Princess: Nuance Of Love Book 1

by Evida Suntoyo

  "You don't have to continue, I can imagine what you felt at the time." She said gently.

  "Anyway, I can't get my mind around who came up with the sick and perverse idea of putting flower petals on a bed meant for a couple who just got married." He frowned.

  "It's supposed to be romantic, silly...." She laughed. "So what do you think they should use to decorate a bridal bed?"

  "I don't know...." He thought for a while, "Apples maybe...ah...strawberries..."

  "Durian....." She laughed again.

  "I'll take durian over flower petals." He replied in a serious tone.

  Paramita couldn't help but laugh louder imagining the scene, durian husk on a bridal bed that would be something different.

  Ali smiled seeing her cheerfulness, "I see that you're having a good time."

  "I am, thank you...." She replied. "I can't allow you to put durians on our bed."

  "Aww......" He pretended to look disappointed.

  She moved closer to him then whispered in his ear, "But I will allow you "un petit mort" tonight."

  Ali choked slightly, he stopped his steps then looked at her, trying to see if she was serious or just teasing him. Seeing her expression, he waved the violinists away, then pulled her by the hand into the lobby. He walked right up to the front desk, "Do you have any available suites?"

  Paramita was baffled, "Are you crazy? What if..."

  "I am crazy, I'm happily crazy, "He said while taking out his credit card and giving it to the hotel staff.

  "Sir, we don't have any available suites, we have a deluxe room available though."

  "I'll take it." He replied without a doubt.

  "Bang..." Paramita blushed.

  "The name you would like to register, sir?" The receptionist asked.

  "Burhan and Sawitri" He replied, glancing at his wife.

  The receptionist gave him a key card, "Room 506, you can take the elevator on the left, do you have any luggage?"

  Ali shook his head, "Let's go" He said to Paramita.

  He pulled her into an embrace when they were in the elevator, he kissed her hair several times.

  "Bang, there's a CCTV there." She reminded him.

  "It's not like I'm doing anything X rated." He replied coolly.

  The elevator bell dinged as they reached the fifth floor. Ali looked for the direction of the room and led her down the hallway. He swiped the card on the lock then pushed the door open, letting her enter first. He quickly followed in, letting the door close.

  Ali didn't give her chance to speak, he pulled her to him and began attacking her lips, ravishing her tongue with all his sense of longing. He pushed her lower back closer towards him, pressing her chest on his and kneading her back with his hands as she circled her arms around his neck.

  He slowly lowered her zipper, letting her gown drop in a pile on the floor. She helped him take off his jacket, then his tie without releasing his lips.

  Ali carefully sat her down on the bed, he removed his shirt and pants, kicking his shoes and pulling off his socks, before leaning over to kiss her again.

  Paramita dropped herself backward on the bed, pulling him beside her. She sighed at the touch of his hand tracing her lower abdomen, he tasted her skin, taking in all her sweetness. He subtly moved his hand to remove the remaining cloth between them. Paramita allowed all her senses to meet his. She closed her eyes as she surrendered completely to his passion.

  Chapter Thirty Five

  Ali dropped himself on the mattress, panting and gasping for air. His bare chest dripping with sweat. Paramita glanced from the corner of her eyes at her husband. She threw a roundhouse kick at the punching bag, before picking up the small towel and the bottle of water at the corner of the training hall. She approached him and sat beside him on the mattress.

  "I think I'm going to suffer a heart attack......" Ali whispered.

  Paramita didn't want to seem mean, but she couldn't help but hide a smile. "You have been busy with work lately and you don't exercise regularly, I don't think it's a good idea to force yourself, how many laps did you run?" She used the towel to wipe the sweat from his face and chest.

  "I ran ten laps...." He said, his breath already calm.

  "Come on, let me help you up, take a drink of water." She put her arm under his head and helped him to sit. She opened the water bottle and brought it to his mouth.

  "Thank you." He said. "Help me stand up."

  "Poor baby!" She said in a cutesy voice.

  "Good morning, Pangeran and Puteri." Colonel Anton approached them.

  "Good morning Colonel," Ali replied.

  "Good morning." Paramita also greeted him.

  "Pangeran, we have assigned Captain Bagas to your residence, Pangeran. He will be reporting for duty this afternoon."

  Ali nodded, he patted the Colonel on the shoulder, "Thank you Colonel." He said.

  He turned to his wife then whispered, "Help me walk to the car. I can't feel my legs." He put his arm around her shoulder so she could help him walk.

  * * *

  "Reporting for duty, Pangeran." Captain Bagas stood in front of Ali.

  "Captain Bagas, it's great to have you as part of my staff," Ali replied with a kind smile.

  "The honor is mine Pangeran. Belated congratulations on your new positions as Crown Prince. I'm sorry I only congratulated you three months after."

  "Thank you! Better late than never. This is Mister Ariawan, he is the Chief of Staff here in the Lotus Palace. He will show you to your room and introduce you to your men."

  "Please this way Captain Bagas." Mister Ariawan signaled.

  "Thank you, Pangeran. Please excuse me." He bowed to Ali and left with Mister Ariawan.

  "So, you got your very own little army of Royal Guards assigned to you huh? Paramita said casually while entering Ali's study.

  "It's protocol." He replied.

  "And what will a simple housewife like me know about protocol." Paramita sighed standing by his side. She placed a stack of newspapers on his desk.

  Ali pulled her down on his lap. "What indeed." He replied. "What are these?" He asked while looking at the bundle on his desk.

  "This is today's edition and some past editions of Wirakarta Daily. According to them you bought a house for Dewi and maybe soon you'll marry her as your second wife, today there's even speculations that she might be one or two months pregnant with your child, because she was caught vomiting behind stage."

  "She always vomits behind stage since the first day I knew her, she puts her finger down her throat after each meals. How could she not vomit? I feel bad for whoever cooks for her. And how can I make some other woman one or two months pregnant if for the past three months I'm either at the Sultan's Palace with your father, or here getting drained until the last drop every single day by you?"

  "You dirty old man!" She replied.

  "Anyway I haven't been buying any properties lately, but I know someone who's been busy doing it. So simple housewife. Tell me, what is this I hear about your land acquisitions? Do you mind sharing it with me?"

  She smiled, "Are you spying on me?"

  "Is it supposed to be a secret from me?"

  "Not really. Just some business dealings of mine. And they are not land acquisitions. I'm buying old houses, I plan to restore them, then sell them. That's all. I have to find some way to spend my dowry."

  "Ahh...so you're working?"

  "Why you don't permit me to?"

  "Of course I do! But when you need to go out on surveys, you shouldn't go alone. Take the guards with you."

  "Okay I will." She said as placed her head against his.

  "What company are you going to hire for the construction project?" He asked again.

  "I think I'm going to invite several companies to bid. The properties I bought are in Wirakarta's upscale locations, so I think a lot of constructors will be interested to participate in the project."

  "Hmm, you have it well planned." Then he continued carefully. "Mita, it's
not that I want to get in your way or anything, Hafiz owns a construction company..."

  "Bang, if he wants to bid and he gives me a fair and competitive proposal, I don't have any intentions on favoring or discriminating against him."

  "I appreciate your professionalism, but I can't help feeling a little..."

  "Jealous?" Paramita cut him, "Bang. I will make sure to study each proposal and make sure they are reasonable, before I compare apples to apples and then award the contract."

  "Okay. I want to see them though. Let's say I'll audit the financial side of it."

  "Okay, boss."

  "What do you want to eat tonight?"

  "Are you going to cook for me?"

  "Eh-he...."

  "Let me see, hm......" She said as flashes of dishes passed before her eyes.

  "I know. Spanish Paella, with real saffron." He said without waiting for her respond.

  "I'm so lucky to have married to you." She smiled and kissed his cheek.

  "You are, aren't you? But you have to pay this dirty old man in advance for the meal." He said while lifting her up on the big desk and pulling her skirt up.

  * * *

  "You want me to meet you at a café?" Paramita said to the woman at the other side of the phone. "I have absolutely no business with you."

  "I have to talk to you!" Dewi said. "Please, listen to what I have to say to you. Can't you see that all this is killing me?"

  ''Look Dewi, know that you're hurting. I'm sorry for everything that you had to go through, but please let him go already!"

  "That's easy for you to say, you're not the one who lost the man you love the most in this world. "

  ''Okay, I'll meet with you, but this will be the last time." She paused to find a pen and paper. "Tell me where you want to meet."

  "Promise me you wouldn't tell him that you're going to meet me." Dewi said.

  "Fine!"

  Paramita flagged a taxi in front of the palace gate, since she was going to meet with Dewi I she didn't want to bother any of the guards. She didn't consider Dewi to be a danger to her. That woman had lost her mind, but she was very pitiful more than anything else. After being in love with Ali for a few months she could empathize with Dewi. The taxi slowed down in front of a small café located at Wirakarta's shopping district.

  She paid the taxi fare and stepped down, she took off her dark sunglasses checked the name of the café again, before entering. She looked around to see if Dewi had arrived or not, she saw a petite woman sitting at a corner table Wearing dark sunglasses in an attempt to remain incognito." She must think that she's that famous". Paramita thought to herself.

  She walked over to where Dewi was sitting. Through the corner of her eye she can see people looking at her. She wondered if they recognized her, keeping a calm front she directed herself to the table, pulled back the chair and sat down.

  "What do you want to talk about?” Paramita asked without small talk.

  "Why don't we order something to drink first?" Dewi said stalling. Dewi signaled to the waiter to come to their table and take the order.

  "Cappuccino, please." Paramita ordered.

  "Black coffee for me." Dewi said.

  "I don't have all day!" Parameter started again, "Say what you want to say, I'm listening!"

  "I want you to see how much I'm suffering. I want you to see what you've done to me." Dewi said in a melancholy tone.

  "It's getting old and tiring! What are you hoping to gain by all this pity party?"

  "You're cruel, you're mean. When we met at the restaurant, you already knew that you were engaged to him, but you pretended to be interested in our relationship, you were asking about our plans for marriage. You did that on purpose did you? You were acting all nice and innocent, but in your heart, you were mocking me."

  "Do you mean you made me come all the way out here just to listen to your nonsense?" Paramita replied. "Aren't you clear yet that this marriage wasn't my choice?"

  "Do you think I didn't know that day at the restaurant, you tried to seduce him? You flirted and teased him! Soon he will realize what type of a woman you really are, soon he'll see that you're nothing but a low class woman masquerading as a princess."

  "Are you done?" Paramita asked nonchalantly though deep down she had to admit that Dewi wasn't without reason. "If not, please continue with your whining and ranting."

  "I hate you! I wish you would just go and die."

  "I'm wasting my time here I'm leaving, I have better things to do then listen to your senseless rambles. You know what? Call me mean, but I wonder how Bang Ali could stand dating you for three years. You are so boring, one sided and you don't possess a single shred of common sense. I'm leaving now. Have a good day!" She got up and left the table she walked to the cashier and paid the Cappuccino that she didn't get a chance to drink.

  Paramita stepped out of the café and waited for a taxi. She caught sight of a black van parked across the street that gave her a very uneasy feeling, as the men inside the van seemed to be observing her. One man came down and looked as if he was going to walk her way. Paramita left the spot she was standing at, and walked down the block.

  From the side of her eyes Paramita could see the black Audi Van speeding by and pulling over a few meters in front of her. She turned left and fastened her pace. Two men came out of the car and hurriedly followed behind her.

  The two men ran past her and blocked her path by standing in front of her. Paramita made a quick observation, they didn't appear to be armed. She stepped back a little, then said in a soft and exaggeratedly feminine voice, "Please, let me go, I don't know you people. What do you want with me?"

  "Young lady, you should feel honored, our lord Tuanku Pangeran Bashir wants to talk to you."

  "Pangeran Bashir?" She repeated almost as if to herself, "So the two of you work for him?"

  "Young lady, come with us."

  "Tell the old man, if he wants to talk to me, there are proper ways to do it. He should come out of his car and find me himself instead of sending his goons to me" She responded harshly.

  "Impudent woman!" The man on the right shouted while moving forward to grab her.

  Paramita jumped back to evade him. Seeing that he missed, he charged again with his hand extended ready to grab her. This time she stayed still, she caught his hand and clinched with all her strength the area between his thumb and index finger with her thumb and index finger. The man gasped because of the sharp pain, she clenched her fist and slammed a hook into his diaphragm. He tried to catch his breath, but she didn't give him a chance, she grabbed his shirt and threw him against the wall as hard as she could. He fell flat on his back after his forehead smashed against the brick wall, and she added a stomp kick to his temple to leave him unconscious as his head ricochet against the ground.

  The other henchman was surprised to see her quick and strong attack, he cursed under his breath and leaped forward. Paramita didn't wait for him to get close to her, she moved her foot forward and baited him with a sweep kick, the man was surprised and stopped on his track, that's when she saw the opportunity and launched a roundhouse kick towards his head. The henchman fell sideways, she approached him and stomped his head with her right foot, causing him to hit the sidewalk hard. He was still conscious so she squatted down and grabbed him by the neck.

  Seeing that Paramita was overpowering his men, Pangeran Bashir opened the car door got off, took out his gun and pointed it at her.

  "Stop there!" Pangeran Bashir shouted at her while continuing to point his gun at her. "You really aren't a dignified lady, you're a low life just like your mother."

  She observed him carefully, this was the first time she ever saw him. He looked much older than her father, even though she heard mentions that they only were three years apart. He had the strict and fierce look of somebody who doesn't take any nonsense. "And you really are a typical machoism brute. You think that women who just roll over and let a man whack her in the head and drag her by the hair is dignifie
d." She responded to him while letting go of the guard's neck.

  "Put your hands up." He said calmly and coldly, then turned to his men, kicking with the tip of his toe to wake them up. "How could you have the face to take your salary if the two of you couldn't even apprehend one woman?"

  "Please forgive us, Tuanku." They said.

  Pangeran Bashir turned back to Paramita signaling her to walk to the car. "Get in!" He ordered.

  Paramita raised her hands up and complied with what he said.

  She entered to the back seat of the car with her back towards the driver's seat. She was surprised to see that Dewi was sitting there across her, "What the..." She cursed.

  "Niece, you must be wondering why Miss Dewi is her." Pangeran Bashir said as he also climbed into the car.

  "Not really, birds of a feather flock together." Paramita mocked.

  Pangeran Bashir raised his hand to slap her on the face. Paramita reflectively caught him by the wrist and squeezed it. She felt the cold metal from a gun barrel on her neck, she released her grip on the old man's arm.

  He pretended that nothing had happen to save his pride. "Drive!" He ordered.

  Chapter Thirty Six

  "Where did she go to?" Ali asked Noorhayati in disbelief.

  "Like I said Pangeran, after receiving a call from Miss Dewi, Puteri took a taxi, to go out and meet her," Mak Noor repeated.

  "Did she tell you where she was going to meet Dewi?" He asked again.

  "No, she didn't. But she wrote the place and address on a piece of paper on the notepad by the phone, and if something I know about my Puteri well, is that always put a lot of strength and pressure when she wrote, chances are we can see the marks on the next sheet." Mak Noor said while picking up the notepad and tracing the dents that Paramita's handwriting left behind then handed it to Ali.

  "So you said that she's been gone for a few hours already?" He felt uneasy.

  "Yes, Pangeran, she left since around ten o'clock this morning."

  "She should have known better to not go out by herself, we still haven't found out who was trying to kill her yet," Ali mumbled. "Mak Noor, the driver to get the car ready and have Captain Bagas meet me up front."