Smash! Several glasses broke as the man turned the table upside down. The rest of the people watched him in disbelief.
Zuneir didn't care. His hazel eyes met his father's with a cold threat. Though the King of Almaas acted unmoved, his heart trembled.
When he mentioned marriage, the King expected resistance—just not such an outburst. His son wasn't easily angered.
Additionally, he never got violent, no matter the crap the king threw at him.The livid prince turned towards his father, ready to grab his collar, when he heard his name.
"Zuneir, stop right there!" He halted in his steps, but his blood didn't stop boiling.
"Brother?" and then his anger evaporated. He turned around to look at her. Inaya looked scared as she stood from her chair. The hesitation in her eyes was apparent, yet her legs took the step. A hand held her back, or at least attempted to.
The fourteen-year-old shrugged off her mother and walked towards her brother. Zuneir ignored the rest of the people, including his mother. He could always apologize later.
At the moment, his gaze was fixed on his favorite sibling. Stepsister or not, she was one of the few people who placed a smile on his face. She always found a way to make him happy, no matter how sad he was.
Inaya wrapped her arms around his waist as her head rested on his chest. Incapable of resisting her loving gesture, he wrapped his arms around her immediately.
"It's okay, brother. Don't get mad. It's unhealthy for you. My teacher told me that people who frequently get angry tend to develop wrinkles earlier. Your handsome face will turn old and ugly if you can't control this bad temper of yours."
The rest of the members at the table sighed in relief. At least he was no longer throwing things around. His mother chuckled at the interaction. She gave the little girl an adoring smile, which faltered upon seeing the glare directed towards her son.
Her co-wife, Azeezah, never hid her dislike of Zuneir. She despised the prince for everything that he was. Her hatred was fueled even further when she realized the special bond her lastborn shared with her stepbrother.
Inaya moved her head from his embrace and looked into her brother's eyes. His hazel orbs twinkled in a smile at her. He could never look at her with anything but a smile.
"I apologize for scaring you, princess. How about I make it up to you? Since someone decided to ruin my breakfast, let's go outside and have some. Just you and me. Will that be okay?"His question was intentionally made loud enough for the rest to hear.
His blood sister Zaytuna pouted. "Elder brother, aren't you two being unfair? I want to join too. Please. May I join you? Little sister, wouldn't it be better if I join as well?"
Before Zuneir could refuse his sister, Inaya smiled at Zaytuna and nodded. "Yes. Let's go. Just the three of us. Brother, let me get something from the room."
She pulled at the edge of his shirt, silently asking him to bend to her height. Once he complied, Inaya pecked his cheek. "Love you, brother."
He smiled as he watched her run out of the dining room. In a hurry, she forgot to excuse herself as per royal etiquette. Zuneir turned his attention back to his father, the smile gone.
"Old man, I will not let you use me to create more connections for you. If you feel desperate enough, you can marry the princess. After all, you are allowed to marry as many women as you like.
You already have three wives as it is. I am certain that they won't mind. If you will excuse me, I have a date with my little princess. Zaytuna, shall we?"
He extended his arm, waiting for her to lock hers with his.
His sister smiled, unfazed by his hurtful words towards their father. The pair of siblings walked out hand in hand, leaving behind six angry and bitter people. Unlike the rest, his mother Zuneirah sighed, burying the disappointment she felt.
Hassan banged the table and stood. Now that his unruly son was gone, he was brave enough to vent his anger.
"Woman, how did you raise your child? He is becoming increasingly unruly by the day. I swear, one of these days, I shall snatch the crown prince title from him and give it to someone more obedient.
After all, I have three more sons who are willing and less of a headache. Such a mannerless being. He must have inherited it from you. Where on earth did I even collect you from?"
He walked out after hurting his second wife with those words. A boisterous chuckle rang in the air once he was gone. The third wife, Azeezah, enjoyed it whenever Hassan vented his anger on Zuneirah. She hated the pair of mother and son.
"Don't you have manners? Why are you laughing like a witch at the table? Shut up and eat your food. What kind of hole did you crawl from? Laughing like a market seller instead of a king's wife."
The chastising words came from the Queen of the Kingdom of Almaas, also the first wife, Batul. If she were to pick between her co-wives, she would pick Zuneirah over Azeezah any day.She disliked unruly people.
Between Azeezah and Zuneirah, the former was uncultured in her dealings and often behaved like a banshee. The latter was more collected and preferred to maintain her cool. She hardly spoke out of turn.
Zuneirah avoided arguments whenever possible. Although she didn't have children of her own, Batul liked Zuneirah's children more. The business wasn't lost to the others. Like their mother, both Zuneir and Zaituna were almost always collected and wise in their actions.
Azeezah and her children were birds of a feather. They inherited the worst genes from both parents. She was glad that the youngest princess was pure of heart and just in her actions.
Azeezah gritted her teeth in anger but couldn't speak back. She was below the Queen in status. No matter how badly she wanted to speak back, she couldn't do it. She swallowed her anger and silently proceeded to eat.
Her children didn't interfere. They watched on silently, enjoying the drama. A peaceful day was ruined for everyone. Except now, the man who began the chaos was sitting in a private eatery having a heartful meal with his beautiful sisters.
Zaytuna and Inaya shared an understanding glance. Although they had an age gap of four years, the two sisters were best of friends. They were the only girls in a family of six offspring.
Zuneir didn't miss their interaction. He let it slide as he continued enjoying his meal. After they were fully seated, the table was cleared. The prince let his mask fall and gave his sisters a meaningful and indulgent look.
"Brother, why did you react so badly to the news of an Alliance? Isn't it a good thing? You work hard every day to ensure that the Kingdom is safe.Isn't this an opportunity for you to finally get a break?"
Zaytuna asked, Inaya nodding in agreement. The two were a pair of peas in a pod. They shared a lot in common despite having different mothers. "Well, .." He began.