Chapter 69 - Unveiled

Sierra

"Benjamin is there something wrong?" I looked at him, his eyes seemed wary. We sat in a bar, it was eleven in the morning.

"I can't tell you." He whispered. "That is nonsense, you can tell me anything." I disagreed. "Not this." He shook his head. I placed my hands on his. "Do you feel like Jasmine doesn't love you?" I felt for him.

I did not like the fact that he felt rejected, but I did like there was trouble in paradise. "She confuses me." He admitted.

"When we met, there was so much chemistry between us, I thought we would set the earth on fire." He grinned a little.

"How did you meet?" I asked as I came closer to him. "Her family was in some sort of trouble and my grandfather made a compromise, that if she worked at the palace, all their problems would dissolve."

"So the maid fell in love with the prince. A Cinderella story." I laughed darkly. "It wasn't like that." He shrugged. "She did not even know I was a prince." He shrugged again.

"So you lied to her about your identity."

"Yeah… " He trailed off. I took Ben's face in my hands and I stroke his stubble beard. This man was everything I ever wanted and so much more.

"Benjamin, you should be with someone who knows everything about you, and who loves everything about you as well." I told him. His hazel eyes were the only eyes I wanted to see.

"So, tell me what is wrong." I urged him. "Can you please keep this a secret." He whispered. "of course I can." I said as I laid my hand around his neck.

"Our marriage isn't yet consummated." He simply stated. I was shocked. I had seen the bloodstained sheets. I didn't say anything. "But that really isn't the problem." He added trying to make a point.

"Then what is?" I questioned a little confused. He held up his shoulders. "I don't know, maybe I just felt rejected when she told me that the only reason we were intimate, was because she felt like it was her wifely duty to do so." I watched something in him break when he said that.

"And you have always wanted to marry for love." I kissed his cheek. I saw that his eyes welled up. "Benjamin, if she feels that way, you can always send her back to the palace and live your life here." I told him matter of factly. That was really a common thing to do.

"What is it?" I saw something cross his mind. "My grandfather wants to make me crown prince." He choked.

"You are becoming king." I breathed. He nodded in agony, "That still doesn't change the situation." I continued. "You could let her live in the harem." I simply said. He sighed. "I think if she truly doesn't love you, she will agree." I said confident by my case.

"You will have your chance at love." Just this time, pick your bride a bit more careful, I smiled at him. "Thank you." He said. His warm breath touched my face. He kissed my cheek.

I wanted to keep the upper hand. "Shall we go?" I cocked my head to look at him.

Benjamin paid the bill and the driver took us back to Benjamin's penthouse.

When we entered the main space, all the others were sitting on the couch, drinking tea. "Ben." Jasmine said as she walked up to us. "Where have you been?" She asked him.

"Just here and there." He shrugged. Jasmine caught my eye and tried to stare me down.

Let her try.

"Are you ready?" Benjamin asked her. "For what?" She frowned. I saw the watch and necklace she was wearing, I felt jealous. She did not deserve that. What woman wouldn't want to give her love to a man like that.

"I have another birthday surprise for you." He said.

Jasmine

"You'll see where were going." Benjamin told me.

We all got into the limo and the driver took us to a beautiful building. As we stood in front of it, I sharply breathed out.

It was Boston public library. There were five Americans flags on the front of the building. As we walked inside, I grabbed Benjamin's hand. He did not hold me back, but I held on to him as tight as I could.

"This is so beautiful." I said as I turned to look at him and grabbed his white blouse. Benjamin broke loose out of my grip. "Yes it is." He agreed, acting like nothing happened. The walls seemed like marble and there were several drawings to see.

"It looks like a palace." I thought out loud. "Mhh." Benjamin mused.

"This library was the first to become a large free municipal library in the USA." He explained to the group of us. I always enjoyed his stories.

He told us everything there was to know about the history of this place, but I couldn't really feel the joy.

I felt like Benjamin and Sierra were becoming too close again. They talked animatedly and she often whispered something in his ear.

As we walked out the library, Benjamin looked at me from the corner of his eye. I walked up to him and tugged on his arm. "Thank you." I said as I tried to hold his gaze. He quickly looked away.

"You are most welcome." He said.

As we got into the limo, Benjamin poured us another drink. I still felt dizzy from the last two. They all took a glass. "Are you going to join us?" Benjamin cocked his head and flashed a smile.

"Of course." I said, not wanting to sound dull.

We got on the private plane again and flew to New York city. It took us about one and a half hour to get there.

"What are we going to do here?" I asked Raina. "I don't know really, as you know, I have never left the country, so…" Raina looked like she was having the best time of her life.

I think I was supposed to feel like that as well, but I really didn't.

"I am taking you woman shopping." Benjamin clarified. "I thought men did not like to do that." I said.

"Well I am definitely not like most men." He said not looking at me.

We drove to upper fifth avenue. There were so many stores and boutiques.

In a few hours all the girls had collected many bags and boxes, but I had none. Benjamin came up to me as I looked around the new store we entered. "Isn't there anything you like?" He asked me.

"It's not like anything I am used to wearing." I told him. "It's all so revealing." He fought back a laugh. He nodded slightly. "You are right, I haven't really thought about that." He said.

"Besides that it is more revealing than that you are used to; did you find anything you would like to try on?" His eyes danced.

"Can you pick something for me?"

He blinked a few times and pouted his lips.

"Alright." He murmured.

I walked to the dressing room, waiting for him to bring me something to wear.

He came back with a white knee-length dress. The fabric was lace. "It looks like a night gown." I said starlet. I saw a hint of a smile, but then his eyes darkened. "I'll wait for you outside." He said.

I put the gown on. It showed my legs, arms, my neck and my chest. You could even see some of breasts. Did he want me to come out of the changing room like this? I was unsure.

"Ben?" I asked from behind the curtain. "Ben?" I called for him again. "Yes Habibie, I mean yes Jasmine." He said. "Do I need to come out?" I shrieked. "That's the idea." He simply said.

I got out of the changing room, foot by foot. I felt naked. Benjamin caught sight of me and his jaw dropped. He closed it again, but his eyes betrayed him.

"Jasmine." Raina called for me from another changing room. She was eyeing me from head to toe. "Benjamin chose this." I said defensively.

"I know." Raina mouthed.

"WOW, what a beautiful sister I have." Lynn exclaimed.

Benjamin brought me others, but each of the dresses he gave me, was more revealing than the other. Did he really want me to wear this? I couldn't really imagen that. Maybe he was just trying to get back at me, for not wanting to please him in the plane.

That was probably it.

We went to a hotel to freshen up. "Pick your most beautiful dress lady's." He said. "I am taking all of you out tonight." He told us.

I looked at the bed, where all my new dressed were displayed. Should I really wear any one them? "Jasmine." I heard someone say.

I turned around and it was Lynn. "Hey." I greeted her. She was wearing a pink dress. "May I help you to choose a dress?" She asked. "I love doing so." She said.

"Yes please." I breathed. "I couldn't possibly wear my headscarf with any of them, I don't know what to do." I said panicking.

"Why don't you lose the headscarf." She said as she walked up to me.

"Just for tonight.." She told me.