The Empire: Love And Royalty.

The Empire: Without Me.

Habib's POV.

I walk in and close the door.
"You know we could just update you" Muneerah tells me.

"I want to be here" I say back.
"Apparently there was someone who was caught trying to sneak into your room. She was dressed as a hotel employee".

"So? Do you have pictures?" Muneerah asks.

"Of course but—i don't really know how you'll feel about it".

"Let's see it, we have to know" she says to him.

Uncle Musa hands her some pictures. She didn't seem like she knew who was in the picture.
"I don't—I don't know her".

"Not you. Habib".
I stare at him.

She hands me the pictures and my mouth completely drops.
"What?!"

"Who is she?" she asks standing up.
"It's Ma Asiya's maid, her personal maid" Uncle Musa says.

She turns to look at me surprised "Your mother?"

"But I don't think she's the one. Maybe someone is framing her so she'd be taken out of the picture. If she's taken out of the picture then you, suleiman and Abdullah won't even be able to even have a chance to be king" He says.

I sit down.
That might be the case but—

"She might not be framed" I blurt out.

They both just look at me waiting for an explanation.
"My mother has a dream to see one of her sons be king but if none of us are going to be king she can ruin the chance for everyone. If she can't have it then no one can".

"Are you sure? What if she is really framed?" Muneerah asks.
"There might be a chance that she really didn't do it. What about the girl caught for the poisoning?"

"She won't say a word no matter how hard we try" Uncle Musa Admits defeatedly.

"What about a polygraph test?" I ask.
"Yes!" Uncle Musa says excitedly "I was so tensed up I couldn't think straight. Let's go now".

"But you're supposed to come, by now the other wives are already waiting for you. It's Wednesday" Muneerah reminds him.

"Ahh it's true I have this so called Scholar nonsense. Muneerah just take my place today".

"Okay" she smiles widely "For sure".

She walks out.
"Let's go right now" he walks out hurriedly.

::

I never enter the Palace dungeon for many reasons, mostly because it smells like rotten corpses.

There is the Palace cells, that's where the minor Palace criminals are kept when they do things that aren't so intense.

And then there's the dungeon where people are kept when they have done something grave. I don't want to sound like a psychopath or sound like we're interested in something so grave but people are mostly tortured here but just to extract information.

The dungeon and the Palace cell are on Palace grounds but you need a car to get there.
It's too far from the rest of the palace and the security is impenetrable.

Walking down the narrow and mostly damaged stairs I cover my nose and mouth with a mask. The stench in the place was horrible, it's difficult to breathe.

"Maybe I should have waited outside. Couldn't we just have headed to the Palace cell and get someone to take her there?"

"Remember not everyone knows about it"
"Okay but I can't stay here. The stench is bad".

"So you're leaving an old man with a fugitive?"
"She's a girl and there are security".

"At least I tried".
I laugh "I know you did".

::

I lean on the wall in the polygraph room.
Uncle Musa walks in with the girl cuffed up.

She sits and he sits across her as they attach the wires to her.
He stands beside me "Do you want to ask her or should I?" he whispers.

"I got this".

After everything is set up I sit down.
She looked completely battered but I like her spirit.

"I doubt introductions are necessary, don't you think so?"

She stays quiet.
"Okay I understand. You don't want to talk and I understand your pride".

"Pride? It's not about pride. It's about doing the right thing".
I raise my eyebrows "And what's that?"
"The rightful king".

"So which of my brothers is the rightful king?"

She spits "Not your family".
"If not my family then who?"
"The General".

I laugh "And you tried to kill his daughter?"
"She wasn't meant to die. You'd save her, you wouldn't let the girl you have feelings for die".

I stop smiling "And what made you think that?"
"I noticed" she smirks.

I try to avoid Uncle Musa's eyes that where looking at me questionably.

"Did you know she was poisoned again. This time a lethal dose, if her husband wasn't there she would have died" I lie.

"It was planned" she smiles.
"If it was why was a suicide letter already written on her behalf for her family to read?"

She looks at me perplexed.
"Exactly. What would have happened if she really died, he read the letter and then he decides to pay you a visit? If he finds out you did it so he can rule what do you think will happen?"

She stares at the floor.
"Who helped you, I know someone did".

She huffs "I don't know who exactly—All I know is a mail was sent to me secretly that there was a way we could get what we want".

"We?"
"There is a whole group here in Aleer city. There are many everywhere in Aleer Kingdom. I was told that I was just going to give a little, not enough for her to die and I did".

"But you must have had someone in the Palace meet with you to get you in and make you fit in".

"An old woman. The maids I met called her Hajiya. They say she raised one of the Prince's like a mother".

I pause.
"Maimuna?" I whisper.

.

They drag her out.
"This is definitely planned. First Ma and now Hajiya. Someone must be behind this and it only points to Ma Aliya".

"Maybe but we need this properly dealt with" Uncle Musa says back.

"And what was that she said about Muneerah? Is it true?"

"Do you really believe that?" I ask.
"Not really" he shrugs and walks out.

::