Bound to the enemy

Zahra

“Zahra will be getting married to Lord Tariq.” Father announced and instantly, the room fell silent.

More than ten people sat around the long royal table, elders, family members, and every single one of them turned to stare at me as if Father had just announced my death sentence.

I leaned back in my chair, sneering concealed, though amusement stirred quietly inside me. I hated family dinners but this was by far one of my favorites.

“Sultan, are you sure about this?” Ameer, my stepmother, asked harshly. “We agreed to keep Zahra inside this house. There’s no telling what she’ll do if she gets out there. She has killed more than a hundred of our men, she deserves to be punished all her life.” 

I scoffed softly. Killed? An act I had never committed out of my own free will. 

“Sultan,” Elder Zaki added, his wrinkled hands resting heavily on the table, “the Adil family has been our enemy for decades. Giving Zahra to them would only be seen as weakness. It gives them a chance to ride over us and treat us like their subjects.”

“It has been decided, we need to make plans for the…”

“You can’t give her to Tariq,” Ameer snapped. “If anyone deserves that marriage, it should be Dalia, she has achieved great things for this family.” Her eyes glowed with pride.

Beside her, Dalia straightened immediately, her pride evident before she even spoke.

“Why does she get him? Of all the men in the world, why Tariq?” She demanded, rising to her feet. “I’ve been the pride of this family. I upheld our values. I trained until warriors twice my age feared me. I earned respect. And instead of rewarding me, you choose Zahra? This is unfair, father.”

Her eyes burned with hatred for me but I was so used to it, it meant nothing.

“The Great War is fast approaching, alliances are collapsing and this war is one of the best ways to secure our nation.” Dad replied with his head bowed and Ameer scoffed.

“She’s a disgrace, she’s weak. She can’t control her powers. All her years of training have produced nothing except death. I deserve the marriage, I know my way around powerful people and I can’t end the beef without making our family look weak and desperate, father.” She replied and he exhaled deeply.

“So you think giving the enemy your clumsiest daughter is going to make things better? What if she kills Tariq? Are you prepared for what the Adil clan will do to us? They could wipe our generation from the earth if anything happens to him, consider your decision properly, Adil is the heir to the clan, she’s going to kill him!” Ameer argued and I couldn’t help but laugh inwardly.

It was funny to watch them precede over my fate like I was nothing. The thought of getting married to Tariq was nothing but a bad joke. 

Tariq was the most powerful heir the Adil family had now, his name sent chills down the spine of commoners, people tremble and scurry around in fear whenever he’s around.

To my family he was nothing but an old rival, we hated the Adil family, it had stemmed from a betrayal and after decades of trying to destroy each other, it was shocking to hear this news.

I didn’t believe in marriages, I was incapable of feeling love, I was the odd one in my family.

My mother died before my birth and to everyone's amazement, even though she had been dead for a week, I made it out alive, making them have beliefs that I was a divine being, unique and special.

Over the years, their expectations died down as things became difficult for me. Unlike other witches, I had no powers at the age of 15.

Even at 16, I couldn’t do the most basic tasks and when I finally got my powers at the age of 17, it was a curse.

My powers were lethal.

I killed people, all it required was body contact, hundreds of people who did as much as brush past me died mysteriously and in order to protect the reputation of my family, I was confined in the house.

I had no business with the outside world, just me and my thoughts in the garden while trying to find my main power.

Everyone in the family had one, Ameer was a shapeshifter, with just a touch, she could steal your face, my father was a warrior, he could duplicate himself into numerous bodies and Dalia, she was unique, she could go invisible whenever she pleased.

While I remained the same way, with a power that was no different from a curse and terrified family.

“Enough! It has been settled already, there’s no going back.” Dad announced sternly and I scoffed.

“What about me? Do I get a say in this? Don’t I have the right to decide whether I want to get married to that monster or not?” I demanded as they all turned to me.

Ameer and Dalia tried to hide their laughter while the rest of the family just rolled their eyes, they hated my guts so much.

“No, you’ve cost the family so much already, you’ll do exactly as I say whether you want or not.” He insisted and I scoffed.

“I don’t want to marry Tariq, I hate him.” 

“You hate everyone, Zahra. You’re getting married to him and that’s final, start getting the things ready, do not cause another war between our families!” He ordered as he rose, heading out.

Others grumbled with rage as they left the table one after the other, Dalia being the last.

I exhaled deeply, staring at the cold dish. “Zahra, you have a message.” A maid announced, standing beside the door with a scroll.

She placed it on the floor, scurrying away with fear and I scoffed as I went to pick it up.

“Run now, if you still believe you’ll be the death of me.” The note read and I frowned. Rather than rage or disgust, I felt curiosity, how daring of him to think my powers will fail around him.

For the first time in my life, I wanted to meet someone and flex my powers.