So loyal
Queen Neemah felt her heart catch in reaction. So he would whisper to another woman just like this? She feels as if it's the worst betrayal. Only a man would steal your heart and then pretend he didn't have it. What's worse, he would trample all over it and claim he didn't know it's a heart. Or that the hurt is all but exaggerated.
Why does a woman have to deal with this bull? She wondered. Not me. Neemah swore to herself. It's either me, or no one else!
She sighed exaggeratedly. Then she took a deep breath to steady her pounding heart. "Make love to me my dear. Let me feel cherished so I can be your warrior come morning" she whispered, sounding wounded, but amiable in an almost saintly way. The damn guy just told her he was going to bring in another wife! If her reaction wasn't saintly enough, she just didn't know what the hell is!
Aariz stared at the top of her head, avoiding the eyes and the pleading expressions. He is just not in the mood. There are eyes that hunt his sleep and a figure so tantalizing it hunts his soul. It's beyond need. It's more like extreme deprivation and hunger so bad it hurts his mind.
He has been avoiding Neemah, he agreed. He didn't wish to make her feel like she lacked something. Making love to Neemah had been one of his favorite past times. She makes him insatiable to a point that he realized he just was never satisfied. There is a hollow feeling in his chest, eating away her care and her love, gobbling the entire thing without ever a hint of being filled.
He has been loyal to Neemah. He has been so loyal that he did not even once held Aaidah's arm in the name of like. He wouldn't betray Neemah for just anyone. It has to be Aairah or it wouldn't make sense!
He went through the ritual, feeling an anxiousness to get over with it hurriedly. When the passion winks out, Aariz soon realized, then it's no longer enjoyable and the act of love can turn so sour, it remains a memory of cringing affair.
But Neemah is worth any discomfort. She is the kindest woman he's ever known.
She is so sweet, strong and softhearted. She loves him so very much too, despite all of his not so attractive shortcomings. Most importantly, she loves his impossible mother. What's more, she definitely makes it seem too easy. A feat, admittedly, is still quite alien to him. Cox no one who loves him gets along with his mother well.
He wasn't lying when he called her his warrior. She takes his interests to heart and does anything to make him feel ease. He just never has to worry about the royal house. Everything is totally under control. Every guest leaves with a feeling of awe and satisfaction. This is quite important to the maintenance of the Royal code of honor. It's no wonder his people adore their queen so much. Aaidah wasn't much liked by them because of Neemah's popularity. Which didn't even make sense considering Aaidah was more beautiful and has the most stunning smile.
The next day, he sat in front of his laptop, watching the clip sent to him about Aairah's return to her father's house. It is the first time he felt the need to watch any video at all that didn't have gravity or any rebounding meaning and depth.
It began the moment she entered the car. There's a hidden camera inside which took all of her actions during the short drive to her father's house. He felt an inane need to be close to her. If for nothing but to ask her why her eyes were red. Or why she kept wringing her hands in a painful twist. Her teeth kept biting down on her lips which wobbled with an intense emotion. Is that blood stains on her teeth? He wondered.
The longer the video played, the stormier her expression gets. She began to furrow her brows with a sudden and marked frown which soon transformed her face into a grey mist of dread and misfortune. She looks pitiful and afraid.
When the car stopped and she was asked to step out of it, she closed her eyes briefly as if gathering all of her courage. Then she stepped out of it, clearing the worrying expression on her face and looking like everything is dandy. She isn't smiling or anything. But she is no longer frowning as well, except for the slight crease on her brow. It's as close to neutral as she could manage, he realized. Is she that emotionally unstable? He asked himself. And if so, why is that?
It has to do with the reason she ran away in the first place, he mused.
The video ended when she entered the house, leaving behind the large group of guards who had been responsible for getting her home safely.
Aariz lied back on the recliner he was resting on recent and stared at the animated ceiling capturing the best imitation of a cave there is. It looks so real it's practically brimming with life.
But his mind is still on the video of Aairah. A small hiss escaped his lips and only Allah knows what is going through his head.
Aariz was still staring fixatedly at the ceiling when the queen made an appearance. He signaled for the guards at the door to let her in and she sauntered in wearing some general color he can barely remember after the fleeting glance he had given to her upon her entry, to make her know he isn't in the mood to talk.
"I came to talk about sultana" she stated. He did know it would come to this and he knew as well that she would support him. Just like she had supported his marriage to Aaidah. She is a jealous woman. No one can hide jealousy. And even the best of people feel it. It's a part of human nature. But she could hide it so well when she believes it is what is best for the both of them. How she deals with so much is a great matter of envy for him.
If she could read the endless worries in his mind, she would understand why he needs a connection stronger than what he shares with her.
But she knows as well, that no matter how nice she is, or how saintly she can get, the truth, a bitter pill, just has to be swallowed. She married him because he was made emir and at that time, no one asked him if he liked her or wanted her as his wife.
Her family contribution to making him emir is just too much. They needed to be repaid in kind. And so his mother had arranged the marriage behind the scenes.
To everyone in Maicki, it's a romantic marriage between two loving couples.
Admittedly, he didn't much care for her at first. He just used her when the need arose and then dump her the very next instant. That's it. Slowly though, she suffered through his carelessness and began to build a steady rhythm of gentility and skill. She is a good and fair leader and even his mother has no reason to deny that. In the end, she even has him convinced that she is what he needs as queen.
It's not like he did not know how ruthless she can be. Sometimes, he worries she would go too far. But then she never does and he knew that he didn't have to worry about her crossing the line. He found that after some time, he could even rest easy knowing she would never disappoint him. If she did, changing the queen is not that big of a deal.
That's the power of an emir!
Aariz could sense she came to seek information. At least that's what he would've done in her place. Knowledge is power. It's always better to know thy competitor so you prepare for eventualities. She didn't know who the girl is so she wouldn't know if she's the type to put on airs or the type to lie low...
She would be relieved to know that it is Aairah. And no one else, he knew. But because he didn't wish to talk, he turned the laptop so she could see her photo frozen on the screen.
Neemah smiled beautifully. She grinned as she said to him. "I am glad it's my little sis. Any sister of Aaidah is welcome. Her twin, I'm sure, would be another blessing to us!" She chirped excitedly. Her eyes suddenly filled with shiny tears. With clogged throat, she said "I miss her so so much"
He could understand her sadness at remembering Aaidah. She truly did love the girl as if she were her own sister. Just as he did.
Aariz continued to list off the mathematics in his head. Every single day is an examination day for him. Because he needs to define things, enumerate, differentiate, add, subtract, interprete...
He did not know when she left. He has totally forgotten she was there. But alhamdulillah, he has just found a solution to the Aairah problem.
Even though he did not like it, the only solution seems to be time.