His Harem, his women and his WOMAN

Chapter 30

Not Edited

With Feriha and Zoya in toll Omeed sat in a carriage riding behind princess Zubaida as they made their way to the palace. She has been awfully quiet since her little discussion with princess Zubaida, something Feriha and Zoya noted.

"Are you nervous Omeed?" Feriha asked but Omeed shook her head. She wasn't nervous she just had so much on her mind.

"How could he have waited for me when we've never met?" Omeed murmured but Zoya and Feriha heard her.

"Who is waiting for you Omeed?" Asked a confused Feriha. Herself and Zoya had not been with her when princess Zubaida confided in Omeed.

"The king. I am told he still expects to make me his queen someday. What should I do?" She cried out as her shoulders slumped in defeat.

"My lady that's impossible!" Zoya shouted. "Why would he wait all this time? Surely he must have considered the possibility of you being dead." Zoya shook her head. "Six years is a very long time for any man to wait and a king at that."

"He obviously didn't, because Persia has been without an empress since he took the throne six years ago." Omeed spat. "I always wanted to marry a man I was in love with. But I can't have that knowing it would be the worse of crimes."

"Will you be willing to give him a chance if you met? We've heard the maids at the princess estate speak highly of his looks and forthrightness. He is a young man with no heir yet." Feriha tried telling Omeed who just scowled.

"I agree with lady Feriha my lady, think about it." Zoya added. "Lady Feriha has always been the voice of reason when you're not thinking straight."

She took Omeed's hand in hers gently. "What if after your performance you get picked to become an imperial concubine?" Zoya asked suddenly.

Omeed snorted. "Allah forbid that ever happening. I had told her highness I wasn't interested and I cannot be forced into it either." Omeed replied with certainty.

She was sure she could resist Hafez and any law condemning her to life as an imperial concubine. "I like my life as a merchant." She spoke as an afterthought trying to convince herself.

"Omeed you'll be turning nineteen very soon, you remaining single is an unfilial act towards your parents. And I am not just referring to your Persian parents. I am including your Hindustani parents."

Omeed glared at Feriha. She hated knowing Feriha was right.

"Hindustani parents?" Zoya's voice rang breaking Omeed out of her stupor. They momentarily forgot Zoya was with them.

Omeed had decided to keep the fact that she was an Hindu princess a secret. Only Feriha knew and she was only ever going to reveal it in her time of need.

"Zoya, hmm Pedar and Medar weren't my birth parents." Zoya stared at Omeed like she was crazy and was spouting nonsense.

"My birth parents are dead they were king and queen of an Hindu kingdom. So that makes me a princess."

There, I said it. Omeed thought as Zoya gawked at Omeed. She hoped Zoya wouldn't reveal this to anyone.

The carriage fell into an eerie silence. Each lady left to their own thoughts. They hadn't even notice the carriage come to a stop until it jerked forward.

"My ladies, we have arrived!" Their driver announced as he opened the door.

Once out in the open, the ladies inhaled and exhaled the cold wintery air sharply. Then chuckled all at once when they realised they had done the same thing.