Tales Of The Heart

(43)

In the grand private courtroom, the tension was evitable. Shahzaib stood at the center, tall and composed, yet his eyes reflected the truth he was about to unveil. The ministers stood either side uniformly.

Behind the veiled seat, sat the Empress just beside the emperor. Royal Consort Ambia, Princess Anam and Princess Inaya sat on the adjacent veiled seats.

Royal Consort Ambia had her regal calm, her face held a mask of serenity, while Princess Anam fidgeted uncomfortably, knowing the storm was about to fall upon them.

The Emperor, adorned in his heavy attires, looked down from his throne, his gaze stern but questioning. The Empress's expression was unreadable, yet there was a flicker of anticipation in her eyes, as if she already knew where this session would lead.

With a steady voice, Shahzaib addressed the court,
"Your Majesty, today I stand here to prove that the allegations against Hamad Al-Amir are baseless, a product of manipulation and deceit. I have gathered the necessary evidence to prove his innocence and expose the true culprits behind this treachery", his bloomed around the other silent hall.

A murmur ran through the court. The Emperor raised his hand to silence it, his sharp gaze fixed on his son.
"Proceed",

Shahzaib stepped forward, pulling out documents from a satchel and passing them to the Emperor's advisor.
"These are records of financial transactions and correspondences that point to a plot—one that was carefully constructed to frame Hamad Al-Amir and eliminate Inaya from my life", he stated.

The Emperor frowned, but allowed Shahzaib to continue. The young prince turned to the gathered nobles.
"As we are aware, Princess Anam had been adamant on removing Inaya from my life for obvious reasons therefore it is not surprising that she was involved in it", an audible gasp was heard in the court but shahzaib continued.

"Royal Consort Ambia and Princess Anam sought to remove Inaya, believing that by destroying her family, they could force me into marriage with Princess Anam. They acted as an allies to accomplish the power that comes with being my future Empress",

The court was filled with disbelief murmurs at the accusations, some believing and some straight away dismissed Shahzaib's words.

Princess Anam's face flushed with panic, but she stayed silent, her eyes darting to Ambia for support. However, Ambia remained unnerved, calmly observing the proceedings.

Shahzaib gestured towards Hamad. "This man, has been loyal to his Empire, was accused without evidence. The documents that they forged to accuse Hamad Al-Aamir traced back to Royal Consort Ambia's own quarters. Letters were intercepted, orders from Ambia to her servants, making sure the plot would be successful", he paused, letting the words sink in.

The Empress's lips tightened, but she remained composed. The Emperor, however, looked more conflicted.
"These are serious accusations, Shahzaib. Against your own kin", he said gravely, his gaze shifting to Ambia, who met his eyes with a calm, unwavering smile.

"Royal Consort Ambia has nothing to gain from this. What could she possibly gain by eliminating Inaya? Princess Anam's involvement could be reasonable for her desperation to be wedded to you, I understand that. But Royal consort Ambia?", His voice softened slightly as he looked at Ambia.
"She would not go this far",

Ambia offered her sweetest innocent smile, the one she always used to keep the emperor wrapped around her finger.

The Empress wasn't even surprised at this point for she had witnessed such gestures countless of times.

Shahzaib's disappointment was visible. He knew his father's biasness toward Ambia clouded his judgment.

"Father, Royal Consort Ambia has always been cunning, her loyalty lies with herself, not this empire. She wants to control the crown, to manipulate the royal family as she pleases. She knew that Inaya would be a threat to her influence over me in the future", he tried to explai but the emperor's furious eyes was an evidence for his indifference.