Khalifa

33 Deceit

"Not only that." He licks his lips nervously. "He already knew you were meeting someone at the bazar. He asked me about it."

Noura feels as if someone has compressed her airway. Maybe Annas really did tell him. She fists her dress as she steps closer to Hafez.

"What did you say to him?"

"I lied to him, sayidati," Hafez admits shamefully, the guilt and concern in his orbs embarrassing her for ever putting him through this. "I told him I knew nothing. But the way he looked at me told me that he didn't believe me. He only gave me a chance and I've failed him. Now he'll know the truth and he won't forgive me for betraying him."

"Hafez," Noura says calmly despite her heart beating mad. "I'll speak to him. I'll clarify to him that it was my fault, that I asked you to stay quiet about it."

But Hafez shakes his head. "This won't bring the faith he had in me. I respect him a great deal, and so do I respect you. My intentions were fair. I didn't want to hurt the general. I knew he wouldn't like it if he learnt you were meeting Al Hadi. But I didn't think your encounters would become frequent and it would lead to this, please excuse me."

She turns away from him, mortified, not knowing when things became this complex-- so intricate that she cannot make out the beginning or end of them.

"Did Annas tell Eskander?"

"I don't know, sayidati. But there has been rumors going around the palace, and general Eskander has been distressed about a lot of things lately."

Noura frowns as she looks back at him. "What rumors?"

Hafez lowers his gaze, as if flustered by even mentioning it. She moves nearer him.

"Tell me whatever it is."

"Pardon me if I'm crossing my limits, but I know the general's fondness of you is more than brotherly," he says gingerly, and her breath hitches. "I think everyone at the palace is learning of it now. There have been talks of you both being illicitly closer and spending late nights at each other's chambers. And I don't know who started the rumors, but the general has been greatly disturbed by them."

Noura feels the ground beneath her feet shaking. She stares at Hafez in horror who doesn't dare to look her in the eyes. A startled laugh escapes her, sounding more like a cry of fear. She feels her palms starting to sweat. But she doesn't get a chance to argue as the doors to her chambers open and the man under discussion walks in.

It doesn't take her two seconds to see the hell burning in his eyes. Even when those eyes meet hers, the flames don't lull down. She knows this time nothing is enough to ease his wrath.

"Leave," she directs to Hafez.

"Stay," he commands, and Hafez doesn't budge from his spot. She doesn't miss the harshness in his tone, like sharp edge of a knife, unlike how he usually is around her.

"Eskander," Noura utters softly. "Let me explain."

"We'll come to it later, Nour." He turns to Hafez. "First, you tell me where were you when she was attacked?"

"At the palace, sayidi."

"Why?" Eskander grits, barely able to keep his voice down. "When I told you not to leave her side, what the hell were you doing at the palace while her life was in peril?!"

"My lord, I-- Adam said he would go instead. The Ameer gave the orders. I insisted, b-but..." He swallows thickly, and Noura comes to his defense.

"I asked him to stay behind, Eskander."