Royalty Gone Bad

***

Asahd's POV:

"You seem really close. That's cute," Allison whispered to me while we watched the movie, referring to Saïda and I.

"You think? We're not very close," I mused.

"I think you are. You've been worrying about Stephan bothering her throughout. And she keeps turning to see if you're okay too. That's so cute," she giggled lowly and it amused me. Her theory amused me because I didn't think it was a fact.

"If you say so," I looked at her. "Having a good time?" I asked and she smiled, nodding a little.

"I- I'm kind of impatient for tomorrow," she admitted shyly. "It'll be just us, two. And, I'll be able to tell you something I've been wanting to."

"Which is?" I asked and she blushed.

"Um, nothing really special. I'd rather tell you tomorrow," she muttered.

"Hmm. Okay."

***

After the movie, we all left the theatre, satisfied. It'd been very interesting.

We told one another, goodnight, and parted in good moods. While Saïda waited in a corner, Allison approached me.

"Tomorrow?" she asked with a smile. She was very cute.

"Tomorrow," I replied and pulled her in for a hug which clearly pleased her. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Asahd," she then turned and waved at Saïda. "Bye, Saïda."

"Bye. Goodnight," Saïda waved back and Allison ran to catch up with the others.

I went to Saïda.

"You see? Apart from that annoying Stephan, you had a good time right?" I asked.

"Yeah, it was great," she smiled and we started walking down the sidewalk. "Can you carry me?" her question surprised and amused me. "Why?" I laughed

"Because you look like a tree close to me and I would like to be that tall or high," she laughed. "I just feel like it."

"Well okay," I chuckled and bended a little. "Get on."

"Yay!" she hopped onto my back, wrapping her legs and arms around me for support. I gripped the back of her knees and started walking. "Oh my, you're so tall."

"And you're so short," I mocked. "You're so tiny, too. You weigh almost nothing."

"The perfect team," she joked

"Oh, yes we are," I crossed the street with her.

Saïda's POV:

As he walked down the sidewalks with me on his back, I couldn't help it but inhale the sweet smell of his hair. Who was I kidding? That shampoo smelled so good. Since I'd started using it myself, I would smell some strands of my hair. But whenever I did, it made me think of Asahd, instead.

"You should buy me shampoo, for wasting my other one," I mused.

"Why? I said you could use mine."

"Yours is great and smells so gooood. And I'm tempted to smell my hair whenever I use it."

"Where's the problem?"

"When I do smell it, I automatically think of you. It's your personalised scent and I don't want it. I don't want your annoying face, popping into my head whenever I smell my hair." I laughed.

"Plus, your shampoo will finish real soon if we use it together. As you said, it's costly here and you can't use something else, cuz you've never actually done so. We don't know what effect the others might have on your hair."

"You should be a politician. Or lawyer," he chuckled and I laughed a little.

"Fine. Tomorrow."

"Good. So, are you starting to like Allison or?"

"For the moment, I like her as a nice person."

"And what if she confesses some crush or feeling to you?"

"Like I'd said before, I might accept but I'll let her know I don't feel same, and that maybe I will, the longer I stay in the relationship. But if I don't eventually like her, I'll definitely end it."

"That's a good idea. I already like her. She's always rosy and smiley. I do hope you eventually fall for her. She's quite simple. Imagine taking her back to Zagreh when things get serious between the both of you. Eeek!" I squealed like a kid and he laughed. "That'll be great! She'd make a perfect future queen, you know."

"The hell?? You're already talking about marriage with her??" he mused and I laughed.

"Why not? Remember you have a few months to your 23rd birthday. And according to tradition, you have to get married at that age, two years before your supposed enthronement. So at 25, you take over the throne."

"Saïda, even if I eventually love Allison, which I kinda doubt. I don't know why. Will the people of Zagreh accept her? You know how tradition is. Have you forgotten that I have to marry a girl from Zagreh, that belongs to the noble class for that matter. It's not even possible for me to a marry a girl from the lower or middle class. Then you think they'll allow me to marry a foreigner?"

"Asahd, you have the power to decide whom you want to get married to. You're the heir and the sultan's advisers and nobles have no right to tell you what to do. They can, but the final decision's always yours." "I've heard of no Zagrehan sultan who got married to a foreigner."

"Sultan Selim did."

"Who??" he asked and I laughed.

"Selim Usaïd. Your great, great, great grandfather. He married two wives. His first wife was a German woman. Your great, great, great grandmother was his second. Asahd, you should know all this! You're a future sultan!" I laughed.

"The consequences of dodging my royal history lectures," he mused.

"Asahd, you need to know these. The crowning ceremony takes place in three stages. The first will be on your wedding day, the two others will be when you're twenty five. During these, you will be asked a series of questions on the history of our people, to see how competent you are."

"Are you serious? Saïda, are you for real?!" he exclaimed and I laughed. Sometimes Asahd was like a foreigner, himself. A complete stranger to his own culture.

"Yes! If you're willing, I'll teach you and prepare you for that. Every Saturday evening. Deal?"

"Deal. Man, I'm so ignorant."

"Indeed. So, as I was saying, you can get married to a foreigner as well as a girl from Zagreh that belongs to the middle or lower class. It's your choice to make. It might not please the people, but they will eventually give in to your choice."

"I don't know what would happening to me if you weren't here to tell me all these things, that I am supposed to know! I'm so careless."

"It's now that you realise that fact?" I laughed.

"Shut up."

We walked down a few more blocks, discussing about everything and anything. Until, a drop of rain fell on my shoulders.

"Uh oh," I mumbled.

Autumn had reached and the nights were becoming windy, some rainy.

"What?" Asahd asked.

"Rain's coming."

The street on which we were was populated and only a few and personal cars drove by. No cabs in sight. The drops started fallings, plenty in number and fast.

"Should we find a place to hide from it?" I asked as it seemed to get stronger with each second.

"It's getting late. What if it ends tomorrow morning instead? There's a bus stop two more blocks away. Hold on tight."

"Okay."

I wrapped my arms tighter around his shoulders and he started running.

The rain got even stronger and soon our hair and clothes were soaked. It came with a strong wind and it felt good on my skin.

"Aaaaaah! I'm flash!" Asahd shouted and I laughed. Guess I wasn't the only one who seemed to be having fun under that rain.

"And I'm the Queen of the world!" I added and we laughed.

He ran so fast that I had the wind in my hair and rain drops hitting my face, leaving a tingling and ticklish feeling. I was amusingly having a good time.

"This feels great!" I laughed happily.

"Agreed! We'll probably get ill, but it's worth it!" he laughed.

"I hope my father's asleep! Else I'm in trouble!" I mused.

"There's so much water dripping down my face and blurring my vision. My hands are taken. Help!"

"Okay!" I raised a hand and ran it over his face, wiping the water.

"Thanks!"

We finally made it to the bus stop and luckily, a bus had just driven up to it. I got off Asahd's back. The doors were opened and we looked at the driver.

"We're really soaked. Can we still get in?!" Asahd asked over the heavy rainfall noise.

"Sure. The seats are leather."

"Thanks!"

He grabbed my hand and I followed him inside.

The few passengers inside, stared at us in amusement. Asahd and I took the two seats that were directly behind the driver's seat, so we would not mix in with the other people.

We couldn't stop laughing.

"That was so fun," I giggled, wiping my face and squeezing the little water, out of my hair.

"I'm gonna drink hot soup, once home," he chuckled.

"Same. Don't wanna get ill. You insisted that we rush to the bus stop. I'm dripping wet because of you," I grumbled playfully.

"That's what they all say," he wriggled his brows and I immediately understood what he meant.

"Hahaha! Eew! You're so shameless," I elbowed him and he chuckled.

"But at least it was a good idea. Instead of being out there at this time, waiting for the rain to stop, here we are going back home."

"True."