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❝Once upon a time in Baghdad, a street girl teaches the Khalifa of the kingdom why a king needs a queen.❞
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Started: June 5, 2021.
Completed: March 30, 2022.
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cover by @xniftykayx
featured on wattpad historical fiction, undiscovered...
If your love destroys me, consider my destruction glorious.
— Jonny Ox
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Him
"Things have been happening a little unexpectedly lately."
"Do you find yourself unprepared?"
"Am I ever?" He peers up at his vizier from where he's leaning over the table with a map stretched on it. "Only a bit more concerned over certain affairs, that's all."
"What precisely?"
He draws crosses on the map. "The prince after the throne, the general of Baghdad, the queen of the kingdom." He smirks, running his tongue over his upper lip. "And the mayhem in my heart."
His viziers walks over to him, studying the markings on the map as he traces his finger over them. "The situation with the prince is of win or loss. The general of Baghdad is the best we have. The queen of this kingdom holds the heir to this throne." He pauses and looks up, straight into his eyes, dropping his voice a notch meaningfully as he finishes, "And the mayhem in your heart can bring you to your knees."
"Pray tell, why would you say so?"
"Be wary of the woman you desire, for rumors go that she desires another one. Her marriage is nothing but a ploy, I thought that was apparent."
He clenches his jaw as the fury makes the veins in his head pop. The thought never fails to trigger him. His gaze flicks down to the map and he draws another cross on it. "Very apparent," he agrees quietly to himself. "Now, what could be the least brutal solution to this problem?"
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Her
"There's a celebration coming in joy of her ladyship, Arwa bint Atta, expecting a child. Here's an invitation for you too, my grace. She hopes you'll join her on this auspicious occasion."
Maysoon dismisses the guard with a wave of her hand. Her maid steps forward to take the invitation from him and the guard leaves with a tip of his head. Noura watches the strained expression on the princess's face as her eyes stare blankly into space. The maid places the invitation in front of her on the table before filling her cup with tea. Noura takes a sip from her own cup.
"Did you receive an invitation too?" Maysoon finally asks without looking at her.
"Yes," she replies.
"Would you go?"
Noura moves aside on the cushions as the afternoon sun shines directly over her, warming her up. The curtains hung from the pergola provides shades from rays where they're pulled apart slightly. The princess pats the spot next to her and she scoots closer.
"I'm not really sure if I should. Malika and I aren't really friends. If anything, we only had a few exchange of words during all my stay here."
"Well you should go since this will be your first celebration here. They're fun, but when coming from the right people." Maysoon turns to her. "Although maybe it'll put you in Arwa's good graces if you join her, so no harm in trying."
