as you may think that is, as stupid as you may have believed me to be, I'm leaving you. You're sick. You need help, and I can't give it to you." He walked out of the room, leaving her stunned and in disbelief. From the window, she watched him leave the hotel.

Stripping off her suit, she tossed it to the street below.

"Take all of it! Take all of me!" she screamed.

Passersby stared up at the naked woman, snapping photos. Burkhard just walked on, his hands in his pockets, securing the multi-million-dollar ruby in his hand.

"They'll see," she whispered to herself. "They'll see what a true queen can do for them."