The next day...

"What's the princess doing?" Abbas asked his men who just arrived from guarding her door the whole night.

"She's been in the same position, it's as though she's a statue."

It was true. Anisa had wept the whole night, drowning herself in her tears only to have lost them all. Her mind wouldn't let go of its thoughts and there were many of them.

But, she really missed Tahir. The moment she turned around or just beside her, he'd always be there. Now, she knew his true worth after being away from him for two days.

Her mother was another subject. She'd be taking a big sacrifice for her.

Suddenly, she heard the door open and didn't need to look back to know that Abbas had entered.

"Today's the day you finally get to speak with you mother," he said with enthusiasm which only angered Anisa.

Yet, despite the situation, she held a poker face. There weren't any more tears left in her eyes to cry any longer.

"Get up, unless you want me to carry you," he threatened

She got up on her two feet, unable to hold herself to the full extent. She had to use the wall for support and followed Abbas to the room just beside hers.

Upon entering, her mother looked up and gasped after she saw Anisa. Abbas made sure to check the room before he left the two to reunite.

Once they saw him leave, they looked back at each other.

"Anisa, my daughter..." Tears strolled down from her mother's eyes but Anisa wasn't able to reciprocate.

Her mother engulfed her in a hug so tightly. Anisa stood there, feeling her embrace.

"Is it true?" Anisa finally asked, "Is it true that you left the palace on your own will?"

Her mother sighed before releasing her from her arms.

"Yes, it's true. I don't know what Abbas told you, but I left the palace the moment I knew it was dangerous. I even wanted to take you with me, but, your father threatened me and wouldn't let it happen," she explained.

Anisa scoffed, "I thought you'd be different, but you're no different than Baba. All these years you've stayed in hiding, not once did you think to visit me, even in private or send me letters."

Her mother shook her head with disagreement.

"I did. I sent so many letters, so many things to you. How did you not receive them?"

"You're asking the daughter you left years ago. How would I know?" Anisa simply said.

"No, dear, please. I know how you feel right now. You have every right to be mad at me. But, I tried. I did. I couldn't tolerate being queen anymore. After I had you, I wanted you to live a normal life and be just like the others. Your father promised me that sort of life. Except, I found out that he only sent men to get me, leaving you with him." Her mother wept

"Do you realize what your mistake has cost us?" Anisa said, "Baba's dead. Killed by the man who keeps you prisoner here. The son of the man who promised to keep you away from the public!"

Her mother was startled by the way she raised her voice at her. But, the sudden news was more of a shock.

"Your father is dead?"

Anisa saw the the expression on her mother's face but she couldn't look at her anymore. She was barely able to stand.

"Of course you would have no idea. Your selfish acts have blinded you from your own family. Do you know how many years I spent having to be under a stepmother!?" Anisa vented out her anger.

"Do you know how long I had to watch father love a woman who wasn't my mother? Only to find out that she killed him!?"

Her mother gasped and moved backwards from the sudden news Anisa was informing her with. None of this was told to her. How could all of this happen at once?

"He even had two children with her! I was hurting this whole time. I thought of you everyday, but here you are, minding your own business!"

Anisa looked away from her mother. When she found out she was alive, this wasn't exactly the type of reunion she pictured. She didn't think that her mother would be so selfish as to keep herself locked away from the world. Let alone, her family.

"Anisa," her mother cried, "It's not what you think."

"Please, correct me if I'm wrong! Correct me if my words held lies," Anisa responded

Her mother stopped and looked down from being ashamed in front of Anisa. But, Anisa could no longer face her. So, she turned around to get out of the room.

"Anisa, wait –" her mother got up.

"Just know that I'm not like you. Just know that I'm giving my happiness up for you," Anisa said.

Tahir parked the car just outside the old castle. The one that had been blown up. Also, the one where his father died.

Saif was right beside him after switching roles with Nadia.

"How are the royals holding up," Tahir asked

"They're doing better than you'd hope. They're scared for their lives so none of them dare to go out," Saif answered.

Tahir nodded as they drew closer to the entrance. Only half of the castle was brought down by the bomb. Some of the things inside were still preserved and hadn't been touched.

No one dared to go in it ever since the incident. Not after the bomb blew off.

The whole place was filled with dust. The only source of light on the main level was from the cracks of the walls.

"What exactly are we looking for in here?" Saif asked pointing his flashlight to the ceiling.

"I don't know," Tahir said but paused after hearing a noise, "I think it's going to come to us."

With that statement they both followed the noise. It was obvious that they were footsteps and they needed to act quick.

After a few minutes of wandering the building, they didn't hear the footsteps anymore. Almost as if it vanished into thin air.

"How's someone in here when the place looks deserted?" Saif whispered, making sure that whoever else was here, wouldn't eavesdrop on them.

Tahir looked around, trying to listen to every sound. He was able to hear the wind coming into the palace. They currently stood just in a hallway that wasn't hit by the explosion.

"There's one place that no one would think of going in," Tahir said, "It's the security room. According to the reports I read, security detected the bomb only minutes before it exploded."

Saif got the chills from hearing his explanation. All of this wasn't making sense.

"Are you saying that you think security could've planted the bomb?"

Saif thought Tahir was losing his mind.

"We won't know unless we go downstairs to the basement. It's where the security room is. It's also the place to have the least impact from the bomb," Tahir rushed towards the elevators with Saif just behind him.

Luckily, they were still operating and both of them arrived at the basement in no time.

Once the doors opened, Tahir held his gun up with a flashlight on his other hand. Saif did the same and looked around.

"You were right. It did have the least impact," Saif noted as he saw how almost everything was in place.

Just as they continued to take silent steps, Tahir noticed lights coming from a certain corner of the basement. They weren't too noticable, but enough to spot when looking closely.

"This way," he said as he moved forward.

"You know what happened last time I didn't come with backup," Saif told him, "I lost the princess. If anything happens to either of us –"

Tahir cut him off, "Nothing will. If this thing or person was a threat, they would've attacked by now. Somehow, it's trying to get our attention."

Saif felt somewhat assured. Tahir's intelligence couldn't ever match his. He knew how to interpret things that were in front of him, but Tahir was able to interpret a situation in which wasn't even visible to his eyes.

As they approached the door, Tahir ran over to the other side while Saif stood on the other. Tahir used sign language to tell him he could initiate action on the count of three with his finger.

When his countdown finished, Tahir knocked down the door and both of them quickly pointed their guns up...

With the situation that welcomed them, they both froze.

Tahir's eyes widened and Saif dropped the flashlight in his hands. Every other sound was paused and they both felt as though the world was muted.

Around them was a whole room filled with necessities for a security team. In the background, there were a total of eight men.

But, the one thing that triggered such a reaction was the man in front of them.

As Tahir was speechless, Saif managed to utter the words in shock,

"Mr. Amin...?"

"How did your reunion with your mother go?" Abbas looked up at Anisa who returned to the room.

She kept her gaze down on the ground, almost as though she was lifeless. Every part of her body ached. She never felt like leaving this world as much as now, just to get away from everything. The strength that once existed was no longer with her.

"Why bother asking when you've been watching this whole time?"

"I'm just trying to sympathize with you. I certainly wouldn't know how it is to meet your mother after all these years," he said.

"Sympathize?" Anisa scoffed, "You're doing anything but that."

That's when Abbas stood up, angered at her response. He grabbed her arm with his forceful grip and gritted his teeth as he warned her.

"You speak like that to me, I won't have mercy on you, even after I become king."

"Let me go!" She raised her voice, trying to get her arm out of his grip.

But, Abbas wouldn't let go.

"You have two days to announce our wedding. In those two days, get ready for your true punishment once we get married."

A smirk never left his face after he said that. Even as he let go of her hand and made his way to leave the room, it caused a fire to form inside Anisa. She wanted revenge badly.

Once he finally left, closing the door behind him, she fell to the ground, automatically losing her balance.

She looked at her arm to find markings of his finger. It had bruised in just seconds of contact.

But, she ignored it as her mind drifted to thoughts about Tahir. How she wished she could see him. She'd run up to his arms and embrace him as though she'd never see the life of tomorrow. She'd engulf his cologne which always notified her of his presence and she'd tell him the three words she thought she'd never be able to say in her lifetime.

For now, those were all the fantasies her mind had created. Her hope was only able to remain so long. She had already ran out of tears from the two days she spent here. Only time knows whether that hope will remain intact.

A/N:

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Thank you ~