XXXI

                                    

                                          
Prem, Hakam, and Kabir sat around on the red velvet cushions watching Zora play with a large wooden horse that rocked every time he climbed on it. His little footprints in the lush carpet below decorated the empty room as he ran around them in play. Taking turns climbing on each of their shoulders and playfully being wrestled off, Zora freely expended his energy as his bedtime came near. 
Coming to a pause at the door before entering the room, Rajjo's face flashed an apologetic expression at the Chief.  She then stepped aside to lead the Queen in. Becoming immediately alerted, all three of the men instantly tensed up as Noor stepped in and her bodyguards took positions at the door.
Having been caught off guard by Prem's presence in the room, Noor froze as their eyes met.
Prem's heart raced in his chest as he prepared himself for the interaction of his lifetime. Zora was a living, breathing testament of his and Noor's love - one that stood the test of time. One that perhaps wasn't supposed to make it. One that was snatched away from them but one that survived anyway and stood proudly before their eyes. Noor was about to sit down with their son for the time and he was suddenly having trouble breathing.
It took a single movement by Zora in the corner of her vision for Noor's eyes to abandon Prem at once and find the child. As someone, who had declared to the moon itself that there was nothing it could do to tear her eyes away from Prem's face, she was utterly shocked by the magnetic pull of the child and it's ability to defeat Prem's hypnotism.
"Zoreh!" Rajjo lovingly called out to the child, pulling everyone's attention to Zora and herself. He looked up and his eyes lit up. "Come here, baby." She invited him with a smile. Not hesitating for a moment, he ran right over to them.
"Rajjo!" he exclaimed, pointing to the wooden horse behind him.
"Wow!" Rajjo said. "A new horse!"
"Prem said it looks like Badshaah!" He told her excitedly.
Noor was so overjoyed by the sound of his little voice that it did not even register in her mind that Zora had just referred to Prem by his name as opposed to his relationship with him, "Mamma." 
"It does!" Rajjo agreed with him before softly walking him a couple steps forward to face Noor. "Guess who I brought with me?!"
Noor lowered herself to the floor before Zora. "Hi." Her voice broke as she held back an emotional outpour.
"Is she the Queen?" Zora slowly asked Rajjo.
"Yess, baby! I told you I would bring her right?!" Rajjo caressed the back of Zora's head in pride.
"She's your friend?" He then asked.
"Yeah." Rajjo straightened up the bottom of his kurta, "and she wants to be your friend too!"
"Why are..." Zora planted his hands on his hips, "why are all these big people being my friends all of a sumdem?"
Rajjo and Kabir laughed out loud at Zora's mistaken pronunciation of the large word.  A smile spread over Noor's emotional face as well. Prem simply sat in the background holding his breath. "Because...My Lord, you're just so charming!" 
A dimpled shy smile quickly formed on Zora's face at the compliment and he shielded his eyes away, looking to the side. Noor grabbed Rajjo's hand down at her side as she breathlessly stared at the boy's smile. It was as if Prem had travelled back in time to appear as a child before her. The same features, the same shy smile, the same charisma. Her heart beat mercilessly against her chest at the sight.
Understanding the Queen's plight, Rajjo hurried to introduce Zora to Noor. "Zoreh, won't you greet the Queen?"
Zora nodded and quickly straightened up, facing Noor. "Good Morning, Your Highmess." He did a small, unbalanced bow.
While the rest of the room laughed at Zora's incorrect greeting, Noor couldn't help but reach eagerly for the boy and take both of his hands into her own. "Good Morning, My Lord." She barely managed between the attempt to subside the tears her eyes were helplessly filling with.
"Zoreh, what did I tell you we say in the night?" Rajjo questioned him. "Good..." she mouthed the next word.
"Good night!" Zora exclaimed happily.
"Yes!" Rajjo validated him once again.
"Can...I..." Noor took in a deep inhale to make the final effort to prevent her tears from raining down her cheeks, "...get a hug?" Her voice trailed off at the end of her request.
Noor's state summoned tears to Prem's eyes as well and he heaved a suppressed sigh to somehow calm himself.
"Zoreh...can you give the Queen a hug?" Rajjo softly requested feeling the emotions beginning to build up inside herself as well at the Queen's condition.
Zora slowly nodded and then took a step forward towards Noor. She did not waste a single moment before pulling him into her hold and pressing his small body against herself. It was a feeling like none other. She closed her eyes, taking in the scent of his perfumed oil and caressing the back of his curly haired head. Her tears escaped out onto her cheeks, and she sat absolutely still, completely, and wholly absorbed in the moment. 
It was then that Prem sneaked a hand up to his face and wiped away his own tears. Hakam stared at the ground to avoid his emotions and Kabir did his best to distract himself with a small soldier toy laying on the floor before him. The moment truly was too heavy for them to handle. Even Noor's guards were emotional. There was immense sadness in the eyes of both Dharam and Sevak. Rajjo's tears did fall out and she slowly wiped them away.
Noor was awakened out of her moment only when Zora grew uncomfortable within her hold and squirmed a little. Having composed themselves by the time Noor opened her eyes, the people around her looked on calmly as she reluctantly released the child. Realizing she had shed tears before them, Noor immediately took a swipe at both of her cheeks.
"I'm sorry," she commented looking down. "I...couldn't help it..." she couldn't bring herself to complete her sentence.
"Do not apologize, Your Highness. I beg of you." Rajjo pleaded in a knowing expression.
Noor slowly nodded gathering her chunni. "May I stay here for a little bit?" She asked, looking around the room.
If the sound of a breaking heart could be heard, they would have heard it six times over in that moment from every chest in the room at the Queen's plight.
"Of course! Please take a seat." Rajjo pointed to the cushion next to Prem.
For the first time since her eyes had found Zora, Noor drew her attention back to Prem. He still sat in the same position, appearing to be in control of the nerves whirling inside him.
Nihal arrived into the room after a quick errand to find the Queen getting settled in next to the Chief. A sight that instantly revived that dull ache above his heart again. Things were just starting to get back to normal with her, he wondered if she must insist on hanging around the Chief all over again. Nonetheless, he positioned himself next to Dharam at the door.