Chapter 2

BANG! BANG! BANG! “Akila, hurry, mother is here!” Aila yelled through the window before closing the curtains, straightening herself and turning to the door. The knob twisted, revealing a woman in her late forties, her curly brown hair overflowing down to her bosoms. Aila managed to stretch her lips into a smile, her heart beating so fast that any moment now it could fail working as her mother glanced through the room. Deep lines etched her mother’s forehead as her eyes focused again on Aila, “Where's your sister?” Aila gulped down, inwardly cursing Akila and her stupid choice of deciding to have sex with her boyfriend in the bush while she stood guard. She had warned Akila before going not to do it, but Akila had been so horny she was starting to say the words out to her that she had no choice but to let her go. “She’s not in the room. I thought she was downstairs with you and father. Where is she?” Aila rambled on quickly, approaching her mother as she turned her outside, “What do you need help with, mother?” Her mother nudged her arm away as the door closed, eyeing her suspiciously again before walking forward. “Your father wants to see the both of you now, and it’s urgent. Find your sister in whatever stupid thing she might be doing… “What stupid thing, Mother? I was just in the bathroom.” Akila’s sweet voice rang out, the door to their room opening again with a lovely smile plastered on her corny face. She exchanged a glance with her sister, mouthing a quick thank you as she walked towards their mother, “Couldn’t do without me for one second, mother. I know you like me so much,” Akila muttered, pinching her mother’s cheeks playfully. “Your father wants to see both of you now, and it’s urgent.” Her mother slapped her hand off and strided off quickly. Aila and Akila exchanged a look, their eyes and heads doing all the talking as they asked each other what it could be for. It was never good when their father called for an urgent meeting. Every meeting in the house was always planned, down to the last bit. An urgent meeting meant disaster in the entire eight letters. The both of them marched down the stairs, the nervousness and anticipation tingling more in them as they got down to see their father, a black haired man seated on the chair already, popping pieces of tangerine into his mouth one after the other. The minute he laid eyes on both of them, a hearty smile ran from one end of his lips to the other, This was not in a way good, Aila thought to herself. “My girls! Come, sit, I've brought good news for you!” Akila and Aila exchanged a look again, their thoughts the same. Good news that was making their father smile? There was nothing good at all about that. “Do you remember my friend who works for the mad king?” their father asked. Both girls nodded with dread, pooling their stomachs. After the late King died or vanished 16 years ago and their father was relieved of his positıon, talking about his friends who were still working for the mad king was a regular sore topic. Because everytıme it came up, it only meant one thing— ranting and insulting. Their father believed them to be the cause of them relieving him from his position. In his words, their heads bore no luck, and they were more of a disaster. “Well, he has brought me a secret that no one would know besides us in this house. It would be suitable for the family, and finally, we would rank higher than we are now. It would be better for the family, for…. “Just get to the point, Adnan, and let us start packing,” their mother interrupted. Packing? Aila’s heart stuttered. Why would they need to—- were they traveling? Aila’s eyes went to her mother’s face, another wave of dread pooling in her stomach. Her mother seemed happy, maybe too delighted even. Her mother was rarely pleased, always fishing for something, constantly cranky, and in a mood. Nothing made her happy, yet whatever her father was about to say was already putting her in a good mood. Maybe it wasn’t too bad, she thought. “Or maybe it’s that bad.” Another part of her thought. She looked at her father, waiting for the words to pop out of his too-smiley face, his mouth moving here and there from eating the tangerine pieces. His eyes glanced at her briefly before settling on Akila, “Well, you girls know that years ago, after the death of the fırst ruler, your father was taken off his positıon.” he stared, reiıevıng the story. “It was because of the bad luck you girls have. But now, your luck is bringing everythıng back to me.” So now,” Adnan exchanged another glance with hıs wıfe. The more he took time to get to hıs point, the more Aila’s heart pounded in her chest. “Adnan, get to the point. We have no time to waste.” Her mother said again, her voice starting to sound cranky. “Well, my friend sent me a letter,” he continued, his sharp eyes turning towards Akila. “My darling daughter, I have arranged a marriage between you and the mad King.” Aila’s heart dropped to the farthest corner of her stomach, her eyes popping out a little bit. The entire room went still, freezing right in time. There was no sound from anyone; it was as quiet as some minutes before daybreak, the air tense and stiff. Akila was the first to break it, her sweet voice now reduced to a creaky, unbelievable tone. “Wh…what did you say, father?” Akila asked, horror written on her face.