Malika

Epilogue

She beams at the praise. "I made it for umi (mama). I will make for you too. Tomorrow."

"Why, thank you."

"Marhaba, janem," Noura greets, coming to him holding their baby.

He greets her back with a kiss to her forehead before pecking his son on the nose, petting his head affectionately.

"Musa pulled my dress, baba," Halah whines. "I stumbled and fell."

Adam strokes the baby's cheek. "Did you, little imp?"

Musa smiles, kicking his legs and grasping his hand, biting on his finger in reply.

"Where is Harun?" he asks about his eldest.

"He's with Daud," Noura informs him. "He got in a tussle with Sulaiman's daughter. She smacked him and took his sword. He pulled her hair and sent her crying. But he lost his sword to her and was bumped about it. Daud took him horse riding to cheer him up."

He arches an eyebrow, both amused and surprised. "I see that wasn't a warm welcome to them at the palace."

Noura gestures for Roya to take away the children. When they're left alone, she hooks her arm through his and they begin to walk down the pathway through the garden.

"Don't worry, Maawa is a sensible woman," she says, referring to Sulaiman's wife. "She understands that they are only children."

"You say that because Harun has taken after you," he teases. "Always getting himself in trouble."

She lifts her chin, smirking at him. "Careful. Those troubles got me to you."

He chuckles, a little darkly, a little mischievously. "But I have always been a good boy to you, haven't I?"

Before she could reply, they see Daud coming their way with a dirt covered Harun securely clutched in his arms. The six-year-old wriggle in his hold to get free.

"Your son is a hurricane, sayidi," Daud complains as he nears them and puts the young prince down. "He tried to jump off the horse. If I didn't need to hold the reins, I would be needing all my limbs to control this little scamp."

Harun rushes to him and wraps himself around his legs, spoiling his clothes in the process with all the dirt over him. He grins up at him, dark brown eyes afire under the sun.

"Marhaba, baba!"

Adam crouches to his level and wipes clean his cheek with the pad of his thumb before brushing back his hair from his eyes.

"Marhaba, namer."

"When will they leave, baba?" Harun asks impatiently.

"Who?"

"Your guests. I don't like the girl. She has scary eyes." He scrunch up his nose. "And she stole my sword."

"That's a rude thing to say, Harun," Noura reprimands. "You've many other swords."

"She took my favorite."

"I will get you a new one, ibni," Adam promises. "Share your things with others."

His orbs spark up in excitement. "Will you get me like yours?"

Adam smiles. "When you grow up a little." He nods towards Daud. "Now, is it true that you tried to jump off the horse?"

"The horse was jumping," he reasons sheepishly.

He tries not to chuckle, and Noura shakes her head.

"You could hurt yourself if you're not careful, azizi. I will not allow you out if you try this again," she warns, taking his hand. "Come, let me clean you up."