Page 27 of Tall, Royal Hater
The two palace guards standing quietly, dressed in Touma’s red and black livery, opened both of the reinforced, carved wooden doors. Gary and Rocco led the way out, followed by Prince Kai holding Esmeralda’s hand. As they moved out of earshot, I quickly slipped up close to Mariyah’s side.
“Next time,” I bit out by her ear. Her shoulders hitched. “Keep your mouth shut when you’re not being spoken to.” I walked off without giving her the chance to say something back.
The palace garage was a separate building at the end of a long line of parking spaces inside the front gold railing walls on the left side. It was made of the same red brick and could’ve passed as a single-storey mansion with how big and long it was. Split into two sections, one side housed the security Jeeps and cars Gary headed to, while the other side was filled with the royals’ private vehicles. Rocco went to unlock the metal box on the wall, storing the car keys, but Prince Kai politely dismissed him.
“Take your pick, Shehryar,” Prince Kai said to me, nodding at the line of ten cars of different makes and colours with his car keys in one hand.
I looked around. The sleek, black O’Royse was Prince Kai’s, and Esmeralda was waiting by its side. I knew the orange, two-seater Quorsha belonged to Prince Fay, but it stood out too much for my liking, and the grey Matchbox was Prince Adam’s—it had an “L” learner sticker on its front bonnet. I didn’t like cars that were too low to the ground—at six-five, they were too difficult to get in and out of—so that knocked off two more options. And out of the other five, the only one that appealed to me was the five-door, charcoal-grey SUV that had a smooth, classy matte finish.
“I’ll take the grey Sanza, please,” I said.
He unhooked the keys and placed them in my upturned palm with a soft smile. “It’s Uncle Arsh’s.”
Of course it was.But it was too late to change my mind when Prince Kai closed the metal box, and the electric lock snapped into place.
We walked towards his O’Royse, parked second in the row. Its lights flashed when he unlocked it with the press of a button on the keys. Prince Kai headed around to open Esmeralda’s door, but she was looking at me.
“Be nice to her, Sher,” Esmeralda said just loud enough for me to hear, her greyish-brown eyes unblinking and as pleading as they were stern.
Giving her the barest of nods, I made my way to the seventh spot where the Sanza was. “Come on,” I said in passing to Mariyah as she gawked at Prince Fay’s bright orange sports car in the middle.
I unlocked it before I reached the car, opened the driver’s side door, and slid in. As I adjusted the seat, the left backseat door clicked open. Someone jostled into the car and shut the door.
I paused for several blinks, then pushed one hand against the top of the dashboard to twist around. I scowled at Mariyah as she wriggled and pulled at the open sides of her coat.
“What are you doing?” I growled.
“What does it look like? I’m getting comfortable.”
I gritted my teeth, reminding myself to hold on to the few fraying strands of calm I had left. “Why are you sitting at the back?”
She pulled a face. “Where else am I going to sit? Up front?” She scoffed. “No thanks.”
“I’m not your driver, Mariyah. Get in the passenger seat.Now.”
“No. I’m fine where I am.”
Paths of fire crossed inside me. “I wasn’t asking you. I was telling you.”
Her gaze turned to a choppy storm. “And I’m telling you, no.”
I lurched towards her. “Get in the fucking front, Mariyah, or I swear—”
She leaned forward, squaring up to me. “Or what, Sheri?”
The last silk-thin hairs of my composure snapped and fell into oblivion, never to be seen again.
I snatched the keys out of the ignition and shot out the door. Mariyah’s head turned as I rounded the back, trying to keepout of sight of Esmeralda and Prince Kai. Huffing and puffing in rage, I yanked her car door open, piercing her glare with my own.
“What are you—”
“Get out. Now.” My warning came out deadly low and grated.
She had the sense to stiffen warily but said, “No.”
Shit! She was such a fucking spoiled brat. Thought she could boss me around and treat me like I was her staff or something. She was acting beyond disrespectful, and I wasn’t having any of it.
I relaxed my clenched jaw. “You have five seconds to get out of the car, Mariyah.” Her eyes stilled as I eased slightly back but kept one hand on the top arch of the door. “Five…four…three…” Her hands tightened around the straps of her bag and camera. “Two…one.”
