The Prince's Heart (Ziall, Niam)

Chapter 14

Afterwards, Zayn and I looked around the shops a bit more. Even after I refused, he bought me a chain necklace with a sword hanging from it. He said it would remind me of him. He told me to hold it when I'm feeling lonely or alone. He said he hopes it would bring me some comfort because even though we're apart he wants a piece of him with me. 

After that speech, of course, I had no choice but to accept it. And besides, I like the idea of keeping a piece of Zayn with me at all times. Maybe I'll get one of Liam's too.

We also watched a street play which is basically a play in the middle of the street. I know for a fact that there's always a different play every Monday at precisely 6 in the afternoon but it's my first time to actually watch one. 

The girl on the medium sized stage had her face buried in her hands, giving the false pretence that she's crying which I assume she's attempting to do. Another girl is standing off in a corner, laughing her head off. Its only when they showed a boy looking longingly at the weeping girl before being pulled away by the second girl did we finally understand. 

Apparently, the boy has to choose between the weeping girl and the second girl and when he finally chooses the weeping girl, he is too late and the girl has decided to hang herself. I had to hold back tears when the boy walked into a makeshift room only to find the previously weeping girl hanging 3 feet off the ground with a rope tied around her neck.

Zayn held my hand the entire time and after the boy commits suicide as well, he pulls me away and begins whispering in my ear while I drenched his shirt with tears.

We found ourselves 5 minutes later sitting down on a bench just staring at people pass by. 

I stare at the people walking by. They don't recognize me and I don't recognize them. Who are they? Is that lady a doctor? Does that man with a scruffy beard have children? Is that girl getting proper education or is she staying at home helping her mother? Do they know that I'm the prince? Do they know that my heart and my thoughts are in a battle?

I think of the street play. The boy had to choose between the weeping-- now dead--girl. It made me think of how I'm expected to choose between Zayn and Liam. Except that in the play, it was pretty obvious that the boy should have just chosen the first girl. Although, since I didn't watch the entire thing, maybe the boy's family were in grave trouble and he needed to pick the second girl in order to save them. 

Again, it made me think about Zayn and Liam. 

I shook my head internally. I am not that boy! First of all, I choose both Zayn and Liam. I don't love anyone better than the other. Secondly, even though I'm marrying Liam to protect our kingdom and our people, I'm also marrying him because I love him (Haven't I stated it enough that I do) and because if I don't get married to him, my mom or dad is gonna look for some other strong kingdom and force me to marry another prince, another stranger. 

I turn my head and look at Zayn. He's staring at everything and nothing at the same time. The silence between us is comforting but silence gives me headaches due to overthinking. I shake my thoughts away and speak up. 

"That was embarrassing"

Zayn chuckled. "Quite. He just tripped over himself and grabbed a woman's bosom in the process. Did you see the lady's face? If her friend didn't pull her away she might have hit that man with her bag."

I rolled my eyes fondly. Zayn practically cracked up when a man passing by tripped and groped a woman by accident. "I didn't mean that. I meant me crying"

"Oh" Zayn's eyes softened. "It's perfectly normal for you to cry. I wanted to cry as well but I had to hold it in"

My eyebrows furrowed. "Why?"