Veiled Desires of the Crown

Chapter twelve

Enjoy ;)

I was quiet

But I was not blind.

-Jane Austen 

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For a moment, I just stared at her, struggling to process the shocking news. 

"What? Fatima ran away?!" I exclaimed, letting out a sigh of disbelief. Anxiously, I paced back and forth in my room, the weight of the revelation sinking in. Then, I suddenly recalled the events from the previous night as Aminah continued to explain.

"Yes, Sayidi," Aminah replied, her voice filled with concern. "Last night, after the event ended, Fatima was called by her father. But when we went to look for her, she had vanished. Even the palace guards couldn't find her. It's a mystery."

"Oh my goodness! I think I know when she left," I said, my mind racing. Aminah and Amna both looked at me, puzzled."Can you remember when, Sayidi?" Amna asked.

"It was right around the time both of you joined me in the hall-room, near the end of the evening" I replied. Both of them wore worried expressions."Where is everyone else, like Baba and Uncle? What are they doing?" I asked as I gathered my loose strands of hair and tied them into a loose braid.

"They're together, trying to figure out the situation in the vizier's chamber," Aminah answered."I think I should go there too," I decided. "Amna, please help me pick a dress to change into, so I can freshen up."

Making my way to the bathroom, I quickly washed up and changed into the simple beige gown that had been prepared for me. After having a glass of water, I left my room and hurried to Baba's chamber. As I entered, the palace guards announced my arrival.

"Salam!" I greeted Baba and my uncle, kissing their hands. They nodded, acknowledging my greeting, but their worried expressions didn't go unnoticed.

"Noor, when was the last time you saw Fatima? You both were sharing a room. Did you know she was going to runaway?"" Baba asked, his eyes filled with expectation.

"What? No, Baba, Fatima and I were never close," I explained. "In the past two or three months, I rarely saw or spoke to her. She would leave our room early in the morning and return late at night. We hardly interacted, so I don't know where she spent her time." I saw both of them share a worried look when i finished. Something was definitely wrong.

"Did you see her yesterday?" Uncle Osman inquired.

"Yes, I did see her in the chamber. She got ready for the ball event and left, but..." I hesitated, contemplating whether to share what I had witnessed in the hall.

"What? Do you know something else?" Baba asked anxiously, taking my hands in his.

"No, it's nothing," I replied. "It's just that during the event, close to the end of the night, I saw her leaving the hall in a hurry. I wondered where she was headed, but I had no idea she was running away."

"It was around that time when one of the palace guards spotted her leaving the palace," Uncle Osman added, his tone tinged with anger and disappointment. "She must have seen it as her best opportunity to escape amidst the chaos of the ball."

"But why did she run away, Baba?" I asked, a note of uncertainty in my voice.

Baba fell silent for a moment before responding. "Osman wanted Fatima to marry one of the palace officials. She refused, claiming she loved someone else. Osman asked her about the person she wanted to marry, only to discover he was just a common soldier. He refused the match. We never anticipated she would take such a drastic step upon hearing the rejection."I was left dumbfounded by this revelation. 

"But, Baba, Uncle, why did you try to force her into a marriage when she loved someone else? It doesn't seem fair to her, the person you wanted her to marry, or anyone involved."

Both of them looked at me as though they couldn't believe what I had just said.

"Noor, habibti, you don't understand," Baba explained. "There have been many similar incidents in the past. These soldiers often engage in relationships with girls like you and Fatima in order to secure promotions within the palace. They are not sincere and only use the girls for their personal gain. Osman refused to accept Fatima's choice for her own well-being."

With a nod, I acknowledged my understanding, even though I wasn't entirely sure how to feel. Just then, palace guards came to provide an update on the search for Fatima. They reported that there was no trace of her or the soldier, whose name i figured was Ammar, anywhere in the palace.

As they continued discussing the situation, I silently slipped out of the chamber and returned to my room. The entire day passed with a heavy sense of unease in the air. I was bewildered by the conflicting thoughts running through my mind as I watched the sunset in the garden, the golden hues giving way to shades of purple and grey.

It was there that Aminah found me. "Sayidi, Vizier Suleiman is waiting for you in your chamber."

"Me? Why?" I asked, curious but unable to conceal my apprehension.Aminah merely shrugged, her expression inscrutable. Without pressing her further, I began walking back to my chamber. Inside, I found Baba standing beside a couch, wearing an expectant look.

"Baba, is everything all right? Is this about Fatima?" I inquired with concern.

Baba's response, however, was far from what I expected. "Noor, I need you to listen carefully. I understand that what I'm about to tell you may be surprising, but please remain calm and patient."

I was thoroughly perplexed but nodded in agreement, urging him to continue."Noor, the Sultan has chosen you to be his Malika," Baba announced as the ground seemed to slip from beneath my feet at his words.

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Damn seems like the king has chosen noor to be his queen. 

Will she happily agree to this?

Thoughts?

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