"What are you doing here?" Zahra spouted, clenching her fists.
"I just came to check on you, Princess," Yuden curved his lips, examining the shorter woman in front of him.
"Move," Zahra tried to push him however he was using the wall as a support behind him.
"Why did you even bother coming here? You could have sent a servant, you know," Yuden stepped back, making way for Zahra to exit the small room.
"Well, I'm not like you people," Zahra sarcastically said. "You just can call me a princess all you want, deep down I know I'm not one," she added, taking quick steps.
Yuden, whose gaze fell on Zahra's bleeding knees, lifted her in his arms.
"What are you doing?!" Zahra yelled, moving around her legs. She hit him with her fists with all her might however it was only her palms because of the prior scratches.
"Stay still or you will fall and hurt yourself more," Yuden calmly spoke as if he was used to doing such.
"I'm shocked! How can you even lift me?! Ain't I heavy?!" Zahra asked, still unable to trust Yuden's strength.
"You might not know because it's a secret but," Yuden paused. "I can experience carrying women around like this," he chuckled.
"Gross," Zahra grimaced, looking in front instead of looking at Yuden's face.
He was handsome but she couldn't stand looking at him. It only made her blood boil as it only reminded her of the times he had forcefully brought her to the palace and how he acted on their two first meetings.
"Princess," Yuden spoke, breaking the silence as he headed closer to the black car parked on the roadway.
"What?" Zahra replied, clearly uninterested in whatever Yuden was about to say.
"Do not come here again. This place is filled with people who aren't worth your time. They will only try to use you to gain something now that you are no longer just an ordinary girl," Yuden spoke while his driver opened the door for him. He carefully placed Zahra on the back seat and closed the door, circling taking a seat on the other side.
"Why are you coming with me? I'm going home." Zahra frowned, siding away as soon as Yuden sat beside her.
"I know, I'm bringing you there," he replied, smiling.
"What about my guards?!"
"I—"
"How can you just leave them like this?!"
"I—"
"It's so rude! And you talk about ethics and whatnot!" Zahra shouted rapidly, not letting Yuden able to say a word.
Yuden stopped trying and left her to keep talking her usual nonsense.
It reminded him of the time they had met.
- Nearly two weeks ago -
After his father talked about his marriage with Princess Layla, Yuden took his car and decided to go on a drive.
He drove the car fast, going beyond the speed limit, passing cars right, and left to avoid crashing his car against another one.
It wasn't the name marriage that upset him. He knew as a royalty, he had to fulfill his duty and bring a good queen for his kingdom.
However, all his life he was told by everyone that his fiancée, his would-be wife, was Princess Zahra Throren of Averlyon.
Yet his father asked him to marry her younger sister, Layla. He didn't believe in love or emotions. But he knew that surely Layla wouldn't be a good queen for his kingdom.
He needed someone worthy of being his queen—a woman who would love his kingdom as much as he did.
But Layla? She was a selfish girl. She didn't care about anyone but herself. After all, he grew up with her.
Yuden stopped his car as he reached near a river.
He walked towards the edge and plucked up a few rocks that he started throwing on the river, venting his frustration.
"Hey!"
When he looked to his right, a girl was standing in front of him.
Before he could speak, the girl started talking.
"Dude, are you blind or what?! Can't you see that I was sitting down?" She pointed where she was seated a few seconds prior. "Can't you rich people let us poor people live quietly?!"
Yuden scoffed.
"Look, I didn't see you, okay?" He then continued throwing his rocks at the river.
"What you mean you didn't see me?! I'm one living human being, not some animal!"
"Well, I don't see the difference, shorty." He started walking away from there.
"Hey! You rude, rich, spoiled brat! I'm not done talking! At least, fucking apologize!"
***
"Dude!"
Zahra calling him out brought Yuden back to reality.
He turned his gaze to meet her amber eyes. The sunlight's reflecting made it seem as if they were almost golden.
"You listening?!" Zahra raised an eyebrow.
"What were you saying?"
"Forget it," Zahra sighed. "It's good I guess that you didn't hear any of it. It was bullshit," she mumbled to herself.
"Am I so desperate to be heard that I decided to rent everything to him?!" Zahra cursed herself for turning to Yuden, the man who had started all this nonsense by bringing her to the palace with the media.
None of them uttered a word afterwards. They both looked at their side of the window, not gazing at each other.
"We've arrived," the driver spoke, breaking the silence between his two passengers.
The awkwardness was starting to make him feel uneasy as well. He was delighted the journey had finally ended.
Zahra quickly opened the door and rushed outside.
"Princess!" Yuden yelled from his car.
Zahra halted and turned around to see why Yuden was yelling and what wanted from her.
"What?!" Zahra yelled back.
"You forgot to bring your dresses," Yuden spoke, handing over the dresses to his driver who stepped out of the car, taking the dresses from Yuden's hands.
The driver walked to Zahra handed over the clothes and bowed down before going back to his seat.
"Also, take care and do get your wounds treated," Yuden finally said before his car drove away from the palace, soon disappearing from Zahra's sight.
Zahra, raised an eyebrow, confused by Yuden's gentle gestures. However, it mattered less to her.
She walked inside the palace.
As she was passing by the living room, she felt someone glaring at her. She quickly turned her face only to meet Layla, the second Princess of Averlyon, her younger sister.
"Why did you come back?" Layla inquired with her arms crossed.
"What do you mean? I didn't want to either. Your grandma is the one who brought me. Didn't you know?" Zahra scoffed. "Or you're so busy dancing in nightclubs and drinking that you can't even keep up with your family news?" Zahra mocked Layla whom she saw sneaking into her bedroom last night.
Layla's bedroom happened to be on the same floor as Zahra's.
She heard some noises last night, waking her up. She decided to check if it was a thief.
However, it turned out to be Layla. She didn't want to disclose that fact however Layla was the one who tried to start arguing needlessly with her.
Layla glared at Zahra however Zahra stood unhinged.
She just stood there sternly glaring back at Layla.
Layla, not used to others glaring at her, was outraged. She clenched her fists and climbed the stairs furiously stomping on each stair.
"You have returned?" A soft female voice asked.
Zahra curved her lips into a quick smile and turned around.
"Yeah," she said, turning to the queen.
"Did you have some food yet? You left so suddenly without having breakfast," Sameera's face filled with worries.
Zahra shook her head, "not yet," she replied.
"Follow me. I will get you something to eat," Sameera led the way to the dining table.
"Ah, but, Queen, what about these dresses?!" Zahra, standing still where she was shouted to catch Sameera's attention.
"Take the clothes from the princess's hands and wash them properly then put them carefully in the wardrobe," Sameera ordered the maid beside her.
"Come eat now," Sameera smiled.
Zahra nodded and followed her.
***
A few hours later, a maid knocked at Zahra's bedroom.
"Your Highness," she spoke. "The Queen Dowager wants to meet you," she said.
"I'm coming." Zahra sighed. "Can't this old hag leave me the hell alone?! She's one hell of a witch!" Zahra mumbled, stepping out of her bedroom and walking down the stairs.
Once arrived downstairs, Zahra's gaze fell on the middle-aged man sitting in front of Emera. He had a few strains of grey hair and a few wrinkles on his face however he seemed perfectly in form.
"Who's that?" Zahra asked, interrupting Emera who was in the middle of a conversation.
Emera frowned but quickly regained her smile.
"Professor Owen, this is Princess Zahra. She is the one you will be teaching from now on," Emera smiled. "Greet him, Princess Zahra," Emera ordered.
Zahra, unsure of how royal greets, slightly bowed.
"Good morning, mister," she said, hesitantly, unsure if she was doing it right.
"Well, that's a good start, however," the man stood up. "A princess shouldn't bow down to anyone apart from the king, the queen or the queen dowager," he said, lifting her by the shoulders.