PRINCESS OF THE EAST. Vida Lagodina

something energetically to him. I went to the table closest to them and began to straighten the tablecloth to hear at least something from what they were talking about.

      – …of course! As you wish!

      – I don’t think that now is the right time for this, but tomorrow I’ll think it’s just right – Mr. Ali looked behind my father’s back, meeting my gaze.

      I was noticed, and I had to move away from them, but I saw how my father looked in panic at the interlocutor, who shook his head and began to say something. My father’s ears turned red. It was noticeable that he was nervous, which happened to him extremely rarely. For some time they continued to speak, after which Mr. Ali left.

      Despite the fact that I am completely unfamiliar with this person, he evokes in me not very pleasant feelings. Something is unclean here. I wonder if you can hate a person at first sight?

      – Girls! My dear, beautiful girls! – Father literally sang every word. Seconds after Mr. Ali left, his panic and nervousness gave way to joyful excitement.

      – What? What happened? – Mom left the kitchen and ran up (if you can call it that, given her narrow evening dress) to her father.

      – Sit down! Where is Alina? Oh good! Then we’ll tell her everything. Ira, come to us. – He sat us at the same table and began tapping his fingers on it. – In general, tomorrow the whole family is going to a royal reception!

      There was silence, explained by numbness and shock, after which the mother cried out and threw herself on her father’s neck.

      – Indeed? – father nodded vigorously. – Finally, I have a worthy occasion to demonstrate my evening dress! Oh, you need to call the salon to get us all tomorrow, otherwise Ira looks like she was plowed for a month without stopping.

      – Royal what? – I stuttered from shock, I asked. You are crazy? Or are you kidding me?

      – We are going to dinner with the king and his family. Tomorrow at seven in the evening. So get ready and behave yourself! Especially you, Ira. – Father poked me with his crooked short finger. – You don’t live here, so you know little, but nothing… I’ll get you up to speed, but now think about looking perfect.

      – Dad, can you hear yourself? – I got to my feet, waving my arms. – Which king? What is the reception? Where are we and where is the royal family? – I took a deep breath, trying to calm my heartbeat. – I will not leave this place until you explain to me what is happening here, – I calmly but firmly told them.

      Parents looked at each other and returned to their places, and I continued to stand in front of them, arms crossed on my chest.

      – We asked for cash assistance from the government of the emirate, and His Majesty Sheikh Amir did not refuse us. – I slowly sat down on a chair, not taking my eyes off my parents. I knew that all this is not just, and, of course, there will be consequences.

      – Why on earth should the king of this country help foreigners? I said a little discouraged. “What should you give him in return?”

      – We… will return them by installments. – Father answered as if he had borrowed from old friends. – He has a lot of money, so he does not mind. – He looked like nothing terrible had happened. There was silence, which the father first decided to break. – By the way, dear… this month the airport is crowded, so tickets are almost impossible to buy. That’s what I thought about … – he hesitated, and I frowned, not understanding how he could change the subject so suddenly. – I will be near the airport today, so I can reserve you a place, only you… give me your documents.

      – How is this related? – From the very first day when I arrived here, I did not stop being angry. – Reception, tickets, documents. – I got to my feet, rummaged in my bag, took out a folder with documents and handed it to my father, and then started looking for a bank card.

      – No money needed! – He jumped to his feet, grabbed a purse of money from my hands to close it and return it back to the bag. – I can pay for my daughter’s ticket, so relax and enjoy your stay here.

      “I doubt that I will succeed” – I thought, and returned to the table.

      Royal welcome. As if I’m now in the 17th, and not in the 21st century. Who invented this and why should I go there? To these two questions, unlike hundreds of others, I received a clear answer. The reception is held in honor of the prince, and I need to be there to “… at least somehow express my respect and gratitude for the invaluable help provided to my family.” With these words, my father took me to sleep last night.

      In the morning, my mother did not leave the room, trying to put herself in order (a hairdresser, make-up artist and stylist came to her) in order to prepare, according to her, “for the most important event in her life.” And where did my normal life go? How I want to return to Moscow! There, probably, my faithful friend Romka is waiting for me, not to mention my roommate, and my best friend Lerka. Yes, and it’s time to look for a job already, it’s not in vain that I studied linguist for five years. Lera promised to speak with a friend at a language school and arrange an interview for me. Ah, Lerka! My dear friend. I wonder how are you there? I quickly type her message and go to the shower.

      To: Lerusic

      “My dear friend, how are you? What’s new?”

      In the shower under a stream of hot water I try to relax, but nothing works. Thoughts constantly swarm in my head, and tension and irritation do not leave me. The main thing is to survive this evening, in a few days I will return home, and everything will fall into place. I quickly wrap myself in a bath towel and go from the shower to my room and see a message from a friend that becomes a balm on my soul.

      From: Lerusik

      “Oh hello slippers! How are you? I’m doing fine, but without you at home green longing!”

      “Oh, beauty, not slippers. Stupid auto fix.” ²

      I laugh and quickly type in an answer in which I say that I miss you too and will return home soon. The next two hours I spend on styling, and as a result: perfect curls, collected in a careless beam on the right side, restrained natural makeup and miniature silver earrings with transparent artificial stones that perfectly complement my evening long dress from flowing black satin with lace top and long sleeves. Take a deep breath and put my feet in plain leather ballet flats.

      – Darling, we should already leave. – Dad knocked on my door several times, after which it became quiet. I took a deep breath, looked at myself in the mirror for the last time and left the room. My whole family was waiting for me in the living room. Dad was dressed in an expensive tuxedo (he even bothered to tie a bow tie, which is strange, given how he always reacted negatively to such things), mom was dressed in a milk-colored silk evening dress, floor-length, and Alina looked amazing in an emerald dress, emphasizing her green eyes and blond hair, burnt out in the sun.

      – My gorgeous girls. Real diamonds! – exclaimed the father.

      Together we went out into the street where Azat was waiting for us, got into a car and drove in an unknown direction to me.

      CHAPTER 3

      Royal residence. Just two words, but they cover several hectares of vast expanses with many security guards in civilian clothes, policemen and people in uniform, whose appointment I do not know, as well as hundreds of workers in the fields and plantations.

      After two hours spent on an endless road, we finally drove up to a huge, though not not huge, but a gigantic house, which was made of yellow building material, which looked like neither brick nor stone, but in at the same time it looked amazing. Large wooden windows, tall dark wood doors with golden handles and a chic garden, divided into several