The Voice of Azzam

m Palace when the first convoy of

no one could see inside. Palace staff stood on either side of the entrance, waiting. Security men checked th

elled fain

last ca

and Prince Kamil

ent off almos

ly put together, Kamil had the sort of face people remembered long after he'd left a room. His

ery inch the

for everyone arou

" someone called from

s a polite smile before moving aside to l

. He took one look at Kamil and shook his head.

straightening his blazer. "H

t them. "Have y

close," Li

r later. We have a whol

towards t

way after bringing us to a place like this. What exactly are we

ormally first,

lking n

ke you've got a st

hed under

staff looked up at it. He'd been away for month

g even the most ordinary

s the guards approached, revealin

Royal Highness," one

ank you, Hassan.

rily surprised before hi

ur highness. Than

ontinue

Liam leaned

security gua

"You say that like you

ferent. He'

d try learning some man

should mind y

ed without turning around

went

imately th

red, "This carpe

down. "Wha

, I'm going to spend the re

what m

ly my

miling as they followed

the white marble floors. Fresh flowers stood in tall gold vases, and a string quartet played softly ne

the hall, Queen

s soon as

a champagne-coloured gown, her dark hair arranged neatly over one shoulder. She looked c

ncess Yaya was having a di

e whispered to th

led. "Yes, Y

walking s

he's only j

have arri

er lips together,

a better view. "Did he call you? He

ur Highness. Y

s res

cour

rgue, the guards an

ness, Crown Pri

ns in the hall

am and Abel. He'd barely taken a

AM

go," Abel

her dress and

re she crashed into him. He laughed, catching he

littl

dn't ca

d cal

call me when

as b

doing

rently. I couldn't

k to look at h

re ly

ion. Against your

preading across her face ruined the effort.

ve gr

ways sa

growing. It's be

rabbed his hand,

s waiting when

asing expression on

the

before she pulled

an he expected, one hand restin

d, drawing back to examine hi

ve

u haven't. Are yo

, Mo

re ly

d the sam

u should listen

d and kisse

ssed

his face gently, her eyes shining with th

ssed you,

the hall before lo

t everythin

hat we ha

kno

her. Ten years had passed since the accident that killed his p

his hand once be

one is waiti

ached with a

e home,

you,

sed his

een too

ha

making excuses and actu

do my

ftly. "You alw

you kee

one h

ian's gaze lingered on him for a second lon

room shif

r Samitra h

ed almost instinctively. Dressed in a silver robe, she walked with two maids following behind her.

d in front

she simply l

she s

cr

espectfully.

the same scrutiny she might have given a valu

zzam can br

't been suffoca

eople l

mile widene

kes. I see nothi

don't need ch

that

what I

another moment befor

later. We have

se, Gran

in her eyes suggested the conversa

ore, a familiar voice ca

prin

pparently come straight from a council meeting; Bashi's jacket w

tended h

en waiting fo

hope the place hasn't fa

ll. We've

relie

gh his eyes remained

epped f

usi

aa

ged a brief

ou arrive?"

ouncil meeting ran l

've h

u'll have plenty of time

unting

neither man

ped him lightly

to see

u t

iam, who'd been standing just be

ed to greet th

es

ow

mouth, pr

m and turned to

fternoo

looked

then added an aw

osed hi

d's sake,"

just in tim

re you

ect," Liam sa

The enti

now the ru

p inventi

st out l

r mouth, while Yaya tu

riends stay

at the two me

sure you

es

we're all suff

rotested. "I haven'

here vol

omised a

romised acc

ot the sa

properly, and the sound

erything he'd missed, speaking so quickly that he had to ask her to slow down twice. Ayisha watched them

, the palace remained what it had always been, a home built on power, old

lost both his parents in an accident th

d returned as t