New Life

"What is your reason?" Zainab suddenly asked the Prince, her voice laced with a confidence that surprised him. Slaves were usually obedient to their master and never talked back, but he couldn't blame her; she had only arrived at the palace two moon cycles ago.

"What do you think?" the Prince tilted his head to one side. Can he not even save his subject?

Zainab bit her lip, looking away from his face. "Perhaps there is a reason why you suddenly want to marry me."

"Indeed," he nodded. "There is a true reason, and that is to save you," he shrugged.

"But..." she looked away, unable to finish her statement. She had heard that the Prince was ruthless, so she was puzzled by his sudden kindness.

The Prince raised a brow, waiting for her to continue, but Zainab remained silent. He sighed, "I know this may be a bit overwhelming for you, but please trust me. I have good intentions." He smiled widely, his brown eyes blinking at her.

Zainab gulped, hoping he will stop smiling at least for a moment, because she felt her resolve slipping away; marrying the prince would mean a life of restrictions, hindering her from her goal. She needed freedom to move around in order to achieve what she came here for.

"Go in and rest, I will check on you later," the prince whispered gently.

Zainab nodded appreciatively, grateful that he had just saved her from the hands of death. However, the overwhelming reality of her situation still weighed heavily on her shoulders.

After the crown prince departed, Zainab found herself seated by the open window, being attended by maids.

Among them were two familiar faces from her own quarters, their eyes brimming with unasked questions.

Once the other maidens had left, leaving only the two familiar faces, Aisha, one of the girls hesitantly broke the silence. She whispered incredulously, "What happened, Zainab?" Her gaze lingered on Zainab's newly adorned light blue attire and beaded accessories, while the other maid, Binta focused on her braided ponytail embellished with cowries.

Zainab shrugged, observing them with suspicion. She couldn't bring herself to trust anyone yet; after all, it must have been one of the slave maids who had framed her.

Binta offered a strained smile, "You look good."

Zainab sighed, despite never being close with either of them, they seemed to be acting as if they knew her well.

The two maids exchanged awkward smiles as Zainab narrowed her eyes at them. "The gods have favored me. They know I was innocent and someone has framed me," she stated firmly.

Aisha approached her, nodding in agreement, "I always believed in your innocence. The Zainab I know would never steal. I'm glad you are vindicated."

"Will the Crown Prince really marry you?" Binta interjected eagerly. Zainab nodded in response. Binta added wistfully, "You are lucky," biting her lip.

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation.

"I shall go get it," Aisha said, rushing towards the door. When she opened it, she took a few steps back, her eyes falling to the ground.

The crown prince walked in, totally ignoring them, his eyes fixed on Zainab, his mouth slightly parted.

Zainab stood up from the stool, bowing her head.

He quickly reached for her and held her hand. "You look...," he scanned her from head to toe, a small curve appearing on his lips, "You are beautiful."

"Thank you, my prince," Zainab bowed, unsure of what to truly say.

"Shall we?" he extended his hand.

Her eyes widened, wondering where the crown prince was taking her.

"We have a family dinner. It is a tradition for all royal members to gather and feast."

"My... My... Pri... nice.."

"Lekan," he whispered, leaning towards her, his face just a few inches from hers, "Call me Lekan."

Zainab blinked, "Okay," she gulped.

"You are royal now, so don't back down from this," he smiled, took her hand, and they began walking out. Before Zainab left, she caught Aisha and Binta peeping at them.

To others, this might be a dream come true, but not to Zainab. This was worse than her normal life. Yes, working as a slave maid was hard, but at least no one knew her. She could move freely without anyone stealing glances at her. But not anymore. As she walked hand in hand with the Crown Prince, she saw the other maids whispering, their eyes growing wide at the new sight of her. Well, even she herself was still shocked about her new life. She saw a few elders passing, their gazes fixed on her, some shaking their heads. How was she going to live this new life, drawing people's attention?

"You are going to be alright," Lekan whispered when he saw the fear in her eyes, his grip on her hand tightening.

Zainab looked at him, nodding, then her gaze looked ahead instead. Would she be fine? Wouldn't people, especially the royal family, mistreat her when the Prince was away?

The dining hall was large, long chairs sat in the middle, guards stood on all sides, and there was a long window with the evening sun pouring into the room.

The king and queen were already seated, next to them were the princesses, the twins that looked so identical that it was hard to differentiate them. The only thing different was the way they kept their hair - one liked to keep it up, while the other brought hers down.

Whispers spread when Lekan and Zainab walked in. It was probably the palace maids, but the whispers caught the attention of the royal family, and they turned their gaze towards the door where the prince was coming in with Zainab.

The two princesses looked at each other, then their gazes fell on Zainab. They must have heard of what happened today.

"I will be fine," Zainab whispered to herself. Her free hand turning into a fist.

However, as she and the prince was beginning to walk in, the king barked, "Why have you brought this thief to dine with us?"