Chapter Text
When The Wedding Bells Ring
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Kalim’s parents were always very accepting people! They were kind and well mannered as well!
At least, that’s what most believed. In reality, they were always busy and didn’t have time for their children. At times they were kind, yes, but only when it truly mattered.
Ever since Kalim had graduated from Night Raven College, his parents had been pushing him to find a suitable marriage candidate so he could be prepared to take his father’s position.
He graduated 5 years ago now, he had finally made his decision— more like finally had the courage to state his decision. It would have been easier if he simply had to tell his mother, Adelle Asim, she was more accepting than his father. As kind of a man he seemed to be, the state of their wealth came before everything and everyone else.
But the matter of his marriage was a family matter. It was very important to everyone, even those who were not in the family. Everyone wants to know who their soon to be sultan would be wedded to.
Kalim’s ‘crowning’ was next week. Meaning he had to tell his parents now. In reality, he was planning to wait as long as he could so he could be in control over his own marriage. Which had worked for the most part.
But his father was becoming more strict as the time came closer to him stepping down, ensuring Kalim knew everything he had to.
Kalim was sitting in one of the many living rooms in the Asim palace, waiting for his parents. He had told one of the servants to let his parents know that he had come to a decision.
He was certain his mother would be accepting, his father…? He wasn’t sure.
All of a sudden there was a knock at the door, his parents were probably here now.
“Come in!”
The door opened, revealing a significantly tall woman with dark brown hair and ruby red eyes, and a shorter man beside her with white hair and dark brown eyes. These were his parents, Adelle Asim and Hakim Al-Asim.
“I heard you’ve made your decision! How wonderful!” His mother smiled, walking into the room and sitting across from Kalim on the couch, his father sitting beside her.
“That’s what I have heard as well! I’m proud of you for finally making a decision.” His father said.
Kalim smiled nervously as a servant walked Into the room, carrying a silver tray with a teapot and teacups. Except— the servant wasn’t any servant. It was Jamil Viper. And Jamil wasn’t really a servant, if Kalim was being completely honest.
After they had graduated, Kalim was more in control of his family’s servants and fortune, and Kalim had set Jamil free immediately. Jamil had left to travel the world exactly like he wanted to, eventually returning back to the Scalding Sands after 2 years of traveling. While Jamil was traveling, Kalim became more independent.
When Jamil had returned, many things had happened. The most important of which was their relationship developing, which they had been successfully hiding from their parents for 3 years. For the time being, Jamil had been acting as he had come back to the palace to serve the Asim’s once more, being allowed to come and go as he pleased.
But today was the day their secret was uncovered.
Kalim glanced at Jamil nervously as he set down the tray in front of the two Asim rulers, pouring their tea as he looked at Kalim with reassurance.
And with that, Jamil walked out, leaving the family to begin their conversation that could end horribly.
“Who’s the lucky woman?” Kalim’s father picked up the teacup that was left for him, Adelle looked at Kalim curiously.
Kalim inhaled deeply, “It’s not a woman, it’s Jamil.”
The silence in the room was deafening. The sudden sound of a shattering cup shocked everyone out of their dazed trance. Kalim’s father had dropped his cup in shock, the hot tea spilling onto the floor, while Kalim’s mother sat wide-eyed. She wasn’t nearly as shocked as Hakim but she wasn’t completely calm either.
Kalim’s father furrowed his eyebrows before sitting up and clearing his throat.
Kalim braced himself, ready to be yelled at.
“My son, think about what the public will think..as well as our family. The entire point of marriage is to unite more families to help our family.”
Kalim didn’t understand that, at all. “Father that’s- that’s wrong! Why should it matter what others think? It’s me who’s marrying him. What difference should it make?”
Kalim’s father snapped, “Your statuses! You would bring disgrace to our family!”
Adelle stayed quiet, not interfering with their conversation. She stood up, desperate to take her leave, being stopped by Kalim’s father.
“Adelle, talk some sense into him. I need to finish finalizing things for my retirement.” Kalim’s father commanded, leaving the room.
The door slammed, almost shaking the room, Kalim’s mother winced, quickly meeting Kalim’s gaze. She felt bad, he could tell, his mother always made that face when she was guilty.
She left out a sorrowful sigh before speaking, “Please do not mind your father…he simply wants what is best for the famil-“
“But that’s wrong mother! You know that! Marrying for business?!” Kalim interrupted her.
Adelle cleared her throat, “I am sure he will come around eventually..I don’t mind your engagement at all, I shall try my best to convince him.”
Kalim nodded, at least he had half the “approval”.
Adelle walked to the door, before leaving she spoke, “And go find Jamil.”
Kalim smiled a bit, his mother was a kind woman, his father was undeserving of her.
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“And you know what he said next?”
“What?”
“He said ‘Oh for the family, think about their reactions’! Which let me say- Is absolute bullshit!” Kalim yelled, collapsing onto his bed in his room. After he finished the conversation with his parents, he went to find Jamil and they made their way into his room, where Kalim told Jamil all about what had happened.
“Your father is an asshole” Jamil rolled his eyes.
“I agree completely.” Kalim sighed, sitting up on his bed.
Kalim had a habit of ranting about his father to Jamil, especially when it was right after they had one of their “meetings”. In reality, it was less of a meeting and more of a lecture. Jamil would listen, while Kalim would blurt out anything that came to mind.
“Things will be fine, after all your father technically doesn’t rule anymore.” Jamil stated, which was actually true, no one really had to listen to him anymore.
“I guess that's true, but either way I would still need his approval.” Kalim sighed.
Jamil shrugged, “Why do it in public then? It’s not like the entire country would need to know, that's what your fathers worried about right?”
Kalim thought for a second, that was true. If nobody knew who Kalim had married, it shouldn’t matter. The public didn’t need to know.
“Huh, I guess you’re right, we could just invite some close friends! I’m sure father wouldn’t mind then!” Kalim smiled, sitting up from the bed before being stopped by Jamil.
“I meant we do it in secret, so then you wouldn’t have to ask him anyways. We could simply hide it from him until he steps down, which shouldn’t take long.” Jamil sighed, stopping Kalim from doing something that would most likely just make his father angrier.
“Oh, that is actually a lot smarter! Do you want me to start planning and stuff??” Kalim questioned.
Jamil thought for a second, Kalim was able to be trusted with this simple task without being questioned by his parents. So why not? “Of course, I’ll get invitations ready for whenever we decide to give them out.”
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It had been a couple of days since the two created their plan, and everything was working out well, no one had suspected anything, it was almost like things were a little too well, it was never this easy.
Jamil was going through the invitations, confirming he had all of them ready when he heard the door open, he quickly covered up the letters with a folder.
He heard footsteps nearing, still he didn’t move, for he knew exactly who it was without turning around.
“Viper.” The man spoke, putting a hand on Jamil’s shoulder, gripping him a little too tightly for his liking.
“Yes sir.” Jamil spoke in a flat tone, despite the resentment he felt towards this man, lashing out will get him killed immediately.
“Let us talk boy.” The man's grip on Jamil loosened, but the tense atmosphere in the room did not disappear like the growing pain in Jamil’s shoulder did. It only increased.
Jamil should’ve known he wouldn’t get off the hook this easily, after all, whatever the Asim’s wanted, they got.
.
.
.