Arta went back to her chambers and dismissed Nahla. She wanted to think about what Pirbaba had said to her. Her best hope was her father's arrival as soon as possible. No one else other than her father could save Persia and Persians.

It was almost noon when Nahla knocked and entered the room. "Are you ready to go for lunch?" Nahla asked.

"I'll eat in my room." Arta was lying down on a day bed by the window.

"But it is not possible." Nahla said looking uneasy.

"What do you mean?" She frowned and sat up.

"Umm, the thing is that Prince has requested to have lunch with you in the dining room."

Arta hissed angrily "I will not eat lunch with him" and she lied down again and crossed her arms.

"Oh please Arta, don't make me go and tell him you disobey him." Nahla pleaded.

"Do whatever you want, I won't eat with him." Arta said stubbornly.

Nahla rushed toward Arta and knelt by the day bed "Please Arta I would lose my job or even my head. Please!" She locked her hands in front of her and pleaded to Arta.

"You won't lose your job or your head. I promise you that. As I said I'll eat lunch here in this room. End of story."

Nahla sighed and walked out of the room. She was so nervous. "The prince will kill me. Ya Allah help me!" she walked toward Osman's room with shaky legs.

"Come in!" Osman said following the knock on the door.

"My prince." Nahla bowed.

"What is it?"

Her gaze was on the floor "Princess Arta said that she will have lunch at her room." She pressed her eyes waiting for waves if his anger to wash her down.

After a long pause, Osman said "Very well then. Make arrangements to have our lunch at her room." his voice was deadly cold.

"He is going to kill Arta at the lunch table" Nahla shivered by this thought. She bowed and left the room.

She knew better not to go and inform Arta of the prince's decision. She went straight to the kitchen to inform Khadijeh.

Khadijeh was rushing around in the kitchen giving orders and helping with the lunch preparations.

Nahla informed Khadijeh of the Osman's decision.

Khadijeh closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "you two!" Khadijeh pointed to two of the maids "Go and take the smaller table in the dining room to the princess's room."

"No, wait. You can't do that now." Nahla stopped them and turned to Khadijeh.

"The princess does not want to eat lunch with our prince and I'm afraid if we take things one by one to her room she will find a way to flee her room before lunch and that will make the prince angry. We don't want to make him angry, do we?" Nahla said almost whispering to Khadijeh.

"Good point. What is your suggestion then?"

"We should take everything simultaneously as close as possible to the lunchtime, even at the same time."

"Is she really that stubborn about not eating lunch with Prince?" Khadijeh asked looking surprised.

"You have no idea." Nahla rolled her eyes.

"Ok, then we'll do as you said."

After a few minutes that everything was ready, a line of maids all carrying something in their hands were going upstairs toward Arta's room.

Nahla knocked and went inside. Arta was still lying on the day bed with a book in her hand. She sat up when Nahla came in. "It's lunchtime princess." Nahla bowed and stood in a corner.

Maids poured in first putting a table in the middle of the room then decorated it with tablecloth and flowers and put dishes for two. Arta looked at Nahla questioningly but Nahla was looking anywhere but Arta.

The table for two was set in just a couple of seconds.

"Why you set the table for two?" Arta asked Khadijeh who was the last to enter the room.

"The prince will join you soon." She bowed.

"WHAT? I said don't want to sit at the same table with him." She threw angry glares toward Nahla who seemed to be looking at something interesting on the floor.

Arta walked toward the door and was about to leave the room when Osman stood in front of her at the door.

"What is going on here?" Osman said looking at Arta and then Khadijeh.

Arta ignored him and walked past him but before she could get out of reach, he grabbed her wrist from behind and pulled her toward himself.

Witnessing that scene Khadijeh gestured and everyone left the room immediately.

Now there were only Osman and Arta standing by the door, both looking angry. No one could say who was more furious.

Arta harshly pulled her hand out of Osman's and went back inside her room. Her eyes were filled with tears not because of Osman's present or her miserable life but out of pain. She pulled her hand so hard that it looked as if it had dislocated or broken.

She stood by the window motionlessly and cried silently.

Osman approached and stood by her side "Is it so awful to sit at the same table with me?" he said coldly. When Arta did not react to him he became angry "Do you think you are better than me?"

Still no reaction. "Look at me when I'm talking to you." He said with clenching teeth.

"I said look at me!" He shouted and grabbed Arta's Shoulder and made her turn to her.

The sudden movement made her groaned in pain and grabbed her wrist with her hand and tears dropped from her eyes. She shut her eyes. She didn't want him to see her in this vulnerable situation.

Osman noticed her groan and wrist grabbing. He immediately realized there was something wrong with her wrist from its swelling and redness.

He gently touched her good hand "Let me look at it."

Arta opened her teary eyes "No need!"

"Don't be so stubborn. If I don't attend to it now it will get worse and more painful. Let me help you."

Arta hesitated but the pain was unbearable. She let go of her hand from her wrist.

"Come and sit." Osman gently helped her to sit on a couch.

He knelt in front of her and took her broken hand in his and gently touched it. Arta groaned in pain, but Osman did not pay any attention.

He suddenly pulled her wrist without any warnings. She cried in pain and slapped Osman in the face.

Osman stood up.

"You idiot!" Arta screamed between crying trying to catch a breath.

"Your welcome!" Osman said with a smirk on his face.

"Get out of here!" Arta screamed.

"Not before you thank me for fixing your hand."

"Thanking you? How could you call this fixing? You just made it worst."

"Now calm down princess. You are still in shock. I fixed your hand." He pointed to her hand. "go on and move it. You won't fill any pain. As a matter of fact, you are not feeling any pain even now."

"How do you know that you cruel torturer" Arta shouted.

"Come on take a deep breath and move your hand. Trust me."

"Yeah right!" She laughed bitterly.

"You are so spoiled you knew? You should work on this attitude of yours before our marriage."

Arta stood up suddenly and moved toward Osman "I'll never marry you."

"Carve That in Your Empty Head of Yours" She said word by word while pointing her index finger at him.

"Well, it worked! Now thank me!"

"What??"

"Your wrist. It seems it's good enough to threaten me with your finger." He laughed.

Arta looked at her wrist. He was right. She did not have any pain anymore. "Whatever!" She said and hid her hand behind her.

"I'm waiting!" Osman sat at the lunch table.

Arta said nothing. After a few seconds, Osman said "you should either thank me for fixing your hand or have lunch with me."

Arta stood still.

"There is also another option." Osman paused a mischievous smile on his face "I'll stay here at this room until you thank me, and it doesn't matter how long it takes. Now choose wisely."

"Fine!" Arta said and sat in front of Osman at the table.

They started to eat. Osman was frequently looking at Arta while they were eating in silence.

After lunch, Osman left the table to leave "Don't forget, the feast is in three days. Ask Khadijeh to provide you with whatever you need." And he left.

Arta sat there confused about his behavior. One second he was as cold as a stone, another time he was as angry as a wasp and sometimes he is as compassionate as a lover could be. There is something seriously wrong with him. He was a strong and good-looking man. Probably under different circumstances, she could even like him.

She immediately dismissed these nonsense thoughts. She would never like him, not in a million years.

"I wonder where is Nahla." She said to herself.

Nahla came in with a tray of white cloths and medicine. "Ya Allah, what happened?"

"Nothing." Arta said and then whispered "traitor".

"Oh come on now. I swear to God I told him that you don't want to have lunch with him but he insisted to have lunch at your room. What could I do? I had to follow his orders."

"Well, you could have informed me before invading my room with all these." She pointed to the table and foods.

"I'm sorry Arta, but please understand that he is a crown prince and I have to follow his orders or I'll be as good as a dead. Will you forgive me?"

Arta sighed "of course. I understand your situation."

Nahla jumped in happiness "Now tell me what happened? The prince said that I should bandage your wrist. He even brought these ointments from his room to put on your wrist. He had instructed me how to use them, so don't worry. What happened?"

"Didn't your prince tell you the story? You should ask him." Arta hissed.

"Oh come on Arta. If it makes you feel any better I should say that he looked really concerned for you."

"Pffff, right!"

Nahla rolled her eyes. "Ok don't tell me. Now give me your hand."

Arta put her hand on the table and Nahla first rubbed a yellow ointment that smelled like turmeric on her wrist. Then she put something green like chopped mint on it and gently rolled a long cloth around her wrist.

"Done!" Nahla said.

"Thanks!"

"I'll go and ask the maids to take these out." Nahla pointed to the table and the half-full dishes of food.

Nahla left and Arta walked to the balcony for some fresh air. She leaned on the edge of the balcony looking at the beautiful scene in front of her, the royal gardens, the majestic mountains, and the sound of river hidden among the tall trees of the garden.

She took a deep breath and turned her head to the left side, Osman's chambers balcony. Osman was standing there looking at her. Their gazes locked for a few seconds. Osman smiled at her and she suddenly came back to her senses and quickly turned her head and rushed inside.