It was morning, weekends had always been her best part of the week even though she wouldn't rest as much as she wanted today, being part of the royal family even though she wasn't related to them by blood was somewhat tiring for Fatima Zarah. She wished she had an excuse for not attending this family gathering, but then she had to attend this gathering even though she had a concrete reason not to. She got ready early and called Abida to send Jannah for her, she ahd grown liking for the girl since when she heard her story yesterday.

She was in the dining table having her breakfast when Jannah walked into the living room and she fidgetted with her fingers before she walked up to where Fatima Zarah was. "Good morning, Aunty," she bowed her head down and greeted.

Fatima Zarah smiled at her before she lifted her hand up, "Come and sit with me, Jannah. Have you eaten?" She had always fancied having someone to eat with on the table other than Ammi, and when she got married, she hated seieng Al-mustapha's face all day long. Jannah hesitated at first before she sat down on the chair beside Fatima Zarah and she served herself.

"Did Hannah said she'll come and get you or I'll drop you off there? Actually I have some clothes that I've outgrown, too tight on me, I think they'll fit you." Fatima Zarah suggested as she scrutinizingly looked at Jannah's body even though she was seated, having almost half of her body covered.

"She said she'll come and pick me up. Actually, one man we met there presurred her until she begged me to go for the walima today, I don't. His name was Aliyu Hammad something, but I heard her calling him Barrister. I don't like to go, but she'll feel bad if I don't." What Fatima Zarah first noticed about Jannah was, she talked too much. But that's when she felt she was in a safe place to do so. And considering the way Fatima Zarah was free with her, she ought unleash her true self.

She smiled widely and a chuckle followed afterwards, then she picked up her phone that was by her side and dialled his number, she put the phone on speaker mode and she she singsung when he picked up. "Guess who I have in my house right now?!"

Aliyu laughed, surprised at the good mood she was in, considering how she left angry yesterday. "Who knows? May be Donald Trump came and gave you and endless free access to the USA and also a free accomodation in Trump Tower?!" Fatima Zarah didn't know when she burst out laughing until she nearly choke herself and she slowed down.

"If that's what really happened, I wouldn't have called you, Barr. You will have to see that in the news like every other Nigerian would." He laughed along with her and she sobered up before she glanced up at a nervous Jannah and she spoke.

"Actually, it's a girl you're beginning to get crazy about. May be it's time for me to fulfill the promise I've made, it's goodluck for you that you're one of the groomsman of Jamila's husband, really." She joked, and she was sure one of the pulses of Jannah increased while she stared blankly at her, not being able to comprehend her words.

"Who's that? You definitely can't know the girl I've got a crush on, recently. Just yesterday, but it feels like forever." He smiled, and it could be heard through the phone, Jannah was tensed.

"Her name is Jannah, and you saw her together with Jamila's sister, Hannah. Am I right? If I'm wrong, please tell me so I can end this call and go on with my daily activities."

He was so fast at cutting her off, because he knew ending a call before it even ended was one of Fatima Zarah's favourite things to do. "By Allah she's the one, but how do you know?!"

"She was just telling me, and I'm going to let her go to that walima because of you. But you'll have to give me a token for that." She chuckled when he let out a gasp, as if he was finding it so hard to believe what Fatima Zarah had just said.

"Whatever token it is, you know I'll do it for you. But why do I feel like this is a trap? You just know the name from Jamila may be and you're joking me around?"

"Jannah, speak. May call his name, greet him or anything." Fatima Zarah ordered, and she watched as Jannah fidgetted with her fingers, and she nodded her head encouragingly at her, "Come on, he doesn't bite."

Jannah opened her mouth, "Good morning, Ali..." she found it hard to mention his name, "Haidar," she completed her sentence. Because to her, Haidar was so much unlike his name, even though it was the same name.

"Fatima Zarah Tambuwal, that cool voice, she really is the one!!" He was beyond elated and they could sense it. Fatima Zarah chuckled and Jannah ducked her head down, she was shy. She didn't know why she was feeling something, just something she had never felt before. It was alien.

"I'll let you know what will be my token for now. But mind you, she's my sister, take a very care of her. I don't allow you two to be alone, always have a third party, she's innocent, know the kind of words you'll use with her. Just be careful."

He laughed, "Why are you so protective, Fatima Zarah? She Jannah, My Paradise, I won't dare tamper her with anything bad, will I? You needn't worry. And Jazakillahu khairan for this."

"Take care of my sister, not being holy holy in my presence."

"How did she become your sister? I'm confused. Did Ammi gave birth to an 18 year old over night?"

"Do you have to be related by blood to become sisters?"

"No," he replied sharply, as if something struck his heart in a speed.

"Then, goodbye. See you on Monday, may be I'll be too occupied to come to court." She ended the call without giving him the chance to reply, and he smiled to himself, because he was accustomed to Fatima Zarah's favorite part in a phonecall.

❀

Even when he was done with everything, he texted her to come out so they'll leave. Fatima Zarah was certain that it was a necessity for them to go to the palace together, he wouldn't have wait for her. And nothing was shared between them until they arrived in front of the hall and she didn't spared him a glance when she moved towards the entrance the female used, she had had more of him these days, and she would make sure what he did to her yesterday didn't go unnoticed to the world.

She had noticed today he was too extra in his dressing, or she'd rather say too royal. Because that wasn't the way he dressed. She walked up to where Mama Fulani was seated with her throng of people and sat down, after all the greeting she fixed her eyes on the man doing the opening prayers. The eyes staring at her, which she was used to, mouths poking at her thinking she wasn't noticing, everything. She casually glanced up to where Al-mustapha was seated together with the other princes, and he was busy checking up something on his phone.

Everytime she attended this royal gatherings, she was always bored and couldn't wait for the time to be done. One, because she didn't understand what they were talking about. Two, the royal family were her least favorite people. Three, she hated the person who was her reason of attending the gathering. She had noticed as if the main leaders of the palace were having a serious discussion, and Fatima Zarah figured it would be the perfect time for this.

Despite the eyes staring at her curiously, she stood up from her seat and walked up to the stage. Some thought she was going to see Al-mustapha but as she passed where the princes were seated, all eyes turned on her until she stood in front of the throng of royalties and collected the mic from the man. She spoke to him and sent something to the man working on the projector before she turned back to look at the crowd. The first eyes she was after her attention got back to the crowd were that of Mama Fulani, then Al-mustapha.

She held his gaze and a mischievous smile found its way to her cheeks. The smile that was graced with fulfillment. "Assalamu Alaikum, to my fellow royal family. Today, I have something huge to present to you all, that's why I haven't given anyone to do this for me, rather; I choose to do it myself." She stopped midtrack, trying to get her thoughts straight, was she really for this? Could she do it? Feeling the surge of pain of all he had done for her, she closed her eyes and opened them again. And she knew, it was now or never. To show him the kind of fire she had planned for him. And she was sure it would burn him to ashes just like she had always promised.

"As you all know, my names are Fatima Zarah Tambuwal, and I've been oppurtuned into this family as a daughter in-law. A wife to prince Al-mustapha Muhammad Maccido. He's the reason I've walked into this family and count as one of them, and he's the reason I'm standing in front of you today." She found his eyes among the thousand pairs of eyes and held them with her before she continued speaking.

"For the months I've stayed with Al-mustapha, he has never been human. I know we all see him as one, because he act and breath like one. But in his heart, he isn't human. I've once told him that I don't know where he belongs, because he definitely doesn't belong in the world we all live. He feels alien. But all I've been questioning about him became clear to him, I saw the reason why he lives and acts like a monster. It's because he truly doesn't feel, not evenan inch of love or compassion towards anyone that isn't himself. It's because he's a psychopath."

Gasps, screams, shouts, blood freezings, hearts stopping to beat, muscles slackening-these and alot more would best describe the royal family. Fatima Zarah motioned for the projector and the slides she had prepared began to show, together with his hospital file when he was 12, and she continued to speak. "He and Mama Fulani were able to hide this fact to the whole world, but I feel this isn't something to hide. I'll first begin to enlighten us about what being a pyscopath is, what suffering form ASPD turns a person into..." she spoke for minutes, minutes that took off all the grudge she had for Al-mustapha from her heart. Seeing the terrifying look in his eyes, the pain, grief and all that she had encountered while living with him.

She didn't dare look to where Mama Fulani was, because that wasn't what she was after. She could picture the way her two cats died, the way he left her stranded on the road and told her she could die for all he cared, the way he slapped her and didn't showed any sign of remorse. All that pain rushed back to her, and now that she looked into his eyes and saw the same pain as she spoke more about how a monster he was, to his family, which might be or not be the world to him, she felt glad, happy that she inflicted the same pain for him. If not even painful. Once she was done, she held his gaze for a while and a beautiful smile graced her lips, even though her eyes were misty at the reminiscent. Today, she had declared herself the winner of their game.