A Proposal with Conditions
601 Words
A Journey to Dar es Salaam
The ride to Dar es Salaam was long and quiet. Ayaan sat between Zahra and Zayyan in the backseat of a black royal vehicle, holding tightly to his mother’s hand. Zahra gazed out the window, her heart pounding. Zayyan, as composed as ever, was deep in thought his expression unreadable.
The car sped along the coastline, passing fishing villages and markets, the ocean glittering to their right. But none of the scenery could distract Zahra from the dread growing inside her.
At the embassy, everything was clinical—sterile. The test was swift. Ayaan was brave. And then came the waiting.
A Royal Truth Confirmed
The results arrived that same evening. Official. Unquestionable.
Ayaan was, without a doubt, the biological son of Prince Zayyan Al-Hazari.
Zayyan stared at the document in his hands, speechless. A mixture of pride, guilt, and awe crossed his face.
Zahra sat across from him in the embassy lounge, arms folded. “So, now what?”
He looked up at her. “Now… we talk about the future.”
The Unexpected Proposal
That night, Zayyan asked to speak with Zahra alone. They walked out to the embassy garden, the city lights glittering in the distance.
“I need you to marry me,” he said suddenly, turning to face her.
Zahra blinked. “What?”
“If Ayaan is to be accepted in Zahrania… if he’s to have a true claim to the throne, he needs to come from a legitimate royal union. The royal council will never allow him to inherit otherwise.”
Zahra laughed bitterly. “So this is a political solution?”
“No,” he said quietly. “It’s a necessary one. But it’s not just political. Zahra, I never stopped”
“Don’t,” she interrupted. “Don’t talk about love when you left me with nothing but questions. You don’t get to play the hero now.”
He looked pained. “You’re right. I don’t deserve forgiveness. But I’m trying to make things right. Not just for me for Ayaan. For us.”
Zahra stepped back. “You’re asking me to marry you not because you love me, but because you need to fix this?”
“I’m asking because it’s the only way to protect him,” he said. “But also… because I still believe in us.”
A Heart Divided
That night, Zahra sat alone on the hotel balcony. She thought of everything—her life in Bagamoyo, her independence, her son’s laughter, and the ache in her heart that had never really healed.
She remembered their first kiss beneath the Tanzanian moonlight. The man who had whispered promises with eyes full of dreams. And the man who had vanished.
Could she trust him again? Could she give up everything she had built for a crown? For love? For her son?
The Conditions
The next morning, Zahra met Zayyan in the embassy conference room. She carried a paper in her hand.
“I’ll consider your proposal,” she said, her voice clear. “But only under three conditions.”
Zayyan raised an eyebrow. “Name them.”
“One, Ayaan stays with me, regardless of what title he gets. Two, I keep my right to teach and live freely—no royal cage. And three, this marriage, if it happens, is based on truth, not secrets.”
Zayyan nodded slowly. “Done. All three.”
Zahra narrowed her eyes. “And Amira? Where does she fit into this royal picture?”
“She doesn’t,” he said firmly. “Not anymore.”
- Writer
