Yuden hastily turned around as he heard Zahra calling his name for the first time.
He remembered their childhood memories after years.
She used to call him bastard, spoiled brat and whatnot whenever he met her after 15 long years.
She was mad at him. He knew it but deep down it bothered him that his long-lost childhood friend was acting so distant towards him.
He felt a sense of relief upon hearing his name coming out of her mouth.
A sly thought crossed his mind, his lips curving into a bright smile.
"Princess, I'm not that bad," he said before turning around and exiting the room.
Zahra tilted her head over, confused.
"Why would he say he's not that bad? I mean, he is bad!" She quickly pulled out the thought of Yuden having the possibility of not being a bad person.
He was the reason she was brought into this palace in the first place. He was the one who handcuffed her. Had he not brought her here, she couldn't be imprisoned in the palace for one whole week!
"Bastard! Spoiled brat!" She mumbled to herself.
"Your Highness, I think that'll be enough for today. Remember to eat vegetables, nuts and proteins—no more snacks. Tomorrow I will bring along a student of mine who aspires to become a teacher with me for your daily exercise routine," Owen then bowed before leaving.
"Okay," Zahra said bidding goodbye to her teacher. "I'll see you tomorrow," she said with a smile.
Owen bowed before exiting the living room, leaving Zahra there alone.
"Looks like a crow is trying to become a swan," Layla scoffed, descending the stairs. "You don't really think you stand a chance against me, do you? Trying to learn all these things won't serve you of any use as in the end, you will go back to where you belong and I will become the queen of Averlyon and marry Crown Prince Yuden and become the queen of Yurania," Layla spoke, proudly.
However, Zahra stood there unhitched. She shrugged before walking outside the study room.
She walked past the corridor inside the palace until she reached the gate leading to the yard. She walked through the yard which seemed non-ending.
A few minutes later, she was at the gate. She sped up her pace and rushed there.
Although she told Emera she wouldn't escape, she still needed to meet up with Issac and clear things up.
"Stop right there!" A manly voice spoke.
Zahra quickly turned her head and saw King Zayn standing behind her.
"Will you stop disgracing us?" He sighed. "If you wish to go somewhere, do ask for permission! Mother will not refuse you nor will the Queen. Come inside," Zayn spoke, turning his feet, and starting to walk toward the palace.
He halted, not hearing any noise from behind hinting Zahra wasn't following him. He quickly turned and repeated, "Come inside. Right this instant!"
Zahra rolled her eyes, nonchalantly.
She didn't care about this family at all. All she cared about was Issac, Sylvia and Cocoa right now. All she knew was that they were upset at her. However, she needed to know the reason.
Yet, she followed Zayn because she didn't want to cause trouble for herself once she came back from her old neighbourhood and after meeting with her friends.
Upon Zahra's arrival, she noticed Zayn had already gathered all the family members among which for the first time, Layla was present.
Until lately, she wasn't present in any of the family gatherings, leaving Zahra thinking even her family didn't bother to correct her misdeeds.
"Mother, she was opting to go outside. Please explain to her that she can't roam alone like this!" Zayn shouted, losing control of his emotions. "After all that trouble we went through to find her," He mumbled, frustrated.
Sameera who heard her husband's words, smiled tenderly.
"You care about her after all, Your Majesty," she wished to tell him, however, she didn't want to agitate him more than he already was.
"Please maintain your composure, King Zayn. It is inappropriate of you to act this way," Emera spoke. "As for you, Princess Zahra, from now on, you are no longer allowed to go outside."
Emera's words echoed in Zahra's ears.
She frowned, stepping closer to Emera.
"What the fuck?! Why am I fucking gonna listen to you? Just cause I followed you back in this palace doesn't mean you own me!" Zahra glared at Emera, clenching her fist. "And if you're gonna be like this, then I can just fucking leave this palace! I don't need it!"
She turned her, stomping on the carpet.
Once she reached near the door, the guards who had accompanied her earlier had blocked her away.
She bit her lips, realizing the reason she couldn't make a way out was mostly because of her physical appearance.
Frustrated, she turned back, facing her family.
"You're not leaving this palace until you become a dignified young lady," Zayn spoke. "I cannot let you disgrace our family by the way you act. A savage animal," he amplified.
Zahra winced.
"A savage? I'm a human, for god's sake! You guys keep acting as if I committed some crime just cause I'm your daughter and bullshit?! You can't do this! You're no different than Dad if you keep doing this." Zahra shouted, frustrated.
"Sister, you shouldn't speak so loudly in front of your elders like this. That is so," Layla paused, putting on a worried expression on her face.
"Let her be, Princess Layla. She will not learn like this." Zayn approached Zahra, looking at the shorter young woman.
"If you keep acting on your own accord, I'm afraid I will need to do what I did last week," he coldly spoke, referring to how he had tied her up in the guest room.
Zahra, remembering the closed bedroom, flinched.
She didn't want to go back there.
"I-Okay. I'll stop but you need to let me out once in a while," Zahra gazed down, returning to her bedroom.
Once reached there, she pulled out the phone Layla had given her.
When she was downstairs, her gaze fell on it. She sneakily plucked it from the sofa. She wasn't used to carrying a mobile phone hence she forgot to take it with her when she was leaving the palace.
"I do remember Issac's phone number. I should give him a call!" She exclaimed, excitedly.
Once she dialled the number, it rang twice and someone picked it up.
"Hello?"
Zahra fell on the bed relieved to finally hear Issac's voice.
"Issac—" Even before she could continue, she got cut off by Issac.
"Why did you call me? You should be happy in your palace right now, Princess Zahra," Isaac coldly replied.
"What are you talking about?! I'm being imprisoned here!"
"What?! Should I come and take you away?!" Issac's cold tone shifted into a gentle one.
"No, no. I can manage to escape like I did last time. But I don't think escaping is of any help. They will find me and force me back here. I don't know why they are so obsessed with trying to get me. Like, they already have a princess if it's for their throne, right?"
Issac didn't respond to Zahra.
"Issac! You listening?!" She shouted.
"Oh, yeah. I thought you were talking still. But I don't know what they want but I won't let them ruin your life. I will do everything I can to get you out—"
Zahra interrupted, "They are still my family members. Even if I don't like them, aren't they still my family? Like, if your parents were alive, you would stay with them, right?"
"Tia..." Issac's voice filled with pain.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you remember anything bad. It's just... you know. It spilled my tongue," She apologized and justified.
"No, it's okay. I got you. But how did you manage to call me? Whose phone are you using?"
"Oh, it's mine. I guess? My lil' sis gave it to me," Zahra chuckled.
"Your little sister?"
"Yeah, she sneakily gave it to me. Now we can talk all we want! And I'm learning how to write and read the language here so that I can text you. You know I only learned the southern writings and not the northern,"
Zahra paused, a thought crossing her mind.
"Well, Averlyon is in the south, right? And I know how to read the southern language instead of the northern since I didn't go to school when Dad brought me to this kingdom. But how? I was kidnapped when I was 6. Just when I started learning... How can I remember their writing but not my other memories?" She wondered, unable to find an answer to her question.
"Tia?"
"Huh?"
"Were you listening?"
"Sorry, I was... thinking about something."
"Well, I should hang up now. I need to run some errands," Isaac sighed.
"Are you still mad at me, though?" Zahra questioned.
"I could," Issac paused. "Never," he paused.
Zahra, worried, felt her heart racing faster.
What if he could never forgive her for leaving him like she did?
"Be mad at you for long," he chuckled.
"I'm still mad that you let me go with these people," Zahra pouted.
"Oh, I was kinda... intimidated by the media. You know I don't like being on the camera." Issac explained and then apologized. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay. We forgive each other and end it here!" Zahra excitedly exclaimed.
"Talk to you later."
"Mhm. Bye," She softly spoke.
After hanging up the call, Zahra turned around and found Layla standing behind her.
Layla was wearing a big smile on her lips which worried Zahra.
"Did she hear everything?" Zahra thought.
Zahra quickly shook her head.
"Ain't no way..." She mumbled and stepped closer to Layla, quickly wearing a frown on her face.
"What are you doing here?!" Zahra shouted. "Aren't you the perfect princess with perfect manners? How can you come in without knocking?" Zahra questioned, crossing her arms.
"Oh come on! Anyone could hear you at this rate. You should thank me for I shut the door!" Layla exclaimed.
Zahea noticed the door closed and gazed back at Layla.
"Aren't you gonna snitch?"
Layla scoffed.
"Why would I waste my precious time on such a useless thing? I have better to do. And I support you. You be with your boyfriend and I'll be with my Yuden," she smiled, opening the door and exiting the room.
"My Yuden," Zahra grimaced. "No one cares about your Yuden, spoiled lady!" Zahra slammed the door after Layla had left.