Princess: Nuance Of Love Book 1

by Evida Suntoyo

  "For now let's not make any conclusions, let's just wait and see, I'm sure your father has his reasons." He said.

  Paramita took his empty plate and stacked it on top of hers, she stood up and put the plates on the table, "Do you want to drink water or tea?" She asked.

  "Tea, please." He said.

  She brought him a glass then waited until he finished drinking before putting it back on the table, then drank a glass of water herself. She went back to the bed and sat down again.

  "You know, your father is a very smart and witty man, he was right about choosing you as my wife." He said while caressing her cheek.

  "Why is that?" She asked him.

  "Because no other woman can drive me crazy like you do." He said while holding her nape and kissing her lips passionately. Paramita closed her eyes and responded to his kiss. His tongue tasted sweet from the sugar in the tea he just drank.

  They were surprised by the sound of the door opened, followed by a gasp, and then the door quickly closed again.

  "Your Highness Pangeran Ali, I apologize sir, but it's not time for that yet. There is still another gathering to attend to, besides this is not the bridal room." Said the lady in waiting who opened the door on them.

  "I'm sorry," Ali replied, "Please come in."

  The lady, in waiting, came back inside to take out the table, she peeked at them through the corner of her eyes. "Excuse me, Your Highness Pangeran and Your Highness Puteri," She said bowing several times to them before exiting and closing the door behind her.

  Ali and Paramita looked at each other then broke into laughter. "That was awkward and embarrassing!" Paramita said. She stacked up the pillows and used it to support her back "What are they waiting for? The sooner we get this over with the better."

  "Are you that eager to enter the bridal room?" Ali teased her.

  "I just want to get out of these clothes and lie down." She replied.

  "Me too. I want you to get out of those clothes and lie down."

  "You! Stop insinuating those things and do something productive." She said while slapping his forearm.

  "Like what?"

  "Here massage my foot, they're killing me." She said while lifting her legs and placing her feet on his lap.

  He smiled, he took off her sandals and put them down on the floor, and began to massage her feet affectionately. "Maybe tonight I'll give you a full body massage, would you like that?" He asked coquettishly.

  "Abang, you know I was nervous when I saw Dewi here, I thought she was going to make a scene," Paramita said, changing the subject of the conversation.

  "She wouldn't dare, not in an event held by the Sultan. What surprised me the most was Jonathan Tan, how could he bring her as his date. He is married, oh well you know his wife, remember at our engagement party, the lady who you complained about because she praised me and only said that you were beautiful."

  "I remember her. Did she come to the reception today? I don’t remember seeing her among the guests."

  "I don't think so. I didn't see her either. If she came we should remember her, she tends to talk a lot."

  "Abang, I suspect that Jonathan Tan has a hidden intention to him bringing Dewi here."

  "He definitely does," Ali replied.

  "Bang, can I asked you something, but promise me you won't get offended." She said to him.

  "I promise, what is it?" He replied.

  "Well, I understand that you and Dewi had gone out for three years before you left her to marry me. But I think that she is being very clingy to you. Could it be possible that she's expecting a child of yours?"

  Ali looked at her with his eyes wide opened. Shocked at her question, "Mita, maybe it's hard for you to believe, since you knew my brother before you knew me, and you were a firsthand witness of his behavior. But I'm not my brother. Mita, I in all my thirty years of life, have conserved myself and my chastity. I did have another girlfriend besides Dewi before, and to both I have respected and protected from zina (adultery)."

  "Bang, I'm sorry like I said I didn't mean to offend you. I was just wondering."

  "Rest assure, that neither Dewi nor my earlier girlfriend ever had any reason to cling on to me because of that. I am a man of honor and proper moral, I don't engage in illicit affairs."

  "Abang......." Suddenly she looked sharply at him, "Bang, so you mean that your love to Dewi was a pure one since you protected her and conserved her, and with me you just want to get into my panties? I don't remember you trying to hold back after our marriage contract was made."

  "Pure love? Mita, you've got it wrong, if a man isn't plagued with urges to bring a woman his close with to his bed, it doesn't mean his love for her is pure. It means he can control himself."

  "But you also told me that a man doesn't need to be in love with a woman to want to do perverted things to her. And let's be honest, you've been saying and doing perverted things to me since we got married."

  "Did you just call me a pervert?" He asked. "Understand this, everything I did and will continue doing to you, are not perverted things. It's because I want to make you mine because I love you, I love to be one with you. Besides if you think that true love is a love where a man doesn't need to lie with his wife, even though both sides are able and willing, the human species will be extinct by now."

  "Okay, okay....So what you were trying to say is that you've never done it with Dewi before."

  "Not with her or with anyone else besides you." He assured.

  She saw his face and ears becoming red. She smiled at his frankness, "Well, I didn't mean to insinuate that you're a pervert, besides you gave me a much-needed massage with the muscle cream that night." She said. She wiggled a foot, "Your hands can do magic. My feet are feeling better already."

  "You're not upset about my desire for you, are you?" He whispered.

  She looked down to her lap and shook her head.

  "So then........" he was about to say something when there was a knock on the door, and someone opened from the outside without waiting for an answer.

  "Kak Nurbaiti." Paramita said while quickly putting her feet down from Ali's lap and sitting up straight.

  "Ra....I mean Pangeran Ali, I didn't know you were here too." She said to him her face was flushed.

  "Kakanda Puteri Nurbaiti." He greeted her.

  "The family gathering is in fifteen minutes, you should go to the inner living room." She said looking coldly at Paramita.

  Paramita was about to stand up, when Ali quickly said, "Wait." He stood up, kneeled down in front of her and helped her put on her sandals. Then helped her to stand up from the bed. "Let's go."

  Paramita felt bad towards her elder sister, knowing how Puteri Nurbaiti felt for Ali. But he was her husband, and she loved being spoilt by him.

  They walked together to the inner living room, Paramita looked around, but her elder sister was no longer with them. At a distance she could see the foreigner couple, "Abang..." She held his hand the gestured to them.

  "My mother." Ali whispered. "My biological mother, and that's her husband, let's go, I want to introduce you to them."

  They walked up to them, "Ommy." Ali called out to his mother.

  She turned around, and smiled when she saw them. She greeted him with opened arms and kissed him on both cheeks.

  "Mita, this is my Ommy, and this is her husband Sayyid Omar Al Rashid." He introduced them.

  "How do you do." She said kindly to Paramita.

  "Princess Latifah, it's a pleasure to finally get to meet you." Paramita answered.

  "You can call me Hamaatee or auntie." She answered.

  "Hamaatee, it's nice to meet you."

  "How cute...." Princess Latifa said.

  Paramita stood there smiling and looking completely dumb, as they exchanged pleasantries in a language she didn't understand. She knew that they were speaking Arabic, but she was lost in the lack of translation.

  "Ommy, Sayyid Omar, will you be joining the family gathering?" Ali finally aske
d in language she spoke."

  "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.