HADEWA CALIPHATE,

NIGERIA.

The day before Muneer and Aali visited the Tayyu household, something happened.

"Who is Aria?"

Shehu who remained standing, yet hidden by the wall leaving to another exit in Aali's chamber didn't waste a second before he answered, "She's Maya's sister—her only sister" He added, emphasizing on the word for he knew it's importance.

Aali who sat on one of the couches in the living room, legs apart slightly and elbows resting on each caressed his stubble with his index finger and thumb, brows drawn in deeply. He had on a Calvin Klein Jacquard hoodie and raven sweatpants he randomly took out of his closet. He was never one to stress himself over what to wear when he has no plan of going on—especially not after returning home and meeting things he least expects. "You mean..." He trailed off, his voice low enough for only Shehu to hear.

He didn't have to complete his sentence—they both knew what he meant. It's better than saying it out loud.

The palace walls have ears after all. That statement isn't an empty one, the walls really do have ears, though figuratively but they serve their purpose.

Shehu nodded, though knowing the Prince can't see him. "Yes, Your Highness" He said, "She is the one"

Aali blinked, blowing out a low breath as he gritted his teeth. Bringing his hands down, he intertwined his fingers; tightening his hold around them slightly as he connected the dots. It didn't take long for him to do so, "Then that means the wedding..."

"...The ones involved are just pawns" Shehu concluded the sentence in the Prince's mind. Though internally he's a bit curious as to whether the Prince really didn't know of this till now. He knows better than anyone. If he dares say, he knows him better than Amadu who had been serving the man since he was a child.

He has seen the things that man can do, and he knows he's much smarter than this. He might just be pretending to not know; it won't be surprising. After all, the man is great at pretending to be completely unaware of things happening around him. He had done it before, and he's still doing it again. The question is, why is he doing so at the moment?

Nevertheless, Shehu decided to not say a word about it.

Aali didn't say anything for the next couple of minutes. He simply kept tapping his foot on the carpet slowly—the wheels in his heard turning fast and eyes, fixated on a particular spot staring into space. The looks in his eyes were calculating, something Shehu had grown accustomed to seeing.

The words the Prince muttered afterwards didn't come as a surprise to Shehu. "That's all. Thank you. You may go" He said.

Shehu silently slipped out through the back door. It's a pointless effort though, and he knew that, because there are only a couple of things that remain unknown in the palace.Just as the walls have ears, the place has eyes everywhere too.

The minute Shehu was away, Amadu made his way over to the Prince immediately, his steps even. "What will you do now?"

Aali leaned back on the couch, crossing his legs in the process—lips set into a tight line as he concluded his decision. "See, there are certain things to know in situations like this" He started, glancing at Amadu with a slight tilt of his lips upward, "You can only win if you're always a step ahead"

"So..." Amadu never hid the fact that he's not as quick witted as the Prince. Heck, in all his years in the palace, he had never seen anyone as smart as the man. Really.

Aali gestured to the folder that sat on the center table, which Shehu brought to him earlier. It contains all the information he would need. It doesn't contain everything, but rather, the information which will be needed at the moment. "Her" His gaze moved to the picture of Aria that remained on top of all the papers, "She's the answer to all this"

Amadu only spared the picture a glance before he looked away. He didn't have a good view of her back then, but he could remember where he saw her before, "The woman you were speaking to at the airport?"

Aali nodded.

"How can she possible be the answer? She's not even Nigerian"

Aali's smirk widened slightly. "There's only one way to win in this case, and that's to outwit your opponent. Her sister is already being used, I can't do a thing about that. Her though, I need to get to her before they do"

"So you'll use her?"

Aali's eyes flew to stare at Amadu, slightly dilated and lips tugged into a deep frown. "What? Of course not"

Amadu looked down. He didn't mean what he said in a bad way, he was only curious. "I'm sorry Your Highness. Forgive my choice of words. If you aren't going to use her, what will you do with her then?"

Aali sat up then, eyes going over the details on the folder about her, "I'll protect her" His voice was a soft murmur that Amadu barely heard it, "Whatsoever it takes, I'll protect her" This time around, his voice was a bit louder than earlier; intended to let Amadu know of his intentions.

Amadu's brows drew in slightly. Aali's reaction came out extremely weird to him, reason because the man never acts this way—especially not towards a person he only met once. He knows there's more to the story; perhaps a part that only the Prince knows and as much as he's curious, he couldn't ask. It would be pointless to do so since it's the Prince's personal affairs. "Your plan?"

Aali slowly smirked, "I'll marry her as soon as possible"

He had planned on turning down Muneer's request to escort him over to meet his fiancée but not anymore. He would accompany his best friend and brother, if that would be his ticket to meeting Aria and finding a way to convince her to marrying him.

Everything he did the next day was according to the plan he set up. And her response, albeit knowing is a joke, was the slight chance he needed to exert his plan. Sure enough, the choice was left to her; not that he would give up anyways.

When he approached her, he knew there's a 99.9% chance of her rejecting him but he went anyways. He wanted to at least see her, observe and see how he can approach her.

If he has to come clean for her to agree and accept him, then so be it.

Marriage is a sacred thing. He does not take the marriage issue as a joke. There's no way he could just bring up the marriage as a solution out of the blue. Amadu knows better.

The Prince does everything for a reason.

And for Aali, he does want to marry Aria; he couldn't think of anyone better. She's the one for him. Might seem too soon but the side of the story Aali knows runs deeper than that. Way deeper.

Which was why after his meeting with her, he went directly to his father. That was after he dropped off Muneer.

"I have found the woman I want to marry" He said to the Calipha, after exchanging pleasantries with him.

Calipha Bello looked up, both brows drawn in deeply. "Marry?" He repeated, as if he couldn't believe what his ears just heard. He had never pressured Aali to get married. He knows his son would do it when he wants to eventually. You can't rush a marriage.

The thing is he certainly did not expect the marriage talk at the moment. Ina few years maybe, but certainly not at the moment.

Aali nodded, "Yes marry. You know the woman too and I'm sure you'll approve of her"

A smile warmed its way up on the Calipha's face. It didn't matter to him who Aali wants to marry. However, if he knows her it must mean she's amongst Aali's cousins.

Who knew he'd fall for one of them eventually? Isn't he the same one that claims that since he has attended most of their naming ceremonies, they're too young for him? In his words, "Duk naci namansunansu"

"Really?" The Calipha's teasing grin almost made Aali smile, but he didn't because he knows his father would not have that smile on his face anymore after he utter his next words. "Who is she?" The Calipha pushed the book he was reading aside, leaning forward slightly in a way that signifies he's giving his son his full attention.

Aali blew out a low, barely noticeable breath, "Aria" His voice didn't waver one bit, "Aria TayyuSafwan"

Aali expected the reaction he got from the Calipha. He expected the disappearance of his grin, and the slight dilation of eyes.

The Calipha blinked once, then twice, and thrice. "Aali..."

Aali offered him a small smile, knowing his father's worries. "It's okay Baba" His smile then disappeared too, "Maya is being brought into this family. It's only a matter of time"

The Calipha swallowed thickly, though it was so subtle that Aali didn't notice it. He didn't ask how Aali knew the truth, just as he didn't three years back. But, that doesn't mean he's not curious as to how much the man knows and how he knows it.

To be honest, he doesn't think he'll ever get used to how resourceful the boy is.

That to say doesn't mean he does not have his worries. "Aali, I won't stop you if this is what you want but marriage is supposed to be done with someone you love not like...this. Do not make the same mistake I made"

Aali blinked, looking down for a brief second before he looked up again. "If you're worried about my feelings for her Baba, then don't. By Allah I promise, I'll do everything I can to protect her. You don't have to worry. That's what I've been doing all these years"

Calipha Bello released a long sigh. He couldn't argue with the man on that when they both know he's right. If there's anyone he could trust Aria's marriage to, then it's Aali and vice versa. "And what about her?" That's where the problem lies, "She doesn't know the truth, or have any feelings for you"

"We'll get there eventually if she does agree to marry me" Aali was so certain that their marriage would work. It won't be easy or rainbows and cotton candies. No, they will face a lot of problems but he will try to make it work, given she is too.

It's all too sudden, but he has been waiting for this.

"...Besides, her safety matters the most to everyone at the moment" He added, before the Calipha can say anything against it.

Calipha Bello blinked, looking away as he thought over Aali's request. He knows why Aali is asking him of such request. It wasn't just for a particular reason. No, there are a lot of reasons. "What do you want at the moment?"

"I want to ask for her hand in marriage from her father because I want him to know sincerely how much I want to protect and cherish his daughter"

Calipha Bello finally returned his gaze to Aali, "And if he doesn't agree?"

"Then I'll keep trying"

That was all the Calipha needed to hear before he made his decision.

Aria on the other hand, it took her a lot to agree to the proposal. At first, she outright planned on turning it down for so many reasons. One of it is that she has zero plans of getting married. More less, getting married to a Nigerian Prince she had only met once in her life.

It doesn't happen that way.

However, all it took was a flight back to Turkey, and a few leads that led her back to Nigeria regarding her case. It all led to one family.

The Royals.

And for her to get the answers she wants, then she has to become one of them even if every fiber in her hates them to the deepest cores. However, for her case, she's willing to do anything.

Including getting married to a Prince she knows nothing about.

It all seems messed up, but she's sure everything would clear up soon enough.

She's already amongst the Royals—her supposed enemies—now, what could possible go wrong?