Princess of Mardalia

Chapter 2

"I'm sorry sister. I know this cannot be fair to you, but you will be doing an honorable thing for our kingdom," Nef paused, "I will miss you very much and pray papa sends me to visit you always."

Aisha throws her arms around her sister and cries into her shoulder. Eventually the other girl begins to cry to. Mourning the departure of her sister in 30 days time.

They pull apart after a few minutes and laugh at each others faces.

"You look like the insides of a goat's ass," Nef says to Aisha.

Aisha laughs and replies, "well then you are the mother of that goat then, because you look worse."

Nef wipes her tears and smiles. "If you have to go to a foreign land, why not be the most beautiful woman walking in. We must send you there with all of your finest things and adorn your hair with our riches and resources so that they know how valuable you are."

"You're right. I am no treaty prize. I am Princess Aisha Zenzalee Adamako of Mardalia. First daughter to the prosperous King Adamako. I will be treated with the love and respect that I deserve."

"Yes sister!"

"Father will not be done hearing my mouth though. I will do this, for my people, but he will know at what cost."

Nef giggles. "Well he only lets you get away with that."

"Perks of being the oldest, my little sister."

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A few days passed and Aisha was still giving her father the silent treatment. Their family dinners had become increasingly awkward as Aisha stonewalled the king.

Her going out of her way to ignore her Father's comments, interrupting him when he was speaking as if he wasn't. Skipping out on family meetings.

It had gotten out of control.

After dinner one night King Adamako dismissed his family from the table.

"Aisha you will stay."

Aisha began standing as if he wasn't talking to her.

"Aisha that was a command," he asserted.

She froze in her spot, looking down at her plate as her siblings moved around and out of the dining room swiftly. She slowly sat back down placing her hands in her lap and looking straight ahead.

When everyone had gone and the doors to their dining room closed, the King stood. He walked down the length of the table and sat across from Aisha. Directly into her line of sight.

"Do you wish to speak about what is, so obviously bothering you, and let it out on the table," he asked gesturing in front of them.

She stared at her Father defiantly, bubbling with the rage she felt for his flippant attitude about her feelings. Her love for I'ekae.

"How dare you act as if you don't know-"

"You will mind your tongue when you speak to me, child."

She shot up from her seat. "You are sending me away to a foreign land without so much as a whisper to how I would feel about it? I am your daughter. How could you just sell me to a stranger," she said as she broke down into tears.

She slid back into her seat as she tried to regain her tears.

Her father leaned in to grab her hands.

"Aisha, I am sorry you feel this way. I am sorry that I have used you to gain an ally. My daughter, I would give you a 1,000 apologies, but it would not change what is to happen."