ABDEEN PALACE, EGYPT.

Suhayr awoke early in the morning, the same time her mother is about to have her breakfast. When she went back to the banquet hall the night before with the help of some maids and guards who won't stop following her, she made it there, they were all quite. All of them were still sitting except for the Egypt royals which is good in Suhayr's book, she don't want to talk to her brothers and step siblings just yet. That'd be too much to take in and besides, they have two weeks to bond up but first things first, it is her sick mother in the front.

Sa'eed was very understand and even promised to set the alarm for her after lulling her to sleep with his new construction. She don't know anything about his work and she couldn't fall asleep due to too much stress about what has happened and the excitement of seeing her mother. What do people do after meeting your real mother when you thought they were dead? She didn't know what to do but she feels like what has happened between her and her mother was what everyone should do. Well, she bonded up with her mother yesterday and can't wait to do it again and again. She might as well extend their stay in the Egypt if she has to, she is with her other mother.

Having two mothers is not a curse as some people like to believe in the world nowadays. It is a blessing knowing you can have them both in your life without facing any problem of difference. Hers even look alike so she might not know whom she is talking to except for the nasal tube around her biological mother now. If only her foster mother was alive, she would've being the happiest woman alive. She promise to even change her racketeer ways if that were to happen by miracle or in her dream. Suhayr promising to give up her ways is not a small thing, it's quite enormous.

If only wishes were horses, she would've ridden a white one to make sure she has no bad luck coming towards her but she can't be so sure now. Something terrible is going to happen followed by something amazing later on, not knowing what is making Suhayr lose her mind. That feeling of not knowing what is going to happen is about to make her go gaga so she made her way to the bathroom tiptoeing not to awake Sa'eed. He needs some sleep after lulling her to one himself.

She can't help but remember all her mother's words resonating in her head whenever she stares into his eyes. Is it true that she loves this man? Is it true that she is only not reciprocating those feeling because she wants to save him from the mandatory heartbreak that is to come? If so, then she must really love him so much to be that selfless, she can't think of her being selfless even in her dream so doing that is not something to be taken lightly. Well, love is selfless, she won't be selfish to ruin anyone's life. She has enough in her plate already.

She made her way into the bathroom only to stop and gawk in awe. A prodigious Amethyst bathtub sat in the middle of the bathroom illuminating lilac light all around it, her eyes widen in amazement. How did she not notice the glowing thingy? Did someone turn on something or what is it that happened suddenly? Whatever it is, she is going to get into that bathtub and have a good bath for twenty minutes. She has thirty minutes to get ready until seven so she can spend so much time in that uniquely wonderful tub, she can't help it. She has never seen anything like that, she won't pass up the opportunity of having bath is something that looks straight out from heaven.

Spending exactly eighteen minutes in the bathroom, she couldn't even wait till the alarm she put in her phone to ring, she wants to see her mother soon. God, who is this Suhayr and what has she don't to that gangster? She feels so different from her real exact self!

Brushing that behind, she made her way to her luggage in search of casual clothes to spend the day with her mother. She took an umber slacks and settled her legs inside slowly while smiling stupidly at herself, she feels so excited to meet her mother for some fremd reasons. Banana shirt is what she took next featuring a scoop neckline and leg of mutton sleeves. That is casual enough to be comfortable with her mother throughout their time together the whole day. An umber crinkled cotton veil is what she wrap around her in same Egyptian style and she was done, it's tricky.

The Mary Jane loafers clasped themselves on her feet, she took her phone and decided to leave. She don't need to tell anyone about her going to her mother, Sa'eed knows about it and he shall tell his grandparents about that too. They will understand. She don't even feel like explaining herself, this is supposed to be her home. If only that evil man didn't take her away to another country because he wants to secure his so called reputation of the crowned prince. Is it bad of her to not want him to have the throne for what he did? She feels like he does not even deserve it at all for she was the sacrificial lamb.

Maids and guards are scattered outside their chamber, she got startled by the sight of them but she regained her face expression to that of blank. They keep on greeting her with the those royal names, they already knew about who she was before she does, how convenient. Now she understands why everyone was just staring at her like she is some alien. They want to talk to her and see whether she is who they thought she was. Even though most of them won't think of her as the Pharaoh's daughter, they probably think she is the Great Royal Consort's niece or even long lost twin sister if not for her younger looks.

As soon as she settled inside her mother's bedchamber, she saw her sitting on the maroon carpeted floor just below the wine mid century modern sofa. There are varieties of food in front of her closed in beautiful silver and golden casseroles. She can't help but let her stomach rumble in hunger, she is dead hungry for not eating her dinner yesterday night even after Sa'eed sent a maid to bring food for her to their room. It was so thoughtful of him, but she won't be able to express her gratitude again. She needs to stop those feelings, nope, they have to go!

"Good morning, Mom." It felt weird still, saying mom to someone other than her foster mother, she will get there though. She wants to be able to talk to her without struggle or awkwardness at all.

"Morning, my love. Come on in, I've been waiting for you since forever." Tanisha exaggerated with widened eyes, taking her hand to show her stomach which is empty. Suhayr laughed at that then move to sit down next to her on the floor to serve them but she got stopped instantly by a maid who rushed out of nowhere to serve.

"Why won't they let me serve us? It's not a big deal or are they afraid I'd pour it all over the floor? I admit, I'm not really good in the kitchen stuff." Suhayr rambled as she stare at the woman serving little amounts of food in their beautiful ancient plates. Even the plates are worth paying couple of bucks to see, not exaggerated.

"No, royalties don't serve food, dear. We actually don't do anything except taking bath and eating and we can have it done too if you want. That is why we are called royals, my dear." Her mother explained with a chuckle, picking the spoon to start eating after Suhayr did the same. She is actually experimenting the food she don't know what it is hence she asked the maid.

"What is this?" She questioned, inclining her head while her hand held onto the fork to see whether it is safe for her to eat. It might just be something only a leukemia cancer patient should eat, it looks delectable though.

"Chicken fijjati stuffed avocado. Strawberries, raspberries, cucumber slices with guac. Salad with romaine lettuce and seasoned shrimp, your great royal majesty." Suhayr nodded while staring at the things in her plate like some alien. She heard the names of the fruits but she can't even see them there in her plate, what the fuck!

She is seeing greenery stuff, avocado filled with chicken, some sort of cream she has never seen and other vegetables. There is also small sauce packed by the side of the plate and that is why she saw the strawberries, raspberries and cucumber cut in small cubes in a deeper side of the plate where it is not associated with the main dish. Do they eat fruits while eating food or till they are done? Well, she won't eat it but will keep vigilant eyes to see what her mother does to hers.

After they were done eating and Suhayr could only bless whoever the chef is, they move to her mothers bed. Her mother is lying on it but her head is sitting on the royal headboard as she talks quietly to Suhayr. She is talking about her childhood, how she brought up her two brothers, how her life was with her sister and her whole family. It was interesting listening to how different her life was than her own, way too different. The life there in Egypt and the one in Chad is entirely different from the one in Nigeria. That is how Allah does His things, beautifully and gracefully to work out smoothly.

"Aqeeb was really mischievous, he always give me headaches time and time again. While Farouk on the other hand is just too timid and sometimes I feel like he has some mental disorder but the doctor proved me wrong. He is too quite, unlike you and your brother, we don't bond up like this. I hope you will be able to bring him out of his shell since you are outspoken like that. Aqeeb couldn't do it too." Tanisha frowned, her children are all different from one another.

"We shall see about that. I am outspoken so people think I'm rude, I don't know if I can handle a timid person." She gave a sheepish smile when her mother rolled her eyes in jest. She can be rude, but she is mostly outspoken which is why everyone thinks she is extremely rude and stuck up. She is nice when she wants to be, she is actually yawing nice these days.

"Bring those boxes!" Tanisha called out to one of the maids around, her hands moving to the royal chest drawer by her side.

A garnet velvet jewelry box is kept on the bed in front of them. Suhayr stared hard at the pretty large jewelry box as if to see through what her mother is going to do with it but she couldn't. When nothing came off the box, she move her eyes to stare at her mother who only shrugged and gave the box to her. She didn't carry it, it is too heavy for her frail form so Suhayr instantly took it before the weight take over her mother. She is sick, she shouldn't do such things.

"I want you to have this with you. They are my jewelries, heirlooms and other expensive stuff given to me during my stay here. Some of them belongs to both me and Varisha, keep them safe." Suhayr wants to give her back but she is not used to giving back what is given to her. And her mother is giving it to her, she can't exactly say no.

"Thank you and I will keep it safe, in sha Allah." Was all she said, she has nothing more to say or ruin the moment.

"It's time!" Tanisha suddenly cheered, her voice is far from cheerful though, from beside her on the bed, Suhayr's eyes widen trying to see what time but the room was empty.

"Time for what?" She smiled trying to join the excitement her mother is feeling.

"For me to go obviously." Her mother rolled her eyes as if it is something she should know already. But Suhayr got more confused than ever, she don't understand.

"Go where?" Her heart is pounding, she don't want to understand what she is talking about. Her foster mother wasn't excited like she is right now.

"Heaven, to leave the earth." And she started coughing, sweat rolling down her forehead, wetting the cloak she is wearing. The fan is at it's last along with the air conditioners so Suhayr don't understand why the woman is suddenly sweating and coughing blood. Her eyes widen and for a moment there, she was rendered speechless looking at the turns of event.

The drastic turn her life is about to take.

"What is wrong? You are sweating profusely." Suhayr is alarmed no, she is petrified. She stood up from the bed and started fanning her with her veil. Her eyes are darting from head to toe trying to see what is amiss but nothing is.

"I can't see you!" Tanisha shrieked lowly after awhile, her head shaking from side to side while her eyeballs move hysterically in her sclerosis. Her hands are trying to grasp everything around her but came up with only sheets. Her chest is heaving up and down the bed really fast all the while scaring Suhayr shitless, this means another person is dying in front of her. Making them three!

"Call father, quick!" Suhayr yelled at the maids that are surrounding her mother looking like statues. They should do that before she says but no, bunch of fools.

"Don't you dare leave me too!" Suhayr yelled to her mother when she stopped breathing and she knew she is dead. Her foster mother died in her arms, Sa'ad's dead body was held in her arms that night and now her biological mother's?! She can't stomach too much, not when she can't cry to conceal her anguish and mental grief.

"Step back, great royal majesty." A man walked in dressed smartly like a doctor and started examining her mother who is long dead after smiling at her, she still have the smile intact. Suhayr stood up from the bed and started backing away just when more people trudged inside the room to see what is going on. She saw her brothers coming in, her father, his other wife and her children all walked in. Some other women she has never seen are dressed in Royal cloaks too walked inside like they belong. Seeing too many people just makes her head lull but she was rooted on her feet sighting the box gifted to her by her late mother underneath the bed where she placed it waiting till she is leaving for their chamber later.

"Time of death, 11:08AM!" The word echoed throughout the quite room and the shrilling high pitched scream that left Suhayr's mouth was something that has everyone's attention moving to her from the dead smiling corpse on the bed. Suhayr doesn't cry, she is not crying and she won't cry but that sound won't just stay back in her throat. It ached to be yanked out and she did just that, she let it out.

She slumped to the floor, her head heating the wardrobe in which that velvet box was brought out from earlier. Her chest tightened messilessly, crewing up all the organs inside. It constricted, making it hard for her to say anything other than that scream that tore itself from her throat without her consent. If her words were to come out, it will be rains of curses for the doctor and the other people crowding the room atop a dead person. Her chest won't just loosen neither are her eyes agreeing with her.

She felt someone standing atop her, she couldn't even raise her head to look at the person but she could see men's royal shoes. Shortly, the hands of this person took ahold of her arms in the most gentle way anyone has ever done and she lets them, she needs it. This person pulled her into a hug and even though she can't see who it is, she knew it was the Pharaoh of Egypt, her biological father. He held her like any father would comfort their daughter, she wants to pull away but she can't, it feels too good to just pull away from and the energy she has won't he enough. The comfort that comes from being in her father's arms is way greater than her grudge and malice she has on him.

"It's going to be okay." His words are filled with firmness and had it being she was doing something wrong and he reprimanded her, she was sure she won't ever do that thing again her whole life. No wonder he rules over such humongous and massive empire.

Few minutes later, someone again came to stand beside her then mildly took her away from her father to their chest. The perfume isn't her husband's, he has different and much spicier cologne than that one so she don't know who it was. She cling to the person though, it doesn't matter who, she needs someone to take her away from that place. She just lost her mother right after she met her? Just a night and morning spent together and she left the whole earth to another place? Just when they reunited, she left her too?

"Let me get you out of here." The strong manly voice whispered on her head and she heard them talking to her father but she tuned then down and only think about her deceased mother. Whatever they are saying is not important, she needs to leave that room immediately.

"Who are you?" She whispered because they have been sitting outside the palace for more than twenty minutes. Her voice is quite that could pass up as wind but it seems like the person encasing her in their arms heard her because he answered.

"Aqeeb." And she knew it was her brother so she slumped more against him, needing the comfort. She wasn't comfortable before not knowing if this person is her mahram or not and after finding out he is, she is at ease. Her subconscious is now quite, silently getting pacified.

"Tell me about her." And he started telling her so many stories related to their now dead mother. The cherishing moments were mumbled atop her head making her feel closer to her somehow.