The door creaked softly, letting in a breath of morning light into the small room.
Nahia stepped in on tiptoe.
In the quiet wing reserved for the servants, dawn bathed the room in a pale, almost unreal glow.
Even though she and her sister Amaya weren't truly maids, they had been lodged here since arriving at the palace.
To her surprise, Amaya was still there. Already awake, she was sitting on her bed, looking intrigued.
"Where have you been?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Nahia replied with an enigmatic smile. She looked at her sister without hesitation. Amaya was the only one who knew the truth: Nahia's eyes—one a vivid green, the other a clear blue.
A strange, unforgettable detail she never had to hide from her.
"I found... a friend," she murmured.
Amaya stood speechless, frozen as if she'd misheard. Then, she burst into laughter.
"You? Nahia the loner? You made a friend?! Tell me who it is, now!"
But Nahia shook her head with a dreamy smile. The secret was still too precious. She wasn't ready to share it.
Amaya, ever playful, had no intention of giving up so easily.
"Alright... You'll see!" she shouted as she pounced on her.
Laughter filled the room, muffled by pillows and teasing voices. A rare moment, suspended in the chaos of their lives.
It was in this joyful mess that Amira gently opened the door. She paused, moved by the scene.
"What are you two up to?" she asked softly.
The sisters froze, still out of breath.
Amira stepped forward, her gaze bright.
Then, she held out her hand to Nahia, as if offering something important.
"Nahia… I have a proposal for you. Assad, now officially the Sheikh, is looking for two discreet, reliable young women to assist him. And I thought of you."
A silent breath filled the room.
"But if you'd prefer something calmer… I can help you with that too. What matters most is that you find your place."
Nahia's heart raced.
She thought of her sister.
Of the future she wanted to offer her.
Of freedom.
"Thank you, Amira… I'll do everything I can to be worthy."
Amira gently stroked her cheek, emotional.
"I never doubted you."
Amaya, still silent, looked at her sister with admiration.
She understood, without a word, that something had just changed.
A new beginning.
---
The sun had barely risen when Nahia adjusted her veil, carefully concealing her face—especially her eyes, that green and blue gaze that gave her away too easily.
She took a deep breath, smoothed her tunic, then walked through the palace corridors beside Amira, heading to the royal staff waiting room.
As soon as they entered, Nahia felt eyes turning toward her.
Some curious, others cold.
She lowered her gaze, humble and silent.
Next to her stood another young woman—tall, proud: Lina.
Her eyes met Nahia's briefly—just long enough to read an icy hostility in them.
Another girl from nowhere… her eyes said, without a word.
Amira motioned for them to step forward.
"The Sheikh will be here shortly. Be respectful, discreet, efficient. No questions. No chatter."
Nahia nodded silently.
Lina rolled her eyes, already annoyed.
Then, the grand golden doors opened.
Assad entered.
His presence filled the room like a silent wave.
Even without daring to look at him, Nahia felt it—powerful, calm, different.
She bowed her head, hand over heart.
Through the veil, only a glimmer of her mismatched eyes shone through, imperceptible... but not to him.
And in that brief silent exchange, he seemed to notice her. Not for her beauty, but for something deeper.
Something she herself didn't yet understand.
"Follow me," he said simply.
Nahia and Lina walked behind him through the palace's golden corridors.
And while silence reigned around them, Nahia made herself a promise.
She wasn't there to please.
She wasn't there to be seen.
She was there to give Amaya a future.
To be useful.
To rise, in her own way.
So even if Lina despised her...
Even if the stares were heavy...
Even if her heart trembled with uncertainty...
She would keep moving forward.
One step at a time.
Always.