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Khalid
Ianswered the phone and closed the doors of my room behind me.
“How is my dear brother doing?” Zain, my elder brother and the Sultan of Azmia drawled in his deep voice.
I rolled my eyes. Zain cockblocked me with Valeria just to ask me how I am doing?
“What do you want, Zain? I was… I was doing something important.”Or I was about to, anyway.
“Something important or someone?”
I could hear the smirk in his voice.
“Someoneimportant,” I corrected him. “Now, tell me, why are you calling me? You know I am at the oasis.”
“You have never brought anyone at the oasis before. Not even your own brother. Not even Zara.” He couldn’t hide the disbelief in his tone.
I scratched the back of my neck. “I am painting.”
“Are you painting that someone important? Or are you paintingon her?”
I planned to do that soon.
“Zain, I do not want to talk about this with you right now. Why did you call? Is Nasrin okay?Jadati (grandmother)?”
I heard him sigh through the phone. “Yes, everyone is alright, including me, thanks for asking. I called to ask you about Zara. She is not responding to any of my calls, and I don’t know which country she is travelling right now, let alone where she is and if she is safe or not.”
I could feel his worry. Zara was our little sister and also the only Princess of Azmia. She had been travelling the world as soon as she turned nineteen. She knew how to take care of herself, but it didn’t make us less worried about her. Zara never stayed in the same country, let alone a place for more than a couple of months, so it was hard to track her down and make sure she was doing fine.
“I will try calling her and talk to her. Last I heard, she was in Australia.” I remembered her video call while she was on a beach, her cheerful face relieving me of the brotherly stress.
“Call her as soon as you can and let her know that if she misses the baby shower, I will never forgive her. Nasrin wants Zara to be here. Even grandma is worried.”
I let out a soft chuckle. “She is more worried about the man who would dare to marry our sister.”
We both knew that as long as I was alive, Zara wasn’t going to get married. Even if she liked someone, I would make sure that her partner was capable before allowing him or her to see my sister.
I won’t ever let someone hurt her again. Like how our father did.
“I pray for the man who falls for our little Zara.” Zain said in a mocking tone.
“When do I have to arrive at the palace?” I asked, wondering if I could finish the painting before that and if I could bring Valeria with me.
I heard the shuffles of paper as Rahim, our advisor, talked with him. I sighed. Zain was working overtime once again.
“In a week, if you can. I want to spend some time alone with my lovely wife, but handling the country with her due date coming soon and the celebration of the baby shower is taking a toll on me. I would appreciate your help, Khalid. Especially with the security and protection.”
He seemed tired. Zain had been handling the country since the age of twenty, after the death of our father because of me. We had all watched him die. But Zain never gave me too much responsibility, even though I was only a year younger than him.
Ignoring the bitter memories, I replied, “Of course, brother. You don’t have to ask. I will be there in a week. I will try to finish the painting before that if I can.”
“Thank you, Khalid. Bring your muse along if you want to,” he teased.
“Her name is Valeria. I will ask her although I am sure she would love to visit the palace.”
He added, “And warm your bed.”
“Zain,” I warned him. “She is… she is not like that.”