Black Keys Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Isabella Marie

I turned on the couch, touching my feet to the floor, with my hand still clutching the dress to my chest, my mouth agape and my eyes wide and mind confused – I stared at the closed bathroom door. For ages.

What on earth was that? We were– … And he was– … And I was just so– … What's his problem?!

When I felt like I'd wondered enough and there was no point in wondering even more because everything led to a dead end when I searched for an answer or an explanation for his actions – I got up, adjusting my bra back into place and standing up only to have my dress fall to form a pile around my feet, leaving me wearing only my bra and panties.

I was too pissed to care, to be honest, and just kicked the dress away and walked over to the bed, hiding under the covers and getting lost in my thoughts and feelings.

I felt rejected, and I had no freaking clue why he’d just stopped that way, feeling all guilty and then apologizing before disappearing into the bathroom and taking his sweet time inside – it felt like it had been hours since he went in there.

I lay on my side and stared ahead at the window. The night was dark, and the slight wind was ruffling the light curtains slowly.

I kept thinking of all of the might-be-the-reason-why he’d acted that way, and coming up with one scenario after another to answer the questions in my head.

I thought that maybe he’d thought I wasn't okay with it? But how could he think that way – I was the one who’d started it, I was the one who’d straddled his lap, and I was the one who gave him her 'Yes' when he asked for permission – how could he think that I didn't want it and he needed to apologize for it? No, that couldn't be it.

My mind tried to think that maybe he hadn't liked doing that with me, maybe I felt wrong to him? Maybe he wanted someone else? Something else? But, no, I felt it. I felt how much he desired me and how much he wanted me.

Just thinking of the possibility that he might really still be engaged to that looks-like-an-angel-and-speaks-like-the-devil girl turned my stomach in knots, because that guilt in his eyes had no other explanation than he felt as if he was cheating on her with me or something. The thought of how good he was and how it was very clear that it wasn't the first time he’d touched a girl that way – his hands and tongue were ones that belonged to an expert – or the fact that he knew of a zipper in my dress that I didn't know anything about, and how he might have dealt with something like that before, made my chest tighten and swell at the same time. It wasn't a nice feeling, at all.

I hated that I might not be good enough for him. I hated that he might not be able to trust me after what I’d done even though he’d said he understood my reasons. I thought maybe he needed someone of his race and beliefs, even if he was very open-minded about our different cultures and religions. Maybe he needed someone who spoke his language, someone who addressed him with 'Your highness' and 'Your majesty' while meaning it and not actually mocking him like I once had.

Maybe it was just that – he loved her.

My stomach twisted even more and I swore I could feel my heart as it clenched in my chest. I started biting the inside of my cheeks, a nasty habit that I'd always done when feeling really, really nervous about something I couldn't control. After what felt like two years and three months, the prince came out of the bathroom. I didn't move.

I heard him as he opened the door to the closet, and then he went in there, staying for longer than anyone would take to dress, and I realized he must be praying – though he wasn't praying in there that much anymore, or ever took so much time – or maybe he was just avoiding me.

I hated the idea. I hated that what had happened, which I thought to be so sweet and lovely, had turned us all awkward around each other, or worse – caused me to deal with his silent treatment or whatever. I hated it.

Sometime later, I heard knocking on the door. Surely it was Mona, and I had no doubt that she was here to take the unfinished dinner dishes away, but I was too frustrated, pissed and confused to even find the heart to reply to her. I thought maybe the prince would do it. But he didn't. Mona knocked two more times before she gave up and I didn't hear anymore knocking after that.

Later, the prince finally came out, going to the couch where he had slept more than one night and where we were just making out, lying there while I pretended to be sleeping.

It upset me. A lot.

Somehow, somewhere in the back of my mind, I wished he would sleep in the bed with me. After all, it was a King sized bed, too big for only me, and was made for the two of us. But I figured that after the first time I’d woken up here to find him in bed with me and how I’d reacted to that was enough to scare him away from ever sleeping on that bed again.

I sighed softly and hoped for sleep to come soon, so my mind would stop going everywhere just for a few hours.

~BK~

"Princess?" I heard the quiet voice calling. "Princess, please wake up."

"Hmm?" I replied with closed eyes. Sleeping felt so good, I missed it and wanted to go back to it right away.

"Princess?" the voice tried again. "I have to go in a minute."

That woke me up.

"What?" I asked sleepily, my voice harsh from sleep. "You have to go?" I saw that the prince was dressed the same as he had been when he first met me, the same as the wedding night – all in white with the white-in-red thing he wore above his head.

"Morning, Princess," he smiled tenderly. "Yes, it's Friday and I have to go to pray."

I sat up, ignoring how his eyes drifted away when my only-covered-in-a-bra chest was on full display when the covers dropped down when I moved. 

"What? Why can't you do it here?" I asked, holding the covers to my chest so he would look at me again, trying my hardest not to feel so bad about the fact that he didn't even want to look at me that way, as if I were a stranger to him, feeling the panic as it started to make its way to my heart at the thought of him leaving the wing.

"It's a must, Princess. We go to pray and listen to a lecture every Friday," he explained, his eyes looking into mine again.

"What about the seven days rule?" It was only the sixth day.

"No rule comes before God's laws," he said quietly.

I swallowed, frowning, wanting him to stay but not knowing how to tell him that I was scared of him leaving me alone. I only felt safe with him close by. 

I just looked at him with longing, begging him with my eyes to stay, to understand what I wanted without me telling him so.

"It'll only take two hours maximum, Princess," he said, assuring and promising, as if he was able to read my mind and what I wanted to tell him. 

"There are guards all around the outside of the wing, it's completely secure and safe. Don't worry, okay?"

I nodded slowly, still not liking him to be away.

"If you need anything, just tell Mona," he said and got up, my eyes never leaving him. He then bent down and kissed my hair, not even my forehead, not even touching me with his hands. He smelled so good, I wanted to hug him and beg him to stay, just like a little kid. "I'll be back before you know it." His smile was soft, sweet, but the big elephant in the room was too huge not to make him all awkward around me as he was now.

I nodded again, still too upset to talk, and watching him leave the bedroom almost brought me to tears. It was silly. Sure, I could go two hours without him. Or at least, I would try.

"Mona!" I called, moving my hand down my hair and rubbing the back of my neck.

"Yes, Princess," she smiled brightly once she stepped into the room. "Can I get you anything?" She brought me a fluffy flip-flop slipper from underneath the bed and put it beside the bed on the floor, near where I would put my feet once I got out of bed.

"What time is it?" I asked, stretching, not caring about my nudeness in front of her.

"Eleven-thirty."

"Ah! I overslept," I said, getting out of bed. Mona hurriedly brought me a silky blue robe that was on the hanger beside the window. As she helped me put it on, I noticed that her eyes were on the bed, looking closely as if she was searching for something.

I shrugged it off and asked her, "Prepare me the bath, please."

"Of course," she said and started making her way to the bathroom before she stopped and turned. "Um, do you wish me to put some herbs in the tub, Princess?" she asked, a soft smile on her lips and pink blush on her face.

I frowned. Why would I want herbs in th– … Oh!

"No, Mona, that won't be necessary," I replied, realizing that she thought I’d had sex with the prince last night, and that was why she’d been eyeing the sheets a minute ago – maybe because of how I was dressed, or because I’d ignored her knocks last night, or because of whatever.

Nothing happened! Was what I told her between my words, and I knew she heard it well because her smile fell before nodding and going to make me the bath.

.

.

.

"Is the masjed far from the palace?" I asked Mona as I sipped on my coffee. It had only been half an hour since he left and I already wanted him back.

"No, Princess, it's not far, you can see it from the sunroom, if you wish," she told me as she finished making the bed.

I nodded as I chewed my food hurriedly so I could reply to her. "Please!" I said eagerly.

Inside the sunroom, I stood beside Mona in front of one of the glass walls on the side, watching as she pointed out the huge building that was the masjed. It was nearby, standing at the corner of the garden that surrounded the palace. We watched as a large number of men entered from the main door. It looked like our church on a Sunday, and it made me smile, disliking the fact that I had missed it last week because it was the wedding day. I had no idea if there were any churches here, but doubted I could've understood anything anyway even if I'd managed to go to one.

I had to ask, "Is it only men who are allowed there?" because I couldn't see any women entering.

"No, Princess, we are. It's just – it's a must for men, but it's women's choice if they want to go or not."

"Oh! I see," was my reply.

"Ah! Finally!" Mona said, making me frown and look at where she was looking at.

"Finally what?"

"The princesses are leaving the palace," she pointed at the other side, and I could see a few women covered from head to toe in black.

I giggled. "How could you even tell they are princesses?"

"Oh, trust me, Princess," she said, and then pointed, "Do you see this one in the front who's just about to get into the car?"

"Aha …?"

"That is Princess Talia, always showing a part of what she's wearing underneath the cloak as she walks. Nobody does that except her, and she always has her younger cousins following her like sheep," she said, seemingly not fond of her, which I liked a lot.

Talia! That was the devil's name, I remembered.

"Uh, the prince's fiancée, huh?" I asked, my heart in my throat as I waited for her answer, because God knows if the prince had lied to me about that ….

Mona looked at me as if I’d grown two heads. "Fiancée? Of course not! She wishes!" was Mona's reply that cause me to start breathing again. "Who told you that she was?"

"Um, when I was in the King's wing waiting for the prince, I told Prince Emmad I didn't want to stay alone, and he said he'd bring one of the princesses to keep me company, an–"

"And of course Princess Talia volunteered so she could bother you," Mona interrupted, finishing my words for me while assuming just right.

I nodded, twisting my lips to the side, then shrugged.

Mona shook her head. "She's not his fiancée. Yes, it's an unspoken rule that they should marry since her father is the next in line if – God Forbid – the King passes away without his sons having an heir. It would offer the two princes a role at ruling a state or region instead of nothing if they didn't marry his daughters, but it didn't happen – and thank God for that!"

"Yeah, the prince explained some of it to me, but – why didn't Prince Emmad marry one of his daughters then?" I wondered. If it was so important like Mona and the prince before her had explained to me, why wouldn't at least the younger prince marry his cousin from that uncle?

"Oh, he did. She's younger than Princess Talia – it’s frowned upon here for a younger sister to marry before her older one, but with Prince Mazen having to delay his marriage for college and so on, Prince Emmad had to marry earlier than him, and their uncle didn't mind at all."

"Princess Rosanna is Princess Talia's sister?" I asked with shock.

"Yes, Princess."

"That means that Princess Talia is–"

"The Queen's niece," Mona said, nodding.

"Wow! I had no idea." No wonder the Queen hated me so much.

"And she's still waiting," Mona said, I assumed speaking of Talia. "And after she told you that – I guess she's still hoping."

"Oh, you can't imagine."

"Did she say anything else?" Mona asked, but didn't wait for a reply. "Because whatever she said, she's a liar – just like her brother."

"Brother?"

"Prince Jasem, God rest his soul."

"Oh, God! When did he die?" I gasped.

"He didn't, just wishful thinking, Princess," Mona grinned, and I smiled, shaking my head.

"So, Jasem and Talia are Rosanna's siblings," I thought out loud.

"Yes, but Princess Rosanna is their half-sister, and you'd think she came from a different father as well, given how pure and tender she is."

"Good to hear she's different. Prince Emmad seems like a great guy; he doesn't deserve an unkind wife," I said.

"He is, and he’s loved her since they were little kids, but it's a given that those kids grow up with the idea of loving each other, as they are promised together since birth by the unspoken rule."

Did that mean that the prince was also … no, I wouldn't think that way. It hurt.

"There must be huge pressure on Princess Rosanna to carry on with this pregnancy," I said.

"True. But the Queen is not pressuring Prince Emmad to marry another, since if the King passes away with only Prince Emmad having an heir and Prince Mazen not – it'd be him who would take the title."

Oh! God! Too much to think about!

Mona frowned and titled her head to the side as if she was listening to something.

"What?" I asked her.

"I think I heard the bill ringing." Her frown deepened. "It's too early for lunch."

"I didn't hear anything," I told her.

"I'll go check, Princess, excuse me."

I nodded and then went to the bedroom. It was only a minute after that I heard knocking on the door, but before I could reply, Mona entered, which was unlike her to just come inside without asking permission first when she wasn't expected.

"Forgive me, Princess, but–" She was interrupted by the door opening further, and when I looked, it was wheels that were pushing the door open.

I smiled big when I realized that it was the Mother Queen on her wheelchair making her way inside the room, blushing slightly at the fact that I was in a tank top and sweatpants – no elegant dress or twenty pounds of diamonds on me – and I wondered how indecent I looked in her eyes with the way I was dressed.

My smile dropped when I saw that the one wheeling her inside was the Queen, her face as hard as ever and her eyes looking at me as if I was something disgusting, like rotten rubbish.

Tailing the queen was a line of women that I didn't know, two of them carrying white cloths in their hands.

I swallowed thickly, fear consuming me all of a sudden.

"Hello, Princess Marie," the Queen said, "How was your night?"

Seriously? She was asking about my night?

I tried to smile, but I couldn't. "I-it was fine, thank you,” I replied, watching as she pointed with her pointer finger to the women and then to the bed.

"Well, that's good to hear," she said. I was too confused to dwell on the sarcasm in her voice as I watched the women as they went to change the lavender sheets and replace them with white ones.

"Uh, w-what's going on?" Fear laced my voice.

Mona had just changed those sheets.

"Don't worry, you just have something to prove, is all," the Queen replied.

I looked at Mona with questioning eyes, but hers were as confused as mine. Even the Mother Queen was the same as us, though I wasn't sure if it was because we spoke in a language that was foreign to her, or because just like us she didn't know what was going on.

"What t-thing?" My lips started to tremble as a disgusting thought came to my mind, terror filling me just thinking about the possibility of it being what the Queen was talking about.

The Queen didn't reply. She offered her hand to a woman who was still standing beside her and that woman gave her a small piece of white cloth, and my eyes widened. She gave it to the Mother Queen and she frowned at the material in her hand, asking the Queen a question that she replied to with an answer that made Mona gasp and the Mother Queen's mouth drop, and a tear fall from my eyes even before hearing her response.

"Your virginity."

~BK~