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Theirs was not a perfectlove. It was not like a fairytale like the king and his queen, not even a pure and innocent love story such as the one that Malik Al-Atassi’s parents shared. Scandal would never cease to haunt them, doors that would remain closed because they had chosen to listen to their hearts. It would never be a peaceful, blameless world for them – and that was fine. Neither of them needed the world to understand them.
What mattered was what they knew-—
Malik crumpled the draft into a ball and threw it into the waste bin. “What the fuck, Harper?”
“Careful of how you speak of my queen,” the king said mildly.
“Apologies,” Malik said right away. He then turned back to face his queen and said politely, “What kind of fucking maid of honor’s speech is this,Your Majesty?”
The whole table burst into laughter, with the queen cackling more than laughing. Malik turned to his fiancée, saying grimly, “There’s still time to change your mind. Can’t you choose someone else to be your maid of honor?”
“I heard that,” Harper called out.
“I wanted you to,” Malik retorted. “I’m hoping there’s a slim possibility you’d just back out.”
The queen grinned. “Not a chance.”
And it was thus breakfast concluded in the royal household, with all family members given a list of their assignments for Malik and Kyria’s upcoming wedding. On their way back to the family’s private wing, they bumped into the queen’s court tutor, Anisah, and her half-sister Hyacinth.
Older than Kyria by several years, Anisah looked her usual strict self, with her tall, elegant frame made even more severe by her usual combination of black-rimmed glasses and dark-colored abaya. Hyacinth, on the other hand, was her sister’s complete opposite, with her rather sunny nature.
“I almost forgot,” Hyacinth gasped. “Sheikh Rayyan told me that I was to deliver a message to you about Yuki Himura and Katerina—-”
Kyria started, not expecting to hear the names.
Anisah winced. “Oh, Cin.”
“—-but he also told me not to say it in Lady Kyria’s hearing,” she said in a small voice.
Silence.
Hyacinth let out another gasp. “Oh no. I wasn’t supposed to say that either, was I?”
Seeing the distress on the other girl’s face, Kyria said hastily, “It’s okay. I’m not mad at them or anything.” She bit her lip then turned to Malik, asking hesitantly, “Is there something I should know?” Why didn’t Rayyan want Hyacinth to speak about the couple in front of her?
Malik nodded. “I’m afraid so.”
Kyria felt faint. “Is t-that so?” Oh, she knew it. Katerinadidmean something to him—-
“I invited them to the wedding.”
“What?”
“That was my surprise.”
“But surprises are meant to make people smile,” she blurted out. “Do you think seeing her is going to makemesmile?”
“No, but it will make me happy when I see you jealous of her.”
...
...
...
And then Kyria was yelling. “Are you freaking kidding me?”
Malik smirked. “Yes, I was.”
