Aali made his way over to his mother's chamber after he left Aria back home. He was hoping to see Amadu outside as usual but the man wasn't there, he wasn't there the day before too. Truth be told, he hadn't seen the man since he had woken up and he had always been there with him since they were young.

It was weird that he suddenly disappeared, especially with what Aali heard had happened to his wife because of Amadu's words. He didn't want to doubt the man one bit, because he trusts him with his life but it's impossible keep doing so when he has disappeared.

Slipping his hand into his pocket, Aali brought out his phone and dialed the number of the person he knew would get him the answers he wanted. Just as he brought the phone to his ear, he heard the person at the other end speak.

"Malam Aliyu Dan Bello nabiyu"

Aali hissed under his breath, shaking his head at the name. He hated it. He has always hated it. "Wa alaikassalam" He replied, his sarcasm blatant.

"See!" Fahad exclaimed from the other end. "A malam indeed"

Aali rose his hand to massage his temple. Sometimes he wonders why he is friends with someone as annoying as Fahad. Honestly, if he didn't know what Fahad is capable of, he will assume the man is a complete goofball. "Stop calling me that" He grumbled. He simply hated the way Fahad says it.

They've had that conversation numerous times before yet Fahad never gets the memo. It seemed like Aali would have to scream on the top of a roof for Fahad to understand that one, his name is Aali not Aliyu. And second, his last name is Bin Bello not Dan Bello. Technically, it's the same thing but he preferred the first name.

Aali would blame the whole 'Dan Bello' thing on a classmate of theirs back when they were in highschool, Ammah, who was a good friend of theirs. Back in the day, she, Fahad and Aali were the best friends. Now, they've grown up and she is somewhere in Dubai married to a foreigner. How she managed to capture the poor Arab's heart remained a mystery to them all.

Nonetheless, she was the one who started the whole name thing, and Fahad picked up from where she left.

"Alright Your Highness Dan Bello, whatever the Prince wants, the Prince gets" Fahad stated, but they both knew well that he wouldn't stop.

Aali groaned at the thought.

Fahad chuckled, knowing that he had successfully gotten under the man's skin. "So, what do you want? I doubt you called to check up on me?"

"Why would I check up on you?" Aali grumbled, spotting his mother's chamber in sight. He was nearing it and he hasn't even gotten his message across the idiot he calls his best friend.

"Because I'm your favorite person" Fahad stated, like it's the most obvious thing.

"Oh please" Aali found himself shaking his head again, resisting the urge to roll his eyes like Aria does when she is annoyed. The woman is starting to rub off her attitude on him. "My problem with you is that sometimes you act as if your peanut size brain is nonexistent" He added before Fahad could bring up anything more ridiculous, "Do you know where Amadu is?"

As Aali expected, that seemed to have snapped Fahad from his goofy attitude to his serious one. "What do you mean? He's always with you"

Aali sighed, before he spoke again, "Not since I woke up. I haven't seen him at all, and I can't reach him on the phone either" He has spoken to Fahad the day before after he woke up, when he told him that he will look for Amadu, but he hasn't found him clearly.

"That's strange" Fahad mumbled, but Aali heard him. "Do you think it has something to do with what happened to Aria?"

Aali pinched the bridge of his nose; something he does when he is deep in thought. "I think so" Could it be that Amadu felt guilty for wrongly accusing her? There's no doubt in Aali's mind that Aria has nothing to do with what happened to him because he knew who is behind it even before Fahad told him the day before.

During the call they had, Fahad informed him of the person who paid the waiter to do so to the Prince. And it's safe to say Aali wasn't surprised one bit to find out that the person is none other than Muneer.

What baffles him though is how Amadu come to the conclusion that Aria is behind it, to the point of letting Aali's mother who everyone know is not fond of the girl know about it. A part of Aali thought of the possibility that Amadu might be trying to betray him but Aali shut down that part quickly.

It's simply impossible. He refused to accept that.

It didn't help that the waiter from before isn't in sight either.

Fahad released a sigh. "I'll look into it. I'll let you know when I find him"

"Alright thank you" Aali brought the phone down after ending the call, then concluded his journey to his mother's where he exchanged pleasantries with the guards there. They then opened the door for him, and the Prince stepped in only to be welcomed by voices from the living room.

"—that's why I told you ai ta mallakeshi! That girl has used whatever sort of witchcraft the people in her country use on the Prince" A voice that Aali did not recognize stated. Aali didn't need to think twice to know that they are talking about him and Aria.

"Can you believe he called out his family because of her?" Another voice that is not the first added, tone holding disbelief and fury. That particular voice though Aali recognized as one of his aunts that he had heard enough to recognize it even in his sleep. To be precise, Muneer's mother. "I still can't believe Aali did that because of that girl"

Perhaps, they were all too engrossed in their conversation that they didn't hear the front door open and close. Or maybe, they heard it and ignored it but judging by the look on their face when they saw Aali, it was the first option.

The two women who sat along with his mother, the other who Aali presume to be his mother's friend moved their gaze to Queen Zarah, who has her gaze solely fixated on Aali with her expression blank. The two exchanged looks before they excused themselves, standing up to give the two privacy.

Aali spared them zero glance, and once they were out, he made his way over to where his mother sat; perching himself on the carpet by her feet. "Mama" He called out, offering her a small smile.

Her gaze remained stoic as she stared at him, "Sai yanxu kaga daman zuwa?" She asked, her tone monotonous but he could hear the anger behind her indifference.

Aali blew out a low breath, "Mama..." He called out again, "It's not like that" He didn't like seeing her angry, and at the moment, she seemed to be furious.

She hummed, "Oh really?" She rose a brow, "You gained consciousness yesterday and you didn't think of letting anyone inform me or come to check on me because you were there with your wife who has you in the palm of her hand like a puppet"

Aali looked down, thinking of the best way to respond to her. She's his mother after all, he couldn't reply to her like he will to others with no doubts. She's not just anyone. "I didn't want you to worry, that's why I asked them to not tell you" He intentionally gave strict orders not to let her know that he is awake. However, the minute he called for the meeting with his family, he knew she would have figured it out then. "You've already worried yourself for weeks, I didn't want to add to it"

Queen Zarah scoffed, pushing herself off the couch before she turned to glare at him. "In between worried that you might never gain consciousness and relief that you did, which do you think is best for me?"

Aali didn't respond. When you put it the way she did, then they both know the answer isn't in his favor.

"I hope you're happy Aali" She spoke up after a moment of silence.

Aali looked up, knowing from her tone there's more to come. And as he expected, she continued.

"You got married, without my knowledge or consent. Then afterwards, choose to follow her around like a lapdog never seeing anything she does wrong!" She half yelled, her anger spiking with each word she utters. "Oh and I failed to mention that your wife, because of your actions, does not have an ounce of respect towards me"This time around she managed to keep her voice calm, despite her facial expression betrayed the façade she is trying to hold up. "She had your father take the council away from me, then she dismissed my members in there and replaced them with her own people. And do not pretend like you don't know anything Aali because I am sure you are the one giving her the support to do so"

Aali waited a couple of seconds after her outburst before he spoke up. "Tell me Mama, what do you want? What I can do to stop you from feeling this way?" His question sounded genuine, for he really did want to know.

"You ask as if you will grant it to me"

"What if I will?" He asked, "You are my mother after all. I'll do whatever it takes to make you happy"

She chuckled humorlessly, nodding in the process. "Alright. I want you to throw that woman you call your wife on the streets" She stated without a second thought. She watched his expression clearly. Seeing the reaction, she wanted, she scoffed. "You cannot do it, can you Aali?"

Aali maintained his gaze with hers, his expression determined. "Anything but that"

She scoffed again. "Of course you wouldn't" She muttered, offering him a bitter smile. "I have no power over you, and you do not respect me in any way because I did not give birth to you. I merely raised you into the man you are today"

"Mama--"

"Get out of my sight Aali" She cut him off, calmly.

Aali blinked, keeping his expression blank. He came all the way over despite knowing what she did to Aria, and despite knowing everything she and Muneer conspired to do just so he could patch things up with her. It's not like he doesn't know of the skeletons in her closet, or the fact that she loathed him and has only been pretending to love him so she could use him.

He knew of that all since he was young. How could he not despite everything that she did?

Yet for the fact that she raised him from a certain age in his life, even though her affection was all lies was the reason why he still came all the way over to patch things over. Not once did the woman in the course of raising him showed him any difference. She did all sort of stuff behind his back with the man he called his best friend Muneer, but he hoped that there is some sort of good still left in the woman. There's a big hole between them that cannot be fixed. Yet, for the sake of helping the woman that he considered a mother to him, he was willing to fix things.

However, judging from the look on her face when she said those words to him Aali knew there's no going back from her actions. She simply has to face them.

He stood up, but unlike how she expected him to go out, he didn't. Instead, he didn't once look away from her when he spoke. "If I walk out that door without us fixing things, there will not be any other chance again" He stated lowly, in all seriousness so she could tell that he means business.

He wasn't Aali, the son that she raised and the goofy Prince at the moment.

He is Aali, the Prince that is well aware of everything going on and the man that will bring them all down soon enough.

"It's the beginning of the end, and we both know that" He added. "It's the end for you. What should I expect from the woman who killed her own daughter out of greed?"

All it took was a second, and afterwards, a loud smack filled the room as the woman slapped him right across the face for the very first time in his life. Her eyes were narrowed at him in slits, and her hand that she used to slap him is now clenched into a tight fist. "You do not know anything Aali" She stated, her voice low and teeth clenched. She then took a step closer to him and whisper. "I really did hope you died because of that poison I set for you. It would've made everything so much easier for us"

Aali who hadn't once looked away from her, not even after receiving a stinging smack snickered, "It's about time you showed your true colors anyways" He stated, "Pretending to be nice was getting old. I'm sure you are sick of it too" At that very moment, he threw away all the memories they had together as a happy mother and son. "You know I'm not even surprised you tried to kill me. Tell me Mama. Isn't your consciousness bothering you after what you did to Ashraf? Your own flesh and blood"

But if we're being honest, she started it when she uttered those words.

She rose her hand to slap him again, but stopped midway, still glaring daggers at him.

"Why did you stop?" Aali asked, throwing a quick glance at her raised hand, "Go ahead. Slap me, hit me, try and kill me again. It's not the first time after all is it?" She had never tried to hit or slap him before, but the trying to end his life is something that Aali is starting to get tired of. "Your solution to everyone who gets in your way is killing the person, isn't it?"

"You ingrate!" She exclaimed, snapping her hand down. "After everything that I did for you Aali. You still dared to say those words to me"

Aali nodded, his lips suddenly curling into a smile that had chills running down her spine, and not in the good day. "You are right. You did do a lot to me" He nodded in agreement, "I'll make sure to return the favor" With that, he side stepped her and attempted to walk away. But just as he was about to leave living room, he turned around to face the furious woman that had her back turned to him. "And by the way, you just lost the son you never had to begin with"

That was his final word because after that, he turned around again and walked out, ignoring the two woman that were eavesdropping on the duo's conversation. Before the guards could close the door behind him, he heard the sound of something being smashed and an enraged scream reached his ears.

He has a feeling she would be doing a lot of that recently, especially with what us about to come up.