The Salem Princess

Chapter 4 : Beloved Prince

One week has passed since his proposal was rejected by the Salem princess.

Ankhamun also didn't know why he was so gloomy for so long, like a young man with a broken heart.

He had returned to Kadesh five days ago, and had avoided his father as much as possible after reaching the palace. His father would surely throw up a lot of questions if he saw him like this.

His father was like a shaman, too sensitive.

And Ankhamun is not good at adjusting facial expressions, if he is upset, he will look annoyed, if he is gloomy, he will look gloomy, if he is stunned, he will look stunned. He's still not mature enough to regulate the expression of his heart, he's still too honest..

Ankhamun was feeding the fish with a limp, he was sitting in a gazebo in the garden, next to the gazebo there was a large fish pond. Tahtah with a straight face has been near him ever since.

'He will eventually go crazy if it continues like this. But I can't blame him either, it's the first time he's confessed his love, and was rejected in such an inhuman way'

The sound of Tahtah's sigh managed to make the Kadesh prince stop throwing his fish food and turn his head lazily.

"Prince, Her Majesty Queen Zephyr and Queen Ahmanet are coming."

Two women were walking hand in hand with warm smiles on their faces. Even though they are no longer young, their beauty has never faded.

At first Ankhamun often wondered why his father could have two wives, and not only with his mother. But Jamal always replied that one day Ankhamun would understand on his own without needing to be explained.

Damn, until now he didn't understand...

"Good afternoon mother..." Ankhamun still respected his two mothers even though he was in a bad mood.

Ahmanet immediately hugged him after Ankhamun finished kissing the back of Zephyr's hand.

"Your father said you kept avoiding him after coming back from Salem." Ahmanet sat next to her only son. Meanwhile, Zephyr chose to sit a bit away from them, allowing the mother and son pair to share their feelings with each other.

"He lied to me." Ankhamun complained spoiled while hugging his mother's waist.

Ahmanet smiled at Ankhamun's spoiled behavior, was this the future Emperor? But Ahmanet is always happy whenever her son is spoiled like this. She had always hoped that Ankhamun wouldn't grow up fast, but time was cruel to her...

So far, Ahmanet is very sorry for the harsh training given by Jamal, in her eyes Ankhamun is still a baby who needs tenderness. Although Jamal also gives love that is balanced with his hard training. Still, what mother could bear to see her child working so hard? Moreover, he is the only child, the son he gave birth to with difficulty.

But the burden that will be borne by Ankhamun is very large, Ahmanet always tries to accept it gracefully.

If normally the empresses would compete to make their child the successor to the throne, that did not apply to Zephyr and Ahmanet. They even refused to make their son the successor to the throne, and Zephyr won.

Zephyr gave birth to two daughters, while Ahmanet gave birth to a son.

Ahmanet replied in a tactful tone, "He trained you from an early age so that you are close to the people, one day you will get full support from them. The honor your father has right now is because of his folk attitude, Ankha. Not because of his ruthlessness in seizing territory by war."

Ankhamun nodded. Perhaps his father was the only King who never sparked a war. He expanded his territory with more humane things. That is business.

In the past, the cities in Kadesh were just poor, neglected villages. They still pay taxes to Zabbana every year, because the distance is so great that the villages are not managed properly.

But since Sultan Assad made his father Emperor, everything changed. His father managed to change that poverty in just twenty years of reign.

And now those villages have turned into bigger, more developed cities. Especially Salem, Salem is the most developed city of the other cities. Business there is growing very rapidly, Jamal plans to make Salem the capital of Kadesh. That's why Jamal is very protective of Salem, and coincidentally the Bekra Commander is also from that city.

Kadesh is known as the Golden Kingdom. Natural resources are abundant, especially since the Kadesh region is an island surrounded by the sea. In contrast to Zabbana which is a desert.

Ankhamun was lost in thought, his mind wandering all over the place.

Zephyr replied: "Your mother is right, Ankha. By winning the hearts of the people, you will be more respected, smile friendly at them often, show your concern. The people will be very happy, they will respect you as yourself, as Ankhamun Mena, not just because You are the Emperor's son."

Zephyr smiled warmly, she drank the tea gracefully after said that. Ankhamun smiled, he nodded at Zephyr.

"I'll give it a try, mother." Ankhamun smiled and replied weakly.

"Tahtah, tell me what happened to the prince while he in Salem, why did he become so gloomy after returning from there?" Zephyr asked Tahtah, the man swallowed bitterly.

"Emm... Prince.." Tahtah glanced carefully at Ankhamun, but the man remained silent as if he didn't care about his mother's question to Tahtah. Does he need to just tell the truth?

"Prince was rejected by a girl, Your Majesty." answered Tahtah carefully.

A loud laugh gave the four humans goosebumps, then turned to the source of the sound. Emperor Jamal, standing there with an amused face. Still didn't want to stop laughing either.

Ankhamun snorted in annoyance, he hugged his mother tighter after throwing a murderous glare at Tahtah.

Tahtah froze, he felt guilty for having answered so casually.. 'Prince won't throw me into the lion's den, will he?'

"What did you say, Tahtah? A girl rejected my son?" The laughter grew louder, while Zephyr and Ahmanet looked at Jamal with a look as if they were ready to s***h the man's neck.

"So that seems to be what made my Ankhamun down when he got back from there. I think he was just annoyed with me because I lied and forced him to go to Salem instead of me." Jamal joined in, he stroked Zephyr's head affectionately before sitting down.

"I'm not! Don't listen to Tahtah's bullshit, that's not true!" he argued, now he sat up straight with a doubled gloomy face.

Like a criminal being tried by a judge, he stared in horror at his parents. Luckily his two sisters didn't join in. Otherwise, his self-esteem has collapsed, surely his sweet little sister will make fun of him for the rest of his life.

"You still there? Get lost before I change my mind and throw you into Joseph's cage." (Joseph is Ankhamun's pet male lion)

Tahtah shuddered to hear Ankhamun's annoyance, after paying homage to the Emperor and the Empress, he immediately ran away in a hurry to leave the garden.

Jamal ask, "Tell me, which stupid girl dares to reject my son?"

Ankha is silent, should he be honest?

Zephyr and Ahmanet looked at him enthusiastically. Ankhamun cleared his throat to relieve his nervousness.

"Ehem.... Just an ordinary girl. I didn't mean it either, I just liked teasing her." Ankha answered simply.

"Really? But you've been down all these days?" Jamal asked probingly, Ankhamun nodded.

"What's the girl's name? I wonder, she must be very extraordinary for daring to refuse the crown prince." Zephyr asked.

"Yes, sis Zephyr is right. I'm also curious, tell me who is that girl, Ankha?" Ahmanet chimed in.

"She was really amazing. She turned me down and said she wasn't interested and very, very uninterested in being my wife."

Zephyr and Ahmanet gaped at Ankhamun's answer. While Jamal was speechless..

Jamal thought : She is indeed a very proud and arrogant girl. God, don't let me meet her, because if so, that day will be her last day walking on earth.. How dare she make my son languish like this!

Seeing the reactions of his three parents made Ankhamun wince, let alone seeing his father's gaze. It's certain that the girl won't be okay if he reveals her identity.. Ankha hopes that his father doesn't overdo it like what he's thinking right now..

"Oh my God.. I'm not that serious, never mind, don't talk about it. She's not important." Ankha replied lazily while waving his hand in the air

A moment of silence, Jamal watched his son intensely. "You're starting to have an interest in 'that' huh, you're an adult now. I think it's about time you got married." Jamal rubbed his chin as he spoke.

CRACK... ...

Marry?

"M... Married?" he asked nervously.

"Yes, you better get a wife right away before venting 'that' feeling on any woman.." Jamal replied casually

Ankhamun replied: "Actually what is on your mind now father? I don't want to get married yet. I'm still a kid."

Jamal chuckles

"You proposed to the girl for marriage, didn't you? Do you want her to be your first wife? Can a small child do something like that?"

What do you mean by first, how many wives will Ankhamun have? He doesn't want to have more than one wife...

"Forget your dream to marry another girl, Ankhamun. The woman who will become your consort is the daughter of the ninth commander-in-chief. If necessary I will hasten your marriage .." Ankhamun gaped at his father's answer.

"But..."

"This is an order.. The conversation is over."

Even his father did not want to hear his refusal. Extraordinary....

'I've never even seen his face, why is dad so stubborn'

* * * *

Jamal and Zephyr had left them a few minutes ago, now it was just the two of them.

"You've never met Miss Estheria, don't be in a hurry to decide to refuse this arranged marriage. Your father also wouldn't have given an ugly and smudged fat woman to be with you, dear. Miss Estheria is a beautiful and talented girl, you'll like her. ." Ahmanet stroked Ankhamun's hair affectionately.

"Mother.... Sorry.. Leave me alone. I just want to be alone for now..."

Ahmanet looked at his son worriedly, did he really like the girl who had rejected him so rudely?

After kissing Ankhamun's forehead for a while, Ahmanet left him alone there. Yes.... Let him figure this all out on his own.

* * * * * *

This afternoon Dyvette trudged along the side of the pool carrying her favorite book. Her white dress moved in the wind, she was barefoot, the atmosphere was so quiet that all she could hear was the wind and the sound of the bracelets on her feet.

Ever since Laila had scolded her that day, Dyvette had become more reserved. It was the first time she had been scolded so harshly by Laila, but when Dyvette asked her the reason why her mother hated royal-related things so much, she was always reluctant to answer.

Her mother simply said that they should stay away from the possibility of meeting and connecting with members of the royal family.

'Who would want that? And again, what do you think I want, Prince Ankhamun proposed? Not at all'

Dyvette continued to grumble inwardly, her mother also said that she would not release Lucas as punishment for her mistakes.

Why should it be related to that anyway? Dyvette stomped louder and louder like a sulking child who didn't get candy.

"Miss.... You haven't eaten since morning, just eat a little, you can get sick if you don't watch your diet properly..." Vivian, as usual... Dyvette rolled her eyes up

"I'm not hungry, I'll eat later if I'm hungry."

"Madam will scold me if I can't get you to eat, Miss." Reply Vivian carefully

"What does she care? Tell her to bring Lucas here if she wants me to eat!"

Vivian was confused about what to do.. 'Oh my God... Miss is stubborn'

"Leave it alone, Vivian. If later she dies of starvation, we'll throw her body into the sea so the sharks eat it."

Dyvette turned her head, saw her mother said those sadistic words with a sweet smile, really too . "Mother.... Am I really your daughter? You're so cruel. You're like a stepmother." Dyvette bent her face

Laila laughed and then replied, "To be a bodyguard he has to be good at martial arts, dear. Then what's the point of him if he can't do anything when something happens to you?"

Dyvette tried to digest her mother's words. "I do not understand."

"I have released Lucas, but now he is still at the training ground, after he is really worthy of being your bodyguard, then I will bring him here..."

"Is that true?" Dyvette's eyes lit up. Laila nodded.

Now she knows why her daughter cares so much, Lucas is a poor child, he has been a slave since he was a child, he is a victim of human trafficking who doesn't know where he came from. Laila had met Lucas twice at the training center, after the whip wounds on his body healed, Lucas became more optimal in his training. The child was very excited, Laila was happy to see the child's burning spirit.

And after he changed into more appropriate clothes, Laila realized that Lucas was quite handsome, very different from before, who was shabby with dirty clothes. How appearance can change a person's image, it's true.

Her daughter would definitely be upset after meeting the new Lucas later. Laila can't wait to see that...

"Thank you ma'am, you're the best." Dyvette hugged Laila tightly.

"What would I not give you? I would give my life to please you."

Laila stroked her daughter's back.. Yes.. She is her daughter.

Dyvette replied "Who wants your life? How can I live without you mom?"

Laila laughed. "Never mind, you can rest easy now. Because Lucas is living peacefully."

Dyvette nodded.

"I'm getting hungry, come with me to eat."