Talking to the Moon ✔

- Chapter: Thirty-Four -

I sat there quietly as I watched him sleep. I could not leave him, I did not want to.

Something inside me told that I shouldn't. I watched him curled up on one side of the bed. He was clutching the sheet tightly with his hands, scared. His fear was almost child-like, but I could  feel it. I could sense the fear in him.

"Ayah." The door opened  slightly and my brother's face popped in. He looked tired and his eyes were red due to lack of sleep. It was because of me. I had woken him up in the middle of the night and had told him to distract the guards. I had thought that I would be able to convince the Monarch to step outside his room.

I realised that I was being too hopeful.

I nodded as he stepped inside glancing towards the Monarch. I could  see the fear evident in his eyes, he was scared of Qamar. Maybe it was because he was never around him. Qamar  was unpredictable  but I did not fear him.

"Leave him be." Asad said placing a hand on my shoulder in comfort, "Let's go to sleep."

What if I can't help him? I signed to my brother and pointed at the sleeping Monarch. I had tried to do everything in my capability. I have  no idea  what they expected me to do. I didn't let my think it so often but the thought haunted me now. What if I couldn't?

"It is almost an hopeless project, little sis." Asad whispered staring at the Monarch's back, "Even little progress is better than nothing. You're doing very  well, if I say. He is less crazy and he is talking."

But I want to save him.

I did. No one deserved to live constantly in fear and pain. Especially not someone who had suffered so much. I could not give the Monarch his family  back but I could help with this. Was I being foolish?

"We all do." Asad said, "But something are beyond  are control."

I nodded. My brother was right. I thought back to what Wali had said about him. He had said that I had powers like him. I didn't  even know what his power was. But I wondered, is that why Prince Omar brought me to the palace? Master Wali was convinced that I was no healer so what was I? Was it my power that was helping Qamar?

"Come," My brother motioned  towards the door.

I shook my head. I wanted to stay.

He blinked  at me confused  and then his expression changed, nodding to himself, he smiled  and walked  away.

I turned my attention to the man on the bed. His shoulders rising and falling in a rhythmic manner. I grabbed a pillow from his bed and placed it on the floor, and then I lay down. If I concentrated properly I could hear him breathing. I started  counting everyone he exhaled. Sleep came to me immediately and I closed my eyes.

__

Soft whispers drifted in my dreams. I could recognize the voice but I could not understand what the man was saying. He kept saying it and I tried to listen closely.

Not real.

My eyes opened in a flash and scrambled to my knee to stare at the Monarch. He was holding his head between his hands and was rocking back and forth.

"Not real, not real, not real..." He changed to himself. I stood up on my feet and walked towards him as gently as he could. I did not want to surprise him in case he forgot who I was.

"Not real, not real, not real..."

I softly sat beside him on the other side of the bed. His arms gently brushing me as he continued rocking.

"Not real, not real, not real..."

I placed a hand on his shoulder just as my brother had the night before. It was a gesture that was meant to comfort him. If he noticed he did not show. Was this improvement? Normally he'd slap my hand away. He didn't like being touched.

"Please..." his voice broke, "Not real."

I gently pulled his hand away from his head and he did not resist. He looked at me with red traumatised eyes. I smiled sadly at him.

"Not real?" He asked staring  at him with his grey eyes.

I shook my head.

He licked his lower lip, "Are you?"

I took his large hand and placed it between mine. It was odd that I felt comfortable doing so. I had never touched any man besides my father and my brother. Whenever I had touched Prince Omar, he made me feel funny. But with Monarch Qamar, it was comfortable.

I looked at his face and raised an eyebrow at him. What did he think?

I could see him trying to figure it out as he stated at his hand in between mine. He wiggled one of his fingers slightly but didn't  slip his hand away from my grasp.

"Real." He concluded. He sighed and closed his eyes while still sitting.

He had to keep reminding himself who was real and who wasn't. It was the only improvement I had ever made. I had, somehow, made him realise that his visions were not real.

That whenever he saw or heard Princess Yusra or Queen Iqra, they were not real.

They were dead.

"I want to sleep." He said sliding his hand away from my grasp.

I grabbed his hand and he looked at me, I shook my head stubbornly.

I had been making one mistake ever since I had met the Monarch. I was treating him as a patient. Someone who was helpless.

Even though he was, I could not let him think that way.

He was a Monarch and a king was never helpless.

I had to let him know that.

"What?" He blinked.

I stood up and pulled  him to his feet. He stared at me unsure as I pulled him with all my might as I walked. Despite being frail and in his room for almost a year, he was strong.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

I lead him to the breakfast table and made him sit. He did but continued staring at me confused.

I opened the door to his room and stared at the guards. One of them looked at me and spoke.

"Miss Ayah."

I flushed slightly as that was something  Prince Omar called me, ignoring my reaction, I opened my mouth wide and pointed inside it. Then, I pointed at my stomach.

The guard frowned, "You want breakfast?"

I nodded.

"Here?"

I nodded again.

And then I stuck out two fingers. I need breakfast for two people. The Monarch and I were going to have breakfast together like two civilised people of the palace.

"Yes, Miss Ayah," he nodded and marched towards a nearby servant.

I didn't shut the door behind me and kept it wide open so that the Monarch could see his visiting room. The other guard stretched his hand to close the door, I slapped it away.

The Monarch needed to have some normalcy around him. He needed to get used to his lifestyle.

"Close the door." Qamar said widening his eyes.

I looked at him and then shook my head.

"Please," he begged and I could see him trembling, "I'll do something."

I shook my head again as I walked towards him and placed my hand on his.

I had shown trust in him. I needed him to trust me.