†††
SHAGHAD turned six, and the prince finally returned to me.
“What did you say?” I asked.
It had been such a long time since he’d spoken to me. I was overjoyed that he would finally be turning his attention to me, but when I went to him, I saw a young, beautiful woman beside him.
I know her.
She was well-known in the royal palace and social circles. She was the daughter of a viscount and the prince’s favored lady. If I remembered correctly, her name was Anita Alaban.
Next to them were two children close in age to Shaghad. They both had peach-colored eyes, but the boy had blue hair, and the girl had hair the color of a sunset. They both looked a lot like His Highness and Anita.
“These are my children with Anita. They’re twins. The boy is Ismail, and the girl is Aisha,” said the prince.
“You impregnated your mistress while I was carrying Shaghad?” I asked.
“Did you just call her my mistress?”
“Raheem, darling, it’s all right. It doesn’t bother me,” cooed Anita, addressing him without his title and drawing close to him so her ample bosom pressed against his arm.
What a vulgar woman.
“Anita is the love of my life. I will not allow you to degrade her honor with such ridiculous things as calling her a mistress!” shouted Raheem.
“The love of your life?” I repeated dumbly.
Then what am I? Didn’t you tell me you loved me?
“Hee hee, I’m sorry, Shahrnaz,” tittered Anita. “It’s just, we love each other very much.”
There it is again, that smile. I’ve seen that same pride-filled sneer from so many other ladies. I’m sick of it.
“Well, love is just wonderful, Viscount Alaban’s daughter,” I said. “But you’d do well to mind your manners between us nobles if you’re going to be the prince’s lover, Viscount Alaban’s daughter. Regardless of whatever your relationship is with His Highness, I am still his wife, and I am from a duke’s house.”
“Oh, dear, I’m so sorry, Shahrnaz,” she said.
“No, I should apologize,” I said, “for stepping in to look out for you when I shouldn’t have. I know His Highness likes that aspect of you, but many people in the palace won’t let that sort of behavior slide.”
Despite me pointing out that I was of a higher rank than she, Anita simply insisted that could easily be overturned. That’s why I had the last word and told her she couldn’t survive in the palace if she continued acting like a harlot. I was starting to feel ridiculous attacking a woman like that.
I looked at the children standing next to Anita. “Your Highness, what are your plans for these children?”
No nobles in this country treated children born out of wedlock with decency. It was even worse for royal children born out of wedlock, as they were sometimes eliminated out of fear they could become the spark that would set conflict ablaze. That didn’t apply to the children of acknowledged consorts, however.
What was even worse was that Anita was a viscount’s daughter. Neither she nor her family had much power. All she did have was the prince’s favor, and it wasn’t certain how long that would continue.
“It’s obvious. I’ll have them officially acknowledged as my children,” said the prince.
“Urk. Then what do you intend for Shaghad? Are you aiming to start a struggle for the throne?” I asked, incredulous.
“A struggle for the throne? No, that won’t happen.”
“But you just said you’re going to have those twins acknowledged as your children! That would mean giving them a place in the succession line for the throne. Can you honestly say there would never be a fight for the throne if you did that?”
“I can.”
I looked at Anita and saw a confident smile despite the prince’s proclamation that her children wouldn’t seek the throne.
What does this mean?
I could tell Anita was hungry for power. Now that she had the prince’s love, she would be after my position of princess consort. I was certain she would run Shaghad and me out and then place her children in line for the throne.
I know love is blind, but is the prince really that oblivious?
“Shahrnaz, be honest with me. Is that child really mine?” His Highness asked me.
What?
“What are you saying? I swear on my life, he is your son,” I vowed.
“He doesn’t look like me.”
“I know he resembles me more, but look at your father’s portrait. Doesn’t he resemble His Majesty when he was young?”
“If you go far back enough, you’ll find a royal marrying down into a duke’s family. It’s not unbelievable that he’d resemble the royal family from your side.”
“Wait, are you saying Shaghad may not be your son? Which would mean Shahrnaz has laid with another man,” said Anita, the shock seeming an act. Then she smiled. “That is a betrayal of the worst kind.”
I was the one who was blind.
They planned to attack me with suspicions of adultery and make Shaghad out to be a bastard child. I always had servants and guards assigned to me. I couldn’t possibly slip out of their sight and commit adultery.
“Don’t be ridiculous!” I cried. “What absurd accusations. Shaghad is the son of Prince Raheem and I; there is no questioning that.”
“Oh, a fiery reaction like that is quite suspicious,” said Anita.
“Be quiet, you whore!” I snapped.
“Shahrnaz!” roared the prince.
“Eeeek!”
He struck me.
“Princess Shahrnaz!” called one of my guards.
I saw him run over through blurry eyes. The prince glared at me, huffing in rage even as the knight tried to calm him.
Anita watched me with amusement. She didn’t voice the word “Pathetic,” but she did mouth it.
And she was right. How utterly pathetic I was.