Hiba's eyes widen the man looks like her father and have the same amber eyes as hers, the man looked at Hiba's direction and he froze. There is an unknown tension between them.He walks to Hiba, both did't break the eye contact and the tension is intense. "Shahazadi, what made you come to my humble living?." He recognize Hiba, how won't he recognize when she is wearing their mother's necklace. "How you know it's me?" He smiled at Hiba "Don't stand outside like this come in," he escorted her inside the cottage.
Hiba's eyes wander around the cottage is too small, she isn't use to such living so she looked around, she have to sit at the matted floor since there is no proper furniture in the house, Hiba's brother called his wife and request her to make some tea for the guest. "Shahazadi, tell me what's the reason for your visit?"her brother ask, his wife placed the tea for the siblings and called the kids to the upper room. Hiba sipped the tea "The tea is really good," Hiba is trying her best not to make everything awkward "Don't try to divert the conversation, tell me why are you here?.." Hiba put the cup down "Can't I even meet my own brother?." Hiba said in a painful tone, he sipped his tea and stare at Hiba "Yes you can you are always welcome, but you acknowledge me too late." Hiba is nervous she looked down "I came to know about you yesterday" she clenched her necklace, there is an awkward silence, soon her brother called his wife and told her to clean the guest room. "Shazadi you can't go back today it will be night when you reach the palace just stay a night here, it is not safe for you to go back." Hiba nodded and he walked upstairs to help his wife in cleaning. Hiba is still clenching the necklace, her heart is pounding.
The guest room is surely very small for Hiba but there is a sense of coziness the large chamber in the palace could never give her she look through the small window and saw her brother going out with a bag hanging, she wonder where he is going but since the village is unknown to her she can't follow him. Her stomach growl she didn't had her lunch while coming here. She walks down the stairs to the kitchen her sister in law is cooking dinner, "Are you hungry?.." Hiba blushed in embarrassment, her sister in law smiled and gave her some fruits. "What's your name?." Hiba ask while taking a bite of apple "Fatima," Hiba kept crunching on apple "I am Hiba," Fatima sat beside Hiba "Shahazadi we can't address you by your name, that will be disrespectful." Hiba still crunched on her apple "That is true, but do you refer my brother as a 'Shahazada', don't tell me you don't know anything you know everything about my brother.," Fatima looked around for an answer "He is my husband.." Hiba looked at Fatima, "Can I ask you some questions?.." Fatima smiled "Yes ask anything princess."
"Did my brother ever thought of me?.." Fatima can feel the pain in Hiba's word "Princess I am forbid to tell you that," Hiba smiled a little she can sense her brother does think of her, "Ok then, do my brother loves me?." Fatima smiled a bit "He loves you a lot, he came to your marriage but was hiding himself throughout the ceremony," that came unexpected to Hiba, she coughed badly, Fatima bought her a glass of water and Hiba calm down. "Why did he never wanted to meet me for once?.." Hiba's eyes is in tears "Princess, sometimes the circumstances is so complicated you can't express yourself." Fatima walked and put some woods at the burning fire, "Hiba I want you to follow your brother tomorrow where ever he goes, you will unfold some answer." Fatima resume cooking.
As per Fatima's words Hiba wore niqab given by Fatima and followed her brother, the villager seem to be loving her brother a lot many offer him fruits and vegetables and thank him always, she doesn't know what he did to get such treatment but she kept following him, she saw him sitting under a tree and took a book out and read for a while until a bunch of kids came and sat on the ground, he started teaching the kids. She is stunned too see the sight, education is only privileged to royal, noble and rich but she sees her brother educating the commoners, something changed her heart, her brother will actually more worthy for the throne then she is, despite being politically active she never thought of education for the poor for once but her brother did and through her observation she saw him helping a lot of people without wanting anything in return. She thought of going back and turn around.
Hiba is walking down a very deserted ally to her surprise two man without her consent hold on to her wrist, "Who are you young lady?.." the first guy spoke "Walking all alone?.." the second guy spoke they both seem like a pervert. She took out her dagger and did whatever it takes to fight both off but due to the uncomfortable clothing she have a disadvantage. Suddenly she fall and her dagger was far for her hands to reach. She tried to wake up but slip again due to the cloths. Suddenly she heard her brother's voice "Leave my sister alone." The two guys turn to him they tried to fight him but both got badly injured instead. "We will pay you back for this," both the man went limping away holding on each others arms. Hiba's brother ran to Hiba and checked on her "Are you hurt?.." he became so protective of her. He saw her bleeding from her knees, he took out an ointment from his bag and started applying on her knees "You should have wait for me to finish teaching and followed me," Hiba blushed in embarrassment but then she remember his fighting technique "From where did you learn the fighting technique?.." Her brother smiled warmly "I joined the knight training years ago." Hiba realize her brother is finally softening towards her he gave her the beloved dagger and they walk back talking.
Fatima looks through the window she smile looking at the sight the siblings were finally mending there relationship Hiba and her brother were joking with each other and giggling, she knew her husband can't play being cold towards his sister for long, after all he use to sneak in the palace to watch on her.
*************
Will Hiba's brother agree to come back in the palace?.
YOU ARE READING
Hiba~~destined to enemy kingdom
Historical Fiction"Abbujaan.... accept the marriage proposal." The king's eyes widen. He thought his daughter will not accept the marriage proposal. When he lift his daughter's face he saw power in her eyes like the one her mother had. He quickly pulled his daughter...
