His Queen

Chapter 31

King Humair’s POV

I returned to my room with a racing heart, I was still asking myself how it was that I had managed to leave queen Ifza’s room without doing anything that I would later regret, I had been so close, close enough to see my reflection in her eyes, if I had moved a little bit closer or stayed there a little longer then the story will surely be different right now.

I sank into a divan at one corner of my room, I had to sit down to calm my raging nerves, if this was what it was to feel attracted to someone then I feared one could collapse and die from the exhaustion of it.

I rested my head for what seemed like a long time but I knew it was not that long, as I sat there trying to gather my thoughts, I couldn’t help but recall how she had looked at me, the way her eyes had widened when I touched her, she had looked at me with a look I couldn’t decipher, I could not be sure what it meant, had she been so surprised that she had been unable to say a word? Or perhaps it was just something else entirely.

The mind of that woman was like a maze, it was difficult to solve, I will surely congratulate myself if I was ever able to break in and finally understand it.

Just when my heart was finally calming down and my thoughts were not as chaotic as they were initially, I heard my man servant’s calling out to me and requesting an audience with me, I exhaled and sat up right on the divan,

“Enter” I said,

He rushed in a few seconds later, he was panting, like he had run a mile, his fat cheeks bounced up and down as he struggled to get his composure, I was not in the mood to humor him right now, I sat there on the sofa watching him until he finally managed to calm himself down.

“Your majesty, I have news” he said,

“I don’t doubt that you do” I answered, I was used to his behaviors by now, this was exactly how he behaved all the time and it ended up being something completely unworthy of all the drama and fuss and no doubt this was going to be as well,

“The queen requests your presence tomorrow, she wishes to dine with you for supper, she sent her personal maid with her request just now” he said,

Well this was news indeed “You are sure she sent her maid herself?” I asked,

He nodded his head strongly and said “I am absolutely sure your majesty, I asked her many times to be sure about, she confirmed that the queen wishes to dine with you tomorrow, she told me that the queen had sent her with the message herself”

This was an interesting turn of events, very interesting indeed, I will never understand that woman, the day I understood her might be the day I die, I fell back to the divan, I knew it the day I proposed marriage to her was the day I signed up for the troubles in my life, she was a woman unlike any I had ever met,

“Ehhhh, your majesty? What should be the reply I send back to her?” my man servant asked, from his voice, I knew he was unsure of what answer I will give,

A smile crossed my face, there was only one answer “Send my reply, inform the queen that I will join her for dinner tomorrow” I said,

“I will inform her immediately your majesty, right away” he said and rushed out,

“Kaseem!” I called out to him,

“Yes your majesty” he answered,

“Prepare a gift, a gift worthy for my queen” I said, the smile still playing at the corners of my lips,

“Yes your majesty, I will pick a gift that the queen will surely appreciate” he answered and rushed out in a hurry, no doubt to begin preparations for my dinner with the queen tomorrow.

Queen Ifza was playing a game with me, I didn’t know the game and I didn’t know the rules but I had always loved games since I was little and I always ended up been better than my peers, I had a feeling I was going to enjoy this game queen Ifza was trying to play with me.

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General Jawhar’s POV

After the tournament in the barracks, I had returned to my chambers, I was glad that the king had invited me, it was interesting to be there, I had missed the barracks in Marwa, it was exciting to wake up in the morning to train with the soldiers, to spar with the other commanders, I will be a liar if I said I did not miss Marwa, it was my home after all, I wanted to return to Marwa more than anything but Banafsha was here, I knew it was foolish for me to continue to stay here but call it a habit, I was used to been around her and protecting her,

I knew she had someone who loved and cared for her just like I did, it was unwise for me to continue to stay here, it was unproductive for me or anyone else, it will be better if I just left and returned to Marwa, at least I still had friends there unlike here, no matter how welcoming everyone was, I was still a stranger and this will never be my home,

That was why I feared for Banafsha, she was a stranger, this was not her home and it will be difficult for her if everyone she knew from Marwa left her, if I left, she will be left with just Junnut and though Junnut could keep her company, it will not be the same as having me and Junnut with her, regardless of what I felt for Banafsha, she and I had known each for very long now, she was the closest thing I had to family, we had been together since we were just children, for a long time, I had thought that somehow Banafsha and I might end up together at some point in our lives but obviously fate had other plans for us,

That night when King Humair had come to the dungeons and proposed marriage, I had felt my heart shatter because that their marriage to each other was the only way the crisis will be solved, I had no choice but to support the decision despite how I felt,

I had never felt so powerless in my entire life, on that day, I had wished I was the king of some great kingdom, I wouldn’t have stayed quiet on that day, I wouldn’t have bowed my head and accepted for the woman I loved be married to another man, that day was without doubt one of the worst days of my life, the worst was still the day Marwa fell, that was what had led to all the events happening right now,

That single day had changed my life completely, I had to grow up faster than I intended, I had to become a leader along with Banafsha, it was a lot to bear for young children but we had to carry everyone along, we lived lives unlike any others had lived but it made us who we are today, it shaped us for different things, despite we lost Marwa, I was proud of all we had accomplished, Marwa was up to its former glory from when we were children but at least, it had grown into something impressive, my only regret was that we lost it again.

All my life, I had only two things, Marwa and Banafsha, and both of those were gone now, I had to find a new goal in my life, I had to leave Atrabad and journey to the distant lands in the west, this was not a place for me, now Banafsha will live a different life, our paths had separated, once we walked the same path but now, we had to go our separate ways.

I was leaving Banafsha and Atrabad forever.