Aiyla | Uyanış Büyük Selçuklu

Chapter 112

Nizamülmülk signaled for the guard to leave as Aiyla got closer.

As soon as the guard was out of sight, Aiyla stood in front of Nizamülmülk, glaring in frustration. She stood quiet, trying to control herself.

A minute passed, and Aiyla's patience passed along with it, "I'm waiting for you to speak... Let me hear why you felt the need to assign the main guard for me. Who even gave you the permission to meddle in my life?"

"It was for your best interest. I just wanted you to be safe, and I was worried that-"

"Worried? That some will stab me like you did that night? What do you think? That everyone is capable of doing the same thing that you did to me? No. If someone can hurt me like that, then it would only be you capable of doing so. I have to be aware of my surroundings even more now, just because you roam around here. Maybe, yes, you won't hurt me again. But every time I suspect someone behind me, I get scared to turn around. Every time I turn around, I remember when I turned around that night and was greeted by your dagger."

Nizamülmülk painfully closed his eyes as he remained quiet but then decided to speak up, "I didn't mean it. I didn't mean to hurt you like this. I swear, I didn't even have any evil intentions. I was following orders. The state's prosperity and safety is my duty."

Aiyla laughed; the hurt she had within her was evident in her tone, "Tamam. But why did you have to stab me? Why didn't you give one of your countless men to do the job? Do you know what pain remains the longest? Not the stab wound, but rather, that it was you who drove that dagger in me. The person that held me when I fell ill, the very same one that remained concerned about my well-being. You always came to me when you saw me alone, and you kept me company with your words of comfort. You gave me hope when I didn't see any hope in my situation. I saw something in you that I had never seen or felt before; I felt the care of a father. I even understood how Sencer cared greatly for you all these years. But then, you proved me wrong. You are no longer close to the vision of a father, and quite frankly, I'm surprised how you have so many loyal warriors around you. Look, I understand that you had no choice. Though in reality, you could have created choices if you wanted to do so, you decided against it. You could have thrown me in the deepest cell and interrogated me, but you decided that I deserved death without giving me a chance to defend myself."

"I saw you were walking out, and I was told that-"

"Who told you? Is this person so trustworthy that you blindly didn't give me a chance and just stabbed me with no mercy?!"

Nizamülmülk froze. It's like everything is coming back at once. Hasan Sabbah was the one that mentioned to him that Aiyla was meeting up with the Batini that night.

It all became evident in his mind now. Even the suspicions were more clear now.

"See what I mean?" Aiyla sighed.

Nizamülmülk stood quiet; his fists clenched tightly as he remembered what Sabbah told him earlier that very night.

"Tell me, how can I make this better? Would my apology be sufficient? How about this to settle the pain that I caused you to endure...." He took out a dagger and took Aiyla's hand, wrapping his dagger in the palm of her hand.

Aiyla's eyes dilated as fear and confusion stirred inside her; she looked at the dagger that Nizamülmülk had wrapped inside her palm.

"Stab me if it will make you feel better." Nizamülmülk spoke out. Seeing no words from her, he yelled out, "Come on. Remember that night and how I stabbed you. This might help heal your sorrow more quickly."

He stared at her, waiting for her to stab him, in all honesty. She had been harsh ever since she saw him again, and he had thought that she would take this opportunity as a form of payback.