Princess: Nuance Of Love Book 1 (36 page)

"Yes, we were invited too." Princess
Latifa said.

"We will go first then, they are
waiting for us. We'll see you later." Ali replied.

"Your relationship with your biological
mother is colder than mine with my Mama." Paramita whispered once
they were far.

"I hardly spent time with her, ever
since I was small, and my parents separated, I lived with my
father. Then when he remarried with Mother Nabilla, she was very
good to me, and loved me like her own child, so I for me my real
mother is Raden Nabilla." He remembered. "I only went to see her
once a year when I was younger,"

"Hmmm...., well I think you should
consider the person who loves you and educate you all your life as
your mother."

"Yes. I love my mother Raden Nabilla
very much."

"She's a great person. Although I don't
understand why her brother hates me."

"I don't think he hates you. I think he
tried to harm you because he has a personal ambition. As they say.
Nothing personal, just business."

"Amusing as always, husband of mine."
She said, 'Hey but you know, how strange was it, that today in the
reception, well, maybe it's just my imagination, but he squeezed my
hand, like..."

"He squeezed your hand? Like if he was
hitting on you? On your wedding day? Does he want to die?" Ali
stopped and turned to her.

"Calm down, I don't think he tried to
hit on me, like everything else he did, I think there is an
intention behind it."

"You're right, I have to be careful
when dealing with him. I can't let my jealousy get the better of
me."

* * *

They arrived in front of the inner
living room. "Time to put on my big bright smile!" Paramita
said.

Sultan Abdul Kadir was already sitting
there with his two wives, his daughters and their respective
husbands, a young man who Paramita assumed was her brother the
Crown Prince. Raden Hamza, Raden Nabilla and Hafiz was also
there.

Ali helped Paramita walked to the area
where the family was waiting. They sat on the soft carpet on the
floor like everybody else. A few minutes later, Princess Latifa and
her husband entered. Paramita could see from the corner of her eyes
that Raden Nabilla wasn't too happy to see her husband's
ex-wife.

"Now that everybody is present, I think
we should start the family meeting right away." Sultan Abdul Kadir
said. "Maybe you are all wondering why I asked you to meet. Today,
we've celebrated my daughter Paramita's wedding with my cousin's
Hamza's son Ali. This has been our lifelong dream, to have our
children marry each other, and today it has finally come true." He
took a deep breath before he continued, "What I'm about to tell you
is a family tragedy, that I want everybody here keep confidential
and not say one word to anyone else, as this involves our family's
privacy. Four years ago, my son the Putra Mahkota, Abdurrahman was
diagnosed with Schizophrenia." Hearing this, everybody was in
shock, "Abdurrahman, is currently undergoing treatments in the
United States and is given medication to control his condition. He
is able to lead a normal and functional life." He paused. "However,
it has become my concern that the burden of his duties and
responsibilities as the Crown Prince, will have a negative effect
towards his health. Before everything, I am a father, my main
concern is my son's well being. That's why I have decided to remove
Pangeran Abdurrahman from his position as the Crown Prince, and
instead, the position including all its responsibilities is now
given to my son in law and nephew, Pangeran Burhanuddin
Ali."

Everybody present was surprised,
including Paramita, she exchanged looks with Ali. She didn't see
this coming. For the first time in her life, she was rendered
completely speechless.

Chapter
Thirty

"We will make this known to the public,
but not with such an in-depth information like I just told everyone
present here." Sultan Abdul Kadir looked at his daughters and son
in-laws, observing their reaction. He added, "Pangeran Mahkota
Burhanuddin Ali, do you wish to say anything?"

"I'm honored for the trust that you
have given me. I will not disappoint you." Ali too was shocked and
dumbfounded by this news to say anything else.

"If there is nothing else, I will call
this a day, I'm going to retire to my room now." He said as he
stood up and walked out of the inner living room.

Everybody gathered around Ali to
congratulate him.

Paramita stood up, not bothering to
find her sandals she chased after the Sultan.

"Ayahnda...Ayahnda, please wait, may I
have a word with you?" She said.

Sultan Abdul Kadir stopped and turned
around, "And here I thought you will be barging into my office
tomorrow morning, but I guess you couldn't wait a few hours, could
you? Let's go to my study." He said.

She followed him to the study across
the hall, the Sultan opened the door and showed her in. He followed
after. "Questions, questions. Let's hear them." He said.

"Since when have you planned for
this?"

"To make Ali the Crown Prince? I can't
remember since when, but I have considered it ever since your
brother reached mid-twenties and his condition showed no signs of
improvement."

"So that's why there was talk about the
engagement between my sister Kak Nurbaiti to Bang Ali. Did my
father in law know?"

"So you've been doing your homework,
haven't you? About your father in law, he probably suspected
something, but I succeeded in diverting his suspicions by hinting
the possibility of marrying you to his second son."

"Why? Isn't he the cousin you trust the
most?"

"For that same reason. If he knew I
plan to make his son the next Sultan, he will try to fight me over
it by naming other candidates and suggesting other family members,
and I just didn't have the energy to go through that, what with
your brother's condition and all."

"I can understand why you did it that
way. But why the sudden change? Why did I end up marrying Bang
Ali?"

"Well, talks started about cementing a
family tie, with the Sultanate where Prince Hasan comes from,
around three years ago. At that time, I only had one daughter left
who wasn't promised to anyone, you. Don't look at me like that!
Prince Hasan was a very good candidate to be your husband, he is
the Crown Prince, after all, who knows maybe he can one day rule
the Federation."

"So why swap the fiancées
around?"

"Then Ali got involved with that
singer."

"I don't understand. What does that
have to do with anything?"

"Well, your sister is a pretty young
woman, but would she be able to compete for his attention with the
singer and even if she could, will she be able to steal him away
and make him fall to his knees?"

"And I would?"

"Well let's be honest, just like your
mother, you are a very attractive woman!"

"Ayahnda, you make it sound like my
mother and I are men seducing nymphs."

"Mita, this may offend you, but in the
world of power and politics that is dominated by men, the most
dangerous weapon of destruction is a woman. How many great Kings
and Emperors around the world have fallen from grace because of
love? The great Sultan Suleiman from the Ottoman Empire, The great
Shah Jahan, Hayam Wuruk from the Majapahit Kingdom, Henry the
Eighth, King David from Israel, and the list goes on. If I made Ali
my successor and married him to your sister, but he continues to be
infatuated by that singer. Can you imagine what might happen? And
what if because of pure bad luck your sister doesn't give him a
son? Just thinking about it gives me a headache, Ali maybe my
nephew, but I still want my direct descendants to rule this
country."

"And because I'm my mother's daughter,
you thought that I would make a good royal courtesan and that I
could ensnare him between my legs? Is that why you put me in front
of him as an enticement, to make him leave his girlfriend?" She
confronted.

"Don't talk to me like that! I'm your
father and King! Show me some respect!" He yelled.

"Oh, so because you're my father and
the King, I should let you degrade me to that level? Well, listen
here, you're not my King! I renounce citizenship! Send me to jail
or execute me for my insolence towards the King of this country!
Why would I care? You might be the man who made my mother pregnant
with me but are you really a father to me? Not only have you been
absent all my life, but you see me as no more than a piece of meat
and prostituted me to your nephew in exchange for him becoming your
successor so you can save your son! And all that speech a few days
ago about legitimizing me, and that you cared about me and
everything, was that just a lie?" She responded with the same
tone.

Seeing that she was ready and willing
to challenge him, he toned down. "Of course I care about you. I'm
sorry for everything you've gone through. I'm sorry that I was
never by your side when you were growing up, I was never there to
help you when you fell, nor was I there to dry your tears away. I
know I have wronged you. I know I have no rights to call myself
your father." His voice was with pain and sadness. " I'm not
putting any of your siblings before you, I swear. You won't
understand this now, but when you have children of your own, you'll
see for yourself that it's not easy to be able to protect and care
for all of them and make them all feel happy and satisfied. And I'm
doing my best to make sure of that. Give me a little
leniency."

For the first time, Paramita saw the
Sultan as a man and father who has emotions, weaknesses, and
despair. She saw the man in front of her now as a tired old man
trying to fend for his family, just like any other man on earth.
"Well, I can't complain about the husband you chose for me." She
calmed down, "I can understand your motives and why you did all
this. But I can't accept the fact that you, my father used me as
a....as a.....trading tool for your political gains. Father how
could you, the honorable Sultan of this land, come up with
something like that?"

"It's not easy being the King. It's not
easy being a father. I had to do what I needed to do."

"What the....?"

"Never mind, there's no point in
complaining about it. " He dismissed it all together. "You should
go now, it's getting late. Your husband is probably waiting for
you. We can continue this conversation another time."

"I still...."

He looked at her sharply.

"Okay, excuse me then."

"You are excused. Good night my child."
He said while holding her head then kissing her forehead, he
thought for a while, "Mita, please put into mind that nobody in the
palace knows that you and Ali had married and have lived together
since last week."

"Then what was the point of rushing the
marriage contract?"

"That was a contingency plan that came
up because of the circumstances when...."

"Contingency plan? Circumstances like
if I dropped dead because of the murder attempts? That's right, if
I died before Bang Ali married and bedded me, then you won't have
your Crown Prince, would you?"

"Goodness, please don't always judge me
that way! Please, just forget about your spite and resentment
towards me, and try to be happy with your husband. He has no guilt
in any of this and he obviously loves you. Don't ruin your marriage
because of my decisions and my actions. Just live for your future
together."

She walked angrily to the door, when
she opened it and stepped outside, she saw that Ali was waiting
there for her.

"Abang, why are you here?"

"I'm waiting for my bride to finish
talking to her father." He replied. "And, I also brought you your
sandals."

She extended her hand to receive them
from him, but he just smiled and again he kneeled down to help her
put them on. "Hold on to my shoulder so you don't fall."

She held on to his shoulder to balance
herself. "Thank you." She said to him.

He just put one sandal on, when the
door opened and the Sultan stepped out of the study.

"Ananda Ali, I am happy to see you this
way with my daughter. Please love her and care for her for me,
because I never did. I pray for both of you to have a long and
happy life together."

"Thank you for the blessing, Ayahnda
Sultan." Ali replied while standing up.

"You two should go to the bridal room
now." He paused, "Ananda Ali."

"Yes Ayahnda Sultan."

"I told Mita about this, but I think I
should remind you too. Nobody in the palace knows that the two of
you have married a week ago and have already lived
together."

"I understand, Ayahnda. We will keep it
confidential."

"And one more thing." He went closer
and whispered something in Ali's ear.

"I understand Ayahnda." Ali
replied.

"Goodnight then." The Sultan said, and
walked down the hall.