Rocky wanted to wake up before the king but by the time she opened her eyes, it was already well past noon. With a groan, she sat up on the bed and passed a hand over her messy hair. She didn't doubt that she probably looked like shit. Yet, she couldn't really focus on that because she noticed heavy breathing coming from her side. She turned, expecting to see the king's sleeping form but a horrified cry left her mouth.
The young queen jumped out of the bed and fell to the ground. She crawled as far away as possible, as the black panther laying there started yawning. The huge feline settled his yellow eyes on the queen. There was a bright gold chain around its neck, reflecting the sun rays. It slowly raised from its sitting position and successfully jumped off of the bed.
The young queen was horrified, seeing the animal coming forward. Never had she seen such a beast from up close. The panther was surely bigger and stronger than her. It also looked...Hungry. Rocky whined as its head came closer, to the point where she could smell its breath. Just then, when she thought she'd be eaten alive, the door to the royal bathroom opened.
The king showed up, wearing his attire for the day. He frowned, seeing the queen on the ground, shaking like a leaf.
"Hey Namar..."
The black panther perked at the sound of the king's voice. It roared and moved away from the scared queen to greet its master. The king Hassan crouched down to pat its head and received a few appreciative purring. He smiled.
"How did you get in? Did I forget to lock the door last night?"
Rocky managed to stand up on her shaky legs:
"Does it know how to open doors?" She asked.
"Oh." The king laughed again. "No. It's just that I usually leave the bedroom door open and in the morning, the servants allow my pets to come inside. I just love to see them when I wake up."
"You...You are not scared to sleep when they can show up anytime?"
"Not at all. These babies have been raised in the palace. They are not dangerous. Do you want to get acquainted with Namar?"
Rocky hesitated but seeing the way the panther purred, she decided to take a few steps closer. She really liked animals but she'd never expected to see a real panther one day. It was too big, bigger than any lion she ever saw back home.
"Just extend your hand so he can smell it." The king instructed.
Rocky obeyed. The panther sniffed her hand a few times and she started giggling when it licked on her fingers. His raspy tongue was warm and soft. Just like that, they became friends. Rocky was allowed to touch its ears. Namar roared and pressed its head against her stomach. The young queen cooed at that. When she looked up, the king was staring at her fondly.
"He loves you." He whispered.
"I love him too..."
"Go and get ready. You and I can have breakfast in the garden. Then, maybe you can meet my other pets. If you didn't guess already, I have a thing for exotic animals."
"Yes, I can definitely see that... Just give me a second."
After choosing the dress she'd wear, Rocky rushed into the bathroom to take her shower. Seeing the huge mirror on the wall, the young queen gasped. She really looked her worst with her hair pointing in every direction, puffy eyes, and crumpled clothes. She was embarrassed that she showed herself like this in front of the king. Yet, he didn't even seem to mind. If anything, Rocky saw adoration in his eyes.
After cleaning herself and dressing up, she went back into the bedroom. She wasn't used to getting ready without her servants. She even struggled to find a brush and pass it in her thick hair. The king came from the balcony and gently took the brush from her hand.
"Let me help you."
"Oh. I can do it..."
"I'm sure you can but I want to help."
He stared at her through the mirror while brushing her hair. Rocky found it hard to unlock their eyes. King Hassan just had this strong, manly gaze that no one could resist. She noticed it from last night. The longer he stared at her, the more she wanted to feel his touch on her naked skin. Those memories made her shiver but she quickly chased them away.
The king on the other hand didn't want to forget anything that happened last night. Everything about the young queen was enticing to him: her voice, her personality, her scent, the softness of her skin. Unable to resist any longer, he turned her around and caught her lips in a strong kiss. Rocky was surprised but soon started to feel comfortable between her husband's arms. They only stopped when the king's pet came between them with a soft roar. Rocky laughed:
"I think Namar is hungry..."
"Yes." The king agreed. "Let's go feed him before he eats us."
Holding her husband's arm, Rocky watched him open the door of their room. They stepped into the large hallway, Namar walking right in front of them. The few servants they passed bowed, some of them running away from the black panther. Not everybody was comfortable with the feline apparently. Reaching the first floor, they were greeted by the oldest servant of the palace.
"I hope you both slept well, your majesties. Where would you like to take breakfast?"
"In the garden." The king replied with a smile.
He took Rocky there and they sat at a white table under a huge palm tree. There was a fountain a few meters away and Namar was busy running away from the few droplets coming his way.
"I never thought Panthers could be this cute," Rocky said with a sigh.
"And I never thought I would fall in love so quickly with my queen."
"E-excuse me?"
The king simply laughed because just then, maids were coming to serve them breakfast. Again, Rocky noticed a few dishes she was unfamiliar with but king Hassan took the time to explain everything there was to know. He was patient and caring. Even when Rocky didn't like one of the dishes, he wouldn't feel offended. He'd just make her try a different one.
"And I would really like to try food from your kingdom." He said, biting on a fresh pastry.
"Of course. I can cook for you!"
"My queen knows how to cook?"
"Well, of course!"
"Would you believe me if I tell you I never set foot in the kitchen of this palace?"
"No way. We must fix that. You and I should cook something together, one day. King or not, it won't kill you to try these activities, once in a while. Plus, we will get to spend more time together."
"Okay. I am willing to do anything as long as it involves you."
Rocky smiled before feeding her husband a spoonful of porridge. Just then, she saw the king's mother coming with a bunch of ladies from the harem. The young queen rolled her eyes when they stopped at their table. The king didn't seem to mind. If anything, he was happy to see his mother. The harem ladies shyly glanced at him but he barely noticed them.
"Now you are having breakfast without me." His mother complained.
"Oh. I thought you already had breakfast, mother. We woke up a bit late."
"I can see that. You both had fun last night, uh? And no, I didn't eat because I was waiting for you. I guess I should have known better and not care."
"I am sorry, mother..."
Rocky reached towards the king's hand and intertwined their fingers. That gesture didn't go unnoticed by his mother. She squinted her eyes, looking quite angry, especially when her son brought Rocky's hand to his lips and kissed it.
"We will have breakfast with you next time, mother-in-law..."
"Why are you even here, son?" She asked, ignoring Rocky's previous comment. "I thought you were supposed to meet the officials this morning."
"Yes, but I postponed it to spend time with my queen."
"You know the well-being of this kingdom is more important than anything else, right? We have the Sudanese army threatening us morning and night, and-"
"Mother."
The king spoke in a strong voice that had everyone frozen, including Rocky. His sweetness was all gone, replaced by a stone-cold expression that better suited the rumors spreading about him. King Hassan could also be scary if he wanted to. His mother was clearly shocked to see that her son was angry at her. He spoke softly but firm enough to draw respect:
"You don't know about the dangers our country is in more than me. I am keeping everything under control though, and I believe that I deserve to spend time with my wife. We are newly-wedded, I should know her better and make her feel comfortable in this home since you're not willing to do it, mother."
"What?"
"I know you didn't greet Rocky and her people when they first arrived. That's absolutely unacceptable. I understand you don't want a foreigner within the palace but we already talked about this, didn't we?"
The king's mother mumbled words that no one could understand. She was embarrassed in front of the harem girls but the worst was seeing that cocky grin on Rocky's face. She was the reason why her son was publicly scolding her. Since her arrival, the king's mother had been losing control over so many things and it was driving her crazy. Yet, she knew better than to speak her mind in front of the angry king. She simply turned around and left with her followers.
Once she was gone, King Hassan sighed with a sad face.
"Was I too harsh?" He asked.
"A little bit..."
"I just don't like it when mother tries to tell me what to do."
"I think your mother cares a lot about you, that's why she's acting this way. As I told you yesterday, I think the best would be to let her go to the other palace. She will be more comfortable there and she won't get involved in our relationship...You didn't forget about your promise, did you?"
"I will talk to her about it, my queen."
"Hmm."
Rocky stood up and without warning, plopped herself on the king's lap. She played with his crown as she added:
"I'm planning so many things for both of us. It will be much more fun if your mother is not here to interfere."
The king gulped and nodded slowly. The few servants passing by were giving them weird looks. Never had they seen the king so flustered but more than anything, they were surprised by the queen's boldness.
Rocky wanted to spend more time with her husband. Yet, he had to leave right after breakfast. He couldn't delay his other tasks any further but he promised to do more activities with her next time. Once he was gone, Rocky stayed alone in the garden, petting Namar's head. She wondered what she could do while waiting for the king to come back. He was a busy man and without him, Rocky could only see a long boring day ahead.
It was absolutely out of the question to spend time with the harem's ladies but except that, there was nothing else to do.
She smiled a bit when she spotted Birni and Adama coming towards her. Birni seemed to be in a better mood than the other girl. In fact, Adama hadn't smiled since she arrived at this palace.
"Is there anything we can do for you, my queen?" Birni asked, patting Namar's head while Adama stayed at a safe distance.
"I don't know...I am a little bored."
"Oh. Perhaps would you like to paint something? There is an art room on the second floor. It's for the king but he never uses it. I don't think he would mind if you share it with him."
"I am not really good at painting but maybe I can give it a try."
The young queen stood up and followed her two servants back into the palace. The art room was very spacious and bright. There were all the necessary materials to draw. Rocky grabbed a few pencils and a painting board.
"Would you like to be drawn?" She asked Birni.
"Me? I mean...I am not worth such an amount of interest, my queen."
"Nonsense. Come sit on this stool. I can't promise you a nice drawing but I will try my best."
Birni accepted to sit on the stool. Rocky was satisfied, seeing how the sun rays casted beautifully around the young girl, creating some sort of halo. She then turned toward Adama.
"Come hold the pencils for me."
Of course, she didn't dare to refuse. Adama obeyed but kept glancing at Birni. Her heart was filled with jealousy. Before coming here, she was closer to the young queen but now, she felt like a complete stranger. Birni was the one who got all her attention now. Adama wished she could just make her disappear. After all, there was something odd about that servant. She didn't seem trustworthy.
Around an hour later, Rocky was done with her art. It didn't turn out too bad. She managed to represent Birni's big doe eyes and that's all that mattered. The young servant also seemed pleased with the end result.
"What do you think, Adama?" She asked, showing the drawing to the other girl.
Lips tight, she didn't say a word. If anything, Adama dropped the pencil she was holding on one of the tables and stomped out of the room. Rocky and Birni exchanged a few stares.
"What's wrong with her?" The young queen asked.
"She must be tired...Let's not worry about it."
Rocky shrugged, still shocked by Adama's attitude. Birni noticed her worried face and immediately said:
"Would you like me to braid your hair, my queen? I have a style in mind and I think it will suit you!"
The young queen agreed with a small smile.