The Empire: Love And Royalty.

The Empire : All Hail The KING!!

"Prince Suleiman murdered his wife, reasons unknown to me"

Everyone turned around to look at Asmau. Ali looked like he saw a ghost.
"You killed Leenah? And when was Muneerah even poisoned?" Ma Aliya asks looking at me.

"All six of us knew she was poisoned" Habib says back.

"The attempted murder? The attempted murder yet again, how did you know she tried to kill her in the Mansion?" Muhammed asks.

Abdullahi smirks "I know the South more than anyone and they are also very loyal people. One of them approached me that they were offered 5million Leer (Leer is Aleer Kingdom's currency). And he told me everything he had to do"
"Come forward" Baba commands.

The men bring them forward while a seat is kept for Abdullahi right next to me.
He smiles.

"I'll give the two of you a chance to explain yourselves and I hope for your sake, it's the truth" Baba says.

"I can't say I don't deserve what might be coming for me but I don't regret it" she says proudly "I deserved to be Queen and whether Ali was king or not it didn't matter, my father should have been king but he didn't so I swore that no matter what I'd make sure my son becomes king. Everything was going according to plan until you came up with the rule that the first child doesn't have to be king. At that moment I wouldn't lie to myself but I knew there was one threat, the biggest. Muhammad, he was the favourite and he was the one who least cared about the throne and that qualified him more than anyone so in order to kill any hope he had I killed Leenah. I wasn't expecting him to bounce back so quick and end up with the General's daughter but it didn't stop me. I was going to ignore her but she started digging and I wasn't going to let that happen so I did what I had to do".

Baba huffs, looking distraught. It must be painful seeing your neice and son going to that extent for the throne.

Ali looked devastated, he couldn't take his eyes off her for a moment. "You said it didn't matter whether I was king or not" he says looking distraught.

"It did. I had a feeling this would happen and I have done the best I can to save you"

Ma Aliya walks over to comfort her son as he buried his face in his palms.

"Suleiman?" Baba calls out.
"I have no excuse baba—" his father cuts him off.

"—You do not address to me as such in the Royal Court!"

"Yes, Yes. I didn't want to. It was just that as my wife she kept bothering Leenah and following Muhammed and I knew if I didn't do something she might end up being the real reason I loose the crown".

"Take them away"

"Wait!" he shouts "Muhammed's father in law helped me with it".

Everyone turns to look at Abdullahi and I, stunned but my brother did not look bothered so I decided to try to stay calm too.

"What are you trying to—" He cuts Muhammed off.

"Not Muneerah. Leenah's father. He wanted me to marry his daughter badly so he came up with it" he adds.

"Take him out" Abdullahi says not acknowledging what he said.

The court is dead silent only sniffles of Ma Asiya echoing.

"How am I to trust anyone enough to hand the the throne? When there are people like my neice who never look like they could even hurt a fly. All for a throne? A throne you'll die and leave behind?"

He huffs "I've done all I can to make sure I make the right decision but I'll try to make one last one—"

No one looked like they were in the right frame of mind to care about what he was saying.

"These past few months I have kept a special eye on all of you, even the wives and I've learnt new things, some for the good and some I'd wish I never did but one person stood out. One person really surprised me. Stood tall, a single rose in a cauldron of thorns—"

"—I'd like to name Habib as my heir"
Everyone turns to look at him, surprised.

"Me? Really?" he says looking excited. He turns to his mother who was still sniffling but she didn't seem to care, losing her son was what mattered to her at the moment.

"Habibu come up. Like I did, you should give your first command as tradition and it could be anything you want it to be, even receiving a glass of water" he jokes but no smile evident on his face.

Habib comes up and smiles "Well something has been bothering me quite alot. I'd like to marry again".

My attention immediately turns to Salma, she didn't look surprised but she looked hurt, I have a feeling he already broke the news to her and maybe that was why she locked herself up in her house for days.

"A second wife?" Sadiq asks, his first word since he came in.

"No. A replacement".
I gasp.

He looks at me and then turns to his father "Baba, Salma isn't fit and ready to be a queen".

"It's your decision not mine" he gets up and walks out with all three wives following behind him.

Ali still didn't look normal, he must have loved her alot but I have a feeling she intentionally prepared for that bash knowing fully well she might not make it.

This way he can really leave the Palace and start over without anything holding him back.

He abruptly stands "I need to go talk to her" he says looking at Abdullahi.

"Go ahead but they'll only give you 15 minutes and someone has to be there with you".

"Okay" he walks out with Walid following behind him.

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