The Royal feud✅

E P I L O G U E

A YEAR LATER

AMNA

I close my eyes tighter. Why isn’t the cry stopping? I try to close my ears with my hand, but I can’t. Forcing myself, I flutter my lids open.

It is still morning.

The memories of last night come rushing back when I see Jawad rocking Asma back and forth in his arms. She’s crying loudly, but he keeps petting her, humming Quranic verses.

I prop my two hands behind me, watching the loving man I got married to. Last night I wasn’t able to blink my eyes because Asma wouldn’t stop crying, I know not the cause of her cry. She caved in and slept at late midnight, but then sleep refused to engulf me. I was wide awake until after fajr. After saying my duas, I somehow managed to sleep a bit.

Jawad still isn’t aware of me watching his back. He is fully concentrated on making Asma’s cry stop.

I clear my throat.

He places her on his shoulder before turning to me. “You’re awake.”

I stifle my yawn with the back of my hand. “Yes I’m.” Asma surprisingly stops crying when she hears my voice. “Hand her over, please.”

I stretch my hands waiting for Jawad to place her on it, but instead he holds her in his arms.

“Do you want to go to ummi?” He reduces the pitch of his voice to sound like a baby.

She releases a short cry.

“I know you like Abi more… My sweet Asma.” He pecks her cheek.

“She likes me more, her cry means she wants you away from her,” I retort, folding my arms across my chest.

Facing Asma, he totally ignores my comment. My lips curve by how petty Jawad behaves sometimes. She grumbles an incoherent word, making Jawad throw his fist up.

He faces me with a smile on his face. “I said it, she loves me more, she just told me.”

I roll my eyes. “She can’t even talk yet.”

“She can, but only I can understand. We have a unique connection,” he says seriously, making me almost contemplate whether he’s saying a meaningful thing. But I know him more than that, he’s Jawad. He makes most meaningless things seem meaningful. Like how he made my almost meaningless life meaningful.

Towering over him, I grab her from his arms gently. “Don’t forget sultan, you have a kingdom to address.”

He grunts loudly. “Can’t I just stay back with you and Asma?”

I poke his squishy nose. “Uhn uhn… Go now before I drag you out.”

“You’re mean,” He says, pecking me lightly on my lips.

I mean to retort his statement, but the reply forming in my head disappears because of his action. He winks at me then disappears out of the door. He still has that effect on me even after over a year of our marriage. Asma kicks her leg, drawing my attention back to her.