SWEDEN
"Just two more days" Zayed said with a sigh
"We will take short vacations like this in the future too. Stop getting anxious about it. I know you are going to take a very important responsibility. One you weren't prepared for. But I am sure you will do it perfectly" Aveline said with a smile.
"I hope so" Zayed said
"Where is Zian?" Zayed asked, seeing Zahir and Zada running around inside the house.
"He is outside. With Rocky" Aveline said
"I think someone is moving in next door" Zayed said
"Oh? Who said?" Aveline asked
"I just saw the real estate agent who arranged this cottage for us. She was waiting for her clients. She said the deal is an almost done deal" Zayed said with a shrug.
"Papa! Papa! Can we have pizza? Pretty please?" Zada asked, running towards me.
"I want that one with cheese inside" Zahir demanded
Of course, you wouldn't hear a please from him. Ever!
"What have momma taught you, Zahir? When you ask for something?" Zayed asked sternly
"But Zada already said it for me" Zahir said, knowing very well what his father was talking about.
"Zada didn't say it for you. She did it for herself. If you want something, you will have to say the magic word yourself" Zayed said sternly
Zahir sulked
"No pizza for you, if you don't say the magic word" Zayed said.
He had taken it upon himself to teach Zahir some discipline.
He is going to the ruling Sheikh one day. Yes, the new Zidran rule is the all three of them have equal rights on the throne.
But he knew that it will be Zahir. Both his siblings look upto Zahir as their leader. And that will continue so, no matter what!
"Can I have a pizza with cheese inside please?" Zahir asked grudgingly and Zayed fought the grin that was forming on his face.
"Yes, you can. Now, both of you go and play outside" Zayed said. Zahir and Zada ran out, with Bruno running behind them and Maggie following lazily.
"I can't believe he actually said please" Aveline said with a chuckle
"Albeit reluctantly" Zayed added dryly making Aveline laugh.
"That royal blood in him, I tell you" Ava said cheekily
"I too have royal blood in me. That doesn't make me arrogant and stubborn" Zayed said
"Oh really? You have some nerve to say that" Ava said, lightly elbowing him.
The excited barks of the dog and the chatter of more than three kids alerted them.
"Let me go and see" Aveline said and walked out.
There she met a pair of twins, playing with the triplets and the puppies. A young beautiful woman was looking over them from across the fence. A tall handsome man was also there, talking to the real estate agent.
"Hello. Freya Nicolaides" the beautiful woman introduced herself
"Aveline Ahmed" Ava said with a smile.
"Your son, Zahir. He said he is a Sheikh. Is it true?" The woman asked curiously
There goes their plan of being incognito!
With Zahir by their side, always ready to smugly introduce himself as Sheikh Zahir Ahmed al Zidra, there is no chance of maintaining any anonymity.
"Yes. We are from a middle Eastern country named Zidra. My husband is a Sheikh" Aveline said
"Wow! I have read about Sheikhs only in Mills and boon novels. Have never seen one in real" the woman exclaimed happily
"So, if you are the ruling family, why are you here in Sweden? That too in a small housing area?" Freya asked in confusion
"We wanted to have a normal vacation. Like normal people do" Aveline said
"There here is" Ava said, pointing at her husband who just came out.
Even Freya's husband had finished talking to the real estate agent.
"Nicolaides?" Zayed exclaimed in surprise
"Sheikh Ahmed" the other man nodded in acknowledgement, even though he seemed equally surprised to see Zayed here
"You know him?" Freya asked Theron
"We have met a few times at international business meets" Theron said
"Can't imagine Theron Nicolaides living in a small cottage in Sweden" Zayed said
"I can say the same about you" Theron retorted
"And our reasons are the same" Freya said and Aveline laughed.
The twins were playing with the triplets, two puppies and the kitten.
"Mommy? Can we have a puppy too?" One of the twins asked.
******
The triplets were playing in the courtyard, when the aunty next door came running out screaming, with the uncle hot on their heels.
The uncle grabbed her with one hand and held her captive in his arms. Then he poured a bucket of paint down her head.
The triplets let out a collective gasp.
"Are you playing paintball without a gun?" Zada asked with huge eyes.
"Can we also join?" Zahir asked eagerly
"No Zahir. Momma will scold us if we make a mess" Zian said
"But we are not making a mess in our home. Then how can momma scold us. We are making a mess in their home. And we will tell her that they started it" Zahir said, with a casual shrug.
Man! The boy is unbelievable, Theron thought.
"We are done playing, young man" Theron said
"There is more paint there," Zahir said, pointing at the unopened paint buckets on the veranda next door.
"That's not for playing" Theron said
"We will buy it. We have money in our piggy" Zahir tried to bribe the uncle next door.
Definitely an Ahmed!
"Sorry champ. I am not selling" Theron said and Zahid huffed.
"Theron" the aunty pinched him lighty.
I looked down at her and she glared at me.
"What?" the uncle asked
"Why are you fighting with a little boy?" The aunty asked
"I am not fighting. I am just telling him that he can't play with paint here" the uncle said
"You are upsetting him"
"I am the Crown Prince of Zidra. Everyone should obey me" Zahir said. He actually ordered, shocking the other man
"Well, little prince, we are not in Zidra. We are in Sweden. And here no one is obliged to obey you" the other man said and this time the woman pinched him harder.
"Enough. Stop behaving like a baby. He is only six. What's your excuse?" The woman asked
"Mommy. Can we go and play with Rocky and Bruno?" One of the Nicolaides twins asked
"Who the hell is Rocky and Bruno?"
"It's the puppies next door." The woman said and as though they heard their names being called, two puppies came running out of the cottage, followed lazily by a kitten.
"You can play here, only if you get me a bucket of paint" Zahir put forth his deal, with a smug smirk
"Okay" one of the twins agreed without skipping a beat and rushed into the house and came back with a small bucket of paint.
"Bye bye daddy. Bye bye mommy" the twins called out and ran to the next house.
"I always get what I want," Zahir said with a smirk.