"She is your Queen". He declared as he stands in front of his council, "I will introduce her to everyone tomorrow".

He heard uproar as he shouted, "Order".

"We cannot accept a rebellion as our Queen".

His eyes narrow at his council member as he spoke, "Who said you have a choice?"

"W-What?"

"Who I want to spend my life with and who I want to make my Queen has nothing to do with everyone present here". He said, as he steps down, standing in front of the old man, "You are here to help me with my empire affairs and the moment I find that you have done any harm to my people or commit forgery/sin". He steps closer as his tall built give him the leverage over the man, "I will kill you in front of everyone as an example as to what happens to the people who go against their King".

Her eyes narrow at the fabric over fabrics in front of her. She doesn't understand why there are so many layers and why does she have to wear this trash? She is good in her clothes. She looks at her current wear which is a man suit, torn from few place, stitched from other and she looks at the dress in front of her which screams beautiful.

She shakes her head from that awful thought. She will wear whatever she wants to wear.

She heard the announcement outside the door about his mother and a few others she didn't know about. The door banged open as the women walk into his chamber as they own it.

They look at her from top to bottom and she didn't feel embarrassed. This is truly her. Why will she ever be embarrassed?

"Can I help you if you are done judging?" She asked, crossing her hand over her chest

"How can you shamelessly marry someone like this?" His mother screamed, "He is the King of an empire. What do you think you are?"

"Are you taking this out on me because you can't ask your son about it?" She asked with a mocking laugh, "You must have thought you will come to me, belittle me, insult and everything to make me run away, didn't you?"

"You--".

She steps closer to his mother, "You are right about something. I am shameless and you know what they say about shameless people". She pauses, smirking, "You should be careful of them because they can do anything without any shame".

She sits on the bed, looking at the fire breathing women.

"He belongs to me". Sherbanu yelled, coming closer to her, "He is mine".

"I don't think so". She said shrugging, "He can't be yours as long as I am alive".

The women marches out of the room and she lies down at the comfortable bed she has never seen.

"Why are you frowning?" She heard his voice as she sits upright, "What? I did something wrong again?"

"Of course you did". She shouted, "What is this trash you send me?"

He raises his eyebrows, looking at the beautiful dress he selected himself.

"That is trash?"

"Of course, it is. I married you, but I am not going to wear this".

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to".

He sighs.

He walks the little distance, sitting on his knees in front of her. He places his hand on her leg as he spoke, "You have to wear them so people recognise you as their Queen".

"This cloth will show I am their Queen. I can do that with my fist".

He purses his lips, holding her fist, lowering it, "If we were going to fight with a fist, I wouldn't have asked you to marry me".

"I hate using my brain. I am good with fights".

He holds her hand in his hand, "I promise I will change the dress code to whatever you want. Just wait until we take out the traitors".

"Promise?"

"It is my promise as your husband".

"Fine. I am not wearing it now. I will wear it tomorrow".

He nodded.

He watches her sleep on the bed as he looks out of his window to the same castle garden that he doesn't even go to. There are so many things in this castle that no one uses or are just there for a showcase. But, why did he have to spend money on them? His people money in that?

"Are you going to keep looking at the garden or maybe step there too?" He heard her voice as she stands beside him, "Did someone made it? Your mother?"

He shakes his head, "I made it".

"You like flowers?"

"What? Only women can like it?"

"Not in my opinion. I am doing what others say is for men". She said shrugging, as she forwards her hand, "Show me your garden".

He holds her hand which were as rough as his and he likes the feeling of that. To be able to hold someone hands in his hand.

He walks around the garden stretching to the far end. She looks around at the flowers curiously until he stops under a large tree in the middle. It was the only tree in the garden.

"What is this?" She asked, looking at the tree

"This is the tree of truth".

"Tree of truth?"

"Yes. You can't lie under it".

She laughs at the ridiculous thing, "You made that up, right?"

He turns to look at her with utter seriousness and she looks at him in shock.

"No way".

"I made that up, yes". He said, looking at the tree, "I wanted to believe that even if people can lie everywhere around me, at least, they won't lie here".

"Why did you made that up?"

"When I was young, I used to think that having the power of a King will give me the authority to do everything that I wish to". He said, as he leans on the tree, pulling her towards him, "I used to think of all the things I will give to people, a place I want to build and more".

She places her hand on his chest, "What change?"

"Politics. I didn't realise in my naive mind about the politics that will follow me. I didn't realise of betrayal and fraud. I think I fail to be a King".

She smiles slightly, looking in his eyes, "You know when do people actually fail?" He shakes his head as she added, "When they stop thinking, caring and trying. No one loses before that. There might be some failure along the way, but you don't know what lies at the end of the tunnel. If you stop in the middle because you think you are a failure or you are scared, you will never know what is at the end".

"So, you believe in me?"

"I never once stopped. I believed in you for five years". She said softly, "The fact that you realise your mistakes and want to correct them is progress. All you have to do is focus on what you need to do next".

He places a strand of her hair away, "The next step is to have my Queen by my side".

She did wear that stupid dress.

"If you laugh at me one more time when I fall, I swear I will make you wear this trash". She snapped and he immediately straightens himself, "Why is it so big?"

"You look beautiful".

"I don't need to know that. I am dying in this dress. Maybe they put me in this to kill me. You never know".

He hides his smile as he moves towards her, wrapping his arms around her.

"Just for a few days?"

"If you didn't change it. Don't even think I will leave you, I will stay and make you suffer".

"Of course. Isn't that why you placed a special condition in our agreement papers of our marriage, that I can't have another wife until you die and not even any of the servants?"

She smirks, "That was my right. I just did what I need to".

"I don't have to look around for anyone when I have you".

"Ok. Before I puke we should leave".

"People will be happy if you did that".

She slaps his shoulder, "Don't speak to me like that".

"The men who went to get the girls, where are they?" He asked, as he sits on his chair and she stands beside him

As much as he insisted to have her sit in his place, she rejected it. She didn't want this crown and its pressure. She did reject to wear her crown too.

"Here". The guard said bringing few men

"They are not the men that I fought". She spoke

"You cannot even hurt a flie. How dare a woman spoke in men matters?" His council member said

He slammed his hand on the side of his seat, silencing everyone, "Dare to disrespect your Queen again and I shall rip your tongue out".

"Bring me those men". She ordered as the guards run out

They waited for five minutes as the guards walk in without anyone.

"What is it?" He asked agitated

"The men killed themselves". The guards informed

He rises from his seat, holding her hand as they walk towards the guards' chamber. She opens the door to find all of them hanging from the wall with a letter that said they were guilty and they were the ones who always brought the girls to use them.

She clenches the paper in her hand, throwing it away as she marches back to his chamber. The anger that builds in her wasn't calming down. This was a scheme. This is a scheme.

"Reina". She heard his voice as he enters the chamber,  "Why did you move here?"

"You don't believe it, do you?"

"I don't. I don't believe it. I need you to calm down".

"Calm down? They were the only way to find out who did that to my people. I can't even get to the one who did it even after marrying you for my people. What's the use?"

He clenches his hand at her words, "Is that the only reason you married me?"

"What?"

"Is the reason you married me is for your people?"

"Do you think I am crazy enough to come to the place that took my parents away?"

"But, have I done something wrong to you? Will you leave after you get what you want? I can get you justice in a week, will you leave me?"

"I want to be clear about something". She said, placing her hand on her sides, "I agreed to your condition because you promised me that my people will never be harmed again. I agreed because you said that the girls who were wronged will get justice. I agreed because you said you want to build an empire that everyone can live in comfortably". She steps closer to him, "If even one of them is not fulfilled you will never see me again. That is my promise as your wife".

A month. A month passed away as they try to find any trail, but they found nothing. Everything was covered properly.

She picks the arrow to aim at the tree when she heard someone clear their throat. She turns to find Sherbanu father and she didn't bother as she shots on the tree.

"You must have realised that being a Queen is not everyone's job".

"I never thought there was qualifications level attached to being a Queen".

She hits the branch as an apple fell.

"Certainly not someone like you".

She turns to the old man, "You know what?" She steps closer to him, "I know all about your dirty secrets".

"What are you talking about?"

"You think I don't know who is behind everything that the King is trying to find". She places her hand on his shoulder as she pressed down, "You have lived on the lies and crimes long enough. I promise I will make you rest soon enough".

She picks the apple, walking towards him. He must be on his seat reading through some documents. She opens the door as everyone halted and as she walks in everyone looks down. She walks confidently towards him and his eyes shine as he looks at her, something she starts to notice. He rarely shows emotions around anyone. There are always emotions when she is around.

"What brings you here? I thought you were practising how to fight in your dress?" He asked, as he stands from his seat to help her climb the three steps to him

"Sarcasm doesn't suit a King".

"I am not a King right now, am I? I am just your husband".

She shrugged, "Look what I got you".

He looks at the apple in her hands, "They are done already?"

She nodded excitedly, "I just went to practice when I saw that they were done. I asked your guards to bring me my arrows but those idiots said a Queen must not do anything that could hurt her because she is to bear an heir".

"What did you do then?"

"I did nothing". She said, looking behind him and he raises his eyebrows, "I promise I did nothing".

"I believe you". He said, taking the apple from her hand as he was about to bite

"My King". The council said and they turn to them, "You cannot eat the food unless it is tested by someone. What if has poison?"

"I think I am more in danger with people around me than food". He said stern, "And I will not test anything that is brought by my Queen. Do not speak unless you are asked to".

"If I were to poison you, why will I work so hard to save you?"

"I want to know the reason". He said smiling, "Why did you work so hard to save me?"

She twisted her lips, "Don't you remember me?"

He was about to speak when someone came in for some issues and she left.

"Why didn't you tell me Jasim is your younger brother?"

She raises her head from her dagger looking at him, "Do you think I let any men roam around me like that?"

"That's not what I meant".

"We look same anyways. It should have been easy to figure it out".

"Sure".

"Why did you not say anything when I told you I killed your father? You asked me to marry you instead, are you in your senses?"

"I am glad you killed my father".

"What?"

"I said I am glad that you killed him. He didn't deserve to live any longer".

"Why is that?"

"At first, I thought the people around him made him take new women every night". He said, as he moves closer to her, placing his head in her lap and a frown appears on her head, "But, I realise that he was wrong. Sure everyone entices him to do wrong, he should have been strong enough to resist. He was a King of an empire he built and he can't control temptation? That's ridiculous. It's no one's fault but his own".

She moves his hair away from his face, "And you resisted it?"

"I will until the day I die. No matter how many people come to me, I will die than to do something like that". He spoke as a clear line of anger remains in his tone, "I will never betray you".

She nodded, "Let's go on a walk in the garden".

"I think you fell in love with my tree".

"That may or may not be true".

He stands from his position offering her his hand which she takes immediately. Holding his hand feels so special. His hand holds onto her in a tight grip that she can't resist how her heart acts because of it. She likes it. She likes his touch, his rare smile and his presence.

She heard a scream once they move into a corridor and she runs to it with him to find a guard dragging a young girl. He immediately takes his sword out, cutting off the hand that was holding the girl and she runs to the girl to find it from her town.

"What happened?" She asked desperately as she holds the weeping girl

"Why did you leave us? Why? They attacked us. They killed us. They killed everyone". The girl shouted, "They took all the women".

Her heart stopped.

She turns to look at him as her anger rising, "Is this why you took me away from there?"

"Reina-".

"Don't say my name". She shouted, as she moves away from his touch, "Just so you know if it comes down to fighting against you for my people, I will kill you".

She immediately runs away, holding her dress as she runs to his stable, taking his favourite horse running through the night. She enters her town to find it all burned down. Most of her people lying on the ground barely alive.

She stopped, jumping off her horse when she heard someone coming and she turned to find King with his army.

"Jasim". She shouted as she runs through the place, covering her face with a scarf, "Jasim".

She continued to run around until she reached their cabin. She opened the door and run inside.

"Jasim". She shouted as she found him bleeding on the floor, "No. No. Jasim, you can't do this. You can't leave me. Please, no".

"Appi". Jasim said coughing as he opens his eyes, "You are here".

"I am sorry. I am so sorry". She cried, holding him to her chest

"You don't have to be". Jasim said with a sad smile, "I got my wish".

"What wish?"

"I got to see you in a dress before I die".

His eyes close as a scream rips through her mouth, "Jasim".

And he was gone. Her little brother was gone.

*****

Just a quick question after your obvious anger for me, do you know about the special conditions that you can put in your agreement papers for marriage? Any point from your husband not marrying, to having monthly allowance or anything at all? And if he fails to fulfill those your agreement automatically ends.