Sinbad drags me out of the courtroom. "Let go," I yell, trying to free my hand from his grip. "You can't just be beating people up in the courtroom."
He stops, taking a deep breath to calm himself. "I just lost a bit of control," he says, regaining his composure.
"Princess Daniella," calls Prince Malo from a distance as he approaches. I look back at Sinbad and my father, who seems unfazed as if this happens every day. "Prince Malo," I say, trying to remain composed.
He looks at me, trying to gauge something. "Does he have something on you? His he forcing you in the marriage?" Prince Malo asks.
"No, nothing," I reply.
His gaze shifts between Sinbad and me. "I would like to talk in private," Prince Malo requests.
"She stays here," Sinbad interjects.
"This is the control you will live with for the rest of your life if you marry this psycho," Prince Malo says, holding my hand. "Please reconsider. He wants the same thing as everyone else in that room, but he's being honest about it."
Sinbad steps back, putting some distance between us and walking a bit farther, seemingly not wanting to get involved in the accusation.
"But he won't dissolve my kingdom," I say.
"But it will not gain anything either," Prince Malo counters, ''its not the end of the world when you get dissolved.''
I look up at Malo, thinking carefully. "Please excuse me," I say as I walk towards Sinbad, pulling him into another corridor with no traffic. I signal for the guards to leave. I push him gently against the wall and place my hand on his chest.
"Isn't it too early for a honeymoon?" he says with a grin.
I slowly cast a spell, inching closer to him. I release a mist from my mouth, putting him in a trance. "Look me in the eye and tell me that all your intentions for my kingdom are pure and there is no foul play," I whisper.
His eyes glaze over slightly, but his gaze remains steady. "My intentions are to protect your kingdom and ensure its independence," he says slowly. "There is no foul play."
I study his face, looking for any sign of deceit. His expression is sincere, but the trance makes it hard to be certain.
"Why did you lose control in there?" I ask, keeping my hand on Sinbad's chest. He seems to be fighting against something. The spell feels like needles—the bigger the lie, the sharper they get. I press on with the spell to make it hurt more.
"Princess," he says, trying to grab my hand but unable to remove it from his chest. "Please," he begs.
"What are you hiding?" I demand.
"It wasn't me who lost control," he says, pushing me away. He curls up, trying to breathe as blood starts to stream down his nose.
"You're lying!" I yell, approaching him, trying to hit him against the wall again. But he grabs my arms and pins me to the wall, lifting me from the ground. "Let me go!" I scream, trying to fight back.
"Stop it!" he yells, trying to calm me down. "I can't explain myself if you keep being feisty."
I freeze, the urgency in his tone breaking through my panic. Slowly, I relax my muscles, realizing that he won't let me down until I calm down. My heart races as I take deep breaths, trying to steady myself.
"You may place me down," I say. He slowly lowers me and lets go of my arms.
"You two are already arguing like a married couple," my father says.
"Father," I start, trying to regain my composure.
My father looks at Sinbad, then back at me. "Now, let's return to the meeting. There's still much to discuss."
"I don't feel like it," I tell my dad.
"Me neither," Sinbad adds. "Too many problems in that meeting."
My dad takes a deep breath, then walks toward us, putting on a plastic smile. "The two of you can't simply leave a meeting after dropping bombs like that on people," he says, turning his face to a more serious one and his tone threatening. "No, we are going to head back to that meeting and continue with the other discussions."
I glance at Sinbad, who gives me a resigned look. We both know my father is right. We can't just walk away from the chaos we've created.
"Fine," I say, trying to muster some determination. "Let's go."
Sinbad nods, his usual calm demeanor returning. "Lead the way, Your Majesty," he says to my father.
As we walk back to the courtroom, I try to prepare myself for the inevitable backlash. The hall is still buzzing with murmurs, but they quiet down as we enter. All eyes are on us, and I can feel the weight of their scrutiny.
We take our seats, and the chairperson clears his throat, attempting to regain control of the room. "Let's resume the meeting," he says. "We have much to discuss."
My father stands up again, addressing the assembly. "As I mentioned earlier, we are leaving the Agri Alliance. This decision was not made lightly, but it is in the best interest of our kingdom."
There are a few nods of understanding, but many still look skeptical. One of the leaders from the first row speaks up. "And what guarantees do we have that this new alliance with Sinbad will be beneficial for all parties involved?"
Sinbad stands, his presence commanding attention. "I understand your concerns. My alliance with the Far South Kingdom is not just about power; it's about mutual growth and protection. We will ensure the prosperity and security of our allies."
Another murmur ripples through the room, but this time it's mixed with a few nods of agreement.
"Furthermore," Sinbad continues, "we are committed to addressing the exploitation that has plagued this alliance. We will work towards fairer trade practices and equitable resource distribution."
I look around the room, noticing a few more leaders starting to consider his words. Alibaba, now fully seated beside his mother, gives a small nod of approval.
"Thank you, Emperor Sinbad," the chairperson says. "Now, let's move on to the next topic of discussion: the future of our trade agreements."
As the meeting continues, I can't help but feel a sense of relief. For now, we've managed to keep things under control. But I know this is only the beginning, and we have a long road ahead to solidify these alliances and ensure the future of our kingdom.