@Haya : People of this world are utter hypocrites. They talk about faith, yet they hate mine. They talk about happiness, yet they ruin it. They talk about world peace, yet they bomb innocent people. They talk about being against violence, yet they inflict it the most. They talk about equality, yet they mistreat the people without power. How rare is it to find genuine reasoning behind anything these days? Hypocrisy is what's keeping us going and that thought is utterly terrifying to me.

Haya stumbled through the hallway, opening the door to her bedroom, all she wanted to do right now was fall on her bed and forget the world. The party had been an absolute smash, the music, the dancing, the noise, it had all given her such an adrenaline rush. Yaman had arranged an incredible night and she was sure that no one was going to forget it anytime soon.

It was hard for her to even keep her eyes open at this point, not because of the alcohol since she had only drank a few sips of the wine before remembering the promise she had made to her mother, but because of the hours and hours of partying and dancing around they had done tonight.

Aaliya had already sneaked into a room in the palace where as Haya had to drag herself upstairs to her room. She yawned slightly, entering her bedroom.

She gasped suddenly, her eyes widening as she saw a figure sitting right on her bed.

Her mother.

"Mummy! God, you scared me!"

She exclaimed, clutching at her heart. Why was her mother awake at this time and why the hell was she in her room?

Her mother stood up, looking at Haya from head to toe. She distastefully shook her head, the thought of her daughter going back to her previous self, it scared her.

"Have you seen the time?" She questioned, Haya frowned at her.

Seriously?

"Are you keeping tabs on when I come home now?" She questioned back, not understanding where this sudden investigation was coming from.

"You're reeking of alcohol and you're coming home at three. You think it's respectable for someone like you to come home at this time?"

Her mother had a habit of exaggerating. She was definitely not reeking of alcohol.

"It was Yaman's engagement party. Everyone was there." Haya justified herself.

"You promised me that you wouldn't drink alcohol, Haya." Haya remembered that. She had promised her mother.

"I didn't." She mumbled, taking her earrings off while standing in the middle of her own room, facing a trial.

"You're gonna be on a newspaper yet again." She heard the woman sigh, continuing.

"I don't understand you, Haya. You spend the entire day working for the benefit of the people and then you do this at night?"

What exactly had she done anyway? What the actual fuck?

"It was just one night. I wanted to have fun with my friends." She replied, rolling her eyes at this point.

"That's not the fun I want you to have. Were you close to a man there?"

Dear Freaking Lord!

"Where did that even come from?"

"Were you, Haya?" The firmness in her mother's voice was enough for her to know that she was not going to let this go so easily.

She hadn't even danced with a man, let alone do something silly.

"No. I wasn't. You're making me feel like I'm some sixteen year old getting busted." Haya grumbled, taking her heels off in anger.

The Queen let out a sigh and stood up, walking towards the dressing room, following Haya.

As she sat in front of the vanity, wiping off her makeup, she felt her mother stand behind her, hand on her shoulder. Haya stopped her movement, feeling the woman's gaze on her daughter and a hand squeezing her shoulder.

"Your father always keeps you on his golden pedestal, Haya. I'm the one who actually has to worry about you."

Her motherly concern was justified but she was a twenty five year old woman. She knew how to take care of herself and how to not embarrass herself. Yes, she had done some questionable things in life but that was just a part of her journey. Her father understood that.

Even though her father was the King, he never scolded Haya or stopped her from doing anything, he just had faith in her.

"Because father trusts my judgement." She said sharply.

She was tired and cranky, this was not exactly the time for a question answer session with the Queen.

"Should I remind you of your previous judgements?" Her mother responded in the very same tone, reminding Haya of the unflinching similarities they both had.

Haya gulped, rubbing at her eyes with a makeup wipe.

"You don't need to bring up my past. I didn't do anything wrong." She defended, eyes closed as she wiped away the makeup.

"Okay then. I'm trusting you on your word." Haya thought the topic was finally over and her mother would just kiss the top of her head, mumble a goodnight and leave.

Instead, as she gathered her hair in a bun and cleansed her face with rose water, she felt the gaze of her mother. Clearly, there was more to discuss here.

"What about Prince Amir?" She was about to put a sheet mask on her face when she heard the question.

Haya stopped midway and turned around, looking at the Queen.

"What about him?" She asked back.

Her mother knew of Amir, had basically pushed Haya in his direction and now here she was, asking questions.

"You know what I am talking about." Haya shook her head, carefully applying the sheet mask on her face.

She walked inside her changing, taking off the black and grey fancy dress that she had worn for the night. Haya quickly wore a sleep shirt, then stepped out of the room, finding her mother in the very same place as earlier.

She had not even bothered sitting.

"Amir is a very nice person, mother." Haya told her, as if she didn't know.

"I know that. I don't know what you are planning to do with him."

She genuinely felt offended. She understood her mother's questions and motives but why did she have to ask her about anything right now?

"Oh My God. You make me sound like I'm the one ruining people's lives!" Haya said out loud, exasperated.

The Queen only smiled at her daughter.

"I just don't want you to hurt him or yourself." She responded, crossing her arms.

Haya walked towards her mother and squeezed her hand warmly.

"I am moving on from my past very happily. Amir makes me forget that anything before him even existed. I'm not playing around with him." She explained, knowing that it was better to be honest and upfront, the more she hid things, the more her mother would find out.

Satisfied at the response, her mother nodded, smiling.

"Okay, just be careful. Don't do anything to risk your father's reputation." She whispered, leaning forward to kiss the top of her daughter's head.

"I won't." Haya replied, stifling another yawn.

"Good night."

The Queen walked out of bedroom, leaving Haya to finally take off her sheet mask and go to sleep.

She shut her eyes, feeling her phone vibrate on the bedside.

Haya ignored it.

@RoyalArchives : Princess Haya was seen for the very first time in Buredaan five years ago. Snapped at a local restaurant during lunch time, HRH resembled both her parents. With her mother's sharp features and her father's eyes, the Princess became the talk of the country. #RoyalThrowBacks #Archives

When she woke up, her first instinct was to check her phone. Several notifications graced her lockscreen but the only one she thought truly mattered, it was the missed call from Prince Amir.

Haya smiled, wondering if she could call him right now or not.

Would it be appropriate? He would probably be at work. She let out a sigh, looking at the time and pressing herself deeper into the bed.

She decided to text him instead.

_______________________________________

Haya.
I missed your call last night. I wasn't home.

Amir.
Good morning to you too.

Haya.
Good morning. How are you?

Amir.
Alhamdullilah. You?

Haya.
I'm knackered. Came home late last night and just want to sleep some more now.

Amir.

You aren't in the office yet?

Haya.
No?

Amir.
How can you make any change if you can not even reach your work place on time?

Haya.
Ouch.

Haya.
Human rights can wait for a day. Haya needs sleep 😴

Amir.
Haya needs to stop posting stuff online and do something productive, like going to work on time.

Haya.
Don't tell Haya what to do 😌😂

Amir.
It is your choice ofcourse but I think you should get up, get ready and go to work.

Haya.
But my head hurts.

Amir.
You had alcohol or something?

Haya.
Haha no. Why would you think that?

Amir.
It was a joke only.

Haya.
Yaman got engaged. I was at his party last night.

Amir.
Good. You can tell me all about it when I call you in an hour or so? I am a little busy right now.

Haya.
Ofcourse. I'll get ready for work.

Amir.
❤️

_______________________________________

@Haya : get to work wednesday.

When her phone vibrated again, she did not hesitate in picking it up, knowing that it was none other than the Crown Prince.

She had already missed his called once, she did not want to do it again. Talking to him, it made her feel more human, more grounded and more humbled.

She thought of him everyday, just the way he thought of her. Even though, she had an entire thing planned in her head, the feelings that she held within, it made her forget everything.

"Hey." She greeted, happiness evident in her voice.

"Hey." He said back, voice just as soft and sweet as before.

"I'm guessing you are ready?" Amir questioned, fighting the sleep off himself.

Well she had been out partying, he had spent a fair share of the night convincing his brother to come back home and stop being so hard on himself and his family.

After fajr, he had simply turned towards the gym and then got ready for work. Sometimes, the responsibility got way too big for him. Sometimes, he just wanted to enjoy the lavish lifestyle that other people enjoyed. Sometimes, it all got way too much.

Yet, talking to this woman, it eased the worries.

She was not the first woman he had talked to, he had met a lot of women in his life who were interested in him, had been blunt enough to offer courtship but they were just ordinary women.

Haya was a Royal. And with that title, came a certain amount of arrogance and extra self confidence. Even though Haya had the right amount of arrogance and confidence, she had been bold enough to tell him how she felt and had not felt offended after he had left her like that.

She understood his morals and respected them. And he respected her for it.

"Yes. I am off to work as per your instructions." He heard Haya and a chuckle escaped his mouth.

"Oh so you're taking instructions from me now?" He questioned, repeating her own words back to her.

"You think so?" She teased back in the very same tone.

"No."

Both of them knew that Haya did not do anything, unless she wanted to do it. She did not take orders or instructions, as shallow as it sounded.

"Exactly. What about you?"

Amir let out a long sigh, remembering the meeting that he had in..well, just now.

"I am just about to meet the financial advisor. It's going to a few long hours after this." He clearly did not like long meetings, especially when it came to talking about economy and trades.

It was of sheer importance though and his utmost duty.

"Too bad." Haya mumbled. Amir couldn't help but nod.

"It can be. But I enjoy it when I'm not too distracted by other things." He stated, she smiled.

"Other things?" She enquired, already knowing the answer to her question.

"My feelings." He did just shy away, did not sugarcoat his words.

Haya liked that in a man.

"For?" She still insisted, testing him once again.

"You, Haya." His voice sounded so pure and breathy, it felt like his voice was not coming out of a smart phone. It felt like he was whispering in her ear.

She gulped, still not understanding why this man made her cheeks burn so hard. She had interacted with plenty of men before him, interacted in all kinds of ways, yet she had hardly blushed before.

"That's a good thing. Just don't sign my name instead of yours." Haya teased him, her own car stopping to a halt as they arrived at the ministry.

"Don't worry. My feelings hardly cloud my judgement." She heard Amir say.

"Maybe you haven't felt the real thing yet." She shot back.

"And you have?"

Had she? She had.

"I'm not exactly sure." Haya lied to him once again.

"I have to go, Haya." Amir said after a few seconds, seeing that the conference room was already full and they were all awaiting him.

"Go, Amir." Haya said in the same tone.

She did not want to hang up, neither did he.

"I'll call you again." He assured to her, she knew he would.

"I'll wait." She assured back, not understanding how a simple phone call could make someone's day.

Haya did not wait for anyone but somehow, waiting for Amir sounded just so pleasant.

Thoughts?