Protect you

After the court was adjourned, Meena spent quality time with her Family, and the rest of the day in the busy streets of Nursultan, watching people do chores which she also helped with, children playing around and she felt she could ask for no more.

With her friend tailing behind, the returned back to the castle and she out of no where wondered aloud when she glimped Nurain.

" why does he annoy me " Now that it was only the two of them, Nabila thought to say.

" i have the feeling that he likes you " and Meena widened her eyes.

Earning that reaction from her Princess, Nabila looked around to make sure no one was anywhere close to hear them and said in a hushed tone as rotated her pointer fingers around each other " romantically ".

In the Night, Meena found herself in a cape strolling to Nurain's chamber, Nabila told her the only way to confirm her doubt was to confront Nurain and that she would, she thought as she reached his chambers and saw Nurain's right hand man Faisal leaving from there, Faisal was flabbergasted once he saw there but kept shut and then she saw him rejoiced, God knows why before he greeted her and left in a hurry.

Meena was nervous, they weren't allowed to any males chambers as they would face consequences, she hoped she would leave as soon as possible before Nabila was found out, she actually made her wear her clothes and sit in her chamber posing as her.

She entered his bedroom to find it empty and she started looking around only to hear " why are you here?"

" Am i not welcome? " she asked, her back to him as she looked around.

" i will leave then " she said and turned to walk past him but he caught her hand.

He just arrived at the palace when Faisal excitedly informed him of her presence in his quarters, and he didn't inform her of his absence.

Now here they were, staring into each other's eyes.

" Are you scared? " he asked, trying to divert her attention to something else but she didn't budge and kept staring at him.

" of what or who exactly " she asked innocently.

" " the letter? " he asked " you mean the northern king " she asked and saw him nod in concern.

" who wouldn't be scared of that barbarian? " she asked and saw him frown " i bet even you are afraid of him " and she saw him chuckle, she said that but she felt that everyone was afraid of that Barbaric King but Nurain, she didn't know why but she felt so as she gazed at him.

" yes i'm afraid " she admitted and he said .

" don't be " he said .

" i will always protect you, from any harm "

" Even from that king " she asked a bit desperately and he said. " even from him, i won't let him harm you " his eyes assuring her and she trusted him.

" why do you always annoy me? " she asked, ruining the mood and he tsked " because i like it and i find it fun " he answered and left her, trying to go to bed but she suddenly blocked him.

He stared down at her with narrowed eyes, she has removed her cape, standing in her inner sleeveless grey night wear, and not wearing the robe, with her hair let down.

" what do you think you are doing? " he asked in a stern voice.

" answer me " she probed but he took her cape and shoved it on her " wear and go back to your quarters " he instructed, trying to go to bed but she threw the cape away, grabbed his arm and stood in front of him.

She questioned seriously " do you like me? "

Nurain pulled her closer, not leaving a space between them as she felt her front rub on his chest, she put her hand between them, desperately trying to put a space between them but he wasn't having it.

" You very well know we aren't compatible, then why do you ask, you know there's a difference in our status, then why do you ask, and you will be the future queen, and you have already sacrificed your happiness for your people, then why do you ask? " he asked seriously.

" When you know that i have sacrificed my time, life happiness and everything to the people then you should dare not think of me in that way " she said fiercely as she struggled to be free.

" I wonder if you were looking for trouble while coming here, now before trouble comes looking for you go back " he said with a dangerous smile but wasn't letting her go, as he pulled her even closer, shifting his head to the side and Meena felt breatheless and stopped struggling, her gaze lowered as she anticipated what he was up to and they suddenly heard a commotion.

" Guess, the trouble is here " he said and dragged her out of his chamber without covering her with the cape and they came face to face with the king.

Meena felt her heart drop seeing her Father and soon, the royal Family flocked to the scene.

Everyone was dumbfounded as they stared at the two in front of them, one unmoved and the other embarrassed.

" where were you when we have been looking for you since? " asked her Grandmother, who first came out of the daze.

" well...guess the princess went to my chamber, as you all can see in the middle of the night " Nurain said, hiding nothing and another round of silence ensued.

Many others came to join and the royal family felt embarrassed with many people around, everyone was thinking the same thing and they couldn't change theircway of thinking. A woman and a Man together in the same space, with the woman wearing only a sleeveless night wear, how shameful.

And now the Nurain claimed she came to meet him herself which was obviously the truth. Everyone including Meena understood Nurain was trying to put a barrier between them, but the King and Salim felt he was trying to imply more which they couldn't pinpoint.

The Queen has gone to Meena's chamber to meet the maid posing as her and she raised alarm for everyone to look for the princess, they had wanted to focus on looking outside the palace but Nabila claimed she was in the palace only not saying exactly where she was, and the searched almost everywhere to no avail.

The king had only come to ask for Nurain to help in the search as he felt only he could look for her and here they were, in this situation.