Sidratul Muntaha

Chapter 121

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu

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Haraira

Muntaha ducked inside an alleyway and walked under the shadows, avoiding scrutiny. He was tailing one of Wahid's henchmen, who was walking towards the edge of the city where the commoners usually stayed.

Taif had returned yesterday, broken and white like a ghost. He had relayed his information to Muntaha that the shadows and he himself had accumulated. He needed to think for himself and Muntaha didn't want to be the one to make this decision for him. Taif was a man of principles. He had his own set of rules to follow. Muntaha trusted him to make the right call.

As far as he could understand the undercurrent of Harairan politics for now, all the princes and the queens of Mansoor were involved in a power struggle. The older two of Mansoor's sons, Safdar and Abrar were trying to kill each other without getting caught. Sometimes they did take part in Mansoor's plans for the country.

Meanwhile the youngest son Wahid was the one who was emerging as a strong support to Mansoor, despite his young age. He did things that actually counted as help to his father. He was making sure that Mansoor's plans were followed. He also was the one who was doted upon by his father the most. Wahid had already set up his men to stabilize Zarabeel after Muntaha had affected the working of the city by some major prison breaks and pub closings. He had brought new dancers and reopened the pubs throughout the city to make sure it continued to go on without fault. He was also the one who had requested Mansoor, to be given the task of handling the recent rebellion in the city. Mansoor had granted him the permission. Now his henchmen were spread out amidst the commoners at the edge of the city, trying to gauge the problem for Wahid.

Muntaha had to give it to Wahid. The boy knew how to impress someone. He had also trained his men to actually do some work and not compete amidst each other. He was escaping his brothers' notice because of his young age. He had already majorly polarized the noblemen in his favor in the shadows.

Muntaha believed this was because of Queen Haneen's influence. She had turned Wahid into a strong contender. Where the other two queens of Mansoor were busy in swaying the harem in their favor in a power struggle, Haneen was using herself to win over Mansoor's affections. She was making sure that her influence over Mansoor didn't wane. Her face was her strongpoint and she heavily took advantage of it. It had become a means to the end for her now.

And yet, both the mother and son were flying under the radar and put up a front of following the other two princes and their mothers. Haneen was used to being treated as naive due to her age by the other two queens. And in this palace if the mother turns out to be weak, the princes would drop out of the race for the throne by themselves so as to not loose their lives. Apart from these three princes, the strong contenders for the throne, Mansoor did have sons from other concubines. They rarely stepped out of the shadow of these three though. Muntaha had them tailed too.

The henchman entered a house at the end of the lane. He didn't bother to check anything before he ducked through the doorway. Muntaha reached the house and found it locked. With a sigh he held the ledge and pushed himself up in one swing. He scaled the rough, uneven walls and reached the roof. He walked calmly towards the door that lead downstairs and began to descend the stairs quietly. He reached the first floor of the house and then hid behind a pillar, observing the scene downstairs in the main hall.

"Where did you get him?" The henchman growled in the hall. He was facing five men who were standing around a sixth man kneeling on the floor. The house was empty except for some basic things needed to put up a front if need arose.

"Boss! He was helping the commoners escape. We saw him help a family and apprehended him there along with the family. The family is taken care off. We brought him here to get some information out of him."