The Royal feud✅

[27] J A W A D/ A M N A

JAWAD

Knock, knock, knock.

Who is the person disturbing my peace? I’ve given clear instructions that I don’t want anyone near me.

“I don’t want anyone here,” I boom.

The knock still continues.

“It’s me, Amir, please let me in.”

Khadijah? What is she doing here?

“Come in… it isn’t locked.”

I hear the door creaking and light footsteps. The bed dips underneath my body.

“What are you doing here?” I grunt, my cheek smoothening the bedsheet.

“Jawad, please look up…please for me.”

Khadijah certainly knows how to make one do things they don’t want to. How can I not answer when her voice sounds like a kitten in distress? Propping my elbow, I rest my head on the bed’s headboard.

“What do you want? I don’t want to talk to anyone.”

“Jawad, for the past three weeks, you’ve barely stepped out of your room.” I lazily turn my face to her.

“I don’t have a reason to.”

“You’re the sultan…well after your coronation, but you’ve to be strong. No matter what happens to you.”

“I should be strong? My brother is in prison… I put him there.”

She rests both of her legs on the bed. “I know this isn’t about Zayd… Zayd brought this upon himself.” She stares at me daringly. “You miss her… I’m well aware of that.”

I duck my head down. I’ve been avoiding everyone since the near war incident happened. Not stepping out often is a way I devised to prevent anyone from asking me anything about Amna.

I miss her badly and I want to protect her name. I know people will call her different sort of names, a snake, betrayer, and I detest that. I might not be able to control myself if someone says something against her, which is why I hole myself up in my room. I pray Khadijah doesn’t say anything bad about her because…

“I found out she is from Wahda before you.”

“Why—”

“Shhh…” she places her index finger on her lip. “I’m not done talking.”

Khadijah got some nerves… she knows I can’t do anything to her. I keep gaping at her, but she seems unfazed by my action.

“You don’t know this, but I do visit the Wahda kingdom.” She looks up to the ceiling. “A good friend mistakenly blew her cover. He told me about Amna.”

“You have a male friend?”

She shrugs. “I’m surprised that is the only thing you picked from my confession.” Her expression hardens a bit. “He isn’t my friend. I was being sarcastic, but he told me about Amna.”

“She isn’t at fault.”

She raises one of her brow.

“I thought she was at fault at first. I thought she had betrayed and cheated you, so I did some research. I sent some of my guards to Wahda that was when I found out she is innocent. She lost her memory and all this isn’t her fault. A small part of me believed she couldn’t have been pretending, but my lack of trust in everyone clouded my judgment. I owe her an apology.”

I nod my head. “I don’t know what step to take next.”

“Go to her. I can’t deny that you two are perfect for each other.”