Acceptance Is Treachery

Chapter 21

"What are you doing, Queen?" Hadija laughed with a hand on her hip. Nazia, was too busy adorning her priceless jewellery, that she almost ignored her lady-in-waiting.

"Nothing much, Hadija. I'm just getting dolled up." Nazia replied while she placed her third gold necklace on her cream-coloured skin.

"My Queen, I do have a pair of eyes. I can see what you are doing." Hadija giggled, proceeding to braid Nazia's hair.

Her remark resulted in Nazia rolling her eyes.

"Why are you dolling up, Queen?" Hadija asked as she placed a bobby pin in Nazia's beautiful brown ringlets.

"Well, if you must know." Nazia began as she wore her gold and turquoise bangles.

"Emperor Gaurav and King Ram are going to Faizabad to sign a treaty with Father! The feuds of Faizabad and Uttarakhand are going to end Hadija!" Nazia exclaimed looking at Hadija for a brief moment.

"Sultan Azman agreed to sign a treaty with Uttarakhand! On Eid-al-Adha!?" Hadjia asked in utter shock and happiness, Nazia nodded in reply.

"Yes! That is why I'm dolling up. We would have to go to Faizabad soon!" Nazia smiled while she shook her bangles, watching the bangles slowly fall and stack up orderly.

"We get to eat meat, Queen?!" Hadija asked excitedly.

Nazia nodded and laughed at Hadija's excitement.

"You will be eating meat. Not me. I'm married to a Hindu-Brahmin and I wish to respect his views." Nazia mumbled raising her head from her lap.

Face-to-face with the large mirror, she noticed the gold and red silk uttariya that hung lazily on the bed's wooden poster.

Noticing that Nazia was trying to hide a smile, Hadija placed a hairpin with force into Nazia's scalp. Receiving a glare from Nazia in return.

"Queen. I've always wanted to ask you a question. Why were Uttarakhand and Faizabad constantly at war?" Hadija asked as she placed more hairpins to hold down Nazia's thick curls.

"From what I know, Uttarakhand, Faizabad, Jaunpur and Fatehpur are all cities that are inter-linked with one another. All of them form one single state. Fatehpur and Jaunpur don't really have that much of a feud as they have an equal number of Muslims and Hindus. However inhabitants of Uttarakhand and Faizabad, are either predominantly Hindus or Muslims." Nazia began while she played with her priceless bangles.

"Due to this, whenever we wanted to build a Mosque, a Temple might be in the process of being built and vice-versa. Not to mention the lack of resources since we shared the same drainage system." Nazia explained.

"Now I understand why you're so happy that the two states are finally at peace, Queen." Hadija smiled while she placed the last hairpin in Nazia's long, luscious brown braid.

"Come on now, Queen let's go to Faizabad." Hadija giggled while she placed her hands on Nazia's shoulders.

"For the meat or for the treaty?" Nazia replied as she raised an eyebrow.

"Hmm, both!" Hadija yelled in glee.

The both of them then proceeded to leave for Faizabad.