"I think I should leave," Mayan told me, causing me to frown. I did not expect that at all. Why did she want to leave? I didn't want her to leave. I liked having her here. Staying here was better for her anyway. If she left, she would go back to her evil step-sister and step-mother.
"Is it because you didn't see me for two days? I'm sorry, I won't do that again." I loved our friendship and I didn't want to be alone here.
"No, silly. It's not because of that. If you don't feel like socializing, you have the right to be alone. Just think about it with me, the king wants to take you to Carbilia for ten days. I don't want to be here alone," she explained.
"Then, come with me. Do you think my father would allow me to go with him on my own anyway?" I suggested. If I told Zain I wanted Mayan to come with me, he wouldn't mind.
"I don't want to intrude, Nuriya. Sooner or later, you're going to marry him. I can feel it. Why would I stay? Who am I to stay here?" Her logic had no flaw, but I wasn't having it. I didn't want her to go back to Aseel and Janette.
"I don't know about the whole marriage thing. This is way too soon, but even if he marries me, I still want you by my side, Mayan. You're my first friend and I don't want you to face Aseel and Janette. I want you to have a good life. If it makes you feel better, I will give you a job if Zain makes me his queen," I suggested.
Her silence was worrying me. I didn't want to lose her. If she left, I wouldn't be able to maintain our friendship. I loved having her close to me. I was starting to trust her and I didn't want to lose one of the very first people whom I learned to trust.
"Please," I murmured. Since when did I start begging? I watched her as she looked down at her hands while she kept fiddling with her fingers. We were both sitting on her bed.
"I'm getting used to this friendship. I think I would enjoy my stay here," she smiled a little at me and I found myself squealing in joy as I flung my arms around her neck.
"Thank you! I promise, you'll never feel alone here!" I said as she wrapped her arms around me.
"I don't think I'd be alone as long as I have you," she whispered. I had never had a friend before. Laith had always prevented me from having friends, saying that they were a source of weakness and they could betray me at any moment. I didn't think that Mayan could ever betray me. This girl did not have any bad bone in her body. She was a great person and I was lucky that I chose to sit beside her during that dinner.
"Do you think we can go out?" she wondered. "I want to go to the market. It's been a while since I last went shopping."
I had never gone shopping with anybody before. Usually, I wrote down a list of what I wanted and Laith sent somebody to get them to me. I went to the market maybe a handful of times and he was always with me, rushing me. Going to the market with Mayan was an exciting idea.
"I don't see why not," I grinned, getting off the bed.
After sending a letter to Zain, informing him about our desire to go shopping and requesting a coach to take us to the market, I received his reply within twenty minutes.
Dearest Nuriya,
A coach will be waiting for you once you decide to go to the market. I have also assigned a guard to be with you and Lady Mayan lest anything should happen. I want to ensure that you are safe. Please understand that I am not enforcing my control in any way.
Yours truly,
Zain
"I think I need to get used to how protective he is," I commented, showing the letter to Mayan. "Do you want to know something?" I said, looking at her.
"What?" she wondered.
"I keep all his letters. I haven't gotten rid of any of them," I blushed as I admitted my new habit to her. At first, I kept them in case I needed to have samples of his handwriting, but it wasn't like that anymore. I kept them in a box placed in the drawer of my nightstand. Sometimes, I found myself rereading them at night when I had trouble sleeping. Not all of them were invitations. I sometimes found him sending me love letters. They always drew a smile on my face.
"That's absolutely adorable," Mayan gushed. "I love how you two are fond of each other," she said. "Do you love him, Nuriya?"
Her question startled me. It was hard to admit that I loved him to myself, let alone admit it out loud to somebody else. Admitting my feelings for Zain to anyone was like cutting my heart with a blatant knife.
"I do," I whispered. God, it hurt to admit that. I was supposed to kill somebody I loved. I had a heart of ice, a heart that wanted me to look him in the eye, lie to him and put my knife in his chest.
But I was not lying anymore...
Mayan and I left her chambers and I passed by my chambers to get some coins. I hadn't informed Laith about going out, so I also wanted to tell him. I wasn't sure if he would have any objection.
I got into my chamber first to get the coins, then I headed to his chamber. I knocked on the door, waiting for him to allow me in, but I was only met with silence. I slowly opened the door and walked inside, but he was nowhere to be found in the chamber or even on the balcony. I looked outside the balcony, but I didn't find him in the gardens. Where was he? Ever since the night in which he returned after three in the morning, I was starting to get curious.
I got out of his chamber and Mayan and I made our way to the coach that was waiting for us.
This was my first time getting out of the palace through the gates ever since I arrived here, but I was certain that the night Zain and I snuck out would always be better than any normal outing.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Do you like Mayan?
Many surprises are about to hit you!
Published on August 11th, 2022
Sara