|
|
 |
How a Wedding Ceremony Remained a Secret From the Bride
In The Sheik's Secret Bride by Susan Mallery, Liana Archer is a single mother from San Bernadino when, from an airplane, she is whisked away to the
palace of Malik Khan, Crown Prince of El Bahar. As their romance
progresses, Malik takes her on a trip to the desert. Upon his arrival,
he immediately notices that the leader of the nomad tribe, Bilal, has made arrangements for
an elaborate desert wedding, instead of a welcoming ceremony.
Wedding. Welcoming ceremony. Is it possible the old man misunderstood Malik's
instructions?
"What the hell is all this?" Malik demands when he sees what Bilal is up to. But Bilal remains
firm. Malik knows this is wrong, exerts his protests (weak as they are), but finds himself
swayed by Bilal's apparently convincing argument: "We must. I
told you. It's in the stars. She is the one."
From Liana's perspective, the ceremony is carried out in the form of an odd dinner, during which
she and Malik appear to be the center of attention. The two of them are led to large cushions;
Bilal speaks in his native tongue, touches each of them on the head, and a tray of
dates is served before they're allowed to leave. "It's very different than I expected. I
expected more of a party," Liana remarks after eating a date. Malik remains evasive,
answering with, "That comes later. But we aren't expected to stay for it."
After a night of blissful passion, Malik finally faces the music and tells his clueless bride what
had actually transpired during the "dinner". When Liana angrily demands to see the king, in order
to straighten out the matter, he informs her that "a traditional desert wedding doesn't require the
permission of the bride." He goes on to explain that even while modern practices have taken
the place of desert marriages, a marriage is binding if it has been consummated.
Perhaps Liana's "wedding night" should have been less blissful after all.
|
|
|