HADEWA CALIPHATE,

NIGERIA.

The next day was Sunday. The Calipha made the announcement as he had promised Aria and it's safe to say that the 'old council' as Aria expected were not happy about it. She could tell from the way the maids spoke about it round the palace.

Gossip really does travel fast. And in just a couple of minutes after the announcement, the reaction of almost everyone amongst the group of women was travelling round with toppings. All except one.

The Queen.

As the news was relayed to her, she remained oddly calm. There was no outburst from her, no reaction, nothing. She simply continued the task she was doing before it was relayed to her, painting. She had been painting peacefully in her chambers as she does every once in a while when the announcement was made.

And when her right hand told her about it, she said nothing. She didn't even falter while doing her work. Sure enough, she heard it. But, she didn't react like the others.

Aria, the source of it all was happy to say the least. Since it's Sunday, she decided that she would take the day to herself and enjoy some quality time on the phone with her family. The next day, she would step up and do as she pleased. She would run things the right way.

However, her plans were ruined by Aali who didn't leave as early as he used to. She was kind of getting used to that routine of his, and oddly enough, she was alright with it. That meant they have little interaction except for things he wouldn't stop no matter how much she warns him to.

Stuff like randomly pecking her forehead or calling her with the pet name, Askim. She's a Turk, so she obviously knew what the word meant since it's her mother tongue.

She didn't like it.

It made it seem as though they have some sort of close relationship and she hates it because they are basically strangers living under the same roof. They barely know anything about each other and she didn't plan on knowing anything to be honest. Quite frankly, she wasn't there for that.

The marriage was just the last resort she had. So, not the very best in her view.

"Askim...I want to ask you something" He spoke up, a couple of minutes after he was done reading the Quran.

That has also become a routine of theirs. They would read the Quran together until she decides she's tired and heads to bed. He on the other hand stays till sunrise, before he goes out to greet his father.

Sometimes though, a little more recently, he goes to the mosque to pray with the others so she prays alone and recite the Quran alone. Today, he prayed out too but when he came, he sat and prayed while she on the other hand, worked through some files on her Macbook.

The fact that she has zero leads is getting on her nerves and making her restless. So far, the only person she had ruled into her list of suspects was the Queen, given the bad energy Aria feels rolling off her in waves, figuratively obviously.

Aria looked up for a brief second, before she looked back at her work. "What is it?"

Aali blinked. He didn't know the right way to put it. Definitely not after seeing her whole attention isn't on him but rather her work. He wondered if she will ever tell him about what is she is working on, even though he knows already but he wouldn't let her know, yet. "Would you like to go out with me today?" He kept his earlier thought aside.

"Out?" She asked, still not looking away from her work, "Where exactly?"

"Somewhere" He was expecting more questions from her, as per her being a lawyer and an inquisitive one at that, "You'll know when we get there"

"So..." She stopped what she was doing, then looked up. "...a date?" She asked, her lips curled into a small grin as her eyes dilated slightly.

Aali felt his tensed shoulders slump. Her reaction seemed positive, and the nervousness he was feeling earlier has disappeared. "Yes" He was quick to nod, a grin taking over his features.

Aria nodded, her grin stretching before it all suddenly disappeared; and that cold look he has gotten used to took over her features. "No" Her answer was short and clipped as she focused her attention back on her MacBook.

Aali's heart sunk slightly. What was he expecting from Aria? He should've known it was a trick. She would never agree that easily. He wanted to ask her why, but he figured he already knows the answer. It was simple really.

They are not in love and did not marry to live happily ever after.

She had made that clear numerous times already.

So, he decided to let her be. He nodded, humming slightly. "I guess you don't want to take a break from the palace then"

She shook her head, rolling her eyes slightly. "You can't trick me, Prince" She only use that title when she feels like he's using his position to his advantage, which he does a lot.

Aali chuckles, "Never said I wanted to, Askim"

She stopped what she was doing, then looked up to throw him a small glare. "Stop that"

"Stop what?" He feigned innocence, despite knowing fully well what she meant. Teasing her like that is funny though, and he enjoyed doing so.

"Stop with the pet name"

"Nah" He shook his head, "I'm good" He stood up from the prayer mat, then made his way over to his side of the bed, getting under the duvet. Somehow, she had managed to get the spot next to the socket, and he didn't mind. She could have it if that will make her happy. He then leaned close to her, enough to see what she's working on if he wants, but he did not peek. "If it bothers you though, you can give me one then we're even"

Aria scoffs slightly, then pushed him back, closing her MacBook in the process. "No thank you" She then placed it on the bedside cabinet.

"Then I shall continue, Askim" Before she could comprehend what he was doing, Aali placed his head where the Macbook was earlier, on her lap as he flickered his eyes shut.

Aria flicked his forehead, making him mutter an 'ouch' as he rubbed the place to sooth the sting. "Get up" She tried to push him away, but he wasn't budging. "What did I say about touching me?"

He didn't open his eyes as he made himself comfortable, "That I have to pay when I do so" He muttered, his voice lower than earlier.

Aria grinned though he can't see her. "Pay and get up"

Aali slipped his hand into his pocket, and pulled out his credit card which he had picked up earlier for this exact reason before handing it to her. "Take it all. The pin is your birth year"

Aria didn't know whether to be creeped out by how he knew her birth year or be stunned by how he could so carelessly hand his card over to her and tell her to 'take it all'. Does he have any idea just how much a woman spends? "You can't be serious"

"Dead serious. What's mine is yours anyways so shop away" He muttered. "Now let me enjoy my woman's company" He lazily opened his eyes and held her free hand, intertwining their fingers. This time around, she didn't pull back from him.

No, she was still stunned that he gave her his card. A part of her didn't trust that it's his actual card, despite everything on it claiming otherwise. Or maybe, he doesn't have that much money in it.

Yeah. That must be it.

Nonetheless she placed it beside her phone, before she leaned back on the headboard and absentmindedly run her fingers through his hair that he had cut a few days ago. That was one of her favorite things about him despite the fact that she would never admit it to him. But, she had always loved how soft it looks. And a couple of times when he was asleep, she found herself caressing them knowing he didn't know about it.

But he did. And he planned on bringing it up soon. Just not at the moment.

She didn't pull her hand away from his, neither did she stop her action of caressing his hair. She could see the stubble forming again. She honestly didn't get why he chose to shave it off before, "I like your stubble" She muttered lowly, not knowing if he heard her or not.

"Really?" He muttered back in the same tone.

She nodded, then realized that he couldn't see her. "Yeah, and you're a little bit, like, the tiniest bit attractive when you're not talking. When you speak, you ruin it all"

That made Aali laugh, and Aria, had a smile forming on her lips too because of it for she tried to hold back the grin. "I'll try to talk less then..."

"Thank you!"

"...only if..." He continued, cutting short her celebration. He then flickered his eyes open to stare at her, "...you agree to go one a date with me tonight. Just me and you, away from this place and everyone in it"

She thought about it, crinkling her face in the process which Aali found to be cute.

Dude is whipped for real.

"I don't know..." She muttered, dragging the last word as her lips puckered slightly.

"Just say yes woman, you know you want to"

Aria chuckled, before she nodded. "Only because you mentioned getting away from the people here. I could use some fresh air"

Aali grinned, before he sighed in relief. "Finally" he muttered, "You really can be stubborn woman"

Aria chuckled again, but didn't say a word while he closed his eyes again. This time around determined to get some rest before he goes out later. Truth be told, he's beginning to ponder over the thought of spending the day with her, or at least, most of it.

But before those thoughts get far, he drifted off.

~*~

Aria woke up later, tucked in bed. She must've slept off after Aali did and by the looks of it, he is awake already. Sighing, she took a couple of minutes to regain her energy before she got out of bed, and made her way over to the en suite to do her business. Once she was done, she dressed up in a random hoodie that she gotten from Aali's clothes.

She couldn't help it.

They are just too comfortable. Plus, she would deny this any day and probably only admit it when pigs grow horns and fly, but it smells like him, and she kind of liked it. Throwing on a pair of sweatpants that actually belong to her, she threw her hair into a low bun and tied it with a vintage scarf before she headed out.

She headed to the kitchen, expecting to see Salaha as usual but the girl wasn't there. No, instead of the spot Salaha is usually, there stood her husband, cooking. She knew he helped her cook the day before but she didn't fully trust his cooking skills. "Do you know what you're doing, or do I need to get the fire extinguisher? I don't need you burning down my kitchen"

Aali chuckled, before he turned around. "Ever heard of the salaam?" He threw her question from the day before at her.

Aria clicked her tongue. "Touché Prince" She muttered, "Assalamu alaika"

"Wa alakissalam" He responded, offering her a small grin, "And don't worry, I know what I'm doing so just find a place and sit"

Aria nodded, making her way to the counter.

"I do have a question though" He added, making her quirk a brow at him. "Why are you always wearing my hoodies?"

Aria sat on a random stool she pulled out; pulling the sleeves to reach her knuckles. "What happened to what's mine is yours?"

He shrugged, "I wasn't complaining" He turned around to continue what he's doing. He really isn't complaining. He loved seeing her wear them, at least that means she's slowly warming up to him.

"Where's Salaha?" She found it weird to not see the girl. She's always there.

"I gave her the day off"

She nodded.

Soon enough, he finished the breakfast then served it to them both. Aria had to admit, it was good. She wasn't expecting it to be bad, but she wasn't expecting it to be that good either. After breakfast, the two spent the hours that was followed by binge watching movies on Netflix. One in particular that Aria loved. The King of Boys, the Return of the King;which Aali claimed to have been wanting to watch but never got the chance to do so.

She didn't ask why he didn't go out that day. For some reason, his company wasn't that bad. It's nice to be around him after being surrounded by toxic people since she came.

After Asr, he left and told her to get ready that he would be picking her up by seven thirty. Aria thought the time was more than enough so she spent the next hour watching Adele's one night only. She was glad Aali wasn't around else he would've had to deal with her singing to every song.

And some lyrics weren't so correct. But in her defense, she was doing a remix she came up with.

Eventually she decided to take another shower to get ready. She didn't apply any makeup till after she prayed Isha. Then, she sat in front of the vanity and did a quick makeup with the time she has left.

She had already slipped on her Sia olive green dress that fitted her well. And her hair had been stretched earlier too so she tied it into a tight bun, fixing the edges. When she was done, she fixed the head tie in place then put on her jewelry. She was never one for it but she felt she needed to look good.

By the time she was done and fixing her veil, she heard a salaam and then the doorknob twisted. Afterwards, he came in. His gaze landed on her first and he found himself muttering "Masha Allah" over and over again.

Sometimes he tends to forget just how fine of a specimen his wife is but in situations like that, he could fall for her if he wasn't so whipped already.

She chuckled slightly at his reaction, slipping into her pair of heels and picking up her purse. "Shall we go, Your Highness?"

He grinned. "Whenever you're ready, My Queen"

She rolled her eyes slightly, making her way over to him. "You don't look so bad"

Aali held back his scoff. "Really woman? I look handsome"

She tutted, shaking her head. "See what I mean? When you talk, you ruin it all" She joked; gesturing to his outfit and all.

"You'll learn to live with it" He took her hand in his, "Come, before we spend the night here bickering"

"I won't mind"

"Of course you won't"