Zarnab fidgeted uncomfortably as she waited before his room. As guided by her mother, she wore her best dress, had curled her hair and applied her best scent. But something inside her told her that it wasn't going to be enough.
She twiddled her thumbs as the guard who stood before Imaad's door went in to inform him that she was there.
"The princess is here, your highness," she heard him say from inside.
"Princess Unaiza?" Imaad questioned, annoyance evident in his voice.
"No your highness. It's... your wife," the guard replied uncomfortably.
"What?" She heard him grunt. She didn't know if it was from annoyance that she had dared to come or from surprise that she had sought approval before entering. "Tell her I am not here," she heard from inside.
Before she knew it, her feet moved forward and she burst in through the doors. The guard turned around to look at her before turning back to look at Imaad anxiously.
Imaad sighed, gesturing him to leave. Once he was gone, Imaad turned away slightly as he spoke, "What are you doing here?"
"What do you mean?"
He looked tired. Of course he was. He had just arrived when Princess Unaiza had summoned him. And just when he was getting ready for bed, she had showed up.
"Whatever it is you want, say it quick. I need to sleep." His voice was cold, yet his expression was colder. The eyes that once looked at her with a calm gentleness, the face that clearly communicated to her that he would never do something with her until she was empty now only bore contempt for her.
"I... I..." She stammered. She felt humiliated by her incoherence.
She was Zarnab.
Cold.
Sharp tongued.
Supercilious.
This wasn't her.
"We haven't seen each other for so long, so I thought we could spend some time together," she managed to choke out. He raised his brows in bewilderment, and for a moment she believed what her mother had said was true.
With that confidence, she inched forward, enough to be able to slightly touch the fabric on his arms. "You... you must be tired so... so I thought that... that maybe... I... I mean we..."
He spun towards her, jolting as if he had just been touched by a cockroach. "Are you drunk?"
"What?" She asked, bewildered.
"What are you doing?" He didn't even sound mad. In all honesty, it sounded like he was embarrassed for her.
"I..."
Then, he snorted before breaking into a fit of laughter. "Is this what I think it is? Are you trying to seduce me, Princess?"
Her cheeks burned from embarrassment. She had never felt so humiliated in her entire life. He let out two dramatic breaths. "What days have come."
Hot tears formed at the corners of her eyes. "Know your place, Imaad!" She screeched. She hadn't intended to. She had promised to keep herself composed tonight, but alas, her true nature shone through.
"And you know yours!" He roared back in her face. She instantly froze. He had never dared respond to her insults before. He took a step back. "Every single day that we have been married, every single day in ten years you have mocked me, reviled me, disgusted me.
You hit me where I was weak. You made me question my worth as a man.
I waited. And waited. And waited.
I wasted my twenties because of you. I waited for you to be ready. I waited for you to treat me if not as a husband, at least as a person.
I thought you were scared of me. I thought you were young and not ready. So I gave you time. I waited for you to be ready. But you never even spared me a respectful glance."
It was true. He had been nothing but kind, patient and respectful to her, yet she had treated him like garbage. Now being confronted with that reality, she couldn't believe all thd vile things she had said and done to him. Was it because she was young? Was it because she had been brainwashed by the Queen Mother? Was it because that was how she had seen everyone else treating him while growing up? Was she using all if that as an excuse?
"I realised soon enough that you weren't afraid of me, you weren't afraid of sex."
Her eyes were burning from unshed tears at this point. "That's not true..." She squealed.
Ignoring her, he continued, "You disgusted me. Like every member of this GOD forsaken family, you thought I was your dog. A bastard. The son of a prostitute. How dare I even think about touching her highness?
I grew so depressed that I gave up on ever becoming one with you, about ever consummating our marriage. I wanted to die in battle. I wanted to leave this world without ever knowing the touch of a woman. I thought no woman would ever want me. But not anymore."
Her heart skipped a beat. Not anymore? Did he mean... "What... what is that supposed to..."
"If it weren't for GOD, I probably wouldn't be here. GOD has given me strength. GOD has turned my days around, made me the future of this empire. And now, now that your prime is over, now that your father's reign is ending, you want to pretend like everything is fine? Did you think I was going to be your lackey forever. Well princess, you were certainly mistaken."
He stepped closer to her, such that their faces were almost touching. She shivered as she looked into his hateful eyes. "Even if you strip naked, I won't touch you. Even if you grovel before me on the floor, beg me with everything you have got, I won't even spare you a second glance," he hissed.
If only the Earth could burst open and consume her. She had never been this humiliated in her life. She gasped as he sprang away, looking at her from head to toe with contempt.
"I don't want your pity sex, your highness." He shook his head. "Not anymore." Then he began walking towards the door. As he reached it, he looked at her from over his shoulder. "Don't dare show your face again, Zarnab." Then, he added with disgust, "It makes me want to vomit."
And with that, he flung open the doors and left.
Zarnab stood in the middle of his empty chambers. She bit she her lip as tears finally began pouring down her face. She closed her eyes. "Ya Allah..." She croaked, hugging herself and dropping her head as her body shook violently from the sobbing.
What now?