Face Off

It had not been long since Mariam had been excused from the discussion between her father the King, Omar, and the Sheikh, she had returned back to her room in anger and just plopped herself down on the bed. The men would still be downstairs talking of the marriage and whatnot, she didn't want to be stuck in a marriage with the proud and pompous Omar bin Khalid bin Aaban, only son of the Sheikh.

She laid down on her bed staring up at the ceiling and not paying any attention to the chattering of Saadiya and Parvina. They had been talking nonstop about Omar, most especially Parvina who had made her intentions crystal clear about him; if the marriage didn't work out between him and Mariam, she would convince her mother to talk to her father about the matter. She was after all the daughter of the Queen's stepbrother, so she stood with just enough chance of getting him as Mariam.

"So Mariam, what happened? How did it go?" Parvina asked excitedly.

"Went well." Mariam kept her replies short, as much as she didn't want to think of Omar she couldn't help it. The man's attitude annoyed the living daylight out of her.

"Just well?"

"Hmm..we talked..."

"We know you talked."

"...in private."

"Really?! How?"

"Father allowed him to take me away for a while to a room."

"Reeeaally?!" Parvina half yelled.

"What did you two talk about when he took you away?" Saadiya spoke, also very excited.

"Did you really tell him you were not interested in the marriage?" Parvina chipped in impatiently.

"What did he say? How did he take it?" They asked questions, but Mariam wasn't listening anymore. She was thinking of Omar, the man was just too proud and arrogant and she would love nothing more than to hurt his pride dangerously. She thought of what he had said earlier and her anger rose.

* * * * *

"Take it off, I want to see what you look like."

"MaAzera? (excuse me?)"

She had given him a death stare to warn him of the implications of what he had just requested of her, she was not supposed to expose her face in the presence of any man except her father and husband, but the man was adamant and he tapped his foot impatiently, looking straight into her bewildered eyes.

"I am the daughter of His Royal Highness, King Jaan bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia and as such, I can not and will not show my face to just anyone." She tipped her head higher in pride. He would not be having his way with her just yet.

He chuckled. "To just anyone? Am I just anyone to you?"

"My subject. Being the Sheikh Khalid's son earns you no right nor the power to demand what you have been too brave to utter. My father should not hear of this."

"I am your subject? I am also of a royal lineage your highness." He spoke in a mocking tone.

"One of such lineage not in line for the throne."

"And you say I am proud." He countered.

"Well Omar bin Khalid of royal lineage, there are some royalties and then there are other royalties."

"You are saying I have no right to see the face of the one I am to marry?"

"Well yes." She replied. "Or do you perhaps think of yourself as someone so highly placed to look upon my face?"

He sighed. "Now where shall I begin? I am the man set to marry you, the first, the last, and dare I add, the only son of the Sheikh Khalid bin Aaban and probably, no hold that thought, most definitely the man you would dream of tonight, should I go on... princess?"

He had pronounced "princess" in a mocking tone, it made her boil, how dare he! She would never give him the honor of gazing upon her extraordinarily beautiful face, not until he apologized and flung his prideful attitude out the window.

"The man I would dream of?" She laughed this time. "The amount of pride that oozes from you..."

"I know, I know. It is something I can't help." Omar smirked. "Let us call that as a gift."

The girl was engaging him and he was enjoying every bit of the brawl, it seemed to energized him. Mariam eyed him once and turned away.

"The rumors say you have been very blessed with an extraordinary youthful beauty but I think those were just fabricated."

"The rumors carry the same about you."

"And look how true they actually are!" He laughed heartily. He would tease this princess. "If you are not so beautiful, I don't think it is anything to be shy of, I promise not to judge you. Except if you're as ugly..."

Mariam spun towards him. "Ugly?! What do you think of yourself? I have more suitors coming for me than the sands of the desert!" She snapped.

"Not ugly? Then shy. Deformed, or maybe..."

"Deformed?! You...!"

"Or not?"

Mariam ripped off the cloth that covered the lower part of her face and she charged at him. "There! Look! And be satisfied because I promise you that you will never be this privileged ever again!"

The girl had an attitude to match her beauty, Omar was impressed. Her large eyes were perfectly curved under her long lashes, fitting into her small oval face, her lips which were pouted in annoyance was just full enough and colored in a dangerous red. He smiled, the girl amused him, she was beautiful but he was not just about to admit it. Megan was still more appealing.

"Hmm...not bad."

"What do you mean by 'not bad'?" Mariam questioned.

"I mean with the melodrama you just displayed about no one being worthy to gaze upon your face, you really aren't that bad looking."

"Wha… what? Not that bad looking?!"

"At least you did not disappoint me, princess." He bent a little so he was at her eye level and patting her head gently, he added. "I am proud of you." And with that he walked out, leaving her furious and alone in the room.

Her face was flushed red in anger and embarrassment. Not bad? Not bad?! She fixed her abaaya and remained in the room, too angry to step out, they wouldn't be requesting for her presence anymore, whatever needed to be discussed would be amongst the men. But she didn't want to be alone so she stepped out and made her way to her room.

* * * * *

"Mariam!" Parvina yelled, bringing her attention back to room.

"Huh? What?" Mariam looked around, settling her eyes on Parvina who had perched herself on the dressing table.

"Where is your mind?"

"Oh sorry, I was just thinking about something. Do you need anything?"

"Yes! I need you to bring your mind back into this room and answer my questions."

"What questions?"

"You didn't even hear a word of what I had said?" Parvina raised her brows. "What exactly were you thinking of that would get you so carried away?"

"See, I told you she'd fall for him, just look at how she was daydreaming of him." Saadiya cooed. Mariam turned red in the face.

"I was not!"

"Forget that. Did you tell him of your opinion concerning the marriage?" Parvina jumped on the bed to sit beside her.

"I did, but..."

"But...?" Both Saadiya and Parvina asked.

"That man is as proud as a peacock! Prouder! Ugh! I hate him so much!" Mariam groaned and Saadiya roared in laughter.

"Why am I not surprised?"

"Ugh! He was so annoying, I wonder who could ever like him!"

"Me! I could." Parvina jumped excitedly on the bed, grinning from ear to ear. "I would like him and more!"

"He has someone he likes Parvina. A lover" Mariam explained, breaking the news on Parvina.

"What?? No...!" Parvina was pained. "Who does he like? Is she also of royal birth? Where is she from? Does she like him too?"

"I didn't ask, I didn't bother to care about that. I don't want to know!" Mariam said, burying her face into a pillow. Right now she was still pretty upset. "But he said he'll have to marry me for her sake. I wish he wouldn't, I do not wish to be stuck with such a dreadfully proud man like him."

"He likes someone else?" Parvina continued sulking. "Is she prettier? Or is she perhaps richer? Is she beautiful?"

"Enough Parvina. If the man was in search of beauty, one look at Mariam would have his heart racing." Saadiya spoke, plopping down on the floor by the edge of the bed.

"He saw." Mariam said but her voice was muffled by the pillow.

"What did you say?"

She sat up. "He saw. He saw my face."

Parvina and Saadiya gasped, eyes wide opened in surprise. "How?" They chorused.

"He requested for me to take off the abaaya but I didn't want to and he was being such a jerk about it and his pride annoyed me so I ripped it off my face to shut him up."

"Ha! And... What was his reaction? He must have been quite an awestruck, right?"

"Awestruck? I wish! If he was then he didn't show it. Did a great and terrific job in hiding it."

"He wasn't? Then what did he say?"

"Not bad. Imagine that! He had said I wasn't bad-looking. Ugh!" She laid back on the bed with her head buried into the pillow.

She wished she had slapped him, maybe clawed at his face to rip that stupid smirk off. He was too handsome for his own good and she hated herself for admitting that. She wondered who the person he loved was and how she managed his attitude.

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