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 Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2020 8:04 pm
Something was up but Faisal wasn't certain of what exactly it was. The young swordsman had been busy helping his grandmother with duties around the estate, his role as the heir becoming more and more apparent by the day. While his mother was busy helping to establish more medical centers and training new healers, Faisal found himself learning more numbers and more politics so that he could fit into the noble society. He was so busy that he missed the occasional looks from his grandmother and the secret notes being taken in and out of the manor to someone else in Sulburi. Eventually though it seemed that things were going to be revealed whenever his grandmother asked him to escort her to a local café in the neighborhood.
It was in the upper district and even had private rooms for more important meetings between families and businessmen. Faisal of course didn't think anything of it since his grandmother often enjoyed taking the occasional stroll with her grandson whenever she felt strong enough. Truly he never would have expected his grandmother out of all people to pull such a prank on him. Even when she had him fix his hair and had him in nicer clothing than usual he only hesitated a moment before shrugging it off. "I just want my grandson to look really nice in case we run into anyone I know." She had protested with a small smile and the hybrid's heart went out to her. His grandmother was such a dainty noble that had only ever shown him kindness so why would he doubt her words? His mother was also away from the city on business and he was the only one to really escort his grandmother....so why not?
"Okay, let's go." Faisal linked his arm with the older Oban woman's and carefully escorted her from their manor and into the upper districts. The manors here could afford actual area around their estates, the gardens and tall fences a sign of the nobility and wealth gathered in the area. Eventually they did make their way to a center with some shops and eateries, a calmer more ornate area in comparison to the bustling lower markets and their food stalls. The café in question was behind the center fountain that bubbled up with water, a luxury in the Oban desert, and it even had a marble archway covered in decorative vines before opening up into a spacious interior with an area for musicians and performers. Round tables and chairs set scattered around the café and Faisal was about to head towards their usual spot whenever his grandmother tugged at his arm. "What is it, grandmother?" He asked with a slight frown before she led him behind one of the side rooms, a private area with a table to sit at least six people but was only set for two. "You wanted something discreet today?" That was unlike her....
"Well actually..." His grandmother smiled warmly towards him as she spoke sweetly, too sweetly and finally Faisal realized that something really was going on. "I'm going to need you to stay here while I go and place the order, okay? It's a surprise but I really hope that you'll do your grandmother this favor by staying here to meet my friend when they arrive."
"Grandmother..." Faisal pulled away with a frown. "Did you trick me here to make me sit through something?" He crossed his arms and stared towards the older Oban, his gaze flicking between her and the heavy curtains that marked the doorway to the little room. There were only two sets of eatery on the table and were....were those roses in the vase? His amber gaze flashed even more as he started to think about his grandmother's words and attitude the past couple of weeks. "Mother told you that I didn't need-"
"Ah, but you're older and your mother isn't around now." His grandmother raised a hand to cut him off with a slight chuckle. "Additionally even if she doesn't admit to it I did help with pulling your parents together." The Oban gave a slight wink, her crimson gaze playful and sparkling like a youngling's instead of an elder as she studied her grandson. "Just bare with it for me, please? I spoke with her father and she's a very lovely young woman. Just two hours? More if you like her?
"Grandmother!" Faisal felt his cheeks flushed. She truly had tricked him into coming here so that she could try to set him up with someone? "What if I don't like her, hmm? "
"Would be a shame since we've already prepared a marriage contract. You should at least try to get to know your fiancée before hating her." Ah, there it was. The word fiancée hung heavy in the air like some sort of phantom that had just punched him in the face. "I'm sorry, darling. Tricking you was the only way to get you to come here. Just try for me? It's for the best."
"I'll sit through dinner." Faisal finally replied through gritted teeth. "But we'll talk about this contract later, Grandmother." He knew that he was the heir and expected to carry the family legacy and that his grandmother had to probably work hard to convince another family to give their daughter to a hybrid like him. Even if they had vast amounts of wealth and influence that was with his grandmother's pure Oban name. His father's military prestige along with his mother's accomplishments had kept them in power but all eyes were on the hybrid son to see what he could accomplish for the family name. His grandmother was leaving everything to him and not to his mother after all as he was the chosen heir. His mother had refused the role once his grandmother recovered from her sickness so that she could continue working with the army and other healers. So it was to be expected that his grandmother would be arranging his marriage one day but Faisal had hoped that he would at least have some say in whom he would marry....Welp. I got tricked and looks like I'll just have to endure whatever today holds. He could only shake his head slightly before watching his grandmother leave the room, his hands clenched in frustration as he was left alone in the overly ornate room to wait on whatever girl was being thrusted at him.
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Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2020 2:58 pm
Ever since first light Sariza had been in a near constant state of confusion. Her lessons for the day had been dismissed in favor of a rare bit of personal time with her father. The man had claimed it was necessary to make sure her wardrobe was up to standard, which she'd assumed meant taking a trip to the best smith in Sulburi for new plate armor...Instead, she'd been trussed up in garment after garment all day, each as wispy as the last, until at last the perfect piece had been found.
Sariza had never been particularly fond of formal wear. She could adore them from afar, watching with envy as noble women traipsed about as light as air, but on her muscular frame they never really turned out the same. So when her father had insisted she try some on it had almost been tempting to refuse. What was the point? Even though she'd been born with a generous amount of curves it wasn't as if she looked feminine. Hours later, however, and even she couldn't hide the fact that she looked as pretty as she felt. Scarlet fabric pooled around her legs and hugged her body in a lover's embrace. By the time she was given a pair of golden sandals she looked almost like a true lady.
"Are we expecting guests?" Sariza asked, wincing a little as her dreads were pulled tighter around her head. Her father stood by as her hair was styled into a delicate bun that was to be held in place by a golden hair pin. She may have thought that was it, but then the same handmaiden who had helped her to get ready started in on her cosmetics as well. It was...beyond strange, especially since she'd never wore anything resembling makeup in her life and thus kept blinking even when the poor woman told her not to.
"No, I just thought I out to surprise you."
"Oh....well, thank you." She tried to smile kindly at him only to have her face tapped with the end of an eyeshadow brush.
When he announced that they would be going out Sariza felt her heart leap into her throat. Out, as in out in the city, where others could see her? She really almost backed out then, but once he slipped her arm around his she knew she was caught. Still, a pair of her felt...good, letting others see. Several people stopped to greet the Brigadier General as he milled about the upper district, even more so once they realized the beauty on his arm was his daughter.
She'd thought it all too good to be true....until it was. Hakan escorted Sariza to a pristine cafe a few moments before telling her in no simple terms that he was being 'called away'. When she'd asked to where he couldn't say; only that he shouldn't be gone long, that she should go ahead and meet with his 'friend' on behalf of the family. Did it...did it have something to do with the older woman he'd spotted on their way in? Furrowing her brow, Sariza turned towards him, but found Hakan on his way out the door.
Well this was....just great. Perfect even.
Taking a deep breath, Sariza picked up the skirt of her dress and kept making her way towards the back. Whatever kind of meeting this was it had clearly been important enough for the man to have her dressed up so the least she could do was -
"Oh."
Her eyes widened as she stepped into the room. The only other occupant was a young hybrid and one she'd met before, at that! Did he work with her father? And why was he also dressed so...nicely....?
Were those roses?
"What is this?"
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Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2020 4:22 pm
Talk about poise... Faisal had discovered a small golden incense burner in the room and was studying it whenever someone else entered. It had smelled of cinnamon and some other intriguing spices that made the back of his neck warm with a flush as he could only imagine what their purpose was. "Oh!" He let out a soft gasp in surprise as the incense burner almost tumbled from his fingertips and onto the floor. Despite his initial fumbling, Faisal caught the burner and quickly dropped it back onto the table. He had thought to try blowing it out but the sudden appearance of his fiancée caught him off guard. Faisal truly hadn't been prepared to face her, especially after being tricked into this meeting, and especially hadn't expected to see the girl from the festival!
"You....you?" He managed with a flurry of blinks before shaking his head slightly. "I mean, I just....really?" At this point it was more a prayer to the gods for the surprising twist of fate. From accusing each other of thievery to being engaged? Faisal almost hadn't recognized her because of how elegant she looked today. His amber gaze was warm despite his shock, despite the situation it was hard not to appreciate how nice she looked today. If anything it added even more to the surprises that seemed to be coming at him nonstop this afternoon. "Sorry, I guess I should try that again." He managed after a thoughtful moment. "If you didn't know then my name is Faisal and I apparently am supposed to be having dinner with you today, miss." He quirked a brow teasingly, "Much better than trying to drag each other off to the guard, right?" More importantly was the question of if she knew exactly why they were meeting here today.
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Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2020 12:44 pm
Sariza's grip on her dress slowly loosened allowing the scarlet fabric to tumble gently around her legs. She awkwardly moved her arms up to her waistline and folded them around her stomach as if subconsciously covering herself. "Am I such a bad person to see?" Her question was on the quieter side, if not a little meek in her nervousness. Surely he was expecting her father, but hopefully she would be able to help with whatever problems he had in the time being. Who would have known that the man she'd accused of theft would be here today?
"It's a pleasure to formally meet you, Faisal." She smiled a little warmer now as she dipped to curtsy. At least it didn't seem like she was the only one who was nervous. "My name is Sariza and if you're unaware of who I am then you should know that my father is Brigadier General Hakan." At first she had hoped that would clear up whatever misunderstandings there may have been, and yet...the setting itself was the biggest confusion of all.
She couldn't help furrowing her brows as she looked about. "My father asked me to come here today, but I'm not sure why. I assumed it had something to do with his recent deployment, and yet....there are roses." Not to mention the fact that she was far from the only one trussed up. It was hard enough to look at him with her own nerves working against her, but every look she snuck at him caused Sariza's heart to stop.
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Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2020 7:23 pm
Faisal's gaze widened in shock and he actually felt the faintest of flushes warming the back of his neck. She's cute? The hybrid was absolutely astounded by the sudden change in attitude in comparison to their first meeting. It made him tug awkwardly at his own silk tunic, the golden embroidery gleaming in the candlelight (spirits candles too?!) against the deep indigo color. Now that his mind was catching up to the reality of the situation everything was making much more sense. The outfit, the decorations, the secrecy....the everything. He just wasn't expecting his fiancée to be her. Not that he minded! Or rather not that he knew to mind it just yet? They only had ever met once and most of their interactions that day had been the result of a major misunderstanding. Needless to say it was strange to see her so dressed up and almost sounding....meek? Faisal quickly found himself shaking his head at her question. "No! I mean....it's not that you're a bad person, right? We barely know each other so how can I judge after all?" He forced a chuckle as he studied her, "We at least know that neither of us are thieves but I must admit that I was not expecting to see you here. "
"A pleasure indeed." Faisal found himself acknowledging before giving a slight bow in response to her curtsy. The young swordsman had been raised and trained in formalities yet seeing the girl from the festival had taken him by such surprise that he had nearly forgotten himself. "I apologize, I'm not myself right now." He offered with a slight smile. "Let me begin again. My name is Faisal and I'm the grandson and heir of the Lady Cyrillia from the Northern house. I am honored to be meeting with Bridgadier General Hakan's lovely daughter today." The Northern House. The noble family that basically had as much power as any of the higher royals. Not that they were extremely openly active after his grandfather's death nearly twenty years ago apparently. Still, Faisal knew that his grandmother's name could hold some weight throughout Oba, especially in the military with her connections and his parents' own standings there. He hated introducing himself like that because it almost felt like bragging but Sariza's father also stirred his mind. He was after all a very important and influential leader as well, especially in the military. "It's all making a lot more sense now." He murmured thoughtfully as he found himself studying Sariza a bit more. A bold move to bring an older house back into connections with renowned military one. Was his grandmother hoping to bring some more active connections into the name so that they could start pulling more openly active weight in Oba again? But his grandmother preferred shadow politics so....that didn't exactly connect. Maybe Brigadier General Hakan was more open to a hybrid son-in-law so his grandmother had eagerly latched on? Faisal shoved the thoughts aside. It was something that he would surely figure out later. Faisal currently had to pay attention to his company who apparently had no idea why she was here! "Seems like they pulled over one on you as well." He managed with a laugh, his gaze gleaming with amusement before he gestured towards the table. "You may want to sit but I recently found out the real reason we both got ditched here by our wonderful guardians."
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Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2020 7:18 pm
[3/7]
The deep indigo of his tunic really brought out the shine in his eyes...which was something she most certainly was not focusing on. Sariza swallowed her breath and tried to keep her attention everywhere other than Faisal. And..."Oh, no, I assure you I'm not a bad person! I graduated top of my class and I've strived to be nothing less than a model citizen." The worry that he didn't think she was up to snuff for the interaction made her stand a little straighter and, dare she do it, try her best to look him in the eye. There was no mistaking the slight nervous wiggle in her toes, though, or the way her skin warmed.
Ah, so he's one of those boys. Of course she'd heard of the Northern noble house; it would have been impossible not too. Even if her father hadn't developed connections with them she doubted that escaping their influence would have even been possible. And yet, knowing who they were also meant she knew about the fair skinned matori woman kept in their ranks and her hybrid sons.
But to hear that he was the heir....now that was something she hadn't expected.
"I...alright, then," cautiously Sariza moved towards the table and took a seat. If she'd been curious before she was outright confused now. What was it he knew that she didn't? "Whatever information you have I would appreciate hearing it. I don't like secrets."
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Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2020 11:32 am
Ah, there was a little bit of pride back. Faisal smiled warmly at her assertions about her character. "I believe you." If anything she sounded more like the ideal student than he ever was considering the mischief both he and his brother had managed while growing up. Truly she seemed like a woman of pride with good character and background with a lovely appearance to boot. His grandmother had good taste indeed. The thought made him almost take a step back at the realization, shame warming the back of his neck even further. What was he thinking? Faisal had never intended to actually consider allowing his grandmother to pick a fiancée for him like this! Surely the illusion would be cast away shortly enough once he revealed their guardians' true intentions. Why would Sariza be happy with being engaged to him, when they were still basically strangers?
"Not fond of secrets, hmm? I suppose then I should speak quickly." Faisal only grew quiet once a pair of servers appeared and his amber gaze followed their movements as they left golden serving dishes on the table full of food with enticing aromas to remind him that he actually had been hungry before the revelation of his new relationship had startled him. After the servers left their plates and utensils, Faisal found himself reaching over to pick up a fork and twirled it in his fingers thoughtfully. What is this? His mother was a healer and Faisal had quickly learned about various herbs and beliefs so seeing an appetizer of saffron infused rice with some sort of sauce and other herbs and finely diced vegetables that nearly made him groan. Then there was also the plate of oysters and another tray with spiced nuts on delicate cakes. Then there were the fine strips of steak on the main platter with their own shimmering sauce, the little decorative herbs perfectly circling around the plate. He would have been surprised that the servers brought it all out at once but even Faisal understood that his grandmother must have requested some serious privacy for the two young adults. Seriously? As if the incense still lingering in the air wasn't plenty enough! Every piece of the meal had some sort of effect if one knew medical studies and even though Faisal wasn't certain of how effective the spices and food choices would be it was still obvious enough to him what his grandmother's intentions were. I suppose she did expect I would be resilient against this meeting and so she prepared her weapons well.
Once the servers left, Faisal reached across the table and carefully poured some of the amber colored tea into a cup for Sariza. Surely if he wasn't in the presence of a lady he would have requested some hard liquor to ease the situation but Faisal was afraid that would be inappropriate. So instead he poured the tea and carefully settled the cup in front of her. "We can at least enjoy the food since they took so much care to prepare all of this." He poured himself a cup and then settled back in his chair, almost pensively, as he finally studied Sariza once more. "My grandmother brought me here under the presumption that we would be meeting an old friend. She was very ill before I was born and tends to want company just in case of a relapse though with the way she has gone about things I would assume that she's in perfectly fine health at the moment." He began with a slight smirk, some amusement gleaming in his gaze as he studied the room they were in once more. She definitely had plenty of energy if she was pulling a stunt like this on them after all. Faisal highly doubted that the Brigadier General Hakan would have taken such time to arrange such finer details for their meeting. "However, upon arrival I was promptly abandoned by my grandmother and told that I would be meeting someone else today instead." He paused again, his gaze finally settling back on Sariza as he finally uttered the fateful words. "My intended fiancée apparently."
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Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2020 1:27 pm
[4/7]
Sariza tried her best to seem pleasant around the servers, and honestly, it wasn't hard. They were very sweet, even going so far as to ask her if there was anything else she might want, and when she refused one of the servers flashed her a little grin before disappearing. That part...was a little suspect, but really, they were just being kind, right?
It was quite an elegant spread and not something Sariza would have normally had for lunch. She poked at the oysters with a fork before moving onto the steak strips. While it all smelled divine and looked incredibly thick her pallet was regrettably basic; beyond the rare sweet now and again Sariza simply didn't each such rich meals. Still, that didn't mean she wouldn't try a bite of everything. It would just be a waste, otherwise.
"Thank you." Sariza was thankful for the tea after trying a bit of oyster. It had a rather...distinct taste that left much to be desired. "It's admirable that you came with her; not many young men would be so empathetic to their grandparents." Maybe it was out of his control or maybe he really had wanted to come; either way it showed a certain amount of love for his family. "I would say if she has enough energy to abandon you then you needn't worry over her health." With a little grin, Sariza lifted her tea cup once again and took a drink.
Light pink eyes slowly blinked, then fluttered much faster before closing entirely while she finished her glass. When she opened them again Sariza seemed almost stunned. "Your fiancée." With a loaded pause, she took a deep breath, "Oh. Oh."
Her eyes started to sweep over the room and suddenly she felt very foolish for not putting it all together. The ambiance, the roses, her father's insistence on her appearance....Faisal's own appearance...it was all there! Clear as crystal!
"We've been tricked."
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Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2020 2:48 pm
And there they had it. Faisal shifted in his seat awkwardly as he waited for Sariza to fully process the new information. Thankfully it didn't appear as if any of the dishes were to go flying today and she was rather calm about handling the news. "We most certainly have." He replied with a slight grin, doing his best to find amusement in the strange situation as he still was processing the revelation himself. Faisal had never really thought about marriage before and had done his best to avoid talks about potential candidates with his grandmother. The young man had wanted to enjoy adventures not matrimony! Yet looking at Sariza made his sharp tongue pause. She was lovely and seemed sweet enough...was it fair to take out his frustrations on her? No, no it isn't. Faisal sighed softly under his breath before taking a long, thoughtful drink of wine.
"I suppose now that we understand the trick the best or rather next question is how do we deal with it?" Faisal was rather curious about her thoughts on it, especially considering that she was potentially his future wife. Wife.... Just the word send some sort of shiver down his spine. It just seemed so final and so soon! What was his grandmother thinking?
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Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2020 4:05 pm
[5/7]
How could he?! Even though Sariza was a near expert on hiding her emotions inside she was a maelstrom. Her father was nothing if not the most direct man she'd ever met, and to resort to this level of deceit....why?! Did he think she would object? And would she, if she'd been properly asked? She...well...it would have been nice to be asked! It was just so...so sudden and not in her life plan at all. The wife of a noble scion? Everything she'd ever worked towards was slipping out of her fingers and Sariza didn't know what to believe in anymore.
"If your grandmother is anything like my father we won't be able to get out of this." Brigadier General Hakan's word was law. Whatever sort of agreement he'd struck with Faisal's grandmother was sure to be set in solid stone. Suddenly she was far more nervous around him than she'd ever been in the whole one and a half times they'd met. "Unless you think you could appeal to her? My father's rank has gotten him far, but we're not from a noble house. I don't see why she would have picked me of all people." It was one of the few times that Sariza had ever actively wanted to be rejected.
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Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2020 4:32 pm
"Oh gods." Faisal let out a sigh as she confirmed his worst fears. They were truly dealing with two stubborn quhar then. His fingers wrapped around his wine glass thoughtfully as he listened, his teeth biting slightly into his bottom lip out of habit whenever he was stressing over something. "My grandmother is very, very hard to persuade once she's changed her mind. I've honestly spoken with her about postponing any engagements without at least letting me have a chance at finding....actual love." He admitted a flush decorating his cheeks at how immature that may sound to Sariza. Faisal was not a fool and didn't want some stiffy Oban noble woman who constantly judged him for having mixed blood. He didn't know if Sariza would be that way, especially since she seemed more distraught about the situation and not about being with him, but it was still a concern. Faisal knew that there had been some lower nobles floating about to try and get their daughters into a higher family regardless of the heir's blood and he had refused to fall for any of their traps. He also may have read a few of his mother's novels and gotten carried away with the idea of fiery romances but that was beyond the point! "Obviously a way to give me more time to avoid such a commitment not because I'm hoping for something so near impossible....well anyways!" Faisal let go of his wine glass and crossed his arms in defiance of any judgment that may come his way, "I know that we have military connections with my father but I am confused at her decision as well. I truly mean no offense but I wasn't aware that my grandmother wanted to get our family more actively into the military since common sense dictates that there should be some balance of power. She's wise enough to avoid getting more public influence than the king...that obviously just stirs trouble for any noble family." Faisal let out a sigh as he realized he was more than likely or rather most definitely rambling at this point.
"I could try to speak with her but the chances are slim indeed. We would have to trick them into thinking we either hate each other to the point of near death or something along those lines. I wouldn't want to besmirch your name either so gossip is out of the question." Honestly his grandmother may even force him into it regardless of his supposed dislike of the girl sitting before him. Faisal truly was at a loss of what to do. How had things turned out like this? He couldn't believe that his grandmother had tricked him so easily! Though to be honest meeting Sariza today still wouldn't have halted their engagement. He knew his grandmother and once she had set her mind on something it was near impossible to break free.
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Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2020 12:03 pm
[6/7]
"Ah, well...I'm sorry you won't be...finding it then." How was she supposed to respond to that? Beneath the table Sariza twisted the material of her dress around her fingers and bit her lower lip to quell her anxiety. He didn't act overly upset, but he was nursing that wine glass. What if Faisal came to resent her after all of this? Would they have issues in their marriage and...just thinking about the here and now was a lot without contemplating years into the future!
And then there was the...obvious hurtles. She'd never expressly talked to her father about hybrid's before, but Sariza had always thought he was much more of a traditionalist than this. Respect for their abilities, sure, but he'd never really spent much time with sympathizers so why now...? Not that she held his mixed blood against him, but Faisal was just...such a strange choice all the way around.
"Your grandmother is making a bold stand, and I find it hard to believe that she doesn't have ulterior motives if she went this far with my father." Pressing her hands flat against her lap, Sariza took a deep breath and sat a little straighter. "It's just as you said; she's allying herself with a strong military presence in a time of peace. Such an act is only placing a target on your house, and I don't understand why she would make such a move if she had other options."
But really, she had no place to speak on matters like that. Even once the marriage took place Sariza's voice would be contained as a mere novelty piece behind Faisal's. It was...sobering and left a bitter taste in her mouth. "Would it...be alright if we met again? After this? Tantrums will only anger my father into pushing the wedding date closer out of spite, but I would at least like to know my future husband before we're tied together. Just because we aren't in love doesn't mean we have to hate each other."
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Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2020 2:41 pm
"There's always hope yet." Replied Faisal with a small smile before quickly glancing away, a twisting feeling in his gut. There was no need to make her feel guilty for this situation especially when she was just as innocent as him in this whole arrangement. Their guardians were solely to blame for the lack of communication and Faisal was still baffled by how suddenly and unexpectedly this decision had come about. What was his grandmother thinking? Was there something here that he was missing? Something about this just felt strange and Faisal was determined to figure it out, even if he were just grasping at some faint intuition. Or was it simply denial that he could be engaged to someone so soon? He was older now, an adult by their society's standards, and his parents had gotten married young as well....
Still, he couldn't help frowning at Sariza's words. "I disagree. She's not like that at all. She's pulled away from so much in the last decade or so, especially since her husband died long before my own birth." Faisal shook his head. "You truly have never met her? Do you remember leaving an impression on an older Oban woman? Her crimson eyes are always so sharp and she has crystals along her cheek like this." He traced a finger along the edges of his own cheekbones, a faint flush decorating his features once more before he stopped with a sigh. "I just can't fathom why she would want to gamble like this. I suppose we will both have to approach our guardians and try to find out more behind this arrangement. Even if not to protest then to at least get some sort of answer about why."
Faisal found himself blinking in surprise at Sariza's suggestion before nodding. "It would be perfectly acceptable and only fitting that we meet again. I should like to question my grandmother and see what I can find out about this arrangement in the meantime." His gaze softened as he reached out a hand towards Sariza. "Don't think I hate you for this nor do I find it a horrid idea to get to know you better, Sariza. I'm just flustered at this sudden revelation and trying to wrap my mind around it still. If anything we can at least consider each other comrades in arms during our quest to figure out what exactly is occurring here." Could they become friendly with each? Certainly. Did he expect love from her or should she expect love from him? Faisal didn't even want to try to think about such things in the moment. It would be unfair especially since she probably wanted out as he did. Who wanted to be thrust into marriage unexpectedly with a stranger after all?
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Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2020 2:55 pm
For love? Hardly. Sariza was an innocent in terms of love, but even she knew that it needed to happen organically. Anything forced would just add strain to the situation and sooner or later they would grow to hate each other. The best she could hope for was some sort of agreement between them that, no matter what, they wouldn't openly spite one another. That would be fine, right? Why was her heart beating so hard? And why did it feel so hard to breath?
"I think I would have remembered her if I ever met her." From everything Faisal had said of his grandmother thus far Sariza knew she would have been a very memorable character.
She looked at his hand, brought her own out to meet it and at the last moment hesitated before putting it back down into her lap. "I believe you, really I do, and don't think that I hate you either. It's just...I need some air." All at once Sariza stood up, excused herself, and in a flustered rush she exited the room. Part of her wanted to stay because Faisal was just as much a victim in this as she was, but the bigger part of her was screaming to run. She'd never given into impulse before so why now?!
Sariza got outside of the building before pushing her back against the outer wall with a quick, shaky breath. She'd go back in a moment, but for a while she just needed some time to wrap her mind around this awful, awful trick.
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