The Red Rose

3. Truth

How do you tell someone that the reason you're sad Is because you love them?

~someone.

"I might help you, Amira" Rubina enters in Alijah's chamber with a tray of food In her hands. "You look sad from the past few weeks, what's troubling you, my lady?" She questions while keeping the tray in front of Amira on the table.

"Will you?"

"Yes, anything you say."

"Find everything about the general, his background, family, likes, dislikes, everything."

"The general?" Rubina hesitates a little. "But why, Amira."

"I want to know the special thing about him, which made him my father's most trusted person within two months. My father always keeps his guards up, Rubina. And it's unlikely for him to trust someone so much in such a short period.....will you do that for me?"

"As you say, Amira. I request my leave now." With that Rubina left Alijah alone in her room, the loneliness again makes her thoughts loud and she can do nothing to stop them. She can only find the solution, the only way to stop the screams.

"God, am I stretching this? Please, I hope I don't do something wrong. But I have to get revenge for my mother, even if it means his blood on my hands. Forgive me, mere rabb"

She says a silent prayer after eating her food, looking up in the clear sky. Hoping that things won't turn out to be worse. Hoping that her mother's death must be an accident, for nobody deserves her rage.

"Rehman" Alijah steps out of her room, guiding her way towards her father's room. "You can stay here while I am with abbu."

"But Amira, my dut-" he again shuts up seeing her harsh glare towards him.

"No one can harm me when I am with my father Rehman" without wasting a second she leaves her chamber and makes her way towards her father's room.

The sky was dark and clear today. She walks through the gardens, alone. Unlikely for a princess and the only daughter of King, to go through the ways without any guards. She looks up in the sky, enchanted by seeing the stars. Alijah always related those with her mother. On nights she misses her the most, she goes in open sky at night, only to watch the stars as her console.

She walks by different chambers and finally reaches the main door of her father's chamber, different and luxurious than any other chamber. Lights and lanterns and double number of guards. She walks inside his chamber only to see him smiling widely in return, opening his arms for a hug.

"Alijah, I was waiting for you, dear."

"Something important came... Umm Abbu, I want to talk to you about something,.... someone" Alijah came straight to  the point, without any formalities. She has waited enough for the right moment, until she realizes that she is the one who has to create it.

The big smile on Sultan Alim's face soon disappeared after hearing his daughter's sentence.

"No Alijah, I got matters to solve for the kingdom, I can't talk now" he dismissed the conversation
And made his way towards the enterance, trying to ignore further talks.

"Zeher" Alijah murmured, audible enough for Sultan's ears. "Wasn't that the name you told me, abbu?" She speaks moving forward towards her father, who was now froze in his movements.
"Abbu, tell me. Who was he? Why did he kill my mother? Why nobody talks about him? Why are you so sure that he killed him? Tell me, abbu."

"Enough Amira. I have told you thousand of times not to talk about him. He is no one." He almost screams in frustration and anger.

"I won't. Not until you tell me. Does akhi knows about any of this? Does he know who Zeher is. Am I the only one dumb here!"
Alijah raises her voice a little, frustrated by all the questions and the thirst for answers.

"No, Kareem knows nothing. Please, try to understand, all of this has nothing to do with you" he tries to stay calm and poise.

"No"

"Ok. You want to hear? Zeher killed your mother with his own two hands. He was having an affair with her, after knowing that she is married and has two children, he killed her! And you don't have to worry, I gave Zeher execution for the same. Everything is closed now!" He told her everything, losing both his temper and patience and left Alijah in the chamber.

She fell on her knees, tears trying to escape her eyes. Staring at the wall with emptiness, trying to digest everything her father just said.

He was having an affair with her.
She was having an affair with him.

She hated Zeher with all her heart and soul already, and now the truth helped her not at all in losing her hate. But nothing seems to fit in. She can't accept it neither does she want to. She knows that wasn't the whole truth she needs to know everything.

Alijah wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand and stood up, making her way back towards the chamber. She tries to be strong enough and not be attached to the sad emotions that are drowning her. As she reached the room, she looked at Rubina, thinking something deeply while walking from one corner to another.

"What did you find about the general?"

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Zeher?
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