Heir Apparent: A Nigerian Story.

XII

Third Person POV.

"They'll be here any second" Sadiya tells her aunt.

"Good"
"Which one are you getting on your side?" Sadiya asks.

She laughs "I heard the other is quite gullible and weak, she'll be easier to manipulate. The other is Queen Rukiya's daughter so I'm sure she's a handful"
They both smile "I'll make sure she's wrapped around my little finger. I'll control her and she'll do whatever I tell her to".

The door opens and a maid comes in "They're waiting in the living room".
Nafeesa smiles, let's get to it.
She adjusts her dress and walks out "Welcome"z

They both smile "Thank you" they chorused.
"It's great to finally meet you both, I've heard a lot about you and thankfully only good things".

"We're glad, it's great to meet you"
She laughs "You don't need to talk in the others place, she can talk for herself, right?" She asks Huda.

She nods "Of course"
She sits next to her "How has it been so far? How are the people treating you here?"
"They've been so nice actually, it's all too much to take in really".
She nods "Of course, your kingdom can't compare to the capital".

She smiles uncomfortably. "It's a beautiful place"
"No doubt. I'd like to invite you all for dinner tomorrow"

They nod "Of course, thank you for the invitation" Raudah says.

::

Walking on the pathway, on their way to their apartment. Not a word was exchanged between them.

"So that's it? All those years really mean nothing?" Huda asks.
"It's a fight for something bigger than us both".

She nods "It never mattered to you anyway"
Raudah smiles "Is that what you think?"
She pauses, they both stop walking.
Najib and Masoud were walking towards them.

"Been a while" Masoud says smiling awkwardly.

They all felt awkward, the possibility of one of them being Emperor and the other being Empress seemed too unbelievable to them.

Masoud and Najib don't even talk anymore but unlike the girls everything they did was together, their training is way more complex and intense than the girls.

"I'm tired" Raudah walks away first.
Huda smiles "You're both looking tired".
They nod.

"It's awkward, it's not supposed to be this way. We don't need to be so against each other" she blurts out.
"Can it be the same?" Masoud asks "Not for you and Raudah, not for Najib and I" he walks away next.

She wanted to cry.
The feeling of being with them made her pull through everyday back at home with a smile on her face but now, this place is worse than home. Things have changed drastically before they even started.

Najib puts his hand on her shoulder "Those times have changed now Huda, maybe it's time you realize life isn't about doing things the way you want".
She smiles "Things have changed but it's all because you all think the same. You're trying desperately to be someone you're not"

He smiles "It's great to see you're still the same but with that kind of thinking Raudah will be Empress and you'll be back home to divorced parents" he walks away.

She stood shocked. It hasn't even been two weeks already and they've already changed so much.

::

Huda's POV.

I bring my novel out and stare at it.
It's already 8pm but I'm still at the Hind Castle. I came to talk to Bella and decided to stop by the lake.

It was so quiet.
They've changed so much. Especially Najib.
I'm not saying we need to be best friends but the fact that we've spent so many years together and yet it means nothing to either of them now.

"Aren't you reading?"
I turn around and see Najib. I just stare at him and say nothing.

I look back at the lake.
He sits next to me dusting his hands "I apologize for what I said earlier".
"Maybe I needed to snap back to reality".
He smiles "No. I was being stupid and insensitive".

I say nothing back just flipping the pages of my novel "I've come to hate reading, I hate it so much".
"Why? You always looked forward to read at the library".

I scoff "It's not real, it's all just someone's fantasy. It's not about doing the right thing and living happily ever after and neither is it about your mother threatening to leave your father".
"We've all had our share of it, you're just more confident in yourself than we all are. We're all putting too much effort because we're scared we won't cut it".

I nod.
"Masoud and I have gotten to a point were we'd see each other and not say a word but you still talk to Raudah despite her sour behavior".

"But Masoud and I aren't enemies or is it because he likes Raudah?"

"No, he's trying to stay strong and so am I but I'm here aren't I? Everyone wants that person they can confide in, maybe he needs you too just like I do. I realized that I can't go through all of this on my own and that you can't either—it's always been us against the world so if we give up on each other we'll no one else".

I smile "You sound like me"
He nudges me "You would have said it crying".

::

Third Person POV.

The Emperor sat on his chair, his hands on his desk as he thought deeply.

Awwal and General Abdulateef sat across him all looking troubled.

"What's our next move, and how do we spin this to the public?" Emperor Mustapha asked worriedly.
"It's going to spark a huge controversy, and ignite a firestorm of debate" Auwal answers.

Mustapha sighs "We need to give this careful consideration, and absolute discretion is essential. I'm relying on you two to handle this sensitively, as you're the only ones I can trust. Unfortunately, you're both extremely busy at the moment, as the selection of the next Emperor is a matter of great urgency, and time is of the essence".

General Abdulateef stands "Don't worry about this, you're looking tired and unwell. Awwal and I will discuss it further and let you know what we decide, so you can focus on taking care of yourself".
"We need to make sure our Vassals are properly trained and equipped to handle their responsibilities, so they can effectively support our kingdom and its people" Mustapha expresses his concern.

"Hafiz, I believe it's something he can tackle" The General suggests.
"He is the ideal person for this job. His knowledge and experience will be invaluable in training our Vassals. Let's leave this in his capable hands." Awwal backs the General.

"I'll get in touch with Hafiz and fill him in on our decision. Meanwhile, we need to urgently address this problem with our western allies before it blows up in our faces. We can't let this leak out and cause a diplomatic incident".
"We will not fail you" they bow and walk out.

He sat there wishing he could do more.
Being sick stopped him from doing a lot of things especially with very little time left.

::