O N E
Yraqia,
2018
★ ★ ★
TREASON TO THE KING - Law 25 of 100 - Sub Law of TREASON TO THE KINGDOM (1797)
Should there be a suspicion of treason to the King within the palace boundries -- the complainant(s) must declare the phrase 'treason, treason, treason.' The complainant(s) must have a witness present to corroborate their claim. The King and his officiants are required to abandon all duties and attend the matter at hand.
If treason is falsely called -- the complainant(s) responsible for the false claim must face capital punishment.
★ ★ ★
Nura's favourite time of day was dusk.
She adored the warmth that still lingered in the atmosphere without the presence of the harsh sun, embracing her skin like a gentle lover.
Dusk in the desert was always gorgeous -- the skies were always so clear and so dark that one could see every single star in the sky without any hinderance.
That quiet evening, Nura was out on the balcony of her favourite place in the kingdom -- a little room located in the North wing. She had a lot on her mind and the serene view always helped her to order her thoughts.
As a child, she had remembered the countless stories her grandmother used to tell her about the stars. According to her, the stars were fallen kings -- watching over all of them.
She knew it was wishful thinking, but she sometimes wondered if the notion was true -- and if her father was watching over her. Would he be proud of her? Or would he be disappointed that his beloved kingdom was in the arms of his daughter? Someone he had always seen as a woman before his child.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of one of the heavy chairs being scraped across the floor and coming to a stop next to her. A quick look over her shoulder confirmed her suspicions.
"I knew I'd find you here."
Nura shrugged her shoulders, "I am very predictable."
Memukan exhaled loudly as he sat on the heavy-marbled chair. His bones cried out in relief after a long day of strenuous activity.
For a while, he simply gazed at the stars with Nura. They'd known each other long enough to enjoy the beauty of silence. He himself didn't like the warmth that clung to his body at night -- desert heat was something he had never quite enjoyed the way Nura did.
"What's troubling you today, Nura?" He finally asked. He turned his attention to his tired queen.
"Everything, Memukan." Nura paused, "I wonder if I'm doing enough for this kingdom, for my people. I wonder if I'm truly qualified for all of this. I wonder if my father would be proud."
"Even if the late king isn't proud of you-- you have done a stellar job, Nura," Memukan replied.
Nura sighed in despair, not really sure if Memukan was trying to fill her with false confidence or if he truly meant what he was saying.
"Nura, you were twenty-two, a young bride and a mother to infants with absolutely no foreknowledge on how to rule a kingdom. Yet you have done more for the people in your mere three years than Late King Hakim did in his entire reign. Because of you, Nura, the nation is out of its recurring recession-depression crisis. Unemployment has decreased and our chief sector -- manufacturing has improved. This was all done under your rule. You still have a long way before the damage that was caused by your late father and grandfather is reversed but you are on the right path. This is not just coming from your mentor who has known you for your entire life, this is coming from the Head of Advisors of the Kingdom of Kediakin."
"Some of your colleagues seem to think otherwise." She replied.
"The beauty of that is that many of them are still bitter they have to answer to a woman and can't see past that," Memukan replied.
He touched a hand to her cheek and stroked it gently. It offered her a familiar sense of elderly comfort and she smiled at him.
"There's that smile I enjoy seeing so much." He said, "don't despair, my queen, even international experts have amended your stellar leadership."
"The King of Saudi Arabia still hates me though." She said jestingly.
"Well, he's an entirely different story."
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and The Kingdom of Kediakin had a long rivalrous history. Nura wasn't exactly sure what had even started the two-hundred-year-old conflict, but she and her brothers had been born into it and had never questioned it.
When Nura had been announced as next in line for the throne, the King of Saudi was first to vehemently attack the nation's decision. He that it was both unlawful and unethical to have a female ruler. His opposition to the decision was so strong that he had barred any Saudi citizen or official alike from attending the coronation, with the threat of the death penalty.
"That he is." Nura agreed. "I actually feel much better Memukan, thank you."
"The pleasure is all mine."
Nura stood to head back to her chambers. She bent down to softly kiss Memukan's weathered cheek.
Memukan had been the strongest presence in her life, especially after her entire family had been wiped out. He was her personal advisor and dearest friend. He had been the most prominent father figure in her life and she trusted him with everything.
When Queen Nura turned twenty-five some five months later a large banquet was hosted -- at Memukan's insistence. It was in honour of the people, rather than for herself. Her birthday was declared a public holiday for that year. Everyone, from officials to common citizens were invited. The officials were the only people who could attend the banquet held in the palace and various hotels and guesthouses had been open to the citizens. Everyone was offered enough food to fill their bellies to their heart's content. All the food, music and accommodation was entirely covered by the palace.
The people who lived in provinces too far from the capital city were still awarded the public holiday. Platters upon platters of food were sent to their city centres where each person could enjoy a free meal, at least. It wasn't as elaborate as the richer provinces -- but it was something. Queen Nura had made sure to cater for everyone.
The palace had been transformed into something fairy tales were made out of. The stone floors had been polished to perfection and instead of using electric light, the place was lit with candles and fairy lights all around.
The banquet hall itself was a marvel -- soft lights, elaborate chandeliers and eating utensils and an unending supply of food. Officials and their families walked about the hall, conversing in merry tones to one another while servants offered them small treats on golden platters.
Nura watched it all from her throne with a small satisfied smile. One of her advisors had just given her a satisfactory update on how the banquets in the hotels for citizens were going. She was content with the fact that people were having a good time.
All the official's children along with her own were also having a merry time, eating and playing to their hearts contents in the playroom.
The only person missing was Wassim. She had specifically told him to make sure he was present during the banquet but she had yet to see him. She tried to silence the agitated voice that told her he was doing this on purpose.
Wassim had changed significantly in the past three years. She was sensitive to the fact that their relationship dynamics had changed and it would take a lot of time and effort to adjust -- but there was still a niggling doubt that this was more than Wassim finding it difficult to adapt.
When Wassim had been given permission to court Nura six years ago, Nura believed she had met her Prince Charming. He was the son of an aristocrat from the province of Gedin and was everything any girl could ever want: charming, intelligent, well-mannered and mysterious -- with skin like cappuccino and azure eyes. He was tall, lean and absolutely beautiful.
He had adored her. He had doted on her extensively in the one year they had courted -- always said the right things and had always kept a respectable physical distance from her. He would listen to all the things she had to say and for the first time in her life, Nura felt like she was finally being heard. As a woman in such a male-dominated world, her voice hadn't mattered, but with him it had. That alone had made her feel more valuable than gold and it had made it easier for her to let him into the deepest oceans of her heart.
Their first year of marriage had been a breeze. Along with an extravagant but private wedding, the king had gifted them with their own private estate within the palace compound -- that came with a multitude of servants to cater to them.
The instruction had been to fill up the house with as many little ones as was possible. They'd already begun to fulfil that duty when Nura had given birth to twins a year into their marriage -- King Hakim had been over the moon. He had loved Wassim II more than his sister Malak (but that was something Nura never planned to tell her children.)
The couple had taken lavish trips to Paris, Venice, New York, Milan and wherever else their hearts desired. Nura personally didn't enjoy the frequent travelling but it was something her husband thrilled after so she went along with it.
When Nura went from being a First Princess to Queen, all that came to a stop, too. Nura was determined about uplifting the economy and put all of her energy into that. Wassim had never had an interest in the state of affairs and preferred to spend his time horse riding, playing golf and enjoying other leisure with his entourage.
Nura's long hours in meeting rooms with her advisors and other officials made her a very busy woman -- so busy that she barely had time for Wassim and the things that they used to enjoy. She barely saw her children either and although it plagued her with guilt, she had to put the nation first.
Oftentimes she saw the parallels to her rule compared to that of her father's and grandfather's. They could run the kingdom and be assured that their wives were looking after their children and did not have to thirst for affection, unlike Little Wassim and Malak.
For some reason, Wassim wasn't keen on spending time with the twins, despite the fact that he had all the free time in the world. It was an issue that deeply bothered Nura but whenever she tried to bring it up during the little time that they had together, Wassim wasn't responsive.
She snapped herself out of their thoughts and instructed the servant girl which was closest to her to send for Memukan. The girl obliged and rushed down the golden stair case that led to the throne in search of him.
She was back within minutes, assuming her original position behind the queen, holding a tray of her favourite dark chocolates.
Memukan approached the throne and bowed gracefully.
"You sent for me, Your Highness?"
"Yes, please may you summon my husband."
Memukan raised an eyebrow at her and she pleaded with him through her eyes to comply. Memukan was always professional in the face of the public-- never making the mistake of calling the queen by her first name despite how close they were.
Memukan's current displeasure was that Wassim wasn't with his wife. He'd never failed to show how much he disliked Wassim's current attitude. If Memukan could have it his way, he'd talk some sense into Wassim... with his fists. He had always been very protective of Nura and knowing that Wassim was the reason why she was deeply hurting these days was enough to want to beat the beauty out of him.
"Very well, Your Highness."
Memukan bowed once more and stood to his full height. He descended down the stairs and headed out of the banquet hall.
He found Wassim at his favourite place in the castle, a small parlour fitted with comfortable couches, low lighting, an open bar and a pool table.
He was with his usual entourage. Memukan couldn't -- for the life of him -- understand what intrigue a man married to the queen and with four-year-old twins was doing with a group of rich bachelor boys.
Perhaps they were a boost to his fragile ego, for they followed him wherever he went, never opposed his opinions and followed his every command. But whatever reasons Wassim had were still wrong and Memukan despised him all the more for it.
There was music playing in the background and servants posted at each corner. Memukan walked into the room and stood near the entrance. Wassim and his boys were casually sipping on wine while they listened to Wassim discuss his views on the latest BMW that had been released the past month and why it was better than the Mercedes that had been released some six months back.
When he spotted the old advisor, he stopped talking and the merry atmosphere died instantly.
"King Wassim, Queen Nura requests your presence at the banquet immediately," Memukan said stoically.
"I told her I would join her later." Wassim all but grumbled, his face hardening in annoyance.
"She would like to see you, now," Memukan said more resolutely.
Wassim stood up then and shuffled towards the door. He clicked his fingers and a short black servant boy joined him, holding a tray of little treats and chocolates imported from Switzerland.
"There are enough servants at the banquet," Memukan said once he saw the boy intended to follow them.
"He has prepared my personal favourite snacks, as well as some of my wife's" Wassim replied, his tone bordering on disdainful.
Memukan bit his tongue to keep from cursing at Wassim because he'd had enough of his attitude.
It wasn't uncommon to have a personal servant, even at banquets like this but Memukan couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss with the servant boy. His hands were trembling under the tray, his steps were stiff and hurried.
They finally reached the banquet hall and Wassim's presence was announced. All of the officials and servants bowed respectfully, save for Memukan who remained upright.
Wassim and the servant boy climbed up the stairs. Nura looked relieved to see him, while he looked very bored. Even when they shared a dance on the ballroom a few minutes later, Wassim had been stiff and unresponsive.
An hour must've passed until the announcement for dinner was called and everyone headed over to the large dining room just next door. The room had a capacity of thousands. The main table was slightly elevated from the other tables, those who were to be seated there was the entire royal family along with Memukan.
Just before dinner started, while Queen Nura and King Wassim were conversing with the Minister of Finance and his wife, Memukan was approached by the servant boy who had been with Wassim.
"May I speak to you, Sir?" He asked timidly.
"Yes, boy. What is it?"
The boy lowered his voice and told Memukan of the secret that had been plaguing him for weeks. Memukan felt the blood drain from his face -- for he had never believed Wassim was capable of such evil.
He thanked the boy profusely and promised that he would not be harmed for telling the truth. With a racing heart, he joined the main table and took his seat right across from Nura.
Once everyone was seated and the Queen was ready to make her speech, the servant boy approached the table and delivered the Queen and King's drinks. As soon as he stepped away from the table and shared a look with Memukan, he rushed to the doors to summon the guards.
Nura made her speech, a beautifully composed prose from her heart. She thanked her people for attending the banquet, for trusting in her and lastly, for being the best nation in the world.
"To our Kingdom," she toasted and just as she was about to take a sip of her nonalcoholic drink-- Memukan stood to his full height and cried out: "treason, treason, treason!"
Nura stopped right in her tracks and the room became alive in murmurs.
"Memukan?" Nura questioned hesitantly. She knew what that meant and her bones froze in dread.
"Treason my queen! Treason."
Nura stood very still and tried to take a calming breath.
"For which reason do you call this treason?"
With a shaky finger, Memukan pointed it to King Wassim -- who was seated rigidly in his seat, eyes unblinking and cold.
"This man, this godless creature has committed treason." Memukan all but spat
"To what degree?" Nura asked shakily.
"Attempted murder to the queen, by means of poison."
The entire hall was silent now, eager to see what King Wassim would say to that.
"You are aware that to proclaim false treason is punishable by death?" Nura asked wretchedly. She was following protocol by asking questions but she couldn't keep the emotion off of her face or out of her voice. She didn't know what scared her more: the fact that her beloved husband had tried to kill her; or the fact that if Memukan was wrong -- he'd die.
"Yes, Your Highness. As surely as I know that attempted murder to a ruler is a crime worse than actual murder of the ruler."
"Where is this poison?"
"In the queen's drink," Memukan said in a tone that was more resolute than ever before.
"Do you have any witnesses to corroborate your allegation?"
"Yes. A servant boy confessed to receiving the poisoned drink from a cook and ordered to serve it with the promise of an extra income by King Wassim."
"Wassim, is this true?" Nura asked. "You are under oath, please do not lie."
Wassim looked her right into her eyes and with a calm voice replied, "I swear on my life, it is not true."
"Perjury!" Memukan all but screamed.
"If it is not true, then take a sip of my drink."
Wassim wouldn't budge.
"Take a sip of my drink." She ordered more firmly.
Memukan signalled for the guards to sweep into the room.
Nura pleaded with him one last time until she saw the truth right before her in Wassim's lifeless azure eyes.
"Take him away." She said and the guards dragged him away from the table while Malak and Wassim II screamed for their father.
In a blur of movement, Nura and her children were escorted from the banquet hall by the guards with Memukan close by while the rest of the banquet erupted in panic.
Even as her children continued to wail their lungs out and she felt an ocean of pain so deep it threatened to drown her, she didn't allow herself to cry.
The twins' nannies relieved Malak and Wassim from Nura and Memukan's arms respectively -- and tried to soothe them.
Meanwhile, Queen Nura walked towards her chambers, Memukan hot on her heels. They entered the small foyer that led to the queen's actual bedroom. Memukan never made it past the foyer because it was unethical since he was not her husband.
"Nura," he spoke softly.
Nura's eyes hardened at the compassion she saw there, but that was only because she didn't want to cry.
"Memukan, I'm fine." She said with as much confidence she could fake.
Memukan didn't believe her, but it would pointless to corner her.
"If there's anything you need, Nura --"
"I know where to find you." She replied with a small smile. "But I'll be fine. You saved my life tonight. I can never, ever repay you for that."
"Actually, the servant boy did."
"I suppose he did, I should have a talk with him tomorrow about all of this, but you played the biggest role in saving my life Memukan. You've always looked out for me and tonight you showed me that your loyalty is unending. I appreciate you dearly."
"Nura, my sweet, Nura, you know that I will always support you, one hundred percent."
He kissed her cheeks, bowed respectfully and retreated out of the room.
Nura found that Vashti, her personal handmaiden had already turned down the sheets on her bed. The bathroom was lined with all of her night routine products.
Nura quickly removed the pounds of makeup that had been on her face and neck. She stripped out of the gown she had worn (with a bit of difficulty, but she couldn't bear to summon Vashti back into the room) and wore her nightdress.
Within a few minutes, one of the nannies came rushing in, bowing deeply before addressing the queen.
"The children will not settle My Queen, they keep crying for you."
"Bring them here." She replied.
Wassim and Malak were brought to her swiftly. Malak was closest to her, nestled to her chest while Wassim cuddled his sister from behind. They calmed considerably once they were in the comfort of their mother's arms.
Nura waited until they were sound asleep for the tears to come.
★ ★ ★
TREASON TO THE KING - Law 75 of 100 - Sub Law of TREASON TO THE KINGDOM (1797)
Attempted murder to The King is an offence greater than Capital Murder to The King. An enemy of the kingdom who attempts to kill The King and fails must face death, in the same manner, he/she/they attempted to kill the King by. Their dead bodies must then be displayed publicly in the Capital City of Yraqia -- for three days for all to see.
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Early the next morning, the bodies of Wassim al-Hashim and the cook Kareem Hajiz were found hanging on two oak trees at the city border; their cause of death came straight from the cyanide in Queen Nura's drink.