The Sultan's Daughter (Princesses Uncovered #5)

Chapter 29: Truths Revealed

Fath was beginning to think something was wrong with Akila.

It had been a week since his talk with her about his dinner at the Sultan’s palace and Yaz’s refusal to court him.

Since then, he had found her asleep by the pool in the bathing chambers every morning, tear tracks dried onto her lovely face, a sad smile on her face as she slept.

He had sometimes traced his fingers down her high cheekbones, marveling at the fine structure of her face and the softness of her skin. Sometimes, she woke with a start, grass-green eyes staring up at him with bewilderment and then astonishment as she hastily apologized for not going back to her oil pot like she should’ve.

There was sometimes fear in her eyes when she woke, as though she was seeing not him but someone else in his place. Her look of pure loathing and terror when she would wake to him leaning over her both frightened him and made him sad.

He had to confront her about it.

Her apparent sadness and her sudden lack of interest in life or in eating shocked him.

So, one evening, after dinner, he pulled her into his bedroom, shut his door, and stood there, staring at her in silence, waiting for her to admit what was troubling her.

She stared at the floor, keeping her gaze away from him. “You wanted to speak with me, Fath?” She murmured.

He nodded. “I do… Akila…” He hesitated, unsure what to say.

Sighing, he sat down on the bed, staring at her with helpless worry. “What’s wrong?”

She looked up at him for a moment, her green eyes meeting his with a hint of tears and sadness.

“Akila… You can tell me anything. You know that, right? I really care. I want to help…” Fath murmured, taking her hands and pulling her down beside him on the bed.

She nodded, a tear tracking its way down her cheek to splash on his hand, which still wrapped hers in warmth and caring.

“So what’s wrong? Is it me?” Fath whispered, brushing away her tears with his thumb.

She looked away, biting her lip.

“I keep finding you asleep on the floor in the bathing chambers. You always look like you spent the night crying yourself to sleep, and even now, your eyes are red-rimmed. Why?” He murmured, his thumb brushing her wrist in gentle circles.

She shook her head, unwilling to tell him. “I cannot tell you, Fath. I am sorry. But my curse as a djinn… It keeps me from speaking of this matter unless… Unless you discover it for yourself and bring it up.” She whispered, her tears continuing to trail down her cheeks and land on his brown, work-worn hands.

He sighed. “I will discover the topic then, Akila… I will discover it, bring it up, and heal the brokenness I see in you. I…I cannot bear to see you like this.” Fath bit his lip, unsure if he should continue. “You know, since I have discovered you, I have grown to feel something very deep for you. Protection… Caring… Understanding, maybe. I don’t know how to describe it, exactly, but I would almost venture to say… I think I might be…” He shook his head. “No… I can’t say that until I know for sure. I can’t do that to you.” He murmured.

She stared at him with those reflective, wide green eyes. “I want to tell you the truth about what’s bothering me, what is hurting me so badly that some nights I feel I can hardly breathe… But I can’t…”

Fath looked down at the cherry wood floor. “Maybe… Akila, you don’t have to sleep on that hard, tiled floor. Sleep in the room connected to mine… Be comfortable. Don’t deal with this problem, whatever it is, all alone.”