All Paramita ever wanted was to run off to Dubai and become an architect. But her father the Sultan of Jothar had other plans for her. Calling her home to an arrange marriage with a son of a nobleman, Burhanuddin Ali.
Smart, funny, kind and caring, Ali found a way into her heart before she even knew it.
Things are not as it seems, pending issues with her parents, her uncle stirring a coup d'etat and trying to kill her, and her own fear of commitment, Paramita will need to count on more than just her fists and kicks. She would have to learn to trust Ali, but can she really trust him or will she surrender to her own insecurities?
A fun action packed adventure romance, located in the fantasy kingdom of Jothar.
Excerpt:
"Father, I don't want to marry yet," said Hafiz with a protesting tone, "I'm too young, and I have things that I want to do. I don't want to marry Paramita, she's weird, and she hates me."
"Hafiz, how can you say such a thing, Her Highness Puteri Paramita is the daughter of His Majesty Sultan Abdul Kadir. I can't believe such a remark coming from my very own son!" Raden Hamza scolded him.
"What was the point of studying in Britain if I have to marry at this age? It's almost the same as dying young."
"Don't say such inauspicious things" His father exclaimed, "This marriage is very important for both families."
"Why me? Why not my brother, he is the oldest son, shouldn't he marry first?"
"He has a long-term girlfriend."
"Why is my brother allowed to choose the woman he loves but not me?"
"Hafiz, you know very well why! You marrying into the royal family is your mother's dream, and besides in my opinion since his Mother is a foreign woman, some people will see him not fit to marry the Sultan's daughter." His voice shaken as he said this.
"Though a foreign woman, but his mother was a descendant of an Arabian royal family, unlike my mother who is just a merchant's daughter. I don't see anything that would make him not worthy of marrying the Princess." Hafiz exclaimed," I know that you prefer him more than me, that's why you are sacrificing me instead of him."
"You ungrateful son, how dare you talk to me like that!" Raden Hamza raised his voice, he was clenching his hands so hard that his nail dug into the palm of his hands.
Without a warning the door burst opened, Raden Nabilla, his wife walked over to him, she touched his shoulder with gentleness to comfort him.
"That's enough, you're upsetting your Father, Hafiz!" She scold. "Go to your room, we can talk about this later!"
Hafiz stood and exited the study, as Raden Hamza sat on his favorite chair, his wife stood by him and caressed his back, she picked the bell off the coffee table, and a maid came into the room.
"Maya, please get Raden a cup of warm water and bring me his medicine." She turned to her husband, "My dear, you shouldn't let yourself get too excited, you should really take more care of your health."
"Didn't you hear how he spoke to me? I can't understand how a person with a high education like him can act so insolently and disrespectful to his elders."
"Please be more patient with him, you should try to understand him more. He is from a different generation than you and me, young people today, do not want to marry by arranged marriage, they want to go and find their own spouses."
"What are you blubbering about, woman? It was you who insisted on having your son engaged to the princess, and now you come and tell me this nonsense?"
"I was only stating the facts, I am not giving my opinion. Besides, this is a decision that we both made, we have to stand true to it. But, we also should understand what our son is thinking and feeling. We cannot force him into this marriage, but we can certainly convince him to believe that it is the best decision."
Raden Hamza sighed, "I don't know why he hates the Princess, and apparently there was a problem between them, when they were in London."
"What happened? What did he say?"
"He didn't tell me anything, he said that Her Highness Puteri Paramita made it her purpose in life to annoy and embarrass him, that's all," Raden Hamza said with a sigh.
"Oh my, what should we do?" Raden Nabilla worried seeing her son's behavior.
"I will tell Ali to talk to him, maybe he can find out what really happened, and convince him to marry the princess, Hafiz respects and trusts his older brother very much."
"Yes, you're right, let's do that, I think that's the right approach too."
She had finished talking when Maya entered with the medicine and cup of water, she bowed in respect to them, kneeled and put the tray on the table.
"Maya," Said Raden Nabilla, "Do you know if Ali has returned?"
"He has My Lady," replied Maya, "He is outside in the garden caring for his bonsai plants."
"Can you please tell him to come here? Tell him that his Father wants to talk to him!" Raden Nabilla ordered.
As Maya walked out, she reached for the water and handed it to Raden Hamza, she took the medicine and gave it to him. "Here, take this."
Raden Hamza took the medicine from his wife without hesitation and drank it with water, he paused for a while, as though trying to feel any effect of the medicine. "Until when do I have to keep taking that bothersome thing?" He asked.
"Until the doctor tells you so." Replied his wife. "Besides, you wouldn't have such a high blood pressure if you learn to control your temper."
Raden Hamza glanced at her without saying anything.
They heard a tap on the door, Ali stood in the doorway, smiling at them. "Did you want to see me, Father?"
"Ali please come in and close the door, there is something that we need your help with. Come in, sit here next to us." Replied Raden Nabilla.
After closing the door, Ali walked over like he was told and sat on a seat. "How can I help you, mother?"
"Your father and I are worrying about your brother." Said Raden Nabilla. "As you know, we have agreed with our king, His Majesty Sultan Abdul Kadir to engage one of our sons to his daughter, Her Highness Puteri Paramita, and as you also know, between your father and myself, we have decided that it would be Hafiz, who will marry her. But he has refused this arrangement, and he even told your father that the princess hates him. He made your father very upset."
Ali listened attentively, he turned to look at his Father. "How are you feeling now, father, are you okay?" He asked a hint of worry was present in his voice.
Raden Hamza took a deep breath and said, "Of course I am, it was because your brother was surprisingly insolent and rude to me that it took me by surprise. I do agree with your mother though, we must first understand what happened between them in the past, so we can solve this issue and move forward with the marriage."
"I understand, father, mother. I will talk to him, but I have to warn you if he is being headstrong, it might take me some time to solve this matter. I don't want to come on him too strongly, because if he is up to the point where he is confronting father, maybe it isn't so simple after all the last thing, we want to do, is to create a family conflict."
"I agree with you, Ali." Smiled Raden Hamza, "I trust that you will use your best judgment to solve this problem. You know this marriage is very important for me and my second cousin. More importantly, this marriage will make sure that the Monarchy will stay safe, and in the hands of Jothar's own royal lineage, as we are descendants of Jothar's royal family. Since our Sultan has only one son Crown Prince Pangeran Abdurrahman, and his three daughters from his wives are married to princes from the sultanates in Malaysia, his brother Pangeran Bashir is sickly and doesn't have any heirs. It makes perfect sense that His Majesty the Sultan wants a relative to marry his only maiden daughter and make his son-in-law as the second in line to the throne."
"Yes father, I will make sure that my brother will understand this." He said.
Without a warning Raden Nabilla beamed up, "Have you spoken to Dewi about your wedding plans yet?"
Ali smiled from ear to ear, "Not yet mother, but I have hinted to her that our family would like to visit her family in Jakarta."
"Oh really?" Raden Nabilla's tone showed delight, "That's excellent, and how did she take it? Was she happy?"
Yes she was, she was both touched and excited." He replied cautiously.
"I'm m happy that you found the person you would like to settle down with." His father cut in. "Dewi is a great person, and she comes from a distinguished family, the one thing I want you to do is make it clear to her that I don't want her to continue her career as a singer once she marries to you. I don't want to hear any bad rumors that come with her line of work as a celebrity."
"Yes father, I have told her that some time ago, and she agreed to it."
"I'm so happy for you," sighed Raden Nabilla, "I can't wait to have our grandchildren running around this house. This house has been quiet and dull ever since you and Hafiz grown up as adult men. Especially when the two of you were studying abroad, I felt like I would go crazy with boredom."
"Is that so?" Said Raden Hamza," I couldn't say the same, it was the opposite for me. As I had to listen to you nagging me all day, every day."
"Abang, stop teasing me......"Replied Raden Nabila with a coquettish voice.
"I should take my leave." Smiled Ali, "It looks like my presence here is no longer needed, in fact, I'm a third wheel."