Yuki was just finishing putting on her diamond earrings in front of the mirror when Sean entered her room without knocking.
She looked at him in surprise.
"You?"
"Yes. Me." He answered rudely, sitting down on the sofa.
Yuki approached him, appraising him carefully.
"You've been avoiding me for a few weeks now and suddenly you come into my room without..."
"My room, Yuki. You have no right to anything in this palace until we've consummated our marriage."
"So you're finally here for this?"
"I don't know what I came here for."
"Have you sent Celesty away?"
Sean stared into Yuki's cold eyes.
"This is not a good time for you to bombard me with your jealousy." He said annoyed.
Yuki crossed her arms and stared at him. She was waiting for him to say what he intended with his visit, but as he remained silent, she picked up her bag and as she was leaving the room, Sean appeared in front of her, preventing her from proceeding.
He looked at Yuki's lips, now they were very close. They could smell each other's perfume.
"I didn't give you permission to leave and leave me alone." He said it less harshly than he had intended.
"I have an appointment, Sean. I don't want to sit here listening to problems I don't understand or putting up with your rudeness." She said, but her words sounded false even to her. All she wanted was to stay there. With him.
Sean looked at the watch on his wrist.
"It's eight o'clock at night, Yuki. You're a married woman. You can't make appointments for that time."
"I didn't know I was a teenager and had time for appointments."
"I need you, Yuki. Right now I..."
"My brother has already noticed how beautiful you look, or he's left some compliment intact so I don't have to be embarrassed by being repetitive." Attila's voice sounded behind them and Sean frowned as he turned to his brother standing with his hand on the door he had just opened.
"What are you doing here, Atila?"
"I came to pick up Yuki for dinner." He said handing a bouquet of white roses to Yuki who smiled delightedly as she received the flowers.
"Are you going out for dinner?" Sean asked perturbed.
"Yes. We are. Do you have a problem with that, brother?"
Sean glared at Atila before turning to Yuki.
"I'm sorry for this rudeness, Yuki, but I need to delay your escort for a few more minutes." Sean said and without waiting for an answer, closed the door and stood alone with Atila outside the room.
...
"Did she agree to go out with you?" Sean asked as soon as he'd made sure Yuki couldn't hear.
"Did you see chains on her body?"
"Why would Yuki agree to go out with you?"
"You're on the wrong side of that door, Sean, if you want to know about her reasons."
"You're right." Sean said and opening the door, entered the room and locked the door with Attila outside. Yuki was still staring, but now her face showed an amused smile.
"What are you doing?" She asked totally relaxed.
"Yuki, cancel that dinner."
"Atila told me that they serve lamb with potatoes au gratin and you know I appreciate that dish."
"With one phone call, in less than an hour you'll be eating the best lamb of your life."
"No, Sean. You'll need to improve your offer. I'm not going to trade a romantic dinner, with a wonderful view, to be locked in this room, or alone, or with your bad mood."
"I..." Sean glanced at the door before turning resolutely to Yuki. "I need you to save a woman, and thus save anyone who comes after her, from being legally abused."
Yuki frowned.
"Legally abused?"
"Yes. This woman, as well as many who preceded her, are forced to accept the violation of their bodies by seven men, who act according to our laws."
"That's horrible, Sean. How can you pass a law like that?"
"I believe that in the midst of some slip-up by an ancient Pharaoh, the Gumis took advantage of it to force him to implement this law."
"You're the Pharaoh! You make the laws!"
"Laws that would need to be approved by the Gumis."
Yuki understood. The Gumis would never agree to lose their benefits.
"Do people know about this?"
"The whole country knows about it."
Yuki took a deep breath.
"If there are still no demonstrations and you're not a tyrant, it means that the people agree with it."
"I'm always relieved to talk to you. You're smart enough to understand a problem quickly."
"I still don't understand what I can do to help this woman."
"You can ask her to herself and announce a decree that sentences all illegitimate daughters of the Pharaohs to be servants of the Faridas. This will prevent the Gumis from turning public opinion against the Pharaoh, for the Farid's wishes are never many, but when they are, all the subjects see it as a sign that something was wrong, for there has never been an unjust Farid."
Yuki looked at Sean suspiciously.
"Not even Celesty?"
"Not even her. There is a strong magic that binds a Pharaoh to his Farida, Yuki. Everything is for each other. You'll never be able to give an order, no matter how much you want to, that hurts an innocent person, as long as you're bound by the bond of marriage."
"You know there are ways to get around that rule, right?"
"I don't want to discuss it now."
"All right. I'll do what you ask, but I want something in return."
"837 thousand dollars?"
Yuki smiled.
"We'll talk about it tomorrow in the office after breakfast."
Sean stepped away from the door, but opened it first for Yuki to pass through.
"As my Farida wishes." He bowed and Yuki left.
...
Yuki put her hand on the arm that Atila offered and left with him.
Atila took her to a restaurant by the beach, all closed up with dark glass and a warm, bright atmosphere.
Yuki sat down in the chair that Atila had pulled out for her, determined to give herself a chance to be happy.
"This place is wonderful." She said, noticing that in the center there was a statue of a Farida carrying a torch in one hand, and with the other hand, she held a vase from which water was pouring into a garden with miniature dates painted to look like a natural environment.
"This place is no match for its beauty." Atila replied, taking a seat on the other side.
A waiter immediately approached and left two glasses of wine on the table, before walking away.
"You look beautiful, Atila. Everything tonight is perfect and I hope it stays that way."
"Is that an invitation for me not to leave you until dawn?"
Yuki laughed.
"What if it was?"
Atila leaned forward.
"I've had a peek into the future, Yuki, and I'm even glad you told me that, because in a few years, it's going to happen. And I can't see myself regretting it even in the face of your tears." He whispered and leaned back in his chair.
Yuki smiled amusedly.
"I'll remember that." Yuki said and tried the wine, making a surprised expression. "This wine is..."
"Sean's not the only one who does his own research."
"My God, Attila! I thought I'd never taste acerola in a wine again! You're adorable!"
"I'll remember that." Atila retorted with the same phrase as her and Yuki smiled.
"What are you trying to show me? That you're a threatening man? You're failing in this mission."
Atila smiled.
"Ah, Yuki. I want to show you many things. I'd like you to get to know me. All my sides and everything my unique personality is capable of. I'd like to share all my feelings with you. Good and bad feelings, joys and sorrows..." He said and, sighing, sipped his wine too.
"Don't be gloomy, Atila. I want to be in a relationship like that too. And I'm willing to... Give us both a chance."
"Are you willing to divorce Sean? Give up your place as Farida?"
"I love Sean, Atila. And so I'm going to ask that when we go out, we don't talk about it, or my words might hurt his ego and I don't want any discomfort between us."
Atila nodded. She was right. Hearing her say that she loves Sean cut her heart.
"All right. But do you agree that for our relationship to be firm and lasting, we need to be honest about everything?"
Yuki lost all her goodwill.
"Yes, Atila. When we're in a relationship, then we won't leave any holes, even if we need a whole year to get rid of our doubts, but we're not in a relationship. Not yet."
"Did you know I'd ask the obvious question?"
Yuki crossed her arms and looked defiantly at him.
"Yes. And I expected it!"
"Who is Selytha's father?"
"Why didn't you do a paternity test while she was still in hospital and find out yourself?"
Attila's eyes darkened with mild surprise.
"Your doubt is just as... Intriguing as my doubt."
"Are you going to tell me?"
"No."
"Then that's my answer too."