Royalty Gone Bad

Saïda’s POV:

While I made my father’s tea, I thought of Asahd and our little conversation in his room, minutes ago.

′I like him. I definitely like him. And he likes me too, right? How did this happen? I love Noure, very much. But I have little feelings for Asahd as well. I can’t hide it. I’m all over him most of the time. And I get a little jealous too.′

I stopped stirring the tea and closed my eyes. Never had I been confused in my entire life! I loved Noure. And at the same time, I was crushing. Well, liking Asahd.

“How in the world did I get to this?” I muttered to myself.

′I’ve changed so much. In such little time.′

I thought this because I was supposed to feel bad. I wanted to feel the guilt and regret, just like I’d done the famous camping night, a week ago. But I felt nothing this time. My head hurt as I tried to figure out why I regretted nothing of my acts. It felt like I’d put my ethics and morals aside for a while. I was surprising myself! Never had I put my morals aside! Never had I disobeyed a single traditional rule or any other rule. Since I’d left Zagreh, a lot of things that I did, surprised me. Was it my environment influencing me? Was it Asahd? Or was it just a hidden part of me I never knew, actually existed. A part of me that wasn’t able to come out freely in Zagreh? A part of me that saw the opportunity to pop up and show itself to me in a foreign country and city where no one cared if you followed the rules or not; no one cared if you were being good or bad; no one cared if you’d slept with people or not; where no one seemed to judge the others for what they wanted to do or be. Where no one thought that being betrothed was like being already married.

′Maybe I’ve always been like this. But I never knew this side of me could surface. I’m so surprised with the new things I do and try every single day... Zagreh caused me to be so antisocial, so stuck up and isolated in a way that I forgot to live? I forgot to discover what it was like to be free minded and independent of others. I’m so confused.′

-

I poured the tea into the tea glasses and put them on a tray which I carried over to the living room. I met Asahd sitting and discussing with my father.

“Here’s your tea,” I smiled and put the tray down.

“Thank you,” they replied with smiles and both picked a tea glass. I did same.

My father started to tell us more about his trip and the place he visited. Sometimes, Asahd would give me a side glance and I would smile a little before sipping my hot tea. Who was I kidding? There was definitely an attraction between us. And for the first time ever, I felt void of guilt.

′It’s still so surprising.′

I thought in amusement.

′I used to dislike his guts and now he attracts me? How is it possible to be deeply in love with one person, yet very attracted to another? How did it come about? I can’t explain.′

***

Later that day, around 5pm, I was in the kitchen cooking dinner, Asahd was watching TV and my father was asleep in his room, tired from his long trip.

I was humming and chopping some vegetable when someone wrapped his arms around me, from behind.

and looked at the face that

smiled and kissed my cheek. “Go

but let go off me

Then he took a seat on the sink and

everything inside the pot. Then I gave

he got off the sink, standing in front of me. I loved the way he always seemed to overshadow me with

my cheek. My breath hitched but in a

′Will he kiss me?′

for keeping up with this inappropriate behavior, yet there was a greater part of me that wanted to continue the risky behavior. Wanted to continue because it made me discover some body reactions I’d never felt, made me want to

′Forbidden. Wrong. Inappropriate.′

I wasn’t going to try alcohol, drugs, or other extreme things behind those words, what I wanted to know, naïve me, was how those

Asahd’s POV:

into her eyes, my throat growing dry because I wanted to kiss her. I knew coming to the kitchen would make things complicated for

dumbass thought I could resist

between us?? What

when around her. But

at that moment that fear caught me. It caught me because I realised it was something a little

even a crush? What is happening

to me?” my voice came out in a low

me, the innocence in her eyes causing more goosebumps over my

“Nothing,” she replied casually.

pecked her softly, on the lips. The feeling that it caused in me...was different from the one when I’d pecked her in the room. Was this because I was kissing her now, after accepting the fact that I had some feelings

Saïda’s POV:

looked at me and the way he’d kissed me softly on the lips.

has gotten

I held his face in my hands.

without thinking, I pressed my lips

please,”

′Why am doing this?′

in between them. Without waiting any longer, I took it into my mouth. It turned to the hottest kiss I’d ever received. It was

to my mouth. He was such a good kisser. I’d only kissed two men in my life, and fact was, Noure was

arms around my waist, he lifted me off the ground and made me sit on the kitchen’s counter. We did not break our kiss. Asahd kissed me like he’d been waiting for it, like he’d