"The heart..break the shell, and let the pearls illumine the world and the soul.."

- Hilya

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Two years ago after the incident, I met my uncle.."

He remembered.

That day Âyatullah met him, and spoke to him..for the first time in years.

He told him what had actually happened at the time of the rebellion. It was true that most of the tribes had betrayed the country, in order to save their own necks..

Baladus-Sulaymân had five main Royal families, and each family had their affiliating tribes, sworn to protect and guard its members.

Prior to the revolt, the three ruling families had agreed with the King that it couldn't be stopped, except much bloodshed had occurred. With the renege of trusted officials, the safety of the throne had been compromised.

And the suppliers of the rebels for the attack, were none other than their northern neighbours -Mijannah.

Had the country steeped into deep turmoil and each side had succeeded in annihilating the other, the country would have been attacked by external forces.

It was only a matter of time, with the internal strife ongoing. King Sulaymân made a deal with the rebels with the condition that they'd avoid bloodshed, leave the officials in their positions, and spare the royal family.

However, immediately after they took over, they didn't just renege on their promise, but ended up massacring everyone that opposed them, and killed the mainline royal family.

Due to the urgency of the situation, the branching families had to surrender. They would keep their positions, but would relegate all supreme authority to the four sects, known as the Tetragrammaton!

By the time, King Sulaymân had realized that the true leaders behind the rebellion were the magicians of his father's past government, it was too late..

The entire country was completely changed, right down to its roots and foundation - The Deen of Al Islâm..

But all that was of no relevance to Arkaan, of course..

He should never know he was the prince, or.. his life would also be in danger.

"Our eviction from the tournament, had something to do with the Saint Stone..."

"The Saint Stone??"Arkaan looked at Ukashah in surprise. He had thought there was a more - logical answer. He hadn't expected this incredulity, especially, from someone like Ukashah.

Seeing the look of amazement on Arkaan's face, Ukashah sighed. He knew it was an unbelievable story, but that was the actual truth, why Tâ Hâ was forced to withdraw.

It, and, ..the betrayal.

So he continued.

"Our Ustadh had disappeared prior to the tournament, as you already know. That was the last we had seen of him. However, his disappearance, according to my uncle, was because of this Saint stone.

King Dhul Qarnayn was in search of it, as well as many others.. Dangerous people, he said.

According to the rumours circulating around at that time, our Ustadh held a piece of that stone, one of nine stone pieces of a shattered whole.

Each had an inscription that, when collected together, spelt the name of the Ismul 'Azam, Greatest name of Allah, by which all invocations are accepted..

My uncle said that, each party wanted it for their own reasons, and so did the King.

Since our Ustadh had been drawn into the fray, he advised it'd be best for us to withdraw from the tournament for that year, - and probably, for a year after that too, as things were escalating with the sudden appearance and disappearance of our Ustadh.

Until things had calmed down and we were out of radar of those involved, that was the best advice my uncle could give.

However, things had only just began..

Returning to the lodging where we stayed to find the whole building in a chaos, with neighbours all around speaking to the police taskforce on what had happened, made it dawn on me the truth of my uncle's words.

Ustadh truly was gone.

Zayn and Urwah were nowhere to be found.

There were dangerous people around who suspected our Ustadh of having something they wanted. And because of it, we were all not safe anymore.

We heard some of the reports of the neighbours..

Armed and robed assailants had infiltrated the neighbourhood, kidnapping two youths and chased two others.

The tally suddenly made up.

We didn't have to wonder why Irshād and Jarullah had also disappeared from the Colosseum at the same time Zayn and Urwah did.

Whilst a search went on for Ustadh and the four boys, the authorities considered suspending the tournament, even just after the first day of competitions.

However, many councilmen from the Hâ Mîm City Hall, were of the other view.

The cost that went into organizing the event, the returns made due to influx of foreigners and people from all over.., apparently, all this mattered to them more than the lives of mere four kids and a scholar.

Since King Dhul Qarnayn left them to decide for themselves, the matter was closed immediately.

We were advised to keep quiet, as the authorities investigated into it.

However, we didn't have to wait long in worry of Zayn and Urwah..

Before the morn of the 17th dawned, they both returned, and were immediately taken in by the authorities to be interrogated under command of King Dhul Qarnayn.

When they returned later that day, and in time for the second rounds of the tournament, the search was closed for Ustadh and the other two..

Their whereabouts were left to rumours.
Irshād and Jarullah both had no immediate family and were orphans, so it was easy to keep all information on them under the carpet.

Yet, it was hard for us who knew something.

I always wondered what went on through Zayn and Urwah's minds.. For they knew everything, but said nothing.

It wasn't until we completed the Hâ Mîm tournament, ending on the 19th with a groundbreaking success, that the next bombshell dropped. The prince Firdaws approached us with a message from his father.."Ukashah's eyes narrowed, and he smiled a smile that was not quite a smile.

That was the beginning of the series of treats..

"Right after presenting what he considered his own sincere advice, prince Firdaws mentioned to us, the King gave just one order; Return the piece your master entrusted to you, or you all forfeit the tournament..

Zak and Abdul Bâqi were obviously oblivious of what was being asked of us all.

What stone piece?

My uncle wasn't joking when he mentioned Nine stone pieces.. Dangerous people.., and that the King was after it..

The thing that surprised me even more was that, Urwah and Zayn, no matter how much concealing they were, couldn't hide the fact of their familiarity with what was being said.

This wasn't their first time hearing it, and this wasn't something that could be decided on impulse, so we bid for time."

Arkaan slowly soaked in the whole case, analyzing in detail, everything Ukashah said. All these events were important, if they were really wishing to open the halaqah. For that meant, whatever haunted the Qur'an circle of 'Inabah before, had a high likelihood of repeating itself.

"It was this time that I opened up.

With my uncle's warning and the King's threat, I decided I couldn't hide what I knew from the rest, and it seemed Zayn and Urwah had decided so too.

I told them what I knew.

Zayn and Urwah told us what they knew, - the one thing we all had feared in our hearts, dreaded, and yet, wouldn't accept the truth of.

Our Ustadh was not coming back.

In Zayn's hands was proof; A diary we had all seen Ustadh keep close to his side always.
Even though we found it hard to believe, we couldn't deny it either.

We understood the King wouldn't be able to evict us if we wanted to stand. After all, how would he explain to the people who loved us and were hoping for our next appearances in the final tournament.

How would he explain to them why he evicted us??

Unanimously, we decided to stand till the end. It was the least we could do for the man who had nurtured us so far. He'd be proud, even if he could only watch us from afar, or hear of our names from others, students of his own..

King Dhul Qarnayn was persistent though..

Threats didn't work, so he resorted to reasoning with us, the prince being his mouthpiece. We were told that, the finding of our Ustadh rested on the secret of the stones.

According to the King, he just wanted to help us.

Urwah had before mentioned his doubts on the King being responsible for the disappearance of Ustadh.

But we didn't also trust him.

Even if we did, we didn't have a piece of the Saint Stone, nor knew how it even looked like..

All in all, there was no card he could use against us, no threat was really that viable.., or so we thought.

Thus we woke up one morning to hear of Tâ Hâ having forfeited, and withdrawn from the tournament.

Somehow, someway, he had succeeded in effecting the threat."

"How??"Arkaan asked in flabbergast.

Ukashah sighed, not knowing whether to be angry or sad. What was the use of regret now. It happened already..

"There was only one way, - we had to have voluntarily given up our token of participation, one that each of the seven cities had."Ukashah said quietly.

We'd been betrayed.. by the person we trusted most.

Abdul Bâqi Al Aswadi.

He was entrusted with the token, and yet, he gave it to the man who threatened them, for his own ends.

Even though they had all agreed, to go through the tournament to the very end..

Now thinking of it, it makes sense the entire Al Aswadi tribe had relocated to the City of Lights. The King must have made him promises. But none of us could have foreseen that.

We were completely caught unawares..

"So someone stole the token of participation from you guys?"

But Ukashah didn't answer. What happened, was only between they five..

He sighed. They walked in silence after that, both left to their own thoughts as they approached their neighbourhood.

Arkaan now understood why the group, on the verge of attaining the zenith of the GQRC, fell to the bottom of the lot.

They lost the token of participation.
Probably the King sent someone to steal it from them, and then announce their withdrawal.

He didn't know what to feel about the King of the country in which he was born. After all, he had never met the man before, and had spent a considerable portion of his life outside Qalb-ul-Ard.

But he could tell he had no good impression of him.

As if reading his thoughts, Ukashah continued,

"Even though he was overbearing, my uncle said the King was just driven crazy over finding that artefact. He needed it for something important, for someone important..

That was why he did what he did, in his rage.

It must pain to be a King, ..to get everything you could want, and yet be so incapacitated."Ukashah said, his eyes lost, as if he was thinking of something personal.

In his eyes he saw himself, and he saw his mother. A prince who had never lacked anything, could not even save his own mother in front of him, from death..

"Even though he didn't get the piece he so much wanted, our eviction from the tournament gave him the much needed space to calm.

After all, he had threatened that if we didn't give it to him, we forfeit the tournament. He kept true to his words."

Unlike certain somebody. Ukashah could just mentally picture the smug smile, playing on Abdul Bâqi's lips. How had they always trusted him, never once suspecting his selfishness.

"It also cleared our Ustadh and our name.

My uncle said we had the better outcome from that.. at least, none of the groups pursuing it would come after us again.

He also said it was possible Ustadh was safe and well, and had gone into hiding, to avoid capture."

"And the saint stone?"Arkaan asked, intrigue present in his verdant orbs.

"Don't ask me about it."Ukashah said, raising his hands in surrender,"He declined to tell me anything further about it. He probably didn't want me prying into such ludicrous stuffs."

After thinking a while about things, Arkaan realized something.

Ukashah's uncle.. There was something strange about it all..

"Ukashah,"Arkaan said, even as he held the door to the house, about to enter, Ukashah directly below him on the stairs,"..who was your uncle?"

Just how come did he know so much about what was happening behind the scenes?..

Ukashah didn't answer, but walked past him through the opened door.

Arkaan realized the mistake he had made. That was Ukashah's personal space he had just encroached upon.

However, after entering and walking a few steps ahead, the lukewarm boy stopped, just beyond the threshold, and said something that left Arkaan in unbelievable wonderment!

•••

Daarul Kuburah(One of the Seven Architecture of Ath-Thurayya)

Late night. A richly-garbed man strolled into a luxurious part of the eastern wing of the palace Ath-Thurayya.

He held an imposing and dignified aura to him. Wherever he went, the maids and servants made obeisance to him in utmost reverence.

This particular place was one of the Seven wonders of the Pleiades Palace, Daaru Khadijatu Kuburah, the ladies' wing.

The royal children also had their abode here. But that was until the boys matured enough and had to move to the other wings.

At the moment in a beautiful pavilion, a young lady stood with a painting brush in hand, and a palette filled with all shades and hues of water colours in the other.

She stood painting a beautiful sunset scenery on the canvas set in the pavilion.

Her intelligent eyes pierced through her dark niqab with enthused excitement. With all the focus of an eagle, her soul was passionately absorbed in the art taking form before her very eyes, by her very hand which adeptly dabbed and shaded with the expertise of a master artist.

So it was no surprise she failed to notice the elegantly dressed man in red interwoven with gold, behind her.

He also kept quiet, silently watching her every stroke of the fine brush, and every swirl of her lively paint, till the image attained completion before their eyes.

Having completed her work of art, her brush expertly swirled against the unfolded canvas in Arabic calligraphy.

..Yukawwirul layla 'alan Nahaari
Wa yukawwirun Nahaara 'alal layl..

[Surah Az-Zumar:5]

..He envelops the night over the day, and envelops the day over the night..

As she stood there, sighing with satisfaction at her art piece, she failed to see the man's hand reach for her brush from over her head as it headed straight for the very canvas upon which she had just drawn.

Skillfully, his hand held unto the twirling brush as he wrote in elegant Arabic calligraphy at a corner of the canvas, what resembled dancing phoenixes and coiling dragons.

It was the same phrase, but he'd written it in five different eastern languages. Yet, the princess, who had been taught lessons on various subjects, including calligraphy and language, read it effortlessly;

A shy moon
hides amidst tainted clouds and a broken sky.

A crimson streak of blood,
trails the retreating sun.

Imperfections merge,
adorning the lowest heaven.

She gasped,"Abii?!"

She turned around to catch her father, trying to grab the brush from his hand. But the man just laughed, raising his hand further up, out of her reach.

Even as she struggled to reach up to him in exasperated joy, her niqab, which was not so well done, happened to fall off her face.

It was at this very moment that a woman adorned in jewels and beautiful garments, entered into that region of the eastern wing, where the pavilion had the two - father and daughter playing and laughing.

"Hafsah!"

The icy voice that called out, seemed to freeze both, father and daughter in place, as if they were a sculpted piece of jade, held together.

Before they could regain their composure, the woman had already crossed the pavement, unto the pavilion, and landed an echoing slap across the young girl's face.

The father had no chance to stop it, as he himself was still stupefied by the sudden appearance of the lady, his wife.

The girl held her bruised cheek, turned to the side by the slap earlier.

"How many times have I told you NOT to expose your face in front of anyone, not even your father!!"She screamed, almost as if she were the one in the most pain at that very moment.

"Zubaidah - "The King murmured, hoping to call her reason back. But she went for another slap, landing it onto the unsuspecting girl. The King, who hadn't also been expecting the same thing to be repeated once again, was unable to stop it.

As the woman made to slap the girl again, the King held her back, securing both hands behind her, as the woman thrashed about in anger and frustration.

"I told you not to unveil your face!

Why wouldn't you listen to me?!

Don't you know how unsightly you look!

Nobody can bear to see you!

How many times have I told you;

Never go outside, stay in your room.
Never unveil, even if you're within the perimeters of the pavilion.

When someone appears, keep your niqab over your face.

How many times would I tell you, but you don't listen?!!"

The woman's words flowed painfully over to the girl, who had her face turned down from the previous slap.

However, when her own mother's last words landed, she slowly raised her head up. She looked directly unto her parents' faces, who both halted to look back at her.

For the moment, all they could do was to stare at her in flabbergast.

Her face was the aftermath of a fire and disease. It was as if pieces of burnt flesh had been pieced together to form what looked like a pounded face.

Only her piercing eagle-like eyes, reminded the people that, this was the face of a human.

She looked back at her parents, particularly her mother, with a look of apology in her eyes.
As if to say, 'I'm sorry for existing in this world.. I'm sorry for being born as your daughter.. I'm sorry for not being the beautiful child that you wanted..

I'm sorry for having such a lousy fate as mine.

And, I'm sorry for being who I'm..an unworthy child.

I'm sorry for existing.'

"Hafs.. You shouldn't.."Her father began, only to be stun once again.

Slap!

Another one landed on the girl's disfigured face, sending her crouching over the floor in pain.

"Zubaidah!!!"This time the King's thunderous voice shook the woman to the core, seemingly bringing some lucidity back into her.

She looked down at her hand, and then at her daughter crouching down in pain."I - I didn't mean t-to.."She turned back to her husband, hoping he would believe her. But he just sighed in exasperation.

She clasped her palm over her shivering lips, tears in her eyes, rushing down to the kneeling frame of her daughter."Hafsah, you understand me right?.. You understand me.."

Holding her daughter's face up to her chest, Queen Zubaidah wept. Her tears fell upon the girl, who still held her stinging jaw, an empty look in those eyes that had before, shone against her canvas.

"If only we had that stone.. If only.."Queen Zubaidah's sobs echoed into the pavilion and beyond, even as her grip on the stunned girl firmed.

But the girl didn't say anything. She just stared into the blankness ahead of her, with...no tears to show any emotion.

For, she had witnessed this so many times since that incident, growing up.

King Dhul Qarnayn stood, looming over the two forms, one hugging the other.

"Don't worry, Hafs.. Your Abii would surely find that stone.."He said in a low comforting tone, more to himself than to his daughter,

"You'll be cured from this Godforsaken hideousness, in shaa Allah!!"

______________________

Ath-Thurayya(The Seven Pleiades Palace of Al Qalb-ul-Ard)

Among them, the structures known so far are;

•Sky Haven Legacy - A building where the children of the noble class are tutored by famed scholars.

•Blazing Sun Hall - The court of King Dhul Qarnayn, where important sessions are held to discuss important state affairs.

•Iqra Colosseum - The largest Colosseum in the nation, where the annual GQRC finals take place.

•Daarul Kuburah - The ladies' wing, where the Queen oversees the harem, royal children(including female relatives; sisters, cousins, nephews, nieces etc), and maidservants of the Palace.

...

The phrase King Dhul Qarnayn writes upon Princess Hafsah's canvas, describes how he sees his daughter.

Now with that in mind, you can reread that scene[bearing in mind that understanding.. :)].

I feel nobody should ever be 'sorry for who they're' like how Hafsah was thinking. And nobody should be made to feel that way by others.

If someone does that to you, you've the freedom to walk away, please only Allah.

If you do that to someone, please repent. We're advised to hate evil, but not the people who commit them.

They're humans like us, with souls capable of attaining salvation.