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!”
“Your Majesty, Your Grace, I have something to say,” Bruce said as he bowed slightly. A month had already passed and It was already the day before the festival. The day had been tense with preparations for the festival and several efforts to make sure everything was set in place.“Go on, Bruce,” Dario sitting regally on his throne replied. “Your Majesty, something’s not right.” Bruce began, frustration evident in his tone. “The preparations are a mess. We’re suddenly experiencing conflicting directives and too many issues coming up. And tomorrow is the festival!”Bruce rubbed his forehead in an attempt to relieve the throbbing pain that lingered there. The announcement of the festival had spread like wildfire across the empire, filling the air with a contagious excitement. And the people of the empire had waited in anxious anticipation for this day to come. But, things didn’t seem to be going right at the moment. Banners of vibrant colors already draped across the streets, perfor
Robert’s face flushed as he tore his eyes from Dario’s, “Your Majesty, I… I only reported what I was told,” he stammered. Before Dario could say anything else, there was a knock on the door. Every member of the council was seated in the meeting room already, so who could it be? The members wondered. “Come in,” Dario comfortably said, which was weird to the council members. They had expected him to snub the knock as nobody dared to disturb or interrupt their meeting.But Dario was certain about who exactly was behind the door. The council members turned their heads in unison as the door swung open and Aisha walked in with a determined expression.All of them stood up in respect and bowed to her. “Welcome, Your Grace,” General Marcus greeted, prompting others to chorus, “Welcome, Your Grace.”“Thank you,” Aisha said and flashed a fake smile at them as she walked towards Dario. The murmurs continued and even grew louder as she got closer. Some of the members exchanged nervous glanc
It was finally the day of the festival!Excitement buzzed across the entire empire and everyone; the commoners and the nobles, was dressed in their best attires for the grandest festival ever.“You look so beautiful, Aisha darling,” Maria said, her eyes filled with admiration as Aisha walked into her room. “Thank you, mother. You look absolutely stunning as well. I came to check if you were ready,” Aisha said. “So we can all leave together.”Maria applying her lipstick paused and glanced briefly at Aisha with a smile. “I’m not done, yet. I will meet you guys at the fields soon, you can go without me.”“You take so long to prepare,” Aisha teased, her words escaping her chuckles. “Well you’re the prettiest woman I know so I understand why you take so long to get ready.”Maria blushed briefly and waved Aisha goodbye before focusing on making her face up again. “Dario, I’m ready baby,” Aisha screamed, almost stepping into the throne room. Dario was already waiting for her there. Aisha
“My dearest people of the Persian empire,” he began, his voice laced with a mixture of joy and pride. “Today, we are here not only to celebrate the prosperity and unity that binds us together in this great empire, but also to honor you all…” He paused for a moment, and looked over at his people. The joy that swirled in his heart had no measure. He then continued, “I am the happiest to be here today putting smiles on the faces of my people… “The more he spoke, the wider their smiles became. They just couldn’t get enough of his love. “…and this festival is a testament to our shared journey… our triumphs… and our unwavering hope for the future.”The crowd let out a thunderous applause. Cheers and loud squeals echoed across the entire field. Aisha, who was standing next to her husband in a stunning evening gown, locked her hand with Dario’s and smiled warmly at the people. She felt like her heart was going to explode from how much joy she felt in that moment. She then placed her othe