The Royal feud✅

[20] J A W A D

"What are you doing here?" his voice carries more animosity than normal. If I wasn't immune to his angry stares, I'd have been shivering.

I face him, my gaze holding his gaze. "Zayd-"

He stands from his seat, standing on his toes to tower over me. I refuse to cower under his stare, even if we are less than two inches apart. "Don't you ever call my name again!" He brings his palm close to my face. I think he had a second thought because he fists it and brings it to his side. I'm being quiet because I feel he needs this time, alone time and time to unleash all his anger because I'm sure he is angry or even boiling. But I will never take it even if he simply touches a strand of my hair.

I think he weighs the consequences because he takes two steps back. I don't bother saying anything to him, since he looks like he is not in the right state to take any advice or consolation. I glance at him one last time before moving out of his sight. I'm sure he wants nothing more than that.

Amna. I've missed her and I can't wait to get to her. We haven't gotten much alone time. The last time I had a reasonable amount of time with her was about a week ago, when she broke her ankle. It hurt me to see her in pain. But I felt much better when she allowed me to tend to her. I like how she reacts when I'm close to her.

I don't know what it is, but I know I have a strong feeling toward her. A kind of feeling I've never experienced before. Mere thoughts of her fills my strong heart with ecstasy, it melts me. And when she smiles, Ya Allah, I feel like holding her forever.

I know she'll be surprised to see me home early. I've been returning late for the past one week because of the issues in the kingdom. I've been laying down rules and plans to trap whoever is dropping the letters.

The door is slightly open. I take a step inside the room. She's sitting on a chair facing the vanity and scribbling something down on a paper. She is too engrossed that she doesn't notice I'm watching her. My lip curves into a smile when she places her index finger on her temple.

Her eyes lit like she just remembered what she has been trying hard to get out of her brain. She throws her fist up and dips the feather in ink and scribble again with a smile on her face.

As much as I want to keep watching her, I want her to be aware of my presence, so I clear my throat.

But no,

I decide against doing that before the sound can get out of my throat. I tip toe to where she's sitting and lower my mouth close to her ears. She's really absorbed because how won't she know I am very close to her?

"What are you doing?" I whisper in her ear. She sweeps her hand to her chest, clutching it tightly. I chuckle by how trepid she looks.

"Subhannallah you scared me..." she's still panting. She wants to return her hand to the vanity, but I quickly grab it. The ink she was writing with is now all over the table. I feel bad being the cause because even the paper she was so engrossed in writing on is now covered in ink.

Her mouth forms an 'o' shape, then she looks up at me. "Don't tell me you're worried about this. It's nothing..." her giggles fill my ears, lessening any form of unease I felt. "I intended to tear it." I nod my head, giving her a small smile. "You came early today," she says.

"I miss you. I want to spend more time with you," I don't miss the redness that covers her cheek. "I was expecting you to run into my arms when I arrived. I'm sad to see your writing took my place by grasping all your attention."

She faces the vanity to avoid my gaze, but have she forgotten I can still look at her through the mirror. "I'm sorry I didn't notice your arrival. Don't blame me my prince, I was too engrossed in writing about you." She was writing about me? Now I wish my carelessness didn't cause me to blur the paper with ink.

"May I know what you're writing about me, my princess?"

"I wrote it for myself to stare at. Not for you." I like that our relationship is taking a good turn. I feel like she's almost out of her shell completely and more comfortable with me. She's more vocal around me now than when we first got married.

"Ouch," I clutch my chest to feign hurt. "How can something be about one and still, they don't have a right to see it?" I take her hands in mine and raise her up until she's facing me. I put my hands around her waist. "uhn princess, does it make any sense?"

I watch as she parts her lips and close it back again. I like that I have this effect on her. I'm happy that she's also affected by my presence, like how I'm to hers. I lower my face so that our breaths are now mixed with each other. The smell of her coconut shampoo gets more pungent in this position, and it is doing nothing, but drawing me closer to her.

I lower my face until our lips are inches apart. There's nothing on my mind now except are plump lips which are inviting me. I lower my head until our lips are touching. Sparks of electricity flows through me, throwing me into another planet of feelings I did not know existed.

I should stop,

but I can't.

When she doesn't flinch, I press my lips further into hers. Her hands fling to the back of my neck, deepening the kiss. She tastes like grapes-

Knock, knock, knock.

I hear the sound, but I ignore it by drawing Amna closer to me. She seems not to like the disturbance because she doesn't stop as well. Her hands wind tighter around my neck.

Knock, knock, knock.

Who is that person that chooses the wrong time to knock on the door? Can't the person go and never return?

I'm force to break the kiss. Amna chest heaves as she takes in her lost breaths. I smirk at her beautiful face and swollen lips, then saunter to attend to the disturbance at the door.
Some people always come at the wrong time.

I jerk the door open with anger. "What do you-?"

The rest of the sentence is caught in my throat when I see Haider standing before me. He never approaches me until he needs me to attend to something important.

He bows a little then raises his head. "The trespasser has been found."

In as much as I hate that my moment with Amna was broken. I still have to go to the dungeon as soon as possible, and I'll be there for a very long time.
I've to tell Amna.

"I'll be there. Let me take care of something." Haider nods his head, then I close the door.

Amna is now sitting on the bed with her head on the floor. I crouch down to her position, then lift her chin with my fingers.

"I've to attend to something. I can't say I'll be back soon. If you don't see me, lock the door and sleep." The hurt that flashes across her eyes doesn't go past me, but she masks it up with a smile. I kiss her forehead, stand from my position then wear my shoes and proceed out of the room.

I take long strides towards the dungeon. I don't want what happened last time to repeat itself. The person mustn't kill himself. I need to get some useful information out of him. The sound of my footsteps echoes as I climb the stairs leading down to the dungeon.

The guards bow when I stand in the dungeon. They move away from the cell, and my breath hitches when I see the person chained inside the cell.

****

Hmmm, who do you think Jawad saw?

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