MY KILLER

CHAPTER 52

"Have a seat here," Ameena said pointing to the chair facing the large screen at the center of the room. I sat looking suspiciously around me still wondering what I was doing at the backroom of Lady Aliyyah's huge house, wondering why a person who didn't even live in the country had such a huge house to herself.
She took a remote and turned on the screen and soon, smaller screens began appearing and in the middle, Lady Aliyyah's face appeared. Soon after hers, other faces began appearing.

"Hello, love. Or should I say, sister-in-law," Lady Aliyyah asked smiling at me as soon as the last person came on.

"Good evening, Your grace," the women on the screen, about ten of them chorused almost at the same time, like it were rehearsed. I thought they had greeted Lady Aliyyah but I soon realized I was the one they greeted.

"That's the password. Your grace. Has a nice ring to it, does it not?" Lady Aliyyah asked beaming in smiles, I wondered if she were the one whose wedding was in two days.

"Good evening, Lady Aliyyah. Good evening everyone," I said in greeting wondering what on earth I was doing in this room, in front of people I had never seen.

"Oh please, call me sister. That's what we all call each other here."

I looked up at Ameena's smiling face and watched her nod in agreement.
"What is this place?" I asked.

"My secret chambers," She continued.

"Well, seeing as its hidden behind your house, I at least guessed as much. But what really is this place and why am I in front of strangers, in your secret chambers, a chamber that is not so secret anymore."

"I won't really say it's a secret chamber seeing as everyone who know me personally know this place. You know what they say, keep your secrets open and it'll remain so."

"Very interesting logic, Lady Aliyyah," I said nodding in agreement wondering why it made so much sense to me.

"You really don't listen do you? It's sister, sister Aliyyah. It's not so hard, is it?"

"My apologies," I said not knowing if I meant it. Indeed, she was becoming my sister by marriage, a fact I had to get used to.

"Queens do not need to tender apologies, love." She said still smiling. "But that is by the way. Congratulations on your wedding. I've been wondering whether or not my presence is needed seeing as I had only just recently left Arabia and I remembered, it's my brother's very first wedding and the first coronation I'll be attending after my mother's, rest her soul. And I thought, I should come over and introduce my kids to their family and my family to my kids. It'll be highly beneficial do you not think?"

I smiled as I thought of meeting her children. I thought them cute little demons, just like their mother.

"I see you're already entertaining the idea. Beautiful. It is settled then. Better to start packing before we miss the whole event." She said as some of the ladies on the screen smiled in glee. "That is besides the point. I know you're impatiently waiting for me to explain this whole situation to you."

"Yes, please," I said almost immediately. My recent politeness becoming a habit I was beginning to enjoy.

"We are the Sisters of the Throne. The eyes and ears of the throne. Nothing goes past us and we can make or break the throne. But of course, we only make the throne, never to break it."

Oh.
So this was how gossips got to her. I wondered how many times my name had been brought up in this little courtroom.

"And it was here you were first crowned Sultana and made a part of the sisters. Welcome to the sisterhood, love."
I stared from her to the women on the screen, some veiled and some not. So—I thought—they had decided they wanted me as Sultana, which was why she had come to tell me that day to be Queen. I was suddenly intrigued. She had more powers than anyone I had ever known, to enthrone and dethrone.