Till Fate Tie Us Together...

Chapter 10 : Death

A/N: I'm taking a break after this! I have just been constantly writing and uploading for 3 days and this is driving me insane!!!!

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    The cycle of life and death was a cycle that everyone was aware of. Some believed death to be the end but then calling it a cycle  would be ridiculous. Some believed it was a cycle because after death the soul is reincarnated and born again. Only a few were aware that not all things end with death, for death always gives birth- to sorrow, to hate, to a new beginning.

    To Salim death was like an old familiar stranger that you seem to forget but they do remember you. His earliest memory of death was he was five.

In a rainy day seventeen  years back, the sultanate was graced with its first prince. Only problem was he was not only a prince but a prince born from a mistress. A bastard prince. There were no celebrations in his name nor had any one congratulated his mother or The Emperor. The Empress though jealous had made many attempts on Salim's life. After all, he was the first born.

Then Jellal was born, to the 2 year old him, it was astonishing as he had never seen a grand feast as that in his life. He still remembered the flood of guests to see the Empire's First Prince. Everyone gushed about the baby and he couldn't understand why? Why was Jellal favoured over him? Why was he given excellent teachers? Why was he always forgiven?

When he was five, the empress had given him a bowl of kheer,

"Feed this to your mother and bring me back the empty bowl, I will give you this jewelled dagger if you do. Jellal has one, you know."

And so he did. Without telling her that it was given him to him by the empress. No one knew the food was poisoned or it was carefully hidden. He still did not understand when he saw his mother convulsing, he did not understand why she was sleeping for so long? Why she hadn't woken up even after he tried to jerk her awake?

Why they put his sleeping mother inside a coffin and lowered her into the ground?

As he grew up he knew what had happened. How he had been tricked. He knew someone else would've planned a rebellion. He did not want to associate with such a blood thirsty crown and a tainted crown. He joined the secret group of empire guards to live and die with honour. His mother's death had killed the will to live.

He always imagined that he'd die by some one else's hand. Not her. Definitely not her.

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Ada's let her legs collapse as they were already jelly. It had taken every inch of her strength to walk to her chambers un noticed. She looked at her hands and dress, they were stained in blood. She wiped her dagger clean with the edge of her sleeves. Her life was hanging by thin thread. Was it worth it? Would it be worth living? She thought to herself. It would be only a matter of time before it was traced back to her. She would either be put to death or put to prison. What was life worth living that way?

She pressed her fingers to her wet cheeks. Tears. She thought finally. She laughed at her pride, her dreams, what were they worth now? She discarded her dress and poured water over her body, blood washed away but what would wash away sins?

After a night of mourning she knew he was still alive. The palace seemed to be in a ruckus. A pigeon was sent immediately to the emperor stating the attempt on Prince Salim's life. In a day, she saw officials dragging Prince Jellal out of the palace who screamed and struggled. Xiara then said that The Emperor felt that it was quite dangerous for The Imperial Prince to stay there anymore, so he was called home.