Marrying The Billionaire Was Never Her Dream | Book 1

Chapter 35

Zarah's POV

I was nervous today, not for one reason, but two. Earlier this week, Ayyan informed me the Royale Council was coming to the Suman Palace. Coupled with the stress of the wedding, I was a nervous wreck.

From what I heard, they didn't seem like kind people at all. What they did sound like, was extreme traditionalists. At least, from the small part of their conversation that I overheard, and what Aysha told me.

"Don't trust them at all," she had said, when I literally barged into her room seeking for advice. She didn't have to say it twice for me not to like them. Anyone willing enough to hand you the stress of a second wedding, was not to be trusted.

My mornings were normally spent walking with Papi. We were always the first to arrive at the table, and so, have found a better way to spend our time before the others arrive.

Papi was a wonderful man, and I enjoyed every minute of our walks.

Today, was no exception. I found myself arriving in front of the gigantic dining space with no help whatsoever. The palace was confusing, but once you get the hang of it, not so much.

"Good morning, Papi," I said, gently grabbing his frail hands to lead him outside. He answered my greeting with a smile. He greeted each servant with a nod. I did the same.

They felt acknowledged and important with the nods. This made their bows a lot deeper, and with much more respect. I wanted to be exactly like him, I thought.

I expected him to ask how the wedding preparations were going, like every other day. Instead, he went a completely different direction.

"How do you feel about being a queen?" I didn't have an answer for that, so I kept quiet. "Do you think you can do justice to your people?"

"I don't know." I paused, and gave him a glance. He didn't look back. "Sometimes, I feel like I can do it. But, some days, I feel like the people don't deserve me. Or better, I don't deserve them. Neither do I deserve Ayyan."

"You have the makings of a great queen, Zarah. You only need to believe in yourself first. None will follow you, unless they are certain you will lead them to greatness. And greatness comes with believing."

We quickly moved on to other easy, shallow topics. We talked about the weather, and how we both preferred Jamya to Suman. Finally, someone that gets me.

The Jamyan fields, although smaller, were filled with thousand more flowers. Unlike the ones in Suman, filled with more grass and shrubs. Jamya was for vacations, and Suman for work.

It wasn't long before we had to go back inside for the first meal of the day.

"Remember Zarah, the Council will never follow you, until you show them just how much you believe in yourself and in Runaria." The hall was filled, and the conversation was closed; the questions I had, long buried.

Amelia, the wedding planner, was downstairs waiting for me. Maria had informed me. I had finished looking at some wedding dresses with Aysha and Maryam. We still hadn't reached an agreement.

With the amount of events we were having, I needed a lot of dresses—mostly traditional ones. The one thing that Amelia and Muna (who is now my second wedding planner) didn't have much expertise on. Naturally, my sister-in-laws came to the rescue.

Muna had been grumpy ever since I had told her about it. She couldn't afford to come, financially, and her boss will never agree. I tried cheering her up, by involving her in almost everything. We had video calls whenever we both were free.