5. No Choice

***

Saïda's POV:

I was busy talking to Noure, a guy I crushed on and to whom my hand had been promised to, in marriage. His parents were good friends with my father, as well as the sultan. It was said that, once I would turn twenty, I would marry him. It was perfect because by then, I would have already had my first degree and would be done with my training as Royal adviser. It was perfect.

"You look amazing, Saïda," he said with a smile and I felt my cheeks burn.

"Thank you," I smiled shyly and he smiled back.

"Can I admit something?" he started and I giggled.

"Mhm."

He leaned over till his lips were close to my ear. Goosebumps covered my skin in a sweet way. Oh it was turning into something more than a crush. I was slowly falling in love.

"I can't wait for you to finally be mine," I stopped breathing. "I'm impatient to make you my wife, Saïda."

We'd never kissed and saw each other once in a while, just as tradition wanted it. We would have all the time to be with each other, once married. For now, all we had to do was to be patient. One thing our families ignored was that, we texted and called each other a lot. The more we met during the rare occasions, the more we grew fond of each other, right after.

With pink cheeks, I looked up at him.

"I can't wait to be your wife, either," I murmured, shyly staring at my feet.

"Hey, you!" someone called and we both turned to see Zhou, quickly make her way through the crowd to join us.

"M– me?" I asked, confused.

"Yes," she frowned, "You're the servant girl, right? The prince's personal maid?"

I stared in disbelief. What had she just called me?

"I'm his assistant and soon to be, Royal adviser," I corrected, frowning too.

"Whatever. Where is he??" she demanded and I stared at her, wide eyed.

"How am I supposed to know? Weren't you with him?"

"I was, but since the sultan called him, I haven't seen him."

'Sultan called him? The sultan is busy receiving the most important guests in his private lounge. He would never call Asahd when he expects the prince to be with you, Zhou.'

Asahd had probably lied to get rid of her. I was beginning to understand why. The girl was a pest. They matched perfectly.

"I don't know where he is, and you just interrupted me," I frowned.

"You should know. It's your job to know."

I was very tempted to spank her hard across the face.

"Noure?" I grabbed his hand. "Let's leave this hysterical person all by herself."

"What?? How dare you!"

I wasn't paying attention to her anymore. I pulled Noure along until we were far at the other end of the ballroom. Yet, Zhou was still staring at us from that distance, nonstop.

"What's her problem?" Noure laughed.

"The girl is a little crazy," I mused, staring back at her.

Just then, I spotted the Billy goat's head, amidst the crowed. He was so tall and those curls made it easy to recognise him.

"And that's who she's looking for."

Noure looked around.

"Who? I don't see the prince."

"Right there."

"Oh. How did you spot him so fast, in this crowd?" he mused.

"I'm forced to have an eye on him, like a babysitter, most of the time. I'm already used to spotting him even in a crowd of ten thousands. Just like my father."

"The Zhou is still staring at us."

That girl wasn't going to leave and might even come to us again, if I didn't show her the Prince. I waved at her with a hand and when I got her full attention, I pointed at the Prince until she spotted him. She immediately went after him.

"That'll keep her busy and away from us," Noure mused and I giggled in agreement.

Asahd's POV:

I'd sipped so many glasses of champagne that I started to feel a little tipsy. Just tipsy. Not drunk. But I decided to stop taking anymore drinks so I would not eventually get drunk.

As I walked through the crowd, an errand boy with a tray of glasses, accidentally marched my shoes. I almost lost it.

"Are you blind??" I asked, angrily. Luckily the people around were to merry to notice their prince.

"I– I'm sorry, my prince."

"Sorry?? Clean it!"

The boy was going to bend and do so when I heard–

"My prince!"

I turned and saw Zhou at a distance, struggling to make it through the crowd and get to me.

"Oh no you don't," I muttered and bent over, as if to touch my knees. "Say you didn't see me. And go distract her with some champagne," I told the errand boy who nodded and did as he was told.

Still bending over, I sneaked my way through the dancing crowd, fleeing from Mrs calamity. And it went on and on. Me fleeing from her till the night was over.

***

The next day, as expected, my parents asked me about Zhou. I told them the plain truth.

"She is boring and a great talkative. I do not like her," I stated firmly. Surprisingly, it didn't anger my parents but amused them. I wondered why, but not for long.

"You speak as if you have a choice," my father started.

"Oh, but he does," my mother laughed and turned to me. "You have some months to find your own woman."

"But that's close to impossible because of how irresponsible you are. There are higher chances you end up marrying the boring and talkative one."

"You can't be serious," I tried not to lose it.

"Yes, we are. Very serious. Find yourself someone, else you have no right to complain about the one we've chosen for you. And that's it," the Queen ended and the lump in my throat was sickening.

"She has to be from Zagreh?" I muttered.

"Of course. What do you think? That you'll bring one of your crazy English girlfriends here, to marry?" the Sultan scoffed and laughed.

"I'm not getting married to that, Zhou!" I growled, standing.

"Lower your voice," the sultan warned with a frown. "Find yourself someone, and then we'll talk about you not wanting to marry Zhou."

"This is not right. You can't force me."

"Tradition does. And you have no choice. You refuse to follow the rules, then you can say goodbye to the throne, which you clearly long to sit on," my father stated.

"We told you to start looking for someone, back when you were twenty years old. You thought it was a joke and laughed it off. Now you have months to your twenty third birthday. You have to be married, at least two years, before taking over the throne at twenty five."

"You were warned and forearmed. But you didn't take it seriously. Prepare to marry Zhou. It's your fault."

"I'm tired of your nonsense," I scoffed and started to walk out of them.

"Asahd, mind the way you speak to us!"

"Why? Let me live! Zhou, my ass!" I retorted and left the room. They were impossible.