Chapter 7
A za felt a little better after a few days had passed since Mama’s death anniversary.
She had even gotten a letter delivered to her, written by her friend Layla, asking if she would like to join her and their other friend, Ayesha, for a girls’ walk through the market in the morning after the sun had risen.
It had felt like a while since she had last spent time with her friends, so she quickly wrote on the back of the letter that she would love to join, but couldn’t stay all day due to prior commitments.
Regardless, she would meet them at their favorite booth at the listed time.
She politely asked the servant to return the letter to its sender.
The next morning, Aza awoke to the birds chirping and the sun slowly rising.
Aza quickly bathed and freshened up. She then made her way to her closet and pulled out a sage green, thin-strapped dress.
She slipped it on with white sandals, wrapping silver bands around her upper arms. She chose a thicker silver chain to sit high at her collar and pinned her hair into a loose bun, leaving soft strands to frame her face.
It brought out the blush color she had added to her cheeks and the charcoal paint she had added to her eyelashes.
She could get dressed up a bit for girls’ day. It might have also been because Jahar was on duty again today, and she wanted to see his reaction to a change in her look.
Aza heard Jahar’s three knocks on her door and knew it was time to head out.
She exited her room and told her guards she would be going to the market.
Ramsee, a tall guard with brown hair, a thin, somewhat sparse beard, and green eyes, agreed to stay behind to guard her room, while Jahar took her to the market.
The market had plenty of extra guards, so Aza was allowed to just go with Jahar and leave one guard behind to protect her room from unwanted visitors while she was away.
Aza and Jahar exchanged some pleasantries on the walk through the palace to the market.
Aza could swear his eyes lingered on her a little longer than usual, but he was very good at hiding his thoughts and emotions.
Ever the guard. But that was okay. She was just glad that he was with her today, and she was excited to see her friends.
She’d be lying if she didn’t admit she let her hips sway a little more than usual and glanced back at him more times than necessary.
But she was hands down sure she caught him checking her out when she turned her head quickly and saw his eyes dart up and his cheeks turn a tad pink.
But she didn’t push, just smiled and continued walking.
They finally made it to the market, and Aza made a beeline for the favorite booth she shared with her friends.
It was owned by an older married couple who spent their time handcrafting jewelry.
It was all so beautiful. Aza happily greeted the couple, who were excited to see her.
The woman, Mora, gestured for Aza to hold on a moment, then returned with a beautiful flower bracelet, which she tried to hand to Aza.
“It’s beautiful. I couldn’t possibly take it. Let me pay you for it. How much?”
“No, no, dear. No need. A gift for our beautiful and kind princess.” Mora wouldn’t take no for an answer as the wonderful older woman clipped the bracelet onto her wrist.
“Thank you.” Aza gave her a genuine smile and gently squeezed the older woman’s hands.
Aza was called away by her friends, who came running over.
Ayesha waved, but Layla engulfed Aza in a hug.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Jahar slipping coins into a tip jar the couple had sitting out that had few coins in it.
When he caught her watching him, he just shrugged and made a nonchalant face.
Aza couldn’t help but beam, but was once again pulled back to her friends, who were gossiping about something. Aza continued to smile.
They all began walking through the market square, Jahar walking slightly behind them, still ever the guard.
They stopped at various booths along the way.
Ones with clothing, blankets, books, plates, you name it, there was probably a booth for it.
They had spent most of the morning browsing and catching up the best they could.
However, Ayesha continued to seem distant.
After leaving the last booth, Aza heard her girlfriends giggling and ever so slightly pointing.
She traced where they were pointing to, and she saw a young man who is objectively very attractive.
Her friend Ayesha is going on and on about how hot this guy is and how she’d like him in her bed.
Aza made a snickering noise, trying to muffle it with a cough.
Ayesha looks at her with mild irritation and barks, "What? I'm sorry, am I too improper for our princess? A regular girl has needs. You wouldn’t understand."
"Leave her alone! Maybe she’s just not like us. Doesn’t have to be a bad thing. And she is also the Princess,” Layla defended.
"I think she’d die before she ever really looked at a man or thought about bedding one. Aza, are you sure you're not into women? It’s okay if you are. It sucks for you, though, that you have to marry a prince. Oh, what a death sentence." Ayesha mocks.
"Oh, get off her, you jealous hag!” Layla shouted, “You're just mad that we heard that Evonis said that he would trade all his gold to have a chance with Aza and not you."
"If it makes you feel any better, I don't have any interest in Evonis. I'm sorry he is a buffoon and does not see your hints. I, unfortunately, cannot look at men the way you two do. The crown determines my marriage and love life." Aza said plainly.
Layla bumps Ayesha in the arm. Ayesha sighs dramatically, "I'm sorry for being a snob. It’s just that there are all these gorgeous men, who have no interest in me. And if they did have any interest, it’s only to bed me for the night and nothing more.
But you, everyone wants you. Any man that you wanted, I have no doubt would want you back. "
Aza nods her head to her, “Most of these men want me because they will become king and gain an immense amount of power and gold, or they are told that they need to pretend to want me to secure an alliance.”
“That’s not entirely true all the time. You’re absolutely gorgeous. There are plenty of men in our home kingdom who adore you and want you, even though they know they’ll never have the crown.” Ayesha whines.
“Well, as you made a point earlier, there is a big difference between wanting to bed a woman for the night and wanting her heart for the rest of their nights. I don’t know of many, or any really, that have all of my nights in mind, especially not if they knew about…
what I deal with.” Aza couldn’t bring herself to say it, even though she had confided in her friends many years ago.
Ayesha was going through a tough time; Aza knew that, but she was getting tired of Ayesha taking it out on her.
She used to be such a good friend. But ever since her three older sisters were married off to what Ayesha declared were the finest-looking men with loads of land and wealth, and Ayesha herself didn’t have a marriage proposal and felt inadequate, Ayesha had been bitter ever since.
“We’re all still so young. Courting starts at seventeen, but at least here in our home, women can be married without complications in their late twenties and even thirties.
That can’t be said for many other kingdoms. We should be grateful that marriage isn’t as strict as it is in other places and that we, well, Ayesha and I, can have some fun without it ruining our lives or our chances of marriage.
Aza’s father has done a wonderful job of giving women here far more rights and taking a lot of burdens and restrictions off of us. ” Layla enlightens.
“Yeah, yeah, I know you’re right. But still, it’s so unfair. I would love to be able to pick from a line of princes. I’m sure you’re far less likely to get turned down if you’re a princess.” Ayesha sighs, and Aza can feel her anger rising, though she keeps a neutral face.
“You’re a grumpy old mule, you know that?” Layla retorts and then turns her attention to Aza, “Speaking of that, though, have there been any promising princes lately, Aza?” Layla asks ever so kindly.
“I have a few visits coming up soon. The last one I visited wasn’t terrible.
He was just so young and seemed so inexperienced.
And no, not in the way you two are thinking with those smiles.
I just think he needs a few more years to prepare to be king before he rushes off to marry to get the crown.
The next one I am going to see is a little older and hopefully a little more organized and put together.
He is apparently already king after his father and mother died tragically a few years ago.
I’m not sure from what, but I would assume, considering my own mother’s death, that that is something one would like to keep private.
After that, I am not sure yet, but there most likely is another waiting in line.
But we’ll see. There was a nice prince I was sending letters back and forth with, but they ended abruptly.
We were supposed to set up a visit, but it never happened.
There still could be more after all the other ones, though, but I feel like at some point we’re going to run out of kingdoms and princes or kings. ”
Ayesha snorts and rolls her eyes.
“I’m sure you’ll eventually find someone who fits your liking as best as possible.
I’m sure your father will listen to you and consider your feelings the best that he can.
And hey, maybe one that you’ve already met before might surprise you a second time around.
Say at a ball that may or may not be coming up in the next few months, where you get to see your possible suitors again, except on your own turf.
” Layla wiggles her eyebrows, and Aza can’t help but chuckle despite the growing nervousness about the situation and annoyance with Ayesha.
“Yeah, we’ll see. Maybe one of them will have a younger brother for you, Sha.” Aza said with a little venom in her voice, even though she knew she probably shouldn’t have done it, she couldn’t help herself.
“If only.” She huffs.
“What happens when your father gets too old to be king? Who is going to take over ruling? You will be the queen of a different land.” Layla asks.
“I don’t know. Baba had once mentioned the possibility of having to marry again to have an heir, but I would have nothing of it.
I can’t think of him ever replacing Mama.
He didn’t bring it up again. Maybe if I had two sons, one could be the successor of my new kingdom and the other could inherit Baba’s throne. ”
“Hmm. That could be a tricky situation, but that isn’t something we all need to worry about right now. I do wish, however, that you could just inherit the throne; you would make a better queen and ruler than any king. No offense to your father, of course, he is amazing.”
“Yes, if only. But that has never been done. I don’t see that level of tradition changing anytime soon, even with my father.”
“Men.”
Unable to take much more of these conversations, Aza says, “This has been fun, but I need to go. I have errands that I need to start attending to. I will catch you both later.”
Ayesha seemed unaffected and turns to look at yet another man walking by, while Layla gently grabs hold of Aza’s arm and whispers, “Maybe we can get together just the two of us later. She’s getting exhausting for my liking lately.”
Aza quietly chuckles, “I’d like that. I’ll send for you if that’s okay?”
Layla winks, kisses Aza on the cheek, and catches up with Ayesha. Aza lets out a frustrated breath and turns to Jahar, who is a few paces back but never too far away.
“You heard all that?” Aza asked, defeated as she made her way to him.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, my dear Princess. I certainly wasn’t eavesdropping on your conversation with your friends. But if I were, I'm sure I would say that the two of you might need a replacement friend.” He teases.
Aza giggles through her frustration, “Yeah, tell me about it.” She sighs, “I’d like to go up to my room briefly before we meet with the kitchen staff.”
Layla was right about one thing. There was to be a grand ball in the coming months to celebrate Aza and potentially secure a marriage alliance or at least the start of a courtship, and Aza was tasked with many aspects of the ball, including the meals and such being served.
But before she was berated with more questions and decisions, she needed a moment to herself to cool off. Well, maybe herself and Jahar.