The Desert Prince and The Dreamer

Chapter 18

"I want to ask Lailah out to get to know her better." Shaffik told his mother who looked up suddenly from her phone.

"You will do no such thing." Queen Zurah looked at her son like he had grown a second head.

"Why not Mum? I'm a grown man now and I can make my own decisions. I wasn't asking for your advice." he looked at his Mum without blinking.

"You don't understand Shaffik. You cannot be seen with that girl let alone go out. For what?"

"'That girl', Mother might be the key for me to be the next Sultan. I have noticed the way Dad cares for her and puts her in our way just so that one of us can notice her."

"Don't be stupid. You're misinterpreting your Father's actions. There's no way he would want either of you to marry that girl."

"Mother I'm telling you..."

"Enough." Queen Zurah stared hardly at her son. Why can't he just listen to her? "Now let me tell you." She spoke in a low but firm tone. "Whatever ideas you have about Lailah, get them out of your head quickly because she can never marry in this family, especially not to you."

"You can't stop me Mom, Dad gave us a deadline of two months, and marrying Lailah for me would be a bonus. I've had a thing for her since we were kids anyway."

"I don't care if you have a thing for her or not. You will not see her." Queen Zurah said finally. She stood up and marched away from Shaffik. Her son didn't know anything. She was his mother and wanted the best for him and She wasn't going to stand there and try to explain herself to him. He seemed determined so she had to do something immediately.

Shaffik stood akimbo looking at the place his Mum had sat a few minutes ago. She was so adamant about his dating Lailah. She had a Wild look in her eyes that made Shaffik even more curious to know why he couldn't date Lailah. All the reasons she was giving were just flimsy excuses. She must have a reason why she hated Lailah and her mother. Come to think of it, She didnt treat the other maids as bad as she always treated Ms. Latiffah. The two women always seemed to communicate with their eyes in case they were in a room together. Shaffik shook his head and headed out, well, too bad for his Mum because nothing and no one was going to stop him from going after Lailah. He would be the next Sultan, like it or not and getting a wife quickly was the first step.

**********

"There's no way I'm finding a wife any time soon." Zayn confided to his friend.

"Dude, you don't have to be in love. Don't dissapoint your father." Hamza replied.

"I know I'll be the next Sultan" Zayn said confidently, "There's no way Shaffik can replace my Father, he's such a pathetic kid and he will take leadership over my dead body."

"Well, If your Father decides you can't do anything now, Can you?" There was a little bit of silence as Zayn thought then after a few minutes, he shrugged with a smirk.

"We'll see." he said without any further explanation to his friend.

"Okay, enough with the depressing topic. How's that girl, what's her name, umm Lailah?" Hamza asked closely looking at Zayn. There was a slight change in his eyes but it disappeared as soon as it came.

"I don't know and I don't care." Zayn shrugged.

"Hmm, last time you seemed worried about her. You know the time she got stuck in an elevator?" Zayn had called him that night and had relayed to him everything. Yes, he had been worried, but not for long because her life didn't concern him.

"It meant nothing. If it was a cat I would have been worried the same way." he said neutrally.

"You my friend are as blind as a bat. If I had an opportunity with her, I would go for it so quick."

"Well, you're welcome to try. I'm sure she'll accept you as quickly as you come." Zayn said nonchalantly ignoring the way his heart squeezed at the image that appeared in his mind. Hamza and Lailah together, that would mean him seeing her all the time. He shook his head to clear it.

"You know I don't need your blessing, I'll just commence with my intentions, probably go straight to her mother." Hamza smirked looking closely at Zayn. He could give his friend good marks, either he was sure good at hiding his feelings or he had no clue what he felt for the girl at all. Since they were kids Zayn could talk about her non stop, how much he hated her for putting his sister in trouble, how she was a peasant, how she was always loud when his sister and her played together, the list could go on and on. Then the four years where she had gone to Spain, he would still Complain about her having a spell on his sister because even with the distance, they would talk on video calls like it was normal. And when She returned, Zayn said he wanted her gone as soon as possible then his Father had given her a job, that made Zayn even madder. Hamza smiled remembering all that, there was a thin line between love and hate. So probably his friend thought he hated Lailah, when the truth was he actually loved her.

"Good luck." Zayn shrugged and laid back as he popped a date in his mouth.

"So you wanna go out or should I invite some people over?" Hamza asked.

"It's a boring day, let's go racing, then later we can return for the party." Hamza agreed with Zayn and got out his phone to make arrangements.

*********

"Ya Allah, I Can cry from this boredom." Sapphire groaned falling over her bed, the cushions swallowing her up.

"You could call your fiance over or go shopping for some wedding stuff." Lailah suggested.

"No, I have servants for that." Sapphire rolled her eyes.

"Let's go play some games downstairs."

"Been there, done that, over it." Sapphire groaned again.

"Alright, I would suggest something but I don't think you'll agree to it." Lailah said mischieviously. They were at the Palace in Sapphire's room. Ever since the Sultan had called her over for a meeting, She always came with Sapphire. They would go to her room or go to the playroom which was equivalent to Lailah's full house. It had a cinema, Virtual Reality games, indoor mountain climbing, bad minton court and everything. The day Lailah had entered, She was so amazed that something like that could exist indoors. It was like a world of It's own.

"What do you suggest? Sapphire was ready to listen.

"Let's go to the desert, I know a contact of someone who facilitates car races. We could either participate or observe."

"No way." Sapphire said unbelievably. "Are you serious?" Her adrenaline levels were starting to go up.

"Just say the word, habibi." Lailah smirked. Before She left the Palace, She could sneak out to watch races. They were always so fun and intense and She knew someone who facilitated them. She had taken his contact before She left and back in Spain, She had joined a few people who raced cars. She always did that in her free time and She couldn't wait to take part in this one. She sure would beat anyone, that she was so sure of.