Written In The Scars

Chapter 25

After tossing and turning the entire night, Haifa finally sat up, sighing in frustration. Her unsettled mind was to blame. Lying awake for hours had made her eyes adjusted to the darkness and so she shuffled to where Abbas lay beside her, his face a serene sight and his soft snoring just about audible above the pin-drop silence.

Neither of them had exchanged many conversations in the days that had passed unless it deemed necessary. Despite her anger towards him, Haifa felt a tug of longing every time they shared the same space, longing for his warmth and loving touch. The Prince had tried to get through to her subtly, like spooning a generous amount of meat on her plate during dinner and even leaving a glass of fresh pomegranate juice beside a tray of rosemary biscuits in their bedroom. The thought of his effort would bring tears to her eyes.

Though, her pride would always outwit those feelings.

Judging by the calmness of the night, Haifa guessed the Adhan for Fajr would be announced in an hour or so. And so she decided to stay up, not that she was able to sleep anyway. Now would be the best time to squeeze in extra Tahajjud prayers, she thought. Allah did keep her up for a reason. Careful not to wake her sleeping Prince, Haifa slid her legs out from under the silk covers and lit the wax candle on her bedside. Goosebumps surfaced on her skin immediately, the chill of the night crawling on her skin. She grabbed her cotton shawl, wrapping it tightly around her shoulders, and then stepped into the bathing room, taking the candle with her. The cool water eliminated all remnants of fatigue as she performed wudhu, causing a shiver across her body.

Once she had patted herself dry, Haifa pulled the shawl tighter around her head and scooped up the candle, ready to leave. However, the moment she stepped out, she froze. Her eyes grew wide in shock, staring at the tall figure that stood just above her sleeping husband. Black fabric concealed all but his eyes and his hand, which was now angled to strike, clasped a long blade. Against the dark clothes he wore, Haifa noticed the red splatters of blood, especially on the sleeves. Judging by the colour, they still looked fresh.

It didn't take her long to figure out what was going on, and as the shadow drove the blade down, a scream soared out of her. Within a blink of an eye, the Prince had leapt up and tackled the intruder, pushing him back with a weapon of his own. Thankfully, he had hidden weapons like the one he was holding, around their chamber. Tonight, they finally proved to be useful.

Haifa watched as the Prince dodged and blocked every attack the figure sent him, successfully slashing the person's arm, causing him to stumble back. In that brief moment, Haifa slid the candle onto the nearest table and ran to the vanity where her own dagger lay, tossing its scabbard to the floor. Ignoring the tremble of her hands, she gripped the handle tighter, remembering the defensive stance Abbas had taught her.

Her eyes followed the Prince across the room, clay jars, books and glass lanterns shattering as he manoeuvred away from the enemy. With one powerful kick, he sent the intruder's blade flying in the air, before it landed right by her feet. Haifa kicked it behind her.

"Go call for help!" the Prince ordered, but in that moment of distraction, the intruder had disarmed him too. Now with the absence of their weapons and nothing but their fists, punches and swings were exchanged.

Just as he had commanded, Haifa swung the doors open and was ready to leave when she paused. No, she couldn't leave him. Before her hesitation kicked in, Haifa spun around to face them again, this time readying her stance to counterattack.

"What are you doing!" Abbas bellowed the moment she turned back to them.

"I am not leaving you!"

"How sweet," Husaam scoffed. "I guess I'll have to kill you too,"