Princess: Nuance Of Love Book 1 (38 page)

"Mystery solved!" She mumbled with
sarcasm, "Mama, can I have this newspaper, at least the front
page?"

"Do you want to show it to your
husband?"

"Eh-he...."

"So you and your husband really
didn't...."

"Mama....you're the last person I want
to talk about my private life with."

"Darling, I'm trying to improve our
relationship, I want us to be closer to each other and be able to
trust each other with our secrets."

"Why don't you start with yourself
then? Tell me about you and my father."

Madam Soraya took a deep breath, "I
suppose that's fair. Where should I start?"

* * *

Wirakarta 1972

"Soraya, hurry up and go behind the
stage, you're running late. This dress is the finale." Benny called
to her from the door. Benny Tung was the number one fashion
designer in Jothar, he was the preferred designer to the Queen.
Today is his big day, finally after years of sweat and tears in the
cutthroat world of fashion, he got his big international break, a
blessing in the form of a three full pages feature of him and his
current collection in Her World Magazine.

Soraya rushed to the back of the stage
as directed by Benny. She was trying to fix her left earring while
walking down the hallway when she accidentally dropped the earring
back. She stopped and squatted trying to find the minuscule piece
of accessory on the floor around her. Suddenly she felt a tap on
her shoulder, and a hand extended in front of her trying to give
her something. Instinctively she opened her palm to accept it, the
hand placed the earring back on her palm.

She was so stunned that she forgot to
stand up, she looked up to the owner of the hand. A man in his late
twenties was standing over her, he was tall and slim, his straight
hair combed sideward, he wore a light brown aviator sunglasses over
his eyes. He took off his sunglasses and smiled to her. She was
dumbfounded by his handsome features. He extended his hand to her
again, this time gesturing an offer to help her up.

She took his hand and stood up.
Realizing that she was running late, she smiled and thanked him,
then turned around and ran towards the stage.

"Where have you been?" Benny chided,
"It's almost your queue, hurry up, get on the stage!"

Soraya climbed the short stairs and
stood on the stage, she braced herself and took three deep breaths,
when she was queued to enter the catwalk, she moved as if she owned
the runway. She focused her attention on the music, pacing each
step to the beat. As she reached the end of the runway, she made a
turn, making sure that her left foot was in front as she paused for
a double beat in the background music. Her hips, shoulders and feet
facing the side of the runway, and her head turned, looking
straight at the audience over her shoulder. On the third beat, she
pivoted back towards the stage, stepping her right foot first and
then continued walking. She turned around again upon reaching the
stage and repeated the choreography, before finally disappearing
behind the curtain.

She could hear the audience clapping.
Benny ran up the stage and linked arms with her returning to the
runway. They both took a big bow, and she joined the audience to
applaud Benny. She received a bouquet of flowers from one of the
stage assistant and handed it to the top designer kissing him on
both cheeks.

* * *

Soraya cleaned the thick makeup off her
face and put on her casual clothes. She carefully combed her long
straight hair and tied it up in a ponytail at the top of her head.
She put on a thin layer of powder and lipstick. Making sure that
she looked impeccable, she strapped on her silver platforms and
walked out of the dressing room.

She walked passed the hall, where the
stage and runway are being torn down. She waved goodbye to the
assistants and headed to the door.

"Sor...Soraya...." She heard Benny call
out to her from behind, she turned around.

"Benny, I'm leaving now, I have to help
my mother at her shop."

"Sor, come here, there's someone who
wants to meet you."

"Who is it, is it about another
job?"

"No.....My dear, it's someone very
important who's very interested in you. Come here." He took her by
the arm and dragged her with him out to the garden.

In the distance she could see a
silhouette of a man standing against the setting sun. As they came
closer, she remembered him as the man who had earlier helped her
find her earing back. She couldn't understand what Benny was so
excited about.

"Your Highness, Your Highness..." Benny
called out.

Soraya was quote surprised, "Your
Highness?" She whispered to herself.

"Your Highness, I've brought Miss
Soraya here," He said again. The man turned around looked at her
and flashed his charming smile.

"Soraya, I'd like to introduce you to
His Royal Highness. Your Highness Tuanku Pangeran Mahkota Abdul
Kadir."

Soraya was surprised to hear who he
was. "Umm.....Tuanku Pangeran Mahkota, it is an honor and a
pleasure to meet you sir." She said greeting him.

"Miss Soraya, the pleasure is all mine.
I'm actually, shall we say a fan of yours ever since you won the
Miss Jothar pageant two years ago."

"Thank you, Your
Highness......."

"Miss Soraya, may I invite you for a
drink?"

"Your Highness, please don't take
offence if I decline your invitation. I have another job to go to.
I help my mother at her boutique. Please excuse me sir." She said,
then turned around to walk away.

"Sor." Benny called out, "Your Highness
Tuanku Pangeran, excuse me while I talk to my friend."

He ran after her. "Sor, are you stupid?
Clearly the Crown Prince is very interested in you, and you're
running away from his invitation?"

"Benny, Of course he's interested in
me. Put a skirt on a broomstick and he'll want to hump it. I think
every citizen of this country knows that Prince Abdul Kadir is a
ladies' man. He's said to change lovers like he changes socks.
Besides that, he's already married, with two wives."

"Well as the future Sultan of this
country, what woman wouldn't fall at his feet?"

"Me! Goodbye Benny, call me if you know
about another job" She said and kissed both his cheeks.

Benny went back to Pangeran Abdul,
"Your Highness, I am very sorry for her rudeness. She is a very
headstrong and stubborn girl."

"Hmmm....She is isn't she? She said her
mother owns a boutique?"

"Yes Your Highness."

"Where is this boutique?"

"It's on Patriot's Avenue, Your
Highness. The shop name is Bintari."

"Thank you Benny! Choose two of your
best gowns and send one to each of my wives. You can call my
secretary for the payment."

"Thank you Your Highness."

* * *

Soraya jumped out of the taxi and ran
into the boutique, "Ibu , I'm sorry I came late, I don't know why
but......Why are you here?" She yelled at the man standing in front
of the counter.

"Soraya, don't be so rude, don't you
know who this is?"

"I do, Ibu. I had the pleasure of an
earlier encounter with Your Highness Pangeran Mahkota."

"I came to buy a dress, as a gift." He
replied to her.

"Ah.....Do you have any idea of what
your wives' preference may be?"

"Why do you think I'm buying it for any
of my wives?"

"Then is it for one of your lady
friends?"

"For my cousin in law, it's her
birthday next week."

"And you are buying her a dress? Is
that even proper?"

"Then maybe you can come with me to
another shop and help me choose a right gift for her."

"Or maybe not. If you are serious about
buying a dress for your cousin in law, Anita can help you choose
it. Otherwise, there's a shop two blocks down that sell
artwork."

Pangeran Abdul smiled at her
feistiness, "I think I'll try the other shop."

As he came out of the store a black
Mercedes pulled up on the sidewalk. The door opened from the
inside, and Pangeran Abdul entered the car.

"Did you have a hard time finding this
shop?" He asked to the man sitting at the driver's seat.

"I had to ask some pedestrians." Raden
Hamza answered. "So who is it this time?"

"It's none other than Soraya Martina.
Miss Jothar nineteen seventy, you know I have it hot for her, she
has great curves, clear white skin, and those lips......Oh my
goodness...I feel like I just want to........"

"Cousin, please.......don't say
anymore, you're making my skin crawl. I'm not trying to preach you,
but don't you think you should use all that energy on trying to
make peace with your wife Puteri Farida?"

"She hates me, she always
has."

"If she hates you that much, where did
those two kids come from?"

"She just lies there like a piece of
log with her eyes closed while I do all the work."

"Did I really need to hear that?" Raden
Hamza shivered.

"You started it."

"Does she still think about your
brother?"

"All the time. Even though she gave
birth to two children of mine, she still calls his name in her
sleep."

"She knew him before she knew you, and
they were in love."

"Well, I did succeed to win against
Bang Bashir in suppressing the left-wing movement, my politics and
diplomacy against his military operation. Naturally my father was
impressed with my skills, made me the Crown Prince and granted me a
wife."

"You already had a wife."

"Yeah, but I could legally have taken
three more."

"Still, I think that you can at least
make an effort in trying to win Puteri Farida's heart, marriage is
not only about rolling around making children, it's about
companionship, loyalty, and emotional happiness. It also requires a
lot of work and tolerance."

"Well your current wife is a good
woman, so it's easy for you to say. I doubt you would make that
remark if you were still married to Latifa."

"Latifa is also a good woman albeit a
very difficult one. I have tried everything to make my marriage
work with her, but even a good and very beautiful woman can make a
man grow sick of her if she always takes a non-compromising
attitude."

"But Nabilla is excellent wife, she
loves Ali like her own child."

"And he adores her and his little
sister. But a wife is just as good as how her husband recognizes
it. Puteri Siti is loyal and dedicated, yet you don't recognize her
as a good wife. If you did, you won't have taken another wife and
continued your adventures."

"You know, I respect you, you are a
real family man. I can never do that, I can't imagine having just
one woman for the rest of my life."

"I can't imagine not having just one
woman for the rest of my life."

Chapter Thirty
Two

Soraya walked out of the bathroom,
cladded in a towel. She heard he mother shouting from the living
room. "Soraya, there's a call for you from Benny..."

"Okay Ibu, I'm coming..." She ran
straight to the living room.

"Child, why didn't you cover yourself,
what happens if we have a guest or if somebody walks
in."

"Ibu, who'll walk in at this hour?" She
rebutted stubbornly.

"Hello Benny..." She answered the
phone.

"Sor, what are you doing this Saturday,
do you have a job?"

"No, do you have work for
me?"

"Well it's not exactly work, I'm
holding a party at Wirakarta Continental. There'll also be many
very important people at the party, some from the fashion industry,
and some for the film industry. I think it would do you good to
attend."

"What time?

"It starts at eight, so don't be
late."

"I'll be there."

Soraya stepped down from the taxi in
front of the lobby, she wore a black dress with matching shoes and
purse. She entered the hotel lobby and asked the front desk about
the location of the party. The receptionist directed her to the
swimming pool area, as the party is held there. She walked passed
the lobby, when she caught sight of some familiar faces, they were
the girls who participated in the Miss Jothar pageant with her a
couple of years ago. They greeted each other with utmost hypocrisy
and walked together to the pool.

They spotted Benny Tung mingling with
the other guests. As soon as he saw them he waved calling them
over. "Beautiful, you all look divine......Honeys, why don't the
two of you go and mingle. Soraya, would you like something to
drink?"

"I'm good, I think I'll go and greet
some people I know."

"You go do that."

Soraya walked around the people, saying
hello to the people she knew. She was glad she came, she was
introduced to several film producers, and had an opportunity to
introduce herself to a very famous film director.