Sidratul Muntaha

Chapter 41🌨

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu.

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The sunlight filtered through the clouds looming over Anazirah. The palace was quite and calm as the light drizzle refreshed the gardens around it. The pleasant weather had prompted the Princess to walk in the gardens. Behind her, her entourage followed at a respectful distance.

Salwana prefered to walk in the garden barefooted. She loved the morning dew. It made her feel refreshed. Today was no different. Her sapphire gown dragged behind her as she delicately placed one foot in front of the other. Her hair played in the light breeze. She was walking in a deep thought and was unaware of anything else around her.

Behind her, in her entourage, Maahim frowned at her back. She was fed up of this princess and her dreamy sighs. She wanted revenge and even after filling this princess's ears with such hateful stories about Adara, she refused to do anything. She knew now that Adara was believed to be dead, but her heart refused to believe the rumors. She remembered the late night execution plan they had made for Adara, not once but twice. And each time she had been saved. That girl couldn't die so easily, according to Maahim. And even if she was not present in their midst, the princess could target her sister and friend. But the girl refused to do so. She wanted to keep good relationships with the Ghazdanites, because of her love towards Muntaha or Jibreel, as she had learned.

The palace whispered of a Ghazdanite prince lost years ago resurfacing once more. She wondered how much this information could reward her in Ghazdaan. Sadly, she was present amidst Jibreel's allies and couldn't exactly sell him out. And even if she could, she didn't have the means to send the information to Ghazdaan.

Lost in her own thoughts, she took a step ahead of the entourage which had stopped at a distance from the princess, who was now standing before a large plant, that was flowering beautifully. The maids had held her before she took another step in her thoughts and she had sheepishly smiled in response to their glares.

Salwana sat down near the plant and poured a pot of water with her own hands and immersed her hands in the ground as she kneaded the soil softly around the plant. After a while, she washed her hands and lovingly touched the plant and began to whisper. The maids around her fidgeted uncomfortably when they saw their princess muttering to a plant. Maahim herself was too puzzled.

Salwana smell the flower lovingly and her smile deepened as the fragrence filled her senses. Her eyes were glazed over with a sheen and her lips were parted in a silent sigh. The servants were all trying to not ogle the princess and leave her be, but that was easier to be said than done.

Salwana though didn't care about anyone around, watching her or whispering behind her. The heart's desire was slowly unfurling it's magic. One second her hands were immersed in the wet soil to knead it and the very next second the fragrance of the flowers began to do something to her.

She saw herself in a dark forest. It was so dark that the light from outside couldn't filter in at all. It was like a curtain of darkness that had enveloped the whole forest and was blocking every ounce of light that tried to pass it. Salwana was walking slowly, hesitantly ahead. And then she heard a twig crack behind her, turning within a second towards the sound. Her eyes met with a pair of browns. She gasped. Standing before her was a man so beautiful, it made her want to run in his arms and then never leave them again. He shone with a light and she couldn't tear her eyes away. He smiled at her gently and she sighed in abandon, taking a step in his direction. He chuckled and took a step back, shaking his head. She frowned petulantly and began to rush towards him, only for him to move back again.

"Stop!" She ordered. But he just laughed and watched her one last time before lipsing something to her and disappearing in the darkness. Salwana felt like someone had squeezed her heart painfully in her chest. The last look he gave her seemed like a challenge to her. "NOO!" Salwana screamed as she extended her hand towards where he had disappeared, before she was thrust back in her own reality.