Fibs and Fables

The whispers spread like wildfire: Murtasim Khan had proposed marriage to the Maliks. Though disguised as an olive branch, anyone with a brain could see the cold tactics involved in this power play. Marrying Malik Mukhtar's only daughter would mean that Murtasim Khan would have rights to every ancestral property of the Maliks, and his heirs would inherit the legacy of two powerful clans.
It was a power move that the onlookers knew the Maliks would have to concede to, men and women harboring a fearful admiration for Murtasim Khan's relentless pursuit for power.
But was that all? Was riches, land, and unmatched authority the only motive for the proposal? Or were they even a part of the motive? Was Meerab Malik soon-to-be Khan, just a pawn in this game of chess, or was she the Queen, the King's fiercest protector?
PS: Not the regular Enemies-to-lovers