Chapter 19: Farce
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In the main hall of the aquamarine mansion, the ambassadors and envoys sat either with stoic, embarrassed, or scornful expressions as they looked at the Regent Prince, King of Jinn, and Crown Prince Lail. Seeing such an embarrassing moment of the great Amayan Empire filled their hearts with joy. For a while now, the great Amayan Empire had been suppressing the other empires and realms due to their geographical advantage and military strength. Just recently, the Crown Prince of Amaya easily defeated the Ahankar realm in the warrior baptism of the borders, causing the other Empires to be filled with dread and apprehension at this death god of the Amaya realm.
Unexpectedly, the same death god was shamed so thoroughly in public by his own future Crown Princess Consort that he could barely keep his head up. She made a joke of him in front of the entire world, which upon seeing made them feel refreshed as if all their past grievances have been addressed at once. The grandest Empirial wedding in the history of the seven realms turned into the most embarrassing wedding ever witnessed in the history of the seven realms.
Watching the Regent Prince seething with anger, they inwardly snickered, while outwardly putting on concerned and sympathetic expressions.
At this moment, Princess Nari and Prince Noore entered the main hall together, gracefully walking side by side. Instantly, everyone in the hall turned towards them, looking at the two with various expressions and gazes, few even going as far as to wink at Prince Noore with knowing smiles on their faces. Others just silently glanced between Crown Prince Lail and Prince Noore, waiting for the drama to unfold.
Crown Prince Lail, who was sitting on the right side of the Regent Prince, glanced at the two approaching figures with indifferent eyes, his expression unreadable.
"How did I never notice before? The two actually quite match each other." He thought.
"Are you awake now? That was quite a show the two of you put on." The King of Jinn opened as he looked at Princess Nari once the two stood in the center of the hall with embarrassed expressions.
He purposely said 'the two of you', making it clear to everyone present that the fault was not only his daughter's alone.
The Regent Prince remained silent, staring at his son with the most ferocious look any of the envoys have ever seen on his face. Unknown to them, the Regent Prince was using all the willpower he had cultivated through the years to stop himself from jumping on his son and beating him until not a single bone in his body remained intact. He was beyond angry; he was raging mad.
"Well, what have you got to say for yourselves?" The Regent Prince asked, still hoping for there to be a reasonable explanation as to what happened. Hoping there was a way to turn things around.
"There is nothing to say Royal Father. When I went out for a walk, I encountered the princess outside her courtyard. She looked troubled, so I wanted to accompany her to help take her mind off her problems. As such, we went to have tea together and were having a simple chat. But we do not remember what happened after that because by the time we woke up, we were in bed. Royal Father, I suspect this to be someone's plot, otherwise, how could we have blackout in the middle of having tea and wake up in the same bed together but not remember anything. Someone must have mixed something in our tea to frame us." Prince Noore said with pained eyes.
"Is that so. That would make sense. I was just saying, how could my son do something so immoral." The Regent Prince sighed understandingly.
"So what is your majesty saying? That my daughter could do something so immoral? Either way, whether Prince Noore did what he did purposely or he was framed is not important right now. The important issue is how we are going to resolve this problem. After all, the whole empire and envoys from the surrounding realms have witnessed your son in bed with my daughter. He should take responsibility for his actions, otherwise, who will marry my daughter in the future?" The King of Jinn questioned.
He, a small king of a desert kingdom, would normally not even have the qualifications to speak with the Regent Prince of the Amayan Empire. However, there were many envoys and ambassadors from the surrounding realms present here today for the Empirial wedding, so he was not afraid of speaking his mind. If only to protect their own benefits, they would not allow the Regent Prince to do as he pleased. And so, he spoke with the sole intention to get his daughter married to Prince Noore. That was the only way to salvage the little reputation they had while securing benefits for the Jinn Kingdom and getting Princess Nari married to the man of her choice.
Anyways, right from the start, he was suspicious of the Regent Prince's intention when he propose to marry Princess Nari with Crown Prince Lail and Princess Qamari With Prince Noore in exchange for their national treasure, the 'golden bird'. No doubt, the proposal was more than he could ask for, with the prospect of his own daughter one day becoming the Empress of Amaya, ruling over a billion people. If he was not a father, he would have been ecstatic.
However, he was a father. And thinking like any father, he wanted the best for his daughter. So why was the Regent Prince willing to get his very own biological son married to an orphan who had nothing but her status as the daughter of the previous king of Jinn? If you told him the man was not cooking up something insidious, he would not believe it. So for him, this was the best arrangement after taking everything in consideration. Whether it be his daughter's happiness, Jinn Kingdom's benefit, or the Regent Prince's scheme.
"What are you proposing than, King of Jinn?" The Regent Prince asked darkly.
"What am I proposing? Surely, your majesty does not need others to tell you that cooked rice cannot be uncooked, right? Prince Noore and Princess Nari are a done deal. The rice has been cooked, there is no way to un-cook it. Other than getting the two married, what other options are there?" The king of Jinn pressed.
Some of the envoys and ambassadors nodded in agreement on hearing the king of Jinn, while the others just watched on with cold eyes.
And Princess Nari, who was silently standing in the center of the hall under everyone's scrutinizing gazes, feeling mortified, stirred upon hearing her possible marriage with Prince Noore.
"Well, I do understand that, King of Jinn. But maybe you are forgetting that Prince Noore is your niece's to-be husband. Surely, you are not suggesting snatching your niece's husband for your daughter? The situation that Princess Nari is in today is no one's but her own fault. If she had practiced some propriety, this problem would not have arisen at all today, is it not?" The Regent Prince replied with a disdainful expression.
"I could say the same about Prince Noore. As someone set to marry tomorrow, do you not feel that him spending time with a woman other than his future Princess is a bit wrong? Seeing how powerful the Amayan Empire is, I do hope that they would not utilize their great power to oppress weak kingdoms like us." King of Jinn shot back.
Before the two could get into another heated argument, the Janah realm envoy stepped in.
"I agree with the King of Jinn that a cooked rice cannot be un-cooked. But I also think that the Regent Prince has a point, after all, Prince Noore was set to marry Princess Nari's cousin. It is only right to call her into the hall and ask what she wants. Someone, send a servant to call Princess Qamari into the main hall." She decisively said, without waiting for the arguing monarch's opinion.
The Janah realm was small but pure, and all the beings there believed in doing the right thing at all times, no matter where they were and what they were doing, and being fair to all parties in an issue without any selfishness. So many of the envoys were not surprised on seeing her getting involved in the Amayan Empire and Jinn kingdom affair.
Princess Qamari was just thinking about going to bed when a servant came knocking on her door.
"Your highness, your presence is requested immediately in the main hall." The servant was the same one that was sent to inform Prince Noore and Princess Nari to report to the main hall.
As she watched Princess Qamari exiting her chambers in dark-blue robes and a veil, she could not help thinking of how different the two princesses were. Princess Nari was said to be charming and approachable, but her character turned out to be so flawed, sleeping with her cousin's future spouse. Whereas Princess Qamari, who was as ethereal and serene as the full moon, cold and unapproachable, seemed to have the best character, not even once stepping out of her room with all the commotion and mayhem going on outside, just to honor the tradition of the bride staying indoor all day until the morning of her wedding.
"How different people can be, even if they are cousins and grew up together." She sighed at the great wonders of the world as she followed Princess Qamari to the main hall.
Princess Qamari entered the great hall with a question mark on her face. She could not understand why so many people were still gathered together here instead of resting for the big event tomorrow. Seeing Princess Nari and Prince Noore standing in the middle of the hall with bowed heads, she wondered what she had missed.
"My beloved niece, you have come. We were just waiting for you. This is an important matter that requires your decision." The king of Jinn said amiably, raising alarm bells in Princess Qamari's mind.
In the many years since her parents passing, he had never once referred to her as his 'beloved niece'.
Before she could say anything, the Janah envoy interfered.
"Princess, I am sure you have heard of what has transpired here. Considering this matter is related to you, we wanted to know what you decide to do." She said gently as she looked into Princess Qamari's eyes. For some unknown reason, she felt the purity in those purple eyes. There was no malice, greed, or dissatisfaction in those eyes, which was rare, considering the fact that she was not from the Janah realm.
"Do not worry. With me here, no one will wrong you." She added after a pause.
"Since I like the girl, might as well support her to the end." She thought.
"Oh, okay. Thank you, but I am actually not aware of what has transpired here. Today was the day before the wedding day, and as per tradition, I did not step out of my room. So I am not sure of what matter I was called here for." Princess Qamari said, with confusion in her eyes.
Upon hearing her words, everyone looked at her with surprise. Almost everyone in the mansion knew of Princess Nari and Prince Noore's affair, yet the person directly related to the two individuals knew nothing. Not only that, but to maintain tradition, she did not once step out of her room even after the great commotion in the mansion.
Crown Prince Lail looked at the veiled girl with curious eyes. The last time he saw her was at the imperial banquet where she immediately fainted upon his appearance. The two had not met after that and seeing her today, he could not help comparing her with her cousin. Her whole being emitted a coldness that drew a boundary with the rest of the world. Her ethereal eyes were serene and she was not exuding the youthful charm of her cousin, but the mature, calm, and composed charm of someone already exposed to the ways of the world.
The Crown Prince was not the only one impressed with Princess Qamari.. The Janah envoy was also surprised by her aura and the fact that to honor tradition, she did not step out of her room even once touched her heart.
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In the main hall of the aquamarine mansion, the ambassadors and envoys sat either with stoic, embarrassed, or scornful expressions as they looked at the Regent Prince, King of Jinn, and Crown Prince Lail. Seeing such an embarrassing moment of the great Amayan Empire filled their hearts with joy. For a while now, the great Amayan Empire had been suppressing the other empires and realms due to their geographical advantage and military strength. Just recently, the Crown Prince of Amaya easily defeated the Ahankar realm in the warrior baptism of the borders, causing the other Empires to be filled with dread and apprehension at this death god of the Amaya realm.
Unexpectedly, the same death god was shamed so thoroughly in public by his own future Crown Princess Consort that he could barely keep his head up. She made a joke of him in front of the entire world, which upon seeing made them feel refreshed as if all their past grievances have been addressed at once. The grandest Empirial wedding in the history of the seven realms turned into the most embarrassing wedding ever witnessed in the history of the seven realms.
Watching the Regent Prince seething with anger, they inwardly snickered, while outwardly putting on concerned and sympathetic expressions.
At this moment, Princess Nari and Prince Noore entered the main hall together, gracefully walking side by side. Instantly, everyone in the hall turned towards them, looking at the two with various expressions and gazes, few even going as far as to wink at Prince Noore with knowing smiles on their faces. Others just silently glanced between Crown Prince Lail and Prince Noore, waiting for the drama to unfold.
Crown Prince Lail, who was sitting on the right side of the Regent Prince, glanced at the two approaching figures with indifferent eyes, his expression unreadable.
"How did I never notice before? The two actually quite match each other." He thought.
"Are you awake now? That was quite a show the two of you put on." The King of Jinn opened as he looked at Princess Nari once the two stood in the center of the hall with embarrassed expressions.
He purposely said 'the two of you', making it clear to everyone present that the fault was not only his daughter's alone.
The Regent Prince remained silent, staring at his son with the most ferocious look any of the envoys have ever seen on his face. Unknown to them, the Regent Prince was using all the willpower he had cultivated through the years to stop himself from jumping on his son and beating him until not a single bone in his body remained intact. He was beyond angry; he was raging mad.
"Well, what have you got to say for yourselves?" The Regent Prince asked, still hoping for there to be a reasonable explanation as to what happened. Hoping there was a way to turn things around.
"There is nothing to say Royal Father. When I went out for a walk, I encountered the princess outside her courtyard. She looked troubled, so I wanted to accompany her to help take her mind off her problems. As such, we went to have tea together and were having a simple chat. But we do not remember what happened after that because by the time we woke up, we were in bed. Royal Father, I suspect this to be someone's plot, otherwise, how could we have blackout in the middle of having tea and wake up in the same bed together but not remember anything. Someone must have mixed something in our tea to frame us." Prince Noore said with pained eyes.
"Is that so. That would make sense. I was just saying, how could my son do something so immoral." The Regent Prince sighed understandingly.
"So what is your majesty saying? That my daughter could do something so immoral? Either way, whether Prince Noore did what he did purposely or he was framed is not important right now. The important issue is how we are going to resolve this problem. After all, the whole empire and envoys from the surrounding realms have witnessed your son in bed with my daughter. He should take responsibility for his actions, otherwise, who will marry my daughter in the future?" The King of Jinn questioned.
He, a small king of a desert kingdom, would normally not even have the qualifications to speak with the Regent Prince of the Amayan Empire. However, there were many envoys and ambassadors from the surrounding realms present here today for the Empirial wedding, so he was not afraid of speaking his mind. If only to protect their own benefits, they would not allow the Regent Prince to do as he pleased. And so, he spoke with the sole intention to get his daughter married to Prince Noore. That was the only way to salvage the little reputation they had while securing benefits for the Jinn Kingdom and getting Princess Nari married to the man of her choice.
Anyways, right from the start, he was suspicious of the Regent Prince's intention when he propose to marry Princess Nari with Crown Prince Lail and Princess Qamari With Prince Noore in exchange for their national treasure, the 'golden bird'. No doubt, the proposal was more than he could ask for, with the prospect of his own daughter one day becoming the Empress of Amaya, ruling over a billion people. If he was not a father, he would have been ecstatic.
However, he was a father. And thinking like any father, he wanted the best for his daughter. So why was the Regent Prince willing to get his very own biological son married to an orphan who had nothing but her status as the daughter of the previous king of Jinn? If you told him the man was not cooking up something insidious, he would not believe it. So for him, this was the best arrangement after taking everything in consideration. Whether it be his daughter's happiness, Jinn Kingdom's benefit, or the Regent Prince's scheme.
"What are you proposing than, King of Jinn?" The Regent Prince asked darkly.
"What am I proposing? Surely, your majesty does not need others to tell you that cooked rice cannot be uncooked, right? Prince Noore and Princess Nari are a done deal. The rice has been cooked, there is no way to un-cook it. Other than getting the two married, what other options are there?" The king of Jinn pressed.
Some of the envoys and ambassadors nodded in agreement on hearing the king of Jinn, while the others just watched on with cold eyes.
And Princess Nari, who was silently standing in the center of the hall under everyone's scrutinizing gazes, feeling mortified, stirred upon hearing her possible marriage with Prince Noore.
"Well, I do understand that, King of Jinn. But maybe you are forgetting that Prince Noore is your niece's to-be husband. Surely, you are not suggesting snatching your niece's husband for your daughter? The situation that Princess Nari is in today is no one's but her own fault. If she had practiced some propriety, this problem would not have arisen at all today, is it not?" The Regent Prince replied with a disdainful expression.
"I could say the same about Prince Noore. As someone set to marry tomorrow, do you not feel that him spending time with a woman other than his future Princess is a bit wrong? Seeing how powerful the Amayan Empire is, I do hope that they would not utilize their great power to oppress weak kingdoms like us." King of Jinn shot back.
Before the two could get into another heated argument, the Janah realm envoy stepped in.
"I agree with the King of Jinn that a cooked rice cannot be un-cooked. But I also think that the Regent Prince has a point, after all, Prince Noore was set to marry Princess Nari's cousin. It is only right to call her into the hall and ask what she wants. Someone, send a servant to call Princess Qamari into the main hall." She decisively said, without waiting for the arguing monarch's opinion.
The Janah realm was small but pure, and all the beings there believed in doing the right thing at all times, no matter where they were and what they were doing, and being fair to all parties in an issue without any selfishness. So many of the envoys were not surprised on seeing her getting involved in the Amayan Empire and Jinn kingdom affair.
Princess Qamari was just thinking about going to bed when a servant came knocking on her door.
"Your highness, your presence is requested immediately in the main hall." The servant was the same one that was sent to inform Prince Noore and Princess Nari to report to the main hall.
As she watched Princess Qamari exiting her chambers in dark-blue robes and a veil, she could not help thinking of how different the two princesses were. Princess Nari was said to be charming and approachable, but her character turned out to be so flawed, sleeping with her cousin's future spouse. Whereas Princess Qamari, who was as ethereal and serene as the full moon, cold and unapproachable, seemed to have the best character, not even once stepping out of her room with all the commotion and mayhem going on outside, just to honor the tradition of the bride staying indoor all day until the morning of her wedding.
"How different people can be, even if they are cousins and grew up together." She sighed at the great wonders of the world as she followed Princess Qamari to the main hall.
Princess Qamari entered the great hall with a question mark on her face. She could not understand why so many people were still gathered together here instead of resting for the big event tomorrow. Seeing Princess Nari and Prince Noore standing in the middle of the hall with bowed heads, she wondered what she had missed.
"My beloved niece, you have come. We were just waiting for you. This is an important matter that requires your decision." The king of Jinn said amiably, raising alarm bells in Princess Qamari's mind.
In the many years since her parents passing, he had never once referred to her as his 'beloved niece'.
Before she could say anything, the Janah envoy interfered.
"Princess, I am sure you have heard of what has transpired here. Considering this matter is related to you, we wanted to know what you decide to do." She said gently as she looked into Princess Qamari's eyes. For some unknown reason, she felt the purity in those purple eyes. There was no malice, greed, or dissatisfaction in those eyes, which was rare, considering the fact that she was not from the Janah realm.
"Do not worry. With me here, no one will wrong you." She added after a pause.
"Since I like the girl, might as well support her to the end." She thought.
"Oh, okay. Thank you, but I am actually not aware of what has transpired here. Today was the day before the wedding day, and as per tradition, I did not step out of my room. So I am not sure of what matter I was called here for." Princess Qamari said, with confusion in her eyes.
Upon hearing her words, everyone looked at her with surprise. Almost everyone in the mansion knew of Princess Nari and Prince Noore's affair, yet the person directly related to the two individuals knew nothing. Not only that, but to maintain tradition, she did not once step out of her room even after the great commotion in the mansion.
Crown Prince Lail looked at the veiled girl with curious eyes. The last time he saw her was at the imperial banquet where she immediately fainted upon his appearance. The two had not met after that and seeing her today, he could not help comparing her with her cousin. Her whole being emitted a coldness that drew a boundary with the rest of the world. Her ethereal eyes were serene and she was not exuding the youthful charm of her cousin, but the mature, calm, and composed charm of someone already exposed to the ways of the world.
The Crown Prince was not the only one impressed with Princess Qamari.. The Janah envoy was also surprised by her aura and the fact that to honor tradition, she did not step out of her room even once touched her heart.
In the main hall of the aquamarine mansion, the ambassadors and envoys sat either with stoic, embarrassed, or scornful expressions as they looked at the Regent Prince, King of Jinn, and Crown Prince Lail. Seeing such an embarrassing moment of the great Amayan Empire filled their hearts with joy. For a while now, the great Amayan Empire had been suppressing the other empires and realms due to their geographical advantage and military strength. Just recently, the Crown Prince of Amaya easily defeated the Ahankar realm in the warrior baptism of the borders, causing the other Empires to be filled with dread and apprehension at this death god of the Amaya realm. Unexpectedly, the same death god was shamed so thoroughly in public by his own future Crown Princess Consort that he could barely keep his head up. She made a joke of him in front of the entire world, which upon seeing made them feel refreshed as if all their past grievances have been addressed at once. The grandest Empirial wedding in the history of the seven realms turned into the most embarrassing wedding ever witnessed in the history of the seven realms. Watching the Regent Prince seething with anger, they inwardly snickered, while outwardly putting on concerned and sympathetic expressions. At this moment, Princess Nari and Prince Noore entered the main hall together, gracefully walking side by side. Instantly, everyone in the hall turned towards them, looking at the two with various expressions and gazes, few even going as far as to wink at Prince Noore with knowing smiles on their faces. Others just silently glanced between Crown Prince Lail and Prince Noore, waiting for the drama to unfold. Crown Prince Lail, who was sitting on the right side of the Regent Prince, glanced at the two approaching figures with indifferent eyes, his expression unreadable. "How did I never notice before? The two actually quite match each other." He thought. "Are you awake now? That was quite a show the two of you put on." The King of Jinn opened as he looked at Princess Nari once the two stood in the center of the hall with embarrassed expressions. He purposely said 'the two of you', making it clear to everyone present that the fault was not only his daughter's alone. The Regent Prince remained silent, staring at his son with the most ferocious look any of the envoys have ever seen on his face. Unknown to them, the Regent Prince was using all the willpower he had cultivated through the years to stop himself from jumping on his son and beating him until not a single bone in his body remained intact. He was beyond angry; he was raging mad. "Well, what have you got to say for yourselves?" The Regent Prince asked, still hoping for there to be a reasonable explanation as to what happened. Hoping there was a way to turn things around. "There is nothing to say Royal Father. When I went out for a walk, I encountered the princess outside her courtyard. She looked troubled, so I wanted to accompany her to help take her mind off her problems. As such, we went to have tea together and were having a simple chat. But we do not remember what happened after that because by the time we woke up, we were in bed. Royal Father, I suspect this to be someone's plot, otherwise, how could we have blackout in the middle of having tea and wake up in the same bed together but not remember anything. Someone must have mixed something in our tea to frame us." Prince Noore said with pained eyes. "Is that so. That would make sense. I was just saying, how could my son do something so immoral." The Regent Prince sighed understandingly. "So what is your majesty saying? That my daughter could do something so immoral? Either way, whether Prince Noore did what he did purposely or he was framed is not important right now. The important issue is how we are going to resolve this problem. After all, the whole empire and envoys from the surrounding realms have witnessed your son in bed with my daughter. He should take responsibility for his actions, otherwise, who will marry my daughter in the future?" The King of Jinn questioned. He, a small king of a desert kingdom, would normally not even have the qualifications to speak with the Regent Prince of the Amayan Empire. However, there were many envoys and ambassadors from the surrounding realms present here today for the Empirial wedding, so he was not afraid of speaking his mind. If only to protect their own benefits, they would not allow the Regent Prince to do as he pleased. And so, he spoke with the sole intention to get his daughter married to Prince Noore. That was the only way to salvage the little reputation they had while securing benefits for the Jinn Kingdom and getting Princess Nari married to the man of her choice. Anyways, right from the start, he was suspicious of the Regent Prince's intention when he propose to marry Princess Nari with Crown Prince Lail and Princess Qamari With Prince Noore in exchange for their national treasure, the 'golden bird'. No doubt, the proposal was more than he could ask for, with the prospect of his own daughter one day becoming the Empress of Amaya, ruling over a billion people. If he was not a father, he would have been ecstatic. However, he was a father. And thinking like any father, he wanted the best for his daughter. So why was the Regent Prince willing to get his very own biological son married to an orphan who had nothing but her status as the daughter of the previous king of Jinn? If you told him the man was not cooking up something insidious, he would not believe it. So for him, this was the best arrangement after taking everything in consideration. Whether it be his daughter's happiness, Jinn Kingdom's benefit, or the Regent Prince's scheme. "What are you proposing than, King of Jinn?" The Regent Prince asked darkly. "What am I proposing? Surely, your majesty does not need others to tell you that cooked rice cannot be uncooked, right? Prince Noore and Princess Nari are a done deal. The rice has been cooked, there is no way to un-cook it. Other than getting the two married, what other options are there?" The king of Jinn pressed. Some of the envoys and ambassadors nodded in agreement on hearing the king of Jinn, while the others just watched on with cold eyes. And Princess Nari, who was silently standing in the center of the hall under everyone's scrutinizing gazes, feeling mortified, stirred upon hearing her possible marriage with Prince Noore. "Well, I do understand that, King of Jinn. But maybe you are forgetting that Prince Noore is your niece's to-be husband. Surely, you are not suggesting snatching your niece's husband for your daughter? The situation that Princess Nari is in today is no one's but her own fault. If she had practiced some propriety, this problem would not have arisen at all today, is it not?" The Regent Prince replied with a disdainful expression. "I could say the same about Prince Noore. As someone set to marry tomorrow, do you not feel that him spending time with a woman other than his future Princess is a bit wrong? Seeing how powerful the Amayan Empire is, I do hope that they would not utilize their great power to oppress weak kingdoms like us." King of Jinn shot back. Before the two could get into another heated argument, the Janah realm envoy stepped in. "I agree with the King of Jinn that a cooked rice cannot be un-cooked. But I also think that the Regent Prince has a point, after all, Prince Noore was set to marry Princess Nari's cousin. It is only right to call her into the hall and ask what she wants. Someone, send a servant to call Princess Qamari into the main hall." She decisively said, without waiting for the arguing monarch's opinion. The Janah realm was small but pure, and all the beings there believed in doing the right thing at all times, no matter where they were and what they were doing, and being fair to all parties in an issue without any selfishness. So many of the envoys were not surprised on seeing her getting involved in the Amayan Empire and Jinn kingdom affair. Princess Qamari was just thinking about going to bed when a servant came knocking on her door. "Your highness, your presence is requested immediately in the main hall." The servant was the same one that was sent to inform Prince Noore and Princess Nari to report to the main hall. As she watched Princess Qamari exiting her chambers in dark-blue robes and a veil, she could not help thinking of how different the two princesses were. Princess Nari was said to be charming and approachable, but her character turned out to be so flawed, sleeping with her cousin's future spouse. Whereas Princess Qamari, who was as ethereal and serene as the full moon, cold and unapproachable, seemed to have the best character, not even once stepping out of her room with all the commotion and mayhem going on outside, just to honor the tradition of the bride staying indoor all day until the morning of her wedding. "How different people can be, even if they are cousins and grew up together." She sighed at the great wonders of the world as she followed Princess Qamari to the main hall. Princess Qamari entered the great hall with a question mark on her face. She could not understand why so many people were still gathered together here instead of resting for the big event tomorrow. Seeing Princess Nari and Prince Noore standing in the middle of the hall with bowed heads, she wondered what she had missed. "My beloved niece, you have come. We were just waiting for you. This is an important matter that requires your decision." The king of Jinn said amiably, raising alarm bells in Princess Qamari's mind. In the many years since her parents passing, he had never once referred to her as his 'beloved niece'. Before she could say anything, the Janah envoy interfered. "Princess, I am sure you have heard of what has transpired here. Considering this matter is related to you, we wanted to know what you decide to do." She said gently as she looked into Princess Qamari's eyes. For some unknown reason, she felt the purity in those purple eyes. There was no malice, greed, or dissatisfaction in those eyes, which was rare, considering the fact that she was not from the Janah realm. "Do not worry. With me here, no one will wrong you." She added after a pause. "Since I like the girl, might as well support her to the end." She thought. "Oh, okay. Thank you, but I am actually not aware of what has transpired here. Today was the day before the wedding day, and as per tradition, I did not step out of my room. So I am not sure of what matter I was called here for." Princess Qamari said, with confusion in her eyes. Upon hearing her words, everyone looked at her with surprise. Almost everyone in the mansion knew of Princess Nari and Prince Noore's affair, yet the person directly related to the two individuals knew nothing. Not only that, but to maintain tradition, she did not once step out of her room even after the great commotion in the mansion. Crown Prince Lail looked at the veiled girl with curious eyes. The last time he saw her was at the imperial banquet where she immediately fainted upon his appearance. The two had not met after that and seeing her today, he could not help comparing her with her cousin. Her whole being emitted a coldness that drew a boundary with the rest of the world. Her ethereal eyes were serene and she was not exuding the youthful charm of her cousin, but the mature, calm, and composed charm of someone already exposed to the ways of the world. The Crown Prince was not the only one impressed with Princess Qamari.. The Janah envoy was also surprised by her aura and the fact that to honor tradition, she did not step out of her room even once touched her heart.
