She had never seen someone as heartless as this guy was, and when he was done with the white linen, he didn't spared her a glance when he spoke, "I told you to get into your thobe, we're handing this to them together and they'll take you with them for a spa." The cut was deep, he had seen it but he acted as if he didn't.

She looked at him with bloodshot eyes and spoke, "Are you naturally this heartless or it's part of your not so painful fire you promised? Can't you see I have my feet cut? And all that matters is those freaking women waiting for the linen in your hand?!" She clamored, and this time, Al-mustapha looked at her.

"I see, you really didn't get what I told you yesterday. So what if you're hurt? As per as I know, I'm not the one that got hurt, right? Get up or I'll open the door now and they'll see you in the position you are now." He shrugged off his shoulder and walked over to where he had thrown her thobe. He flung it directly on her face and Fatima Zarah's bloodshot eyes followed his every move.

She felt as if the fire she was holding up for so long would burn her soul, but she had to act up for the time being, she had forever to make him pay for all he did to her. This wouldn't make her lose all that she had planned. She put on the thobe after she had successfully pulled out the glass from her feet and she set to her feet, limping until they reached the door.

As soon as Al-mustapha turned the doorknob, the women waiting in the living room rushed to him and he handed them the linen. The first sound they all made after the elder one among them had lifted it up for them to see was a loud yodel able to split their hearing organs into two. And before Fatima Zarah could make her next move, one of them had given her a piggyback ride and they walked to her chamber.

She was set down and was left with her two maids to take care of her, while the others left. If only they knew, she mused to herself. What he did today wasn't enough for her to forgive all he had done to her and that wouldn't stop her from taking the revenge she had set to, even if he were to gift her with all the heaven and earth entailed. She had to.

She wanted to apologize to Ammi for all she had said to her yesterday, "Sadiya, can I please have my phone from my bag? And will you two please give me a few minutes to have a phonecall?"

Sadiya nodded her head and she got the phone for her before she spoke, "Gimbiya, I'm sorry but please call us after you're done because we're to help you have your bathe and get ready for the walima."

Fatima Zarah wanted to scream at her but she restrained herself, "Sadiya, you don't have to do that, you can go and take care of other things. Thank you, I'll come out for breakfast in an hour, insha Allah." She was about to protest for what she had said when she dismissed them with a handwave and they had no choice but to do what she had ordered.

She dialled Ammi's number and Ammi didn't pick the call. She called Anty Wasila after, because she knew Ammi would never pick even if she was to call ehr more than a thousand times. "Good morning, Aunty Wasila, can I please speak to Ammi? If she's alone, or tell her that I want to have a conversation with her."

Seeing how urgent her voice sounded, Aunty Wasila didn't argue, she walked to Ammi and handed her the phone, "What do you want? Don't disturb my peace this morning, Fatima."

Fatima Zarah silently groaned and spoke, "Will you please drop the Fatima game, Ammi? I called to apologize, you know I will call. I'm sorry, Ammi, but please you can't be angry at me and be calling me Fatima up and down." Ammi smiled at herself, this habit of Fatima Zarah was something she'd love till her last breath.

"It's okay, Fatima Zarah, now what do you want?" She asked, and a smile broke Fatima Zarah's face.

"This sounds so much like my Ammi. Those bangles you gave me, they're with Aunty Wasila, please someone should bring them to me, I want to wear them today. And also, my cats, they should be brought to me, today; preferrably." She prayed Ammi won't be against bringing her cats here, because she couldn't imagine living without those two creatures that lighten up her soul.

"Those cats, you know I'm attached to them too, Fatima Zarah," Ammi tried to protest, even though she knew it was baseless because Fatima Zarah will never agree living far away from those adorable creatures.

"I only want Lucy and Lilly, you can keep the kittens, Ammi. You know my life will be dull without them. And tell Hajjo, I missed her so much and that I love her. She's the only one that supports me in times of distress." She laughed at the painded sound Ammi made and they exchanged pleasantries with Hajjo before she ended the call and walked directly into the bathroom.

When she was, getting herself ready, a soft knock came and after she ushered the intruder in, Sadiya walked in with her head hunged down. "Gimbiya, Mama Fulani had sent a makeup artist because of the walima today. Should I usher her in?" Don't they know that there are women that disliked makeup unless they're in the mood and that mood struck in only once a year or once after a decade?

She heaved a sigh and felt the heavy weight her chest carried before she nodded her head. "Yes, usher her in." And when the makeup artist came in, Fatima Zarah warned her that she wanted the most nude and subtle glam. No eyeshadows, only brows and lips. And the makeup artist agreed, because who dared argue with the wife of his majesty?

❀

He knew they were expected at the palace after they had their breakfast for proper greetings of the royal family. And that's what he hated the most. He couldn't remember the last time he had visited some of his uncles, it had been so long that he even forgot the way some faces looked like. He got ready in a short time and walked to the main living room, where he was to be having his breakfast for the course of the seven days these maids were to be keeping record of their daily activities. Because there was no way he was going to keep any maid from the palace in his house. Even if Mama Fulani was to insist.

He finished getting ready and today he knew he had to wear his royal attire from head to toe, without even waiting for Mama Fulani to tell him to do so. He did. He walked to the main living room and sat down, surfing through the channels as he waited for Fatima Zarah to come out so they'll start eating. One thing he couldn't wait for the week to click so he could dismiss these maids, he had to wait for that girl no matter how hungry he was.

She was out in a few seconds and when she sat down, she noticed the looks the maids were flashing her and smiled at him, "Good morning, Al-mustapha. I hope you slept well."

At first he didn't know she was referring to him and when he looked at her, he noticed the warning look she flashed him while motioning at the maids that were serving them their dish. "Good morning to you too, Fatima Zarah. I hope you're loving it here?" The words fought themselves out of his lips, not because he wanted them to, but because that was the only way not to get into Mama Fulani's bad list.

Silence prevailed, and none of them spoke as they both dined into their meals. She knew she had to avenge on what he did to her in his room, but that had to wait. Because when she wanted to avenge for that, he had to bring his knees to the ground right before her and he would beg for the body he had shamed and insulted. But first things first, she would first act until these seven days are over, while silently nurturing the fire she would burn him with.

They finished their meal and she walked back to her room for the final touches before she came out. Sadiya walked out of her closet holding a neatly folded thobe and Fatima Zarah wanted to disappear, for the sake of Allah she hated wearing these thobes for the life she had. Why can't they understand it?

"I'm not wearing that, just put it back." She declared and began draping her veil over head. Knowing that arguing with her will be pointless, Sadiya walked out of the room and she met Al-mustapha waiting for her in the living room.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. Gimbiya said she isn't going to wear the thobe, and there's no way she's going to the palace without one. Because today is the walima and she has to go and extend her greetings to the Sultan."

"Take me to her room," he ordered, and Sadiya walked him to Fatima Zarah's room. She knocked softly on the door and closed the door behind Al-mustapha after he had entered.

When Fatima Zarah heard the footsteps from behind her she closed her eyes and placed her hands at akimbo, "I've already told you, Sadiya. I'm not wearing any alkyabba today, and that's final. Will you please get out of my room? I need some privacy." She was standing in front of the full length mirror and Al-mustapha stared at her reflection through it.

He took the thobe Sadiya left on the mirror and slowly turned Fatima Zarah until she was facing him, and when she opened her eyes, they fell directly into his. "You're wearing an Alkyabba, and that's a must. You can not wear something though, things like this veil.." he pulled off the veil from her body and threw it over the vanity stool she had stood up from and began unwrapping the folds of the thobe.

She began fightly to get out of his hold but he held her firmly using one hand, "What do you think you're doing, Al-mustapha? Let me go and give me my veil back, I'm not wearing any Alkyabba and that's final too." It was painful moving around with her feet and with each move she struggled out of his hold, her feet pained.

"It's either you stay still and let me out this thobe on you or you're going to regret it because I'll do that forcefully and you'll keep on hurting your feet." She didn't wait for him to finish his sentence when she shrugged his hand off and he pulled her back, making her staring at herself through the mirror and he held her tightly to his chest.

"Stay still, Fatima Zarah, I would've done what brought me here minutes ago." He whispered into her ears and she had no choice but to do what he wanted of her, with her feet throbbing and her heart as well, she watched as he donned the thobe on her and pulled the hood over her head.

"Now, you look so much like a royal bride. Let's go," he said with a smirk on his face and they stood there watching their reflection through the mirror. Fatima Zarah was the one that first took her eyes off from his and the next move he made was; entwined her hand with his.

She looked up at him accusingly and he smirked, something she hated with passion about him. "We're going to have a tour in the palace like this, why not start it now?" She knew this was also a part of his game, and today she wished to play again. Let's time show who the looser is.