Anisa's stay at the hospital lasted two more days. In those two days, Tahir was busy watching her and also having meetings. He allowed her to meet Layla and give her a brief visit. The two came to complete terms and reconciled with each other. 

But, Tahir was still upset with his father. He even told him not to show himself to Anisa during her stay at the hospital, mostly because he didn't want her to experience the same kind of anger and deception he had. 

Instead, he allowed the family to come and visit her. Her aunts and uncles came with their children. All of them were considered distant relatives to her. By the time they had all visited, Anisa's room was filled with flowers of which she never got tired of admiring. She loved them. 

"You know, out of all of them, I like this one," she pointed to a bouquet of baby breath. 

Tahir took a look and compared the bouquet to the rest. But, it was smaller in petal size and simply white. He couldn't understand. 

"It's so delicate and small. But, it's what brings out the rest of the flowers when you place them together. It's the kind that's underappreciated which is why it's so special to me," she smiled, looking up at them. 

Her statement impressed Tahir. But, it also made him realize he never got her anything since her admittance to the hospital. 

Before he was able to get up from reading the reports from the palace guards, there was a knock on the door. Once it opened, Dr. Maryam entered with a few papers in her hands. 

"Salam, I hope you've been feeling well Anisa," she smiled.

Anisa returned one Tahand said, "Thank you for your care."

"Don't worry, it's my job," Dr. Maryam told her.

Then, she looked at both Tahir and Anisa and said, "I have news for you both in regards to Anisa's condition. She's been doing well. Her muscles have shown great recovery which is why she's able to walk so well. She's also shown progress with her nutrient and dietary intake so she's been well fed and brought back to her regular state."

Tahir felt at ease upon hearing this and looked towards Anisa while Dr. Maryma continued to explain. 

"Overall, you're back to full health, Anisa. Thank you for your cooperation. But, I do have to warn you that you may experience some emotional pain due to the sudden trauma that's developed from your incident. Normally, I would recommend my patients a therapist for this kind of situation, but, I've been watching your recovery and I think that just by having your bodyguard at your side will come well for you."

Anisa blushed immediately and looked down at her fingers. Tahir let out a simple smile while shaking his head and placing his hand on his forehead. 

It was as though for one moment, happiness was finally welcoming them at the front door. They were simply happy and nothing else was present at this moment but each other. 

"With that being said, I'm confident enough to discharge you from your stay here. You're more than welcome to come here anytime. But, I hope you never experience something that prompts you to come," Dr. Maryam said

Anisa chuckled and at that moment, time stopped for Tahir. Everything around him wasn't moving but the laughter of Anisa and her smile that followed. All of this felt unreal, too good to be true. But, he had been feeling this way ever since she was back in his arms. There was nothing more he could ask for. 

"But, from now on, I want you to take better care of yourself. Make sure you're getting the best treatment. I think I can count on Tahir for that," Dr. Maryam looked at him and snapped him back to reality.

Tahir nodded, agreeing and Dr. Maryam finally said, "Well, I'm just going to need your signature here for your discharge and you're free to go!"

Anisa was given a pen and she signed the paper where Dr. Maryam indicated. Then, Dr. Maryma left after congratulating Anisa on her recovery and left the two alone. 

"Do you want to leave immediately?" Tahir asked. 

Anisa nodded, shyly.

"I miss being home," she said.

Tahir slowly got up and walked towards her. He towered over her as she looked up at him from her sitting position. Then, he cupped her face and told her, "Get ready. I already got people to prepare your clothes. I'll be waiting just outside the door."

She smiled and gave him a nod before he let go and walked out the door. 

Anisa walked into the bathroom just across from the bed and found a box with her name on it. Once she opened it, it revealed a beautiful abaya with a pastel pink color. Even her shoes were in it, as well as her purse to put her belongings in.

She immediately began to change into the new set of clothes given to her. After fixing her hijab, she walked out of the restroom and looked around the room to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything. 

Then, she headed towards the door and opened it, revealing herself in a much-settled form. Tahir turned and couldn't help but look her up and down, admiring her beauty, and didn't know he got carried away until she called his name. 

"Tahir," she said

"Hm?" He simply replied

"Can we get someone to bring these flowers back home?" She asked.

"Don't worry. I've already arranged for that." He said, extending his arm out for her to take it.

They both intertwined their fingers and walked down the hallway to make their exit from their long stay at the hospital. 

"I'm not sure if I can have Tahir continuing this mission," Mr. Latif proposed.

Currently, Saif, Nadia, and Mr. Amin were in the meeting room at headquarters where other operations were in full swing, and the mission of finding Abbas was still underway. 

"Sir, if Tahir doesn't complete this mission, he's not going to rest. He's going to do anything he can to make sure he brings you, Abbas," Saif explained.

"That's my problem, he will do anything. He could potentially break a rule and have to face consequences," Mr. Latif explained. 

Nadi scoffed and shook her head, "Didn't he already break a rule by falling for the princess? However that even happened..."

The room fell silent after her remark but Mr. Amin told her, "The consequences for breaking that rule are on an internal level. There were no set conditions that apply to that."

Just then, there was a knock on the door and everyone was surprised to see Mr. Hakim in formal attire, entering the meeting room. Everyone except Mr. Amin. 

Saif arched his brow and looked towards Nadia for a possible explanation but she was just as confused as he was.

"Welcome Agent Hakim. It's been a long time," Mr. Amin greeted him

"Indeed, it has. The place looks different in the last ten years I knew of it," Mr. Hakim responded.

Saif's eyes went a little wide upon hearing ten years. Eventually, Mr. Latif explained the situation to Saif and Nadia.

"Mr. Hakim joined the palace undercover as the first agent. He's been the king's secretary for the longest and has been gaining intel from the first day. It's why none of you recognized him and it's also why I didn't exactly know of him until a few weeks," Mr. Latif explained.

Mr. Hakim took his seat beside Mr. Latif and formally introduced himself to the young agents.

"Let me introduce myself. I'm Hakim Osman. I've been with this agency for as long as I can remember and I'm the specialist in undercover cases. I think you're able to tell that from all the years I've been at the palace," he simply smiled.

"That's incredible. The longest any of us have been undercover is 3 years, maybe even 5. But, more than 10? It's as though you sold your soul to the palace," Saif told him in utter shock.

Nadia couldn't imagine staying in one place for so long, under one person. Patience wasn't one of her strengths and the longest she had ever stayed undercover was a year.

"But, besides my time undercover, there are many things that I have come to learn," Mr. Hakim began, "The palace holds so many secrets. It'd turn into a whole book if I were to recall all of them. The one that I chose not to report at the time is something that would change all of our lives."

Everyone grew extremely yearning. They were puzzled about what this secret could potentially be. Yet, the time never felt so slow as of this moment when Mr. Hakim gave a pause. The only person who seemed to maintain their eagerness was Mr. Amin. Almost like he knew what Mr. Hakim was about to say.

"Anisa isn't a royal born by blood, she had been adopted only a year after the late king married the first queen."

Nadia gasped and both Mr. Latif and Saif couldn't help but stare at the table in front of them. Mr. Amin seemed disappointed. He couldn't find any words to say. In fact, no one in the room was able to. 

"I know, it's all a shock to us. But, I felt that if I had said this when I found out about it, word would spread and it would taunt Anisa for the rest of her life. Knowing her parents aren't her real parents would tear her apart," Mr. Hakim explained.

"How...how could this be? How was it so well hidden?" Nadi asked.

Mr. Hakim sighed before he said, "King Salman married the first queen out of love. They were childhood friends who grew a stronger bond. But, while King Salman was a royal, the first queen was just a villager. They happened to meet through an internship that the late king was doing in his youth."

Mr. Hakim placed his arms on the table and brought them together, making himself comfortable before continuing to explain.

"The king's mother was against his love for the first queen. She couldn't understand what he saw in a woman who had nothing to give in return, asset-wise, as she was not even middle-class. But, the king fought for his love and made her queen," Mr. Hakim smiled, "While they were happily married, his mother had put a requirement for them. If their love was so strong and if she was not able to give him a child in the first 3 years of marriage, she was to divorce him immediately."

Nadia was furious upon hearing this. But, Saif shook his head and Mr. Latif seemed so compelled by the story as he waited for Mr. Hakim to finish.

"So, the king thought of a plan. He hid an adoption from his own family. He even moved to a different city for months with the queen so his mother didn't notice she wasn't pregnant. They concealed themselves for months and waited for the right time to announce the arrival of Anisa who was only a day old." 

Saif raised his brow and asked, "Isn't that rare to find? How was she a day old?"

Mr. Hakim shrugged, "That's as far as I know of this story. But, years passed since the time of her birth. 26 years to be specific. It's rare to find information on her, especially since it was so well hidden from the king. He didn't want a single soul to know. The only way I found out about it was through the king himself. He told me the story only a month before his death out of trust and emergency."

In response to Mr. Hakim finishing the story, Mr. Amin stood up after he hit the table hard with his fist and cursed under his breath while looking away from the rest of the people in the room. It was obvious that this disturbed him. Saif couldn't help but look away as well. All of this was a lot to take in. 

"That poor girl has been deceived by every single person in her life..." Mr. Amin said, "It's only a matter of time before she finds out about Tahir..."

A/N:

Would this be considered a cliffhanger? Or just something to give you expectation for the moment Anisa finally finds out? 

Either way, I hope this chapter was filled with the history of Anisa's "adoptive" parents and I hope you guys enjoyed it. 

Don't forget to show this book some love by hitting that star button and commenting anywhere you'd like!

Thank you ~