---

After she finished putting on her veil, she and the prince walked out together. They walked side by side on foot, with the princess’s maids following behind them. When they arrived at the palace, people began offering their greetings. The prince simply raised his hand in response as they proceeded until they reached His Majesty.

The royal guards quickly stepped forward and shielded them from the crowd, as people continued saying, “May God protect the prince and princess, may you live in peace.” Once they were seated, the palace attendants began offering royal greetings on their behalf. The king responded, “Greetings to you, Prince and Princess. I thank you. Heir to the throne, you are greeted.”

The prince stood up and went to sit in the seat beside the king. The princess knelt on the floor, frowning as she glanced around at people with disdain.

His Majesty picked up a fine, expensive veil and handed it to Princess Sumayya. She accepted it with both hands and thanked him, then handed it to the royal attendant. The attendant knelt before the king and said, “Long live Your Majesty. The princess sends her gratitude. May God prolong your just reign, King of Kings.”

The king nodded, and the palace attendants echoed, “You are greeted, Princess. The King acknowledges your gratitude.”

The king offered them words of wisdom and prayed for their peaceful union. They then expressed more thanks and left the royal presence. Inside, they visited Grandma’s chambers and greeted her. She also gave a gift to the princess. Next, they went to Ummi’s side, greeted her, and she also gave a gift. Finally, they visited Sumayya’s mother, greeted her, and returned to their quarters.

As soon as they entered, the prince headed toward his own side. Seeing that the princess intended to follow him, he paused and, without even looking at her, said:

“You may go to your quarters now—I want to rest.”

Without waiting for a response, he walked away.

Princess Sumayya was furious. The way the prince dismissed her in front of her maids filled her with anger. She snapped at them, saying, “Get out of here!”

They quickly left, and she marched to her quarters, seething with rage.

---

They spent a week in their honeymoon phase. At first, the prince paid her no attention, but later, Sumayya found a way to make Prince Suhail soften toward her—although if she acted arrogant or overly royal, he ignored her completely.

---

After a week, Princess Sumayya was lounging in her parlor, surrounded by her maids—some massaging her, others fanning her. One read her a story. Then her phone rang. A maid brought it over. Sumayya answered happily without even saying hello:

“Oh Zinatu! I’m mad at you—how could you miss my wedding?”

From the other end, Zinatu replied, “Always complaining! I’m outside your house, but the guards won’t let me in. Please send someone for me.”

Overjoyed, Sumayya said, “Of course! I’ll send someone now.” She turned to one of her maids and frowned, “You, go outside and bring my guest in.”

The maid quickly stood and said, “Yes, Your Highness!”

In less than five minutes, they returned with Zinatu. Sumayya jumped up from her couch, saying:

“My dear friend, you’ve finally arrived!”

The maids all knelt and greeted Zinatu, who simply rolled her eyes, chewing gum as she sat down on a sofa. Sumayya ordered all the maids out of the room.

She then sat close to Zinatu, and before long, the table was filled with snacks and drinks. Overjoyed, Sumayya said:

“My friend! I didn’t think I’d see you so soon.”

Zinatu sipped her drink and placed the cup down.

“I actually returned to town yesterday,” she said. “I wanted to surprise you.”

Sumayya smiled. “You’re so sweet. I thought you’d rest before coming. I know how much you love to travel and unwind.”

Zinatu replied, “I came back because of you. You smell like a bride—you’ve changed!”

Blushing, Sumayya asked, “How so?”

Zinatu grinned. “You’re