21: In His Warm Embrace

Rooh Farah

The massive palace gates swung open and the guards offered their utmost respect to the prince. He looks mightier in my eyes now looking at his perfect figure.

He turned to me an intentionally lean closer to my ears, so that the court officials and the king also who's attention is completely on us will witness "Shall we?!" 

He marched forward and I found my legs sticking to the ground when I'm supposed to follow him. 

After a few steps he realized that I was not following behind so he took a few steps back and unexpectedly grab a hold of my hand "No need to be scared I'm here with you" he whispers. 

Sudden courage instilled into me putting my gaze down so that I will not be intimidated by any of them, I tried to match my short steps with his long strides.

We stopped in front of the throne before he offered his respect. 

"Prince Namir bn Mubashshar bn Abdulmanaf.... And my wife Princess Rooh Farah.."

_Ya rabbi he forgot to ask her father's name._

"...greets your Highness the king"

"Your wife!" Exclaimed galadima. "When you are engaged to Waziri's daughter??" He wasn't concerned just mocking him.

Namir ignored him. 

"So you married a princess of another nation?"

"I fret not. However the wife of the Prince of North is definitely the princess of north".

"But a commoner can't be a princess" galadima intervened again. 

"She ain't a commoner, she's my wife." He snapped through gritted teeth. leaving my hand and turning to galadima, his fiery eyes looking directly into his dark soul.

"No prince ever married outside of his Kingdom so it's only right if we don't consider this little woman as your wife. However a prince can also keep as many concubines as he wants" the king drew his attention back to him.

So I'm going to be a concubine? .

Waziri stepped forward. "Forgive me your Highness, but before this discussion gets further, i want to break up the engagement between the prince and my daughter "

So this is the father of the girl he got engaged to? The second richest man in the country, i wonder what the prince's fiancee is like.

"You know breaking off engagement ls isn't in the royal dictionary. Your daughter will get married and become the crown princess of this nation"

Namir clenches his hand into a fist. He knew that throwing a tantrum won't create a solution for him.

So he took two steps back, grab ahold of my hand and proceed to drag me out of the palace. How he wished i was already pregnant before we came here, then the king will definitely call off the engagement himself to save his face, however it's not late he can still do that in a span of 1 week or even best Tonight.

"I want everyone out except the prince" 

He stopped on his track but still firmly holding my hand while everyone; including the guards did as the king instructed.

"Do you wish for the lady to find out  what you're scheming in the shadows?"

He chuckled, but inside he's anxious about what the king has found out.

"I hold no secrets from my WiFe" he put emphasis on the word Wife that weirdly made me feel burdened by the title.

This time the king laughed. "Let her listen then and i bet she'll be the easy weapon to the destruction of your comrades, and you'll probably lose her also"

I gasped! And Namir turn to look at my face which visualise how scared i am. 

I promise to die for him but it's surely scary when his own father is threatening him.

"Farah stay at the door and don't go anywhere from there, don't talk to anyone either "

Nodding, i slowly walked across the massive hall to the door, and when it closes behind me I stood there like a statue with my head glued to the polished stone floor wondering what is going on between master Namir and the king.

"Ke! (Hey)" I raised my head to a woman dressed in the most beautiful alkyabba I've never seen. 

"What are you doing here, are you eavesdropping on the court meeting?"

I just stood there staring at her, the prince made it clear not to speak to anyone.

"Won't you greet the Queen" one of her ladies in waiting scolds.

I want to greet her.. I really want to. because from the story I heard from the prince she is not someone I should mess with.

But I have to follow the prince's orders with my life on line.

"Are you deaf" she questioned in rage. 

I know I should at least nod, however nodding is equivalent to speaking so I just stood still but dropped my gaze to ground again.

Frustrated she turned. "Bring her!" She ordered. "We'll find out whether or not you're deaf for sure".

I struggle to resist them, but the bulky women among them were holding me. 

They drag me to her quarters and i hadn't stopped trying to resist. They put a chair for their queen and made me kneel in front of her with my beautiful dress.

"Who are you?" She asked not because she doesn't know who i am, Galadima has already narrate the story of what happened in the palace to her. 

She just want to show me my place and humiliate the prince.

"Are you not going to talk?" Jakadiya collected a very thick and long flog from the guards. "You'll be punished if you don't"

I looked away without an ounce of fear in my heart. This isn't the first time i was flogged. I was once beaten until i was unable to move even my finger, so why would i be scared now that i have the prince with me?.

My silence is definitely irking the queen now. "Tie her to the tree"

I watched as i was tied to the old neem tree and now my dress is a beautiful mess.

"Flog her until she speak up!" 

"Forgive me your Majesty but I'm scared of hurting even a cat that belongs to the prince talkless of his woman" she shudderd at the thought of her inviting danger upon herself.

So they already know who i was?! So what was all this for?.

She collected the flog herself and hit me hard on my back. 

I bite on my lip in pain, as i struggle to keep mum and not let a single sound out.

I want to endure everything but it's too painful at the fifth flog tears started escaping my eyes. 

.....

"You know the issue with you is whenever you feel the need to protect something, you tend to forget who you are! that's how you failed to protect your mother, and you're likely to lose this woman in the nearest future."

'You're wrong! Because I failed to protect Ummi when i put myself before her, and i ain't repeating that mistake ever!."

The king sighed and got down from his throne to where Namir stood putting a hand on his shoulder. 

"There's no use fighting you my son, since we're all on the same page why don't you just leave that woman and get married to Waziri's daughter as arranged then your friend and guard will be saved"

"I'll never abandon Farah for anyone!" He pushed his hand away from him.

"The only punishment to an act of treason is death! However I could save your name and execute all the other 17 people of your shabby secret organization in front of their father's ".

"If I'm going down, I'll go with my comrades!" 

"What about the lady then? Think wisely" he proceed to leave Namir standing there unable to really choose between the two sides at his mercy.

"But Farah will also be a wife not a concubine" he had no other option.

The king smiles "only if you agree to be the crowned the (Yarima) crown prince"

"I agree." 

The king was shocked to the bones.

"If you've been this obedient since the beginning, you would've already saved your mother at the initial stage." 

He licked his lip and step out after the king only to find Farah absent at the spot he instructed her to stay.

The guards informed him about what had happened Without asking and without wasting a single second he left for the Queen's quarters.

....

At the 13th flog a loud scream halted the 14th one from burning my legs after tearing off the skin.

I couldn't see what happened because of how tight they tied me but it's the prince's voice i heard.

He has used the handle of his sword to hit Ya Mairah on the head, resulting in her falling to the ground and thus screaming.

He raised it again and hit it hard on her legs untill we hear a breaking sound and she screamed again, harder!.

He raised it for the third time when the queen dropped her cane and rushed to her daughter shielding her from the prince's wrath.

"One more hit and she won't ever be able to use her legs again".

"Please don't!" She cried seeing the blood on her daughter's head and her broken leg.

"Untie her!" She instructed jakadiya who was already halfway in that.

"If you could punish anyone without consequences so can I, so don't ever look Farah's way! And if even a fly touch her because of you again, I'll kill this ugly daughter of yours ".

He took me bridal style while i clung unto his muscles whimpering in pain like a puppy. And we traveled like that all the way to his mother's quarters.

"She stood up upon seeing my condition"

"Subhanallah ابن what happened to her? Come inside" she took us to her sleeping chamber and there he lay me on her bed but i screamed when my back touched the soft cotton, it hurts like crazy.

He turned me and lay me on my stomach chanting sorrys. 

He wanted to removed my clothes but i stopped him seeing the elderly woman that suspiciously look so much like him.

"She's my mother Farah let me treat you" 

I tried to sit up in respect to the most important woman in Master Namir's life. The woman that was the cause of my  survival.

She pushed me back gently. You have injuries on your back don't! I'll bring the medicine.

He nods and continues with what he was doing, leaving me in my inner garments and his mother applied medicine on the beating marks herself. 

Once the they were done, i force myself to sleep out of embarrassment.

....

"Congratulations my lady your wedding has even been brought closer it's now happening this weekend" 

Layaal giggles while her ladies are doing her skin treatment. "I know right! But the prince truly can't wait to have me as his wife"

"I heard that he's even getting crowned the Yarima?" Says her friend having tea at the side.

"So you're also going to be the crown princess not just a Normal royal?" Added the other friend.

Layaal is just smiling feeling herself at the top of the world. Surely no other lady is as lucky as her.

"Congratulations my lady" her nanny continues to massage her feet gently. "But I'll miss you if you leave"

"I'll call for you as soon as i gave birth. So just stay prepared to visit the palace soon" 

Her nanny shook her head discreetly at layaal. Ladies are known for their shyness but excitement is making layaal forget that.

....

" Faris Send invitations to The prince's wife family. They have to be there for to give out there daughter as per the custom"

"Yes your Majesty".

.....

As soon as he stepped out of the room . Suleiman dropped on his knees in front of him.

"Please forgive me My friend, i gave out our necks to the king myself!".

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