The Empire: Love And Royalty.

The Empire: Dominating.

Things have been worse since baba's announcement. Before my brothers were just into petty things like insults, getting you punished and marrying your girlfriend but I know it's going to be worse. Right now everyone is always in their quarters planning and targeting, the moment their done—it won't be so good.

"Breakfast?" Leenah asks coming inside my room.

"Not now" I get up the bed wearing my shirt "I have to work"

"Come on Muhammed, lately all you do is sleep, pray and work. You hardly eat, at least not here" she complains.

"I'm doing this for us so please stop complaining, will you? Not now" I walk out.

The last I need is to sit and waste time. I'm not as diabolical as my brothers so it's really hard to think of something that would keep me two steps ahead.

::

Third Person POV.

The head of armed forces sat across the King and Musa.
"Finally you're here" Musa says shaking him. Musa's wife and his wife were twin sisters.

"Yes. You know I have to relay the news myself" He says back.

"Where are my niece and nephew?"
"Training. They need it" he smiles.

"Back to business" the king cuts their reunion short.

"I talked to Fela, the people's advocate in Edo who brought to my attention that the people there want an approval to be able to travel to foreign countries, some say it's difficult to get what you actually need but I think it might be a ruse"

"Why?" Ibrahim Aleer asks.
"There is a possibility that they might get in touch with foreign invaders, it's dangerous"

"What do you think we should do?" Ibrahim asks
"We decline and use some of our best sleeper agents".

"Okay we'll do just that but Kabir are you not tired of living in the south with your family?"
"It's more difficult for us here".

"Okay then, I'll see you for dinner".

::

Leenah's POV.

"So your father sells silk?" Salma asks laughing at me.
"He's sells the best silk in Aleer city"

"Not in the kingdom? Not in Yushfa? Manzur? Sarman? What about Mandir? Sabqar?" She asks
(The listed places above are cities in the Kingdom but the king lives in Aleer city which is a city on its own, it's the capital of Aleer Kingdom).

"But the Palace gets their silk from him" I say defensively. She and I met in the garden, at first there were no words exchanged, we were just using our phones but now—she's just insulting me.

"Really? How ironic. When I first got here I asked them to bring me silk from Manzur instead because the one they have here is horrible, who ever thought I'd meet the owner's daughter? But a trader is a trader. I'm surprised he married you, honestly I am. Rabiatu's father is a court member and your father sells silk in a market. Wow! " she laughs.

The tears unintentionally fall.
"Don't cry, now that your husband is Prince you can convince him to give your father the funds to go sell his fake silk in other cities" she walks away laughing.

I hate this place, I don't want to stay here anymore, I'm tired. I can't take it. People are always either ignoring me, insulting me or giving me dirty looks.

::

Muhammed's POV.

"What should we do?" Abdullah asks. He and I decided to meet in Uncle Musa's office, Uncle Musa was in the throne room with baba anyway.

"I'm not sure but we need to think of something ASAP! We don't need to prove ourselves worthy of being king, we just need a shield to protect us from the cross fire" I say back.

"So? Any ideas?"
"I'm still thinking but i think I'll just ask General Al-Qasim, I need advice".

"You two know each other?"
"Not really, I only met him once".

He shakes his head unsure "Can we trust him? What if he is on their side?"

"We have to do all we can Abdullah, we have wives now so we can't just sit and do nothing. Uncle Musa said he's trustworthy and don't you know him personally?"
"If you trust him then I trust him too".

I smile reassuringly.

::

Muhammed's POV.

"Was that really necessary?" I ask Leenah. She has been acting distant since I got back.

"What isn't necessary?" She asks playing dumb.
"Do you really have to act this way? Tell me, what's going on with you?"

"Nothing, I'm fine"
I get up from my seat and sit next to her on the couch and put my arms around her.

"What's wrong? What happened?"
And immediately those words leave my mouth she starts crying.

"I don't think I can handle it anymore, it's getting too much".
"What is?"

"Muhammed stop acting like you don't know what I mean, I'm not strong enough for all this. Everyone hates me and I'm told that I can't trust those who are actually nice to me, then what am I supposed to do? I wasn't created to handle this much drama"

I hug her "I'm sorry, I really am but things haven't even gotten difficult yet. No one is doing anything and in this place doing nothing is worse, I just want you to stay strong for me, okay?"

"They all hate me, all of them. Your mother doesn't really like me either".
"Why do you say that? Of course she loves you".

"Since we got married she has never called on me, never"
I smile, she's naive "Mama doesn't even call on me until she needs me to do something but I know she loves us both, she's just a naturally distant person, okay?"

She nods.
"I'm sorry, I'll be by your side from now on"

She hugs me tighter.
It makes me feel bad to see her behaving this way, I wish I could take her away from all this pain. But I think I'll be able to do that after a King is named, she just has to stay strong a little longer.

::