The Red Rose

4. Answers

The ghosts of pasts speak to all who listen.

"What did you find out about the general?"  Alijah asks Rubina closing the doors behind her, not wanting anyone to hear what she's up to.

"Nothing" Rubina sighs in defeat, walking towards the princess.
"I didn't even get to know his full name. Everybody knows him with the name Arfan, that's it. No last name. His parents died and he lived with his uncle, who is close to Sultan. Thus, the Sultan trusts Arfan a lot, as he is the son of a family friend." Rubina completes her sentence, eyes on floor out of respect.

"His hometown, his siblings, his parents's names? Nothing?" Amira asked with slight disappointment, because the information she got was nothing in front of what she expected.

"Sorry, my lady. That's all I could gather" Rubina leaves the chamber, disappointed with herself for not reaching Alijah's expectations.

Alijah walked in the balcony of her room, looking up in the clear sky. The darkness gave her peace, for atleast the nature is also black. It comforts her, the fact that she isn't alone in this emptiness, that she has someone. She believes her father that Zeher was the reason her mother died, but she doesn't want accept that her mother was equally at fault. If she accepts it now, she can forget everything and move on with her life, but something in the back of her mind is always stopping her.

Curiosity never resulted in good. Especially if it was related to someone else's matter. Alijah gathers her dress in fist and took hurried steps towards the entrance of her chamber.
Rehman, who was almost half asleep by now, looked up in alarm.

"Amira, this isn't the time to roam inside the palace"

Ignoring his sarcasm, Alijah proceeds "where's Arfan's chamber."

"I'm sorry Amira, I prefer you to stay inside your chamber, and you shouldn't be meeting him this late." He replied, sobering up on his name and standing straight.

"Why do you hate him so much, Rehman?"

"It's nothing personal, Amira. Please go back inside your room. I request you. Any harm on you will make me lose my head."

Alijah never heard him before, and she wasn't going to consider his requests now either. Determined in her task she replies "either you come with me, or stay here. Not my problem. But I am not listening to your advice Rehman."

Before he could react she was already walking towards the corridors, and he had no other option but to follow her. "Someday these actions of yours will be the reason of my death" Rehman murmurs.

"Don't worry, the Sultan won't say anything to you if I ask him"

Alijah soon reaches the door of Arfan's chamber. It wasn't any extraordinary one, but more like other chambers. Just two to three guards were standing outside for duty, and a garden in the way full of rose bushes. She knocks the door once, twice and before the third one the door opens. Arfan was standing in front of Alijah, hair messed up and looks tired.

"May I ask what the princess is doing standing at the threshold of my chamber, at this time?" He cocked his eyebrow, tilting his head a little in question.

"I want to talk to you" she answers blandly.

"Can't it wait?"

"No."

After a measured pause he lets her inside, offering her a chair to sit that she refuses.

"Tell me princess. What do you want to talk about?" He asks, crossing his arms against his chest, flashing his muscles in the process.

"What do you know about my mother's death."

"Nothing."

"We both know you are lying."

"What makes you think that?"

"Stop. I am in no mood to play your questions and questions. Just answer me." She says, the last thread of her patience was breaking.

"Why don't you move on Amira, that was two years ago" he says, clearly annoyed by her attitude.

"Would you? If you were in my place would you have moved on?"

After a few seconds he speaks, as if actually considering her statement and imagining himself in her shoes.
"All I know is that someone killed her" he mentions, his voice making visible that either he was tired or he doesn't want to talk.

"Zeher. That was his name" Alijah corrects him, not ignoring the muscle in his jaw ticking at the mention.

"Yes. Zeher. He killed your mother. That's what the sultan told everyone."

"How do you know the sultan?"

"My uncle and Sultan were childhood friends. That's why?"

"Then why did he never mention your name before?"

"He is your father Amira, you know him better"

"Why did you become the general now then, why did you suddenly remember that my father was your uncle's old friend?"

"Don't come with questions with such confidence, princess, especially if you don't know everything " his eyes darken, his each word as if direct towards her intentionally.

"What's your name?"

"Arfan. Bold of you to think I'll tell you my full name" He answers with a smirk. Knowing very well where the conversation was going. "My answers won't help you Amira, only Sultan can answer these tangled thoughts of yours."

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