Blindfold

The royal carriage was spacious, covered in black velvet and fashioned with buttons and gold thread that emphasized its regal elegance.

Crown Prince Siddin sat admiring his Zefra in her magenta velvet gown, which complemented her petite, curvy silhouette.

Her black hair now flowed freely, with tiny daisy flowers tucked behind her ears.

Her new title, Nightingale, did her justice.

Whenever she was asked to sing, Zefra sang with her heart and soul.

Not merely because it was expected of her.

But because she wished to please the person she truly loved in her lonely world.

The journey continued through the countryside.

Months of royal life had changed Zefra.

Her skin had grown radiant from the oils and treatments lavished upon her.

Her golden eyes seemed brighter.

She had even gained a little weight since arriving at the palace.

Zefra rested comfortably near the Prince when the carriage suddenly slowed.

An emissary approached.

Siddin glanced toward Zefra.

“Cover yourself.”

Zefra immediately drew her shawl around her shoulders.

The emissary was permitted to approach.

“My liege, I bear news.”

The Prince’s face hardened.

“It is about that impostor, isn’t it? The one who seeks to remove me from my position?”

The emissary nodded.

Zefra’s eyes widened.

This was news even to her.

And, despite herself, she felt a little bruised that Siddin had never confided such a thing to her.

“Your Highness, Shehzade Sheikh was victorious in the battle against the barbarian tribe of Khalistan.”

“He has gained the favor of the Royal Vizier, Your Highness. Several tribes are now urging the King to reconsider your title.”

Something in Siddin changed.

His brown eyes darkened, the warmth draining from them until they looked almost unfamiliar.
His jaw tightened.

The handsome face Zefra had grown so fond of twisted into something menacing.

Siddin shot to his feet and grabbed the emissary by the neck, shaking him violently.

“They dare threaten the authority vested in me by the King?”

His grip tightened.

“How dare they underestimate me?”

“Those insolent fools who have forgotten why I bear the title of Crown Prince might need a subtle reminder of exactly whom they are dealing with.”

“I will personally send assassins to burn their entire families to the ground before I allow them to take what is mine.”

Zefra gripped herself tightly as she cowered in the corner.

This face.

This new side of Siddin.

It frightened her to death.

The memories came flooding back.

The whispers about Siddin’s incompetence.

His extravagant spending.

His neglect of his royal duties.

The endless hours devoted to wine and women.

Until now, Zefra had never given those whispers much thought.

The blindfold she had secured so tightly around her own eyes suddenly felt a little loose.

There was more to this man than she had ever been allowed to see.