Lost My Faith

Arik stood on the balcony of the Moon Palace watching as his people answered the call to prayers and entered the chapel, ready to repledge their faith in God and their Sheik. Faith, a small word to describe something so large and powerful, something that played a big part in shaping people's lives and guiding them in their future.

Over the past twelve months he had watched as his faith had slowly disappeared in the face of the huge task that he had taken on. The terrorist attack that had taken the lives of his father and his brother had rocked his country to its core. People had doubted each other leading to small scuffles erupting everytime someone acted in a suspicious manner. External investors, already uneasy after the terrorist attack, had gradually withdrawn their support as the country struggled within itself. His country had been on the brink of total meltdown and he had felt unable to do anything about it.

Without faith or hope he had wondered how he could rid his country of the threat to its survival and rebuild it to its former glory. A place that people were proud to live in and investors wanted to invest their money in.

A movement caught his eye and he turned to watched the slender blonde walking out of the palace and across the balcony towards him, a sleeping babe lying cradled in her arms. A slight smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as she walked towards him.

At his lowest point, when he had questioned everyone and everything in his life, she had entered it. A blond bombshell who had stormed into his palace demanding to know what he was going to do about the orphaned children whose orphanage had been destroyed in a bomb blast. Her blue eyes had shot fire at him whilst she had questioned his every action, challenged him to do something to make the lives of the children safer and more protected. She had not cared that he was the Sheikh, a man used to people respecting him without question, a man used to having his every request and order obeyed. No, she saw him as just someone who had the power to do something, anything.

Her spark, her fire had ignited something buried so deep within him. He had increased his efforts to rid his country of those who threatened his people, sought to rebuild its industries so as to attract investors and worked at healing the wounds of his people. His faith, once so battered and broken, had started to heal as well, brought back to life by this one woman who believed in him.

"Hi," he said softly as she neared him.

"Hi," she greeted in return. Her eyes were soft and warm as she leant over and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.

"Is she asleep?" he asked, indicating the babe in her arms.

"Dozing. She was singing to your grandmother before. Do you want her?"

Arik carefully took the sleeping babe from her arms. He felt his heart clench as she opened her eyes and gazed sleepily up at him. Who would have thought that something so tiny could heal him so much. Her birth had given him a new, focused purpose and he had worked non stop in sorting the problems of his country. Even his people, seeing the birth of the Sheikh's new daughter, had felt new hope and had joined with him in his efforts to heal them. Now they had their country back and the chance to build on their new beginning.

"She is beautiful. Just like her mother," he said with a smile.

"And a charmer just like her father. We should be going into the temple or else we'll miss her naming ceremony." She blushed under his warm gaze. Even though they had been married ever since she had found out that she had been pregnant with Hana he could make her feel like a new bride with just a look.

"Then we shall go and get her formerly named." He looked at his wife. "Thank you, Beth, for bringing Hana into our lives and giving me back my faith in the world."

"Thank you for loving me," she whispered softly back before slipping her arm around his waist as they headed down towards the chapel.