The waiter approached and placed a white rose in front of Yuki and walked away again.
Yuki took the flower with a suspicious look.
"If you think a rose can buy me..." She interrupted herself when she found small diamonds in the shape of drops inside the rose and looked inquiringly at Atila.
"I promised myself that every time I hurt you, I'll make it up to you with diamonds."
Yuki returned the rose to the table, while looking at Atila without understanding what he intended.
"Diamonds are very valuable."
"So is your happiness, Yuki. Every tear of yours will be rewarded with diamonds to express how sorry I am."
"Did you already know you'd hurt me?"
"I didn't plan to hurt you, Yuki, but I thought it best that the waiter be warned of the possibility."
Yuki looked at the waiter and realized that behind him was a bouquet of many white roses.
"Knowing you, I think you're going to need a lot of diamonds, Atila. I've never met someone so impulsive."
Atila smiled.
"I have a diamond deposit, Yuki. And one day, it will be yours."
"You have a diamond quarry?"
"Yes. And Sean has a gold deposit. A gift from our father, Pharaoh, when we turned ten."
"You shouldn't be wasting it on me. Sean's kingdom is being plundered and the crown's gold has been stolen."
"We can't invest any of our personal money in the kingdom. No, in something that won't earn us more than our investment. That was forbidden two centuries ago."
"I'm disgusted by the laws of your people."
"No. You know that most of the laws are very good. But nothing is perfect. Not even Mahagah."
"Well, am I to conclude that if one day you're going to give me your diamond deposit, it's because you intend to hurt me many times?"
He frowned and held Yuki's hand over the table.
"I hope your tears are tears of joy, Yuki."
Just then, other waiters approached and served dinner.
The conversation became impersonal, but the two seemed more at ease with subjects that didn't involve themselves.
Atila accompanied Yuki to the staircase leading to his room, but didn't go up.
"Aren't you going to say goodbye properly, Atila?" Yuki asked as she climbed a step of the ladder and stood as tall as him.
"Do you want to be kissed?"
"Well... It's the right of every girl who's willing to go out on a date and listen to her date's countless tedious adventures and..." But she didn't finish speaking.
Atila held her and kissed her. Yuki felt safe in his arms. The hands around her waist gave off a warmth that she liked to feel. She wanted that night to go ahead, but she couldn't ask him to do that before she demanded a divorce from Sean. She had thought over dinner about her situation and understood that it wasn't fair to her, her daughter, Sean, Attila or the people for her to insist on staying in a position that she had been put in for lack of choice and that would never fulfill the people's expectations.
Atila released her with great difficulty.
"Go, Yuki, or I'll never let you come back."
Yuki ran up the stairs and when she stopped she breathed a sigh of relief. The host was standing in front of her, staring at her disapprovingly.
"What are you doing here?" Yuki asked, trying to ignore the accusation in the man's eyes, as she made her way to her room.
The host accompanied her.
"I need to talk to you, Yuki."
"We'll talk tomorrow."
"I must insist that it be now, my Farida."
Yuki opened the door to her room and left it open as she walked past.
"What's the urgency? Is Selytha all right?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. The girl is fine."
Yuki stopped in the center of the room and turning to her host, crossed her arms.
"I'm listening. Go ahead."
"I think you've made a rash decision, wife Ra."
"What was that decision?"
"You intend to ask Pharaoh for a divorce."
"That's not a rash decision. Sean and I had agreed that our marriage would only last two weeks. And it's true that we made a new agreement, but I don't want to live like this anymore. Sean... He will never look at me as the mother of his children. My hair isn't blond." She finished speaking hurt.
"Farida, try to understand Sean. He's never had to win over a woman. All the women he was involved with jumped into his arms as soon as he looked at them. Sean hadn't fallen in love before. But... I know he loved you as soon as he saw you in his office. He wanted to be closer to you. He investigated everything within his reach and discovered things that pleased you, without, however, knowing how to use this to win you over, because he will never admit it, but he doesn't know how to do it. He doesn't know how to get close to you. Because he cares. We don't mind making mistakes with things that we can go back and erase if necessary, or if the scribbles are made on something of little importance, but when it involves something that matters, that... It's precious, you approach it carefully because you're afraid of what might happen. You're afraid because you know that if you do something wrong it will leave an immortal stain. Sean is a good man. Attila is a good man too, I know it must be difficult to stand between two strong men and choose one of them, but your right choice has been obvious ever since you said 'yes' to Sean. He's your husband. The man who is willing to give you a harmonious family and be happy by your side. There are deep complications in a divorce between you. You don't know it, but if you get divorced, you won't be able to stay living in this palace, and if you marry Attila, you'll activate Sean's anger and he won't allow you back into this palace."
Yuki let her arms fall around her body.
"I didn't intend to go back to that palace."
"So you gave up on Selytha, too?"
"What are you talking about?"
"There's a reason Pharaoh is consulted when a member of his Royal Family asks to adopt a child. The child belongs to him, to the Pharaoh, just like all of us who are part of the family. He won't allow Selytha to be taken away."
"He can't stop it. She's my daughter!"
The host's eyes lit up.
"Are you willing to admit that to him? Of course, Sean won't stop you from taking his daughter, but the Gumis will see it as treason and do you know what the punishment for treason is? And if they investigate, just a little more, Yuki, they'll discover the origin of Selytha's birth and they'll insist that she fulfill one of two destinies: death, or being their servant when she comes of age. And do you know what they do with their handmaidens?"
"Sean won't allow it."
"He's confused, Yuki. Sean doesn't know what to do anymore. He loves you and knows he's losing you. His mind is thinking of almost nothing, because the people will start pressuring him to produce heirs and he knows it. Sean won't be able to protect you as long as he's troubled by his feelings."
"He can produce his heirs with Celesty."
"Even if it were possible for the Gumis to agree to elect any of the Pharaoh's sons as heirs, Sean can't. He can't even lie with her. He can't even lie with her."
"What did you say?"
"He's never lain with any woman since he arrived in this palace with his Farida."
"Sean? No. He's not like that!"
"He's no longer the Durin you knew. Now he's Pharaoh, a man who has to restrain himself so as not to disgrace the good name of the ancient Pharaohs. He needs you, Yuki."
"Why are you so sure of that? I find it very difficult that Sean has feelings for me. He has beautiful women all around him, and as you yourself pointed out, willing to kiss the ground he walks on to get his attention. Celesty is one of those women. And when I remember her, I feel even more motivated to file for divorce, because I know he'll never just lie with me. I met the fathers of the women in his harem. I think there were more than twenty of them!"
"If you want to be the only woman in his life, I think you know the way to achieve that feat, and although my whole being yearns to speak words of encouragement and say that you can be the first Farid to win a Pharaoh all to yourself, I don't think that will happen. There are, beyond obligations, mysteries surrounding the Pharaoh's virility. What I can guarantee is that he will never allow his Farida to lack anything. Neither love nor longing."
"He'll never be just mine, right?"
"And if he agrees to be only with you? Will you be happy knowing that you've clipped the wings of someone who has the ability to fly? Will you be happy seeing him unhappy, but by your side?"
Yuki looked away.
"I'll talk to him before I file for divorce. I won't make that decision until I've talked to him and he's had a chance to... Be honest with me."
The host bowed once and left the room.