Golden Chains (The Colorblind Trilogy Book 3) Read online

  My mouth dropped, and my anxiety went right out the window. Mazen bent to kiss the back of her hand, the same way he used to do with his grandmother. I could swear that her eyes formed heart shapes right then and there.

  “Oh, but that’s more French.” I couldn’t believe my ears. My grandmother was flirting with my husband!

  “Mama!” I giggled.

  “What? I didn’t say anything! Just stating the fact that I’m hearing and seeing something beautiful, or … someone.” She tried to fake innocence, but I wasn’t going to believe that – she was downright flirting.

  Mazen smiled shyly. “I could say the same about you, ma’am.”

  “You can call me Beth,” she replied.

  I put my hands on my hips. “Seriously? Beth? Not even Elizabeth? Would you guys like some privacy?”

  They both laughed. It was such a beautiful moment.

  Magically, we got into a sweet conversation, the three of us. I was in disbelief all the while we sat there, talking and smiling. Getting some time with my real grandmother and not just what remained of her was one thing, but for her to actually get along with my husband was something else. It was beyond amazing, even if she didn’t really know he was my husband.

  As much as I wanted to stay right there in her arms for days or even weeks, our time together had to end. We said goodbye and I noticed that Mazen left before me, to give us some time alone.

  “Before you go, I want to ask one question,” my grandmother said, and I nodded with a smile. “When are you going to admit to him that you’re in love with him?”

  I could feel my cheeks warming as I heard her question. “You think I’m in love with him?” I asked, my smile shy and my gaze dropping to the floor.

  “Oh, I know that you’re in love with him, sweetie. It’s written all over your face,” she said. “As for him? Oh, my! The boy looks at you as if you’re his only reason for living.”

  I gazed long at my grandmother. “He does?” My heart was fluttering.

  “It’s as plain as day, kiddo.” She smiled. “You keep him.”

  “That’s the plan, Mama.” I smiled.

  “Good girl.”

  It was the first time in years I’d left my Mama without feeling disappointment or sadness. I left with a wide smile and a light heart. It was such a special day, one that I would remember forever.

  Mazen was waiting for me in the quiet hallway, and I suddenly forgot all about how we were in a public place. I forgot all about the paparazzi. I could only think of how much I wanted to hug him, and so I did.

  “Thank you,” I said into his chest.

  “I didn’t do anything, princess.”

  “You did more than you can imagine. I’m so happy.”

  “I’m glad to hear that,” he said. “It went really well, huh?”

  “It was perfect,” I told him. “She said you look at me as if I were your only reason for living.”

  Mazen backed away an inch to look into my eyes. “But, princess, you truly are.”

  My world felt complete as I kissed him; my heart was singing and my spirit was high. I thought I could never be happier. We walked out of the nursing home with our fingers tangled, and the smiles never leaving our faces.

  “So …” Mazen said, his eyes playful, “Sweet Pumpkin? You have so much explaining to do!”

  “Oh, shut it!” I giggled.

  Mazen and I weren’t like any other couple, and by that – I don’t mean because he was a king and I’m his queen. Well, not only that, at least. Most people would be happy to change the scenery, or travel somewhere, and spend time enjoying the fact that they didn’t have to go to work.

  As for us? Our celebration on breaks and days off was all about being with each other. We didn’t wait for special occasions to give each other presents, we did it whenever. We both had everything we could possibly need or want, and maybe more. The best gift he could give me was spending time with me, just as I was the best gift to him, as he’d always said.

  The past two days had been blissful. Back home, our time together was usually at night when both of us were tired. We would travel to a new country almost weekly and sometimes twice a week, but we weren’t always together, and it was always about work, hardly ever for pleasure.

  As that became our norm, spending time in jets wasn’t as bad as it once was. I’d outgrown my fear of flying long ago, as long as Mazen was with me, it seemed like nothing mattered. But it wasn’t just that. I actually couldn’t feel bored during the long hours in the air. I used the travel to enjoy my last bit of my time with Mazen before we had to go back to caring for our Kingdom.

  We always spent our vacations indoors, talking and touching. I missed our honeymoon phase, when we went out dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. I missed walking with him and laughing. I missed our time in London. So much.

  But I understood it wasn’t an option given our positions, as well as for safety reasons. Having him close was all I’d ever really cared about.

  So, sitting here in one of our planes wasn’t at all bad. It was as good as spending time with him in our bed at home. I was listening to him as he told me stories about his childhood, which he knew were one of my favorite things to hear about. I wore a goofy smile as I learned something new about him as a child, and my smile turned into laughter as he kept teasing me about why my grandmother had called me sweet pumpkin. One of his theories was that I must’ve had chubby cheeks at some point in my life, which was true, but I wasn’t going to tell him that he was right.

  Mazen liked to tease me, and he knew I absolutely loved it. His playfulness was one of the many reasons I’d fallen in love with him, and it always gladdened me to see his joyful eyes.

  Our conversation led us to Mona and her daughter. I found myself curious about how Mona was able to take care of her daughter when she had to be with Mazen when he was only an infant.

  “Well, she really didn’t have to be with me all day, only when my mother couldn’t,” he said.

  “Which was all of the time,” I said with a smile – surely, she was busy with her duties then.

  “Not really, her responsibilities weren’t as substantial until she became Queen. I wasn’t very little then.”

  “Oh, yes. Right,” I said. Sometimes it slipped my mind that Mazen wasn’t born a Crown Prince. He was one of the King’s grandchildren, but not his first grandson – Jasem was. However, Mazen was the first-born son of the Crown Prince at the time – His Royal Highness Qasem Alfaidy, may God rest his soul. It was known that he would inherit the title and responsibilities of Crown Prince once his father was crowned. He would then inherit the throne and become King, which was what happened even before his father’s death.

  “Rodina didn’t need as much equipment when she was younger as she does now. They used to live with us in the palace. Many servants helped Mona, as well.”

  “What about her husband? He lived in the palace, too?”

  “Erm, no. He died before Rodina was born.”

  My eyebrows shot to my hairline. “Oh, my God! How awful! Poor Mona.”

  “Not really,” Mazen said and I was shocked. He looks away as if he regretted saying that or didn’t want me to ask more questions – because he knew I would.

  “What do you mean? Why would you say that?”

  “Look, princess,” he said in a soft voice after taking a deep breath, “it’s not really my place to talk about him. For one, he’s dead and buried. Mona would tell you if she wants to, but I doubt she ever would. And, it’s not something you’d want to hear about, so, please, let it go.”

  My curiosity hit its peak as I listened to Mazen talk, or more accurately, talk about how he didn’t want to talk about Mona’s husband. But I decided to do as he asked and let it go. For now.

  I rested my head on the back of my seat and looked out the window at the Kingdom that I ruled with the man sitting next to me. It looked like a beautiful piece of art from above.

  I sighed; my wonderful break would be
coming to an end in a matter of minutes. I thought about the duties that surely had piled up in the past couple of days, though I knew Rosanna had done a great job in my absence, like she always did.

  One thing that I was enthusiastic about was Donia’s wedding next month. I truly looked forward to attending it. Little did I know that it would be a life-changing experience for me.

  It was always the same result every time; and it always brought the same feelings. Minutes felt like hours, and sometimes I doubted that time was even moving at all.

  My heart was beating fast, and I’d looked at the time exactly twenty-four times in the past three minutes. I was anxious and scared, but at the same time, hopeful.

  At the three minute mark, I took a greatly needed breath and looked at the stick in my hand.

  There was only one horizontal line, and no sign of a vertical one. None.

  My heart sank as disappointment filled my chest. I had really hoped that I’d get pregnant this month, but I guess it wasn’t God’s will. Yet.

  Sighing, I wrapped the pregnancy test with toilet paper and threw it into the trash, making sure it wouldn’t be noticeable. I told Mazen that I wouldn’t take any pregnancy tests unless I was late, which I wasn’t. My period was due today, but I couldn’t find the patience to wait.

  Mazen didn’t want me to stress, but I couldn’t control the need I had to find out if I was pregnant. However, I wouldn’t let this get to me. I would never lose hope.

  I promised myself that I would spend only one minute to grieve. Then I buried the negative feeling far, far in the back of my mind. I wasn’t going to let this bring me down.

  I took a quick shower and towel-dried my hair before I left the bathroom, surprised to see Donia standing right outside waiting for me.

  “Good morning, Your Majesty,” she said with a smile.

  “Good morning to you, Donia. What are you doing here? You have a wedding to get ready for!”

  Donia’s blush was noticeable. “I, uh, you already gave me a month’s break after the wedding. I can’t abuse your kindness and ask for a break before the wedding.”

  “Oh, Donia! Stop being so silly. I want you to enjoy this, so take all of the time off that you need. The wedding is only … what? Two weeks away? I bet you have a whole lot of preparation to do.”

  Donia shook her head, which confused me. “Uh, not really, Your Majesty. I don’t have a say in anything; the private secretaries and palace managers are planning and choosing everything.”

  “What? What do you mean? What does it have to do with them, anyway?”

  “It’s really fine, Your Majesty, I don’t mind,” she said, but I could very easily tell that she did mind. Of course, she did. It was her own wedding after all. “It’s for Your Majesties’ safety after all – that’s all that matters, really.”

  It was my turn to shake my head. My people thought it was their business to arrange the girl’s wedding as they liked because Mazen and I were attending? That wasn’t something that I’d ever accept.

  “Is my outfit ready?” I asked.

  “Yes, it is, Your Majesty,”

  “Okay, come, help me dress, then let everyone in. I’ll see what I can do about this.”

  “It’s really fine, Your–”

  “Oh, shush,” I interrupted her. “It’s going to be your most special day; you have to get everything the way you want it.”

  “Thank you, Your Majesty.” Her smile made her even prettier, which was a very nice thing to see.

  Once I finished dressing, Donia let in the palace managers, my hairstylist, and Rana – one of my private secretaries. We went through a few things related to palace management before I turned my attention back to Rana while the hairstylist worked on my hair.

  “Before anything else, who’s responsible for planning Donia’s wedding?” I asked, already aware of the answer.

  “I am, as you ordered, Your Majesty,” Rana replied.

  “I’m afraid you misunderstood my earlier request, Rana,” I said. “I asked that you put the wedding on the calendar and plan for it, meaning, ‘arrange my schedule for that day to fit my need to attend the wedding with His Majesty’. Your job was to contact Yasser – His Majesty’s private secretary – and plan the day with him.”

  “That’s exactly what I did, Your Majesty.”

  “I know you did. But I think you went too far as planning the whole wedding, as well. Not just my meetings.”

  “Uh, Your Majesty, the wedding was to be held in the desert. It wouldn’t be safe for you or His Majesty, which the royal guards have researched and confirmed, so we are going to have the wedding in one of the best–”

  “Wait, wait, it’s not going to be in the desert?”

  “No, Your Majesty. It’s not safe for–”

  “Yes, you already said that.” I turned to look at Donia, who was standing a few feet away. “Is that something that’s acceptable to you?”

  The bride-to-be only looked down and bit her bottom lip.

  “Come now, be honest with me.”

  “It’s not part of our traditions, Your Majesty, but I understand.”

  I sighed, shaking my head; it was obvious she was disappointed. After a moment of silence, I turned my attention back to Rana.

  “You sit with Donia and see what she’d like to do with her wedding. Anything she asks, you see it gets done. Anything, Rana, do you hear me?” From the corner of my eye, I noticed that Donia couldn’t contain her smile.

  “Yes, Your Majesty. But the royal guards–”

  “Arrange a meeting with Officer Fawaz today and I’ll talk to him. I’m pretty sure he can manage the security arrangements,” I told her. “Also, get someone to help Hana while Donia is away. Her break starts today and ends a month after the wedding, all right?”

  “Yes, Your Majesty,” she said. “Is there anything you’d like to add to today’s plans?”

  “Yes, I want to visit Little Marie,” I said, my mood already changing just at the thought of seeing her. “Please schedule it before my evening’s meetings.”

  “I’ll see it done, Your Majesty,” she said before going through my schedule for the day. The only thing I looked forward to was spending time with my niece; I hadn’t seen her in two days and it already felt like ages.

  It was arranged that I would have my lunch break with my sister-in-law and my niece; apparently, Janna wanted to chit-chat and not just have one of our usual ten-minute visits. I welcomed the idea, as I loved talking with Janna. She was one of the sweetest people I’d ever met.

  She was getting back to being the cheerful and carefree person she was before my brother turned her life upside down. She was getting there, slowly but surely.

  As I made my way to the elevator, an uneasy feeling started creeping up on me. I didn’t know how to describe it, but I knew that it wasn’t something I liked.

  I was a few steps away from the elevator doors, when I stopped in my tracks as the creepy feeling reached its peak. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up; I was being watched.

  I knew that many eyes were on me wherever I went – that was the norm. But this time it was different, very different. It was as though a huge amount of negative energy was coming my way to the point where I almost felt nauseated.

  Without thinking, my head turned to look towards the Queen Mother’s door which led to her quarters. For a split second, I saw that the door was just a tiny bit ajar, and the shadow of someone standing behind it. The door was closed shut right at the moment I turned my head to look.

  “Is everything okay, Your Majesty?” Manar asked.

  “Huh?” I said with my eyes still on the door. I was one hundred percent sure someone had been watching me from behind it just a second ago. “Yes. Yes, everything is all right. Let’s go.”

  I decided not to give it another thought. It could always be one of the servants being sneaky about watching my whereabouts. I didn’t see any reason to ask my guards to investigate just because I had a bad
feeling.

  The elevator stopped on the floor where Janna was staying. She was using her old suite, the one she had before her marriage, having told me she was in no need of the wing she’d shared with Joseph. I didn’t do anything about it, hoping they’d work things out someday.

  Sana – Janna’s maid – welcomed me by the door with a wide smile. Manar handed her the bags I’d brought with me and then she closed the door.

  Janna appeared then, holding my beautiful niece in her arms. My heart jumped with joy at the sight of her. I would kill for that tiny little thing. I swear.

  “Oh, look who’s here,” Janna pretended to be surprised for little Marie’s amusement. My heart was melting as she squirmed in her mother’s arms and stretched hers out to me.

  I was beaming as I saw the big grin on her face when I reached out for her, and almost squealed in delight when she rested her head on my shoulder once I hugged her to my chest.

  “Aww!” Janna said. “Look at how happy she is!”

  “Hey, Janna!” I greeted her, hugging her with one arm while the other held my niece carefully.

  “Your Majesty,” she smiled. “I’m so excited to have lunch with you. It’s been ages since we last had a visit that lasted longer than two minutes.”

  “I know, me, too.”

  “Come, let’s sit down.” She was about to lead us to the couch in the middle of the room when Sana spoke.

  “Where shall I put these, Your Highness?”

  “Oh! Did you bring those, Your Majesty?” Janna asked with doubtful eyes, hands on hips and all.

  “Err, maybe?”

  “Lord! More toys?”

  “And – some dresses?” It came out more like a question.

  “My God! You’re spoiling her rotten.”

  “I want to be her favorite auntie!”

  “You are her only auntie!”

  “Still!”