The Royal feud✅

[21] A M N A

AMNA

All the brain cells in my body are yelling the same words.

Don’t,

don’t,

Maybe I shouldn’t believe the rumour, instead of heading to the dungeon, I can just change my direction and head back to her room. It isn’t too late for that.

It isn’t.

But no, I’m still walking down the stairs of the dungeon. Walking down the stairs means I believe them. It means I believe the rumours about her. It’s a rumour and I shouldn’t try to find a truth in it. I’m a bad friend; I should have checked her room before coming here.

The light sconces place around the wall of the dungeon gives it a red lightning. The guards pass me questioning looks as I walk past them. I know their exact thought,

‘what is she doing here?’

but they can’t stop me.

“Where is she?” I ask a guard who stands by the door leading to the cells.

Who are you talking about? I want him to ask me that, but instead…

“This way,” he gestures with his hand.
My reluctance skyrockets by a thousand times. I’m oblivious to how I got in front of the cell, But I’m there now, and she is staring right back at me. I quickly rush to her and grip the bar with my hands. It hurts to see her… this helpless. Her two hands are cuffed and chained to the wall.

How should I start? What are you doing here? Or how did you end up here? Or…

“W-Who implicated you?” My lips tremble as I stutter. “I… Know you can’t… you ca—”

“It’s true.”

I press my face through the space between the iron bars. “How is it true, Dalia? Do you know what you are being accused of?”

She wants to appear tough, but I can’t miss the tears streaming down her left eye. She draws her lips between her teeth and ducks her head down.

She raises her head back, the hair escaping out of her veil sticks to the side of her face. And the dark, faint scar from the wound from a week ago still lines the left part of her face.

“Amna…” she whimpers. “I’m so sorry, but it’s true.”

“You keep repeating ‘it’s true’. Have you forgotten the rule? Dalia you’ll be killed!” I’m already loosing it, so I take a deep breath and lower my tone. “I can’t believe this. How is it true? What is true in you’re from Wahda, and you’ve been threatening this kingdom…? And you’re not who I think you’re?” I shake my head and push it further between the bars. At this point, I don’t even care if my neck dislocates. I take a deeper breath. “Just explain to them that this is some sort of mistake, and you’re innocent.”

It hurts so much. Has she been lying to me all along? She was the first friend I made when I started working as a maid. She approached me and helped me in all areas I couldn’t tend to alone. She became my best friend, my sister, my only relative apart from my Jida.

“I’m not innocent… and you’re also not who you think you’re, Amna.” She’s standing now, but she isn’t able to come close to the bar because of the chain. I pinch my brows closer. “I promise you’ll understand soon. Trust me, none of this is any of my fault. I don’t wish to be in this state also.” Her gaze moves to the cuffs around her hands.

“What do you mean?”

“We don’t have much time. The guards will be here soon, don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. There’s something you need to know.”