Empire of Dreams

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Sound of swords being torn from their sheaths emanated on all sides as our litter toppled and all three of us feel to the ground. Thankfully, it hadn't been that high up. My handmaiden's hands reached towards me, shrieking, their eyes wide with panic and concern. No one could hear us through the clanging of metal and the shouts of wounded men.

We crawled out of the litter, helping each other out, saying a silent prayer for the men who had been slaughtered ruthlessly. My heart stuck in my throat,  I checked their pulses, a singular thought in my mind.

Ali.

Rushing Ayesha and Haleema towards a sheltered alleyway, my desperate eyes searched for Ali and found him a few feet away, as he ripped Zulfiqar from its scabbard, charging into the chaos without a second thought. His eyes met mine, relief flickering over his face. I watched as he swung his sword to defend himself from a vicious blow.

"Get back!" he yelled at me, grabbing the assailant by the shoulder. Another attacker ran towards him, his sword raised and I let out a warning shout.

Hamza materialized on Ali's left side managing to deflect the next attack with an able parry of his own. He stood at Ali's back as a swarm of men surrounded them, wielding flashes of menacing silver.

All of a sudden, Ayesha screamed, clawing at one of the men who had managed to sneak behind us. Without a second thought, I grabbed a discarded sword from the ground and swung it in a haphazard, slicing his arm.

Ayesha ran to Haleema and I braced myself for the assault. The mustached man sneered and started to reign blows on me, knocking the sword from my hands. Though the blood raged through my body, I felt my heart plunge like a stone in his stomach. This was not a battle I could win. I was grossly outmatched, in all ways. He was going to kill me. I was sure of it.

My attacker raised his sound to bring it down to slice my head off and I prepared myself for my death, my mind playing back my Mother's smile, my father's face, Ali...

Oh, Ali. This was all the time that we had. A tear snaked out of my eye and I felt my heart clench.

Someone violently pushed me to the side and I crashed into one of the fruit stalls, my shoulder breaking the fall. A loud clang echoed behind me and I looked up to see Mehmet's furious face just as he kicked my attacker in the chest and drove his sword in his chest.

He scowled at me. "Why didn't you move?"

Blood thundered in my head, excruciating in its force. The pain bayed, thrashing about, its claws raking across my eyeballs. Why didn't I move? Mehmet didn't wait for a reply, holding two swords in his hands as a pair of men charged his way.

As all chaos broke loose, I glanced at my right, expecting to see my handmaidens but they were being protected by Seif, a long way away. Mehmet moved to cover me, battling several men, trying to protect me, getting me to a safe place.

Panicked, I frantically hunted for my husband. He had been near me a second ago.

My eyes snagged on Hamza and I screamed to let him know of the man behind him. But Hamza could not hear me above the fray. He spun in an attempt to deflect the blow— and I saw his eyes go wide in the same instant Ayesha screamed. It was too late.

A sword pierced through Hamza's stomach from behind just as another man clubbed his head.

Ali cut at his attacker and kicked him away. Striding forward, he slashed to defend Hamza, pulling him close, and I yelled for help, running around Mehmet to get to them. Mehmet whipped around one of the rebels, then slashed across his face and chest with both swords. Streams of crimson sprouted from the injuries and I stepped aside to avoid the gush of blood.