Even if her bridesmaids wished to be her and had hushed conversations about Aisha, it wasn’t from a place of envy. They were all her friends from childhood and they truly admired her and were genuinely happy for her. The room was filled with hums of excitement and affectionate chatter. “You guys! Have you realized that after today, if we see Aisha, we can’t call her by her name anymore?” Anna shouted the moment she realized.“We will have to bow to her and call her ‘My Grace’,” another chimed in. She then walked close to Aisha and mimicked the greeting making everyone laugh including Aisha.“You know you guys don’t have to do that,” Aisha said, her words barely escaping her laughter. Anna walked close and bowed deeply, “Good day, your grace,” she teased, mimicking the accent of the people of Persian. “Stop it!” Aisha couldn’t stop laughing. “You sound funny, don’t even try that again. Hahaha.”“Who would have thought that a daughter of an artisan back home would be here, in this
“How do I look?” “You look absolutely imperial, Your Majesty,” Blake, his best man, said to Dario. Dario was dressed in his regal wedding attire, standing by the window and looking out at the preparations below. Lord Wilson who was also in the room with them adjusted his own formal wear and walked over to join Dario by the window. “Nervous, Your Majesty?”Dario laughed softly and said, “A bit. She makes me nervous. Plus it’s not everyday you get married in front of the most important people in the world.”Lord Wilson chuckled and said, “You have faced battles and led an entire empire with unwavering strength. This will be a breeze compared to that.”“I know,” Dario took a deep breath. “This just feels different.”“I understand you. I remember my big day with the absolute love of my life too, may her soul rest in peace. I was nervous as hell. It’s okay to be nervous about this day. Even the strongest man in the world would be nervous on his big day.”“You know, I’m glad you could ma
It had been more than three years and none of them reached out to the other. Though Amelia kept tabs on Brian. She was well aware that Brian had somehow bounced back into wealth and was now a man of influence, without his family. She regretted what she did to him on that fateful day and hoped that one day, she would be able to express her regrets to him and apologize.“Apologize to me,” he replied. “For what?” “You know what I am talking about, Brian,” she said, her voice laced with sadness. “I hurt you and I’m sincerely sorry for my past mistakes.”Brian let out a short dismissive laugh. “I really hope it’s not too late, and I hope you can find a place in your heart to forgive me,” she said, looking down. She was so ashamed that she couldn’t maintain eye contact.“I have forgiven you a long time ago.” Brian claimed that he had forgiven Amelia a long time ago, but he was yet to heal from the hurt Amelia caused him. Since Amelia, Brian locked his heart from love. He knew he wasn’
The grand doors slowly opened and with every passing second, everyone’s heart raced in anticipation.Aisha stepped into the grand hall with her hand linked with her father’s, who was accompanying her on the aisle. Everyone immediately stood up in respect for their future empress. And as she slowly walked down the aisle, the music in the background started again, but this time, soft and slow. The moment their eyes caught the sight of Aisha, eyes widened, mouths fell agape, and whispers of admiration followed in her wake. Studying every feature of her dress became the preoccupation of every young noble woman in the room. Aisha’s gown was a masterpiece of ivory silk adorned with intricate lace and shimmering with glitters that revealed a different color when it caught rays of light. The train of her dress followed behind her like a cloud of elegance, trailing elegantly along the marble floor. “What is that dress?!” Bethany, the daughter of King Aram whispered, her eyes widened in t
As Aisha reached Dario, she turned to her father who placed a kiss softly on her cheek before giving her hand to her waiting groom. He then bowed in reverence to Dario and left. The grand hall erupted into a loud applause, a chorus of admiration for the bride who had captivated them all with her outstanding elegance and effortless charm. Everyone took their seats. It was time to join the couple! The priest began, “Good day everyone, we are gathered here today for the joining of His Majesty, Lord Dario Reynolds and his bride, Aisha Sadeghi…” As Delilah heard the words of the priest, her mind was drawn to when she and Dario got married. Though it was not elaborate nor was it royal, it was simple and small instead. The memories that played in her mind made her heart ache. Her face fell and she felt a wave of sadness wash over her. “I wish I could go back in time,” she thought. Now, she regretted her past actions most. “Do you, Aisha, take His Majesty to be your lawful
Dario then reached out to help Aisha to her feet. They both looked over at the guests who all had the widest smile on their faces, and had not stopped clapping. The moment they stood upright with their hands locked together, the hall began to echo with the cries of “Long live the Empress!” Aisha glanced at Dario who squeezed her hand reassuringly, his eyes reflecting the same strength and resolve she felt within herself. They then walked down the altar together, arms linked, and slowly made their way out of the grand hall. The echoes of applause and cheers lingered as they reached the end of the hall. As Dario and his bride stepped out, they were greeted by a gleaming Rolls-Royce Corniche convertible, with its top down. The classic car awaited to take them through the streets in a royal procession.A royal servant went ahead to open the door while bowing, for Dario and Aisha to get in. Maya helped carry the train of Aisha’s dress so she could enter the car properly and placed it
Months later, the palace buzzed with echoes of laughter and an atmosphere of joy. Aisha had settled into her role as the empress with grace and humility and her presence had been a comforting anchor for Dario. Dario was the happiest because the people of Persian accepted, loved and cooperated with Aisha just as expected. And she had been leading graciously alongside him ever since. It was a bright morning and Dario woke up to a very delicious smell that had filled almost the entire mansion. ‘What’s that smell?’ He thought to himself, his eyes still closed with his nose twitching slightly as he took in the aroma. He opened his eyes and immediately got out of bed out of curiosity, and dashed to the kitchen. On his way, he stopped briefly to take a deep breath in, and closed his eyes to savor the smell before he continued his journey. As he got closer to the kitchen, he could hear chatter and laughter coming from there. ‘Mama and Aisha?’ He thought. It had to be them. A warm smil
“Let’s have a festival,” Dario said to Bruce, his face lit with excitement and anticipation, staring into the distance. “Let’s have a festival,” he repeated, looking directly at Bruce this time. “The best one yet. For the entire empire. Bruce's face immediately lit with excitement just like Dario’s. They had not had a festival in years and having a festival now was just the perfect timing. “Yes, Your Majesty.”“I’m too happy and I want to extend this joy I’m feeling to my people,” Dario said, a satisfied smile plastered on his face. “Life is good!”Life was indeed good.“It’s going to be great,” he added, walking to take a seat at his throne. “What do you think, Bruce?” “I think it’s a great idea, Your Majesty,” Bruce said, smiling brightly. “The people will love every bit of it. I’m sure that once they hear the news, they will be excited.” “I think so too,” Dario replied. “I can’t wait! I love to see smiles on their faces and I can’t wait to see their lovely smiley faces again!”