“I cannot accept this. I am not accepting anything…yet,” Princess Soraya protested.
“No. I know. You don’t have to give me your hand in marriage. You only need to accept this gift. It’s for your birthday.”
The princess looked at the silver necklace. It has a blue gemstone with the same diameter as her thumb’s fingernail as its pendant. It was heavy – and undoubtedly precious – well, semi-precious. Still, it was beautiful.
“What is this gemstone, Prince?”
She might have imagined it, but it felt like the prince hesitated. If he did, he recovered quickly.
“It’s azurite. It is only a semi-precious stone. So, yes, you can accept it even though we are not betrothed,” he explained.
Somehow, the princess felt that there was more to the story, more than his academic response, but admired
