Adventures of Sinbad and Layla

When Layla Died (Part II)

Esra sat on her bed, leaning back against the headboard and absentmindedly playing with her hair. Hinahoho had carried her up to her room because she had cried herself to sleep in his arms.

'I'm so stupid... I'm 14 yet I'm acting like a 5 year old.' She turned her head to look at the picture on the bedside table, her eyes focused on Sinbad. 'My father... He turned to darkness because he lost the love of his life. He became so distraught that he lost himself.' Then she looked at Layla. 'My mother... She died the day I was born. There's still so much I don't know about her...'

There was a knock at the door. She called them in and Hinahoho entered. He offered her a smile, which she returned but the emotion didn't reach her eyes. He closed the door behind him before going to sit beside her on the bed.

"How are you holding up?" he asked.
"Fine, I guess," she said with a shrug. "Still shocked but I'm coming to terms with it."
He nodded. "I'm sorry we didn't tell you sooner. It was your mother's wish to wait until now."
"I understand..."
"I know you have hundreds of questions in your mind right now. So, I've brought in some help."

As if on cue, there was another knock at the door. Hinahoho called in whoever was there. Esra's mood lifted slightly as she saw Jafar enter the room. He was also holding a box in his hands.

"Uncle Jafar!"
Jafar smiled as he stood beside the bed, placing the box on the bedside table near the picture. "Hello, Esra. Happy birthday."
She returned the smile. "Thank you. But I don't know if I can call it happy..."
He pulled up a stool and sat down. "That's why I'm here. I knew you would learn the truth today. Hinahoho called me here because who better to answer questions about your mother than the two people who knew her the most. Apart from your father that is."
"Well then..." She sighed softly as she looked at the both of them. "I guess I'll start with this. What kind of person was she?"
Jafar smiled. "Well, in the words of your father, she was the most beautiful woman in the world."

Both Jafar and Hinahoho went on to explain everything about Layla. From how they all met to the development of her relationship with Sinbad. They told her how kind and soft she was, yet she was also strong and brave. She didn't take crap from people, especially from Sinbad. They even told her about Layla's miscarriage, the eight years that she and Sinbad had separated, her marriage to Kouen, and many other things. Esra was amazed by the woman.

"And this..." Jafar added as he took the box. "This was a gift Lord Sin gave to your mother on her 16th birthday."

He handed the box to Esra. She took it hesitantly and placed it on her lap. After unlocking the clasps, she lifted the lid. Her eyes widened as she looked upon the contents.

"Wow! These are amazing!"

She carefully took them out of the box and admired the craftsmanship of the weapons.

"They're called chakrams," Hinahoho explained. "Sin once found Layla looking at them in the market. So, naturally, he bought them for her."
"That's so sweet," she smiled. "These were my mother's weapons... So, she could fight?"
"Yes," Hinahoho said proudly. "I taught her myself. But these weapons are extra special because they were her metal vessels."
Esra blinked a couple of times and looked at him. "Metal vessels?" she repeated. "She was a dungeon capturer?"
"Yes," Jafar answered. "She only used her Djinns if it was absolutely necessary."
"Djinns? As in more than one?"
"She captured one dungeon but there were two Djinns."
"Wow..." she gasped in awe.
Hinahoho chuckled. "She gave Sinbad a fright. He was meant to capture the dungeon and she wanted to go along. He refused, they argued, and then she climbed out of the window and went without him. I had never seen him lose his cool until that night."
Esra laughed. "She's totally badass."
"That was also the night he wanted to tell Layla that he loved her but she was gone by the time he got to her room."
"Damn..."
Jafar smiled with a nod of his head. "There is another thing we have yet to tell you."
"There's more?" she asked as she returned the weapons into the box.
"Not only was your mother the Queen of Sindria, but before that she was the crown Princess of Estia."
"Estia?! As in the country ruled by King Shaheen?"
Jafar nodded again. "Yes. King Shaheen is also Layla's cousin. You are of royal blood from both your father and mother."
Esra closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "This is all so much to take in. If King Shaheen is my uncle, how come he never visited me?"
Hinahoho sighed. "He said you reminded him too much of Layla. He said he wasn't strong enough."
"Oh..."
"Your mother decided to keep this from you because she wanted you to have a normal childhood growing up," Hinahoho told her. "With parents and siblings  around you. Her own parents were killed when she was just a baby."