Till Fate Tie Us Together...

Chapter 18: Love is never enough

      "Your Majesty."

        It wasn't a call or a command, it was merely a statement that she uttered to make herself known. But something about her gaze made him drop his hand, that held Ada's.

      "What are you doing here?" He found his voice and questioned her.

        "I'll leave." Ada bowed her head before him and her, and walked out of the room.

        "Your stitches have torn open, it seems." She pointed to his abdomen, the cloth around it forming a enlarging patch of red.

        "I didn't quite notice it." He sat on the edge of the bed, pulling the bandages apart.

Her shadow fell on him, he stopped and looked up at her, her hands were spread apart, "Let me." She muttered. He let her. She bent down and her hands worked around his torso to undo the bandages. Her proximity did make him uncomfortable. Not again! He thought as his breath hitched as her curls brushed against his shoulder.

"Oh it is ripped. Just a little." She looked around the room for sewing supplies.

The surprising factor was Salim could bear the pain. It stung only a little because his attention was focused on her. He had failed to notice his own wife. Even a blind man could comprehend that she was very beautiful, exotic even. But it also made him furious to think that his heart only revolved around Ada. He thought himself a fool that he couldn't cut off strings of his first love.

After she was finished, she let him go, stood calmly in front of him.

       "Am I hallucinating or are you not acting like the woman you were before our marriage?" He wanted to pose that question from a while ago. She always seemed demure and tamed after their wedding. She stayed quietly and made no hassle around the palace. She didn't even acknowledge him when he went around convincing Ada, that surprised him. The cunning and conniving princess had turned into a tamed and demure wife.

        "I was Princess of the Isles before marrying you, now I'm just your wife."

      Salim involuntarily yawned, his mind swarmed with confusion as to what she meant by it.

       "I should let your majesty rest, I'll leave."

       "Where would you stay?!" He stopped her.

        "Surely there must be a spare room in this mansion."

       "Cottage." He sighed as he laid down and his eyes drooped.

     "Hmm? What?"

     "It's not a mansion. It's a cottage."

      ***

             "Salim's wife is here?!" Jellal asked her settling himself on the diwan.

       "Hmm...yes, she arrived just now." Ada told him.

             "She brought an army." Jellal walked beside her to see a cluster of men around a fire in front of the cottage. Another three circling the house.

"I see..." Ada sighed.

***

Jellal was deep asleep in a few minutes. After sensing his rhythmic breaths, Ada quietly slipped out of the bed. She took a candle, and stepped out the room in search of an unoccupied room. The tiles were chilly under her feet as she found an unused room on the third landing.

Settling the candle on a dusty table, she opened the window. Cool breeze blew in, teasing her hair, goosebumps rose on her skin as she peeked out of the darkness. Apart from the occasional lookouts carrying a torch, there was nothing. She felt her neck for a thin golden chain and pulled it out, feeling the tip of whistle, she pressed to her mouth and blew thrice.