Inscribed In The Stars

Chapter 13

The entire room froze. The other servant girls had their jaws dropping to the marble tiles. Dalia finally felt Salma's eyes on her, but her gaze remained on Haifa, who was the calmest of them all.

"Salma is under my protection, and that also means the protection of every individual of Balqaas,"

Dalia felt the pain of a dagger piercing her gut. Of course, they did not trust her, but was she never going to be trusted by them?

"Am I not considered under your fold now? I can promise her security under my protection-" she babbled, attempting to twist the invisible dagger out.

Haifa remained unyielding, giving her an apologetic smile.

"I am afraid I cannot accept your request," she answered. "Salma was not treated well in Rughad, and I cannot instill that trauma on her again,"

Dalia had intended this as a silly game, to mess with them all but oddly, it only irked her.

"What my father did has nothing to do with me-" she refuted, just when a tall shadow appeared behind the gossamer-curtained entrance.

"My wife has made her decision." retorted the scarred Prince as he pushed back the drapes to reveal himself.

"Abbas!" Haifa exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Excuse me for interrupting, but I have come to collect my wife." he boomed.

Abbas strode right over to his wife, signaling with his eyes to go, and gently lifting her to him.

"We are not done yet-" Dalia huffed, furious by the sudden interruption. She leaped up from the cushions and stalked them out to the courtyard, cursing the weight of her four-layered embroidered skirt.

"We have been summoned for an urgent congress and Malik requires our assistance," Abbas explained loudly to both his wife and the Princess.

Haifa, aware that they were being tailed out of the Harem, turned back to their stalker.

"Thank you for having me, and I do apologize for ending it on this note,"

Nevertheless, Dalia continued to follow them, only stopping when they entered the Palace. Discarding the silly game, she turned her mind to focus on what was happening. The King had called an urgent meeting. Why had she not been informed?

"Wait! Have I not been requested present?" she called, her gut twisting uncomfortably when she noticed the many guests entering. 

"No," Abbas replied, but when Haifa tapped him on his arm, he stopped and sighed.

"She will want to come..." his wife whispered.

Followed seconds later by the Princess, "But I wish to join too!"

They both turned to her.

Finally getting their attention, Dalia picked up her skirt and strode over to them. Around them, others had started to take notice, all muttering their greetings to the scarred Prince and his wife. They were all dressed in fine adornments, some even donning layers of jewelry and silk.

"We cannot bring you if Malik has not requested it," Abbas said, trying to hold back his temperament. He was aware that his relatives, who had just arrived, were all taking note of their conversation so he kept his voice low.

"We shall ask him then!" Dalia concluded, striding ahead of them with the crowd, pausing to look back and signaling for them to hurry.

Abbas sighed, but Haifa tugged him along.

"Come on Habibi, we'll be late," she said, then greeting one of his distant aunts.

"But she cannot possibly go like that," Abbas muttered, aware of the curious looks of his relatives directed at the Princess.