KANO STATE, NIGERIA.

Arriving at the Palace, Amirah gave a sigh before trudging forward after exchanging hearty pleasantries with the guards. There is one amongst them that likes her, she knows that but acts like she doesn't. One of them even told her about it, she flipped it away and only continue to live like nothing has been said to her. She wants to be in the safe side and leave him hanging so she could go in and out anytime she wants for more safety.

The journey to the maid's quarters is really a long distance which is enough to take away so many pounds, she already is looking for those pounds. She hardly eats good food in the morning, she only gets to eat the remnants of what the Royals eat in the afternoon and at night. Sometimes, she gets to take some to her home for her sister and niece, almost all the time though. The maids aren't too selfish since they live there and their food is cooked separately. Not to forget, the Cook is one of her best friends and she also works in the kitchen.

Stepping her foot inside, she was greeted by the Cook who adjusted his hat atop his head and gave her a curt nod, telling her to come with him like always. He just left his hut. She obediently followed behind him, they need to cook breakfast for the Royals and it looks like they are almost late. Her heart thuded, it happens whenever she gets to enter the main Palace's kitchen to help cook like always. She is afraid of bumping into any of them, even with her makeup and disguise, she is dead afraid.

"Keep it safe for me or I have your head later, Aidah." She called out to one of the girls, the second room, she knew that by heart so no worries there.

She knows the girls inside and also the times they are working, the other two left remaining only two of them and she knew the other one is probably asleep leaving Aidah to take her online class which Amirah introduced her to when she found out that she loves studying like her. They read together when she started her online classes, she asked if she has the money and she gave a positive answer. She started everything just right, she didn't stop since then, and now she is almost done.

"You ungrateful woman." Aidah called back like usual, their greetings in banter. She is closer to Aidah than any other woman in that huge quarters, again, for more safety.

She grinned, feeling lightheaded all of a sudden for some odd reasons. There are a lot of things she don't want to get adjusted to in the palace, not when she wants to leave as soon as she can. Just one more year, and she is done working as a maid, then what? She don't have any alternative, she needs to start finding another job as soon as possible. Even if it is just babysitting some rich kid, she needs to add it up to make it for Najla.

Najla, she can't ruin the girl's childhood even if she is not the mother, she is her mother younger sister though. She needs to look after her, not to rob her off childhood. It happens once, as soon as you grow up, nothing is ever going to be the same again. She loves the girl from the bottom of her heart which is why she didn't let her sister take her to any of her paternal family, she wanted her close. The girl is a bundle of happiness, always there to cheer them up in this most gloomiest days.

And then her sister who works part time in a saloon close to them. The real trouble about the whole ordeal is the fact that the saloon don't get much customers because of the owner's trouble. She is an Igbo woman who likes causing trouble all the time she gets the chance to, making everyone recoil from getting himself lashed at. She don't get much money from there, only few notes to help her with pen and some handouts from school, that says a lot about her job.

"Stop with your train right there, don't walk into my kitchen with it." The Cook, Uzair demanded from where he stood by the vast stove while she is yet to step into the kitchen so she rolled her eyes at his drama.

Uzair is not a Hausa or Nigerian, he came all the way from Saudi Arabia to become a chef in the palace like the King had requested when he first ate food made by him in the said Saudi Arabia. That was some years ago which Amirah don't bother keeping tabs to, but it's before she got married to Imad.

Uzair has his own hut by the other end of the main palace so he won't walk long to just start his work. He is a nice man in his early forties but he didn't look a day above thirty five. He is the nicest person she's ever met her whole life and she is almost hundred percent sure she won't meet anyone like him in another lifetime. The man himself is a blessing to her life in the palace, without him, there would've been too much dangers for her.

He became a protective brother, a father figure all together and not to forget, her personal advisor who she runs to with all problems. He is never tired to listen to her, never out of advises to give her and also never letting her give up when she is about to collapse. He is happily married to a Nigerian woman with their two children. Though the woman sometimes question their relationship, she knows nothing could ever happen between them, ever.

"I don't have any train. If I do, I would've left the place a long time ago." She took a white apron from the racks it is hanged, passing a wooden spatula to Uzair who gratefully took it from her since he is about to use it but forgot to take it.

"I already know that which is why I want you to stay here with me. I heard that your poses are going to be changed today. They are going to assign different works for you, I hope you stay here." He gave her a tight smile as if knowing she is not going to last in the kitchen any longer. He likes her assistance, presence, cheerfulness, determination and haughtiness.

"I hope so too. Adda Nana already hates my stay with you so she is definitely going to catapult me out of here with this chance." She rolled her eyes again at the thought of the head of the maids.

They call her Adda Nana as she demand they do all the time. The woman is in her late forties but very vile and also likes Uzair, who doesn't? But she made hers evident in everything she does which caused a massive fight between her and Uzair's wife more times than she could count. The woman just don't know when to give up, but when Uzair's wife threatened to report her to the King, she backed down a little.

You'd think she will know not to follow married men just because she is a divorcée, she follows home everywhere like a tail. It's wonders that she is not hanging around the kitchen island staring at his every move. The man is still in shape, not so tall but good height to tower over all of them. She likes that he is polite to Adda Nana when needed and ignorant when he should be.

With his fair skin like it is about to drop blood any moment, thin small nose, equally thin pink lips. He don't like his facial hair because it can drop any moment in the food and he can't afford to make that mistake in his profession.

The woman saw how close they are so she knew there is no way she will be allowed to work in the kitchen anymore. But what about her dinners and lunches? She only gets to eat food when she cooks with Uzair, he keeps everything for her. He could even go ahead and fetch some breakfast for her before allowing the maids to take it to the Royals. But he still doesn't know her little secret, Nope, she refused to say a thing.

"We could hope." He chuckled and went back to chopping onions like he expertly does without tears. She stays miles away from onions, she hates them, it makes her vomit all the time.

They finished everything in thirty minutes and let the maids come take expensive golden and silver casseroles and arrange it in the dining room for the Royals to have their usual morning Sunday breakfast. He already fetch hers in a small bowl as if knowing just how much famished she is. She didn't want to eat with her sister and Najla knowing the little akara they are going to buy won't be enough for them. She is selfless like that, always has been and maybe always will be.

"Adda Nana requests to see everyone in the main ground. Like right now, babes!" She heard Mansura called out to everyone in the place, making sure her voice is low.

The Royals don't like much noise so she must have been asked to keep her voice low. She is the one to always call out to people because her voice is already shrilly with tinge of seriousness and command that you can't help obeying. Though if you are to see her face, you'd know that she is never serious in anything she does.

"Best of luck, dearie." He whispered to Amirah, removing his apron and hat to set them aside. He is leaving to go to his family, won't be back till much later for lunch.

"Thanks." She grumbled out, removing her apron too after pushing the Irish potatoes and frittata down her throat. She asked him not to serve much for her knowing she is used to eating low pitched food now.

"Do you know what I heard roaming around the Palace earlier from Adda Nana?" That is the gossip lady in the quarters, none other than Lubabatu. The girl knows how to gossip, you'd be surprised how much she knows about the Royals, mostly rumours.

"No, what happened?" Amirah asked nonchalantly, hastening her moves to meet up with Aidah from her room before she leaves to the main ground. She wants them to go together so she will have someone to discuss some stuff with.

"I heard that the youngest Prince is finally coming back today..." Amirah couldn't stop herself from choking on her own spit as her legs twisted to the side. She coughed while bending down to hold onto her knees like she's just fractured it.

Her steps faltered, her heartbeat rising, her face heating up, her chest closed, narrowed and constricted, her breathing knocked out from her, her lungs probably disappearing to the depths of her heart to help her mourn. She didn't expect to hear those words anytime soon, not that she could do anything about it. She is just not expecting that, not at all wanting to face the real reality staring hard at her soul, her dimly lit soul, her dying soul, her dark and deceased soul.

She thought her heart stopped beating sometime back in the days. She never paid heed to what her heart wants after making a terrible mistake from the last which she is still not accepting that she did. It happened so fast for her to think she actually did what she did, she wasn't the one. Maybe she was possessed in some way that she committed such crime, she is trying to bury it deep into fathomless depths for forever.

Her heart just had to be reawakened.

She knew she can't stop him from coming back to his home, to his parents, his homeland. She made a mistake of letting herself relax around the place she knew she would've probably being kicked out from if anyone had known who she was. She let herself feel comfortable to wander around his own home, how cruel could life be? When she thought that is what she needed most, the job, life has it's way of turning her life upsidedown yet again.

Or maybe she should hold onto the fact that Lubabatu said 'heard' because that is not the first time Lubabatu's hears so many wrong things about the Royals. Oh, she hopes this time is Lubabatu's head that is plotting on some stupid things in her head, she don't want to agree with the fact that he is coming back. Not after she thought she'd moved on, not after she is finally getting her life back on track.

Oh goodness, what does life have in store for her?! How could she be so stupid to relax when she knows someone is out for her head whether alive or dead. The sin she committed years back is not something she is proud of, she is not proud of it and in all truthfulness, she doesn't want to meet this person that she opposed. What does she say when they meet? Can she even let them meet again after all that has happened three years ago?! Probably not.

But then again, she needs this job like she needs water to survive. Not only does it help pay bills, it helps her and her family with food. It gave her laptop to study when she requested from the Queen who was more than glad to help her and Aidah about it. The pang of guilt that always hit her whenever she sees the Queen is enough punishment for her to endure, not when she sees how they badly want to see their son back in their arms but can't.

All because of her selfish acts.

And like some miracle, for the past three years, no one talked about him in the Palace. It's like he was wiped away from the face of earth only for the fact that he has divorced her, nothing more. She endured all the insult coming her way the first few days after everyone heard the news. Though she was disguised, it didn't stop her from feeling awful at what she's done in her stupid sense. If only anyone knows what had happened those years.

She also chirped in when they insult her, the maids. She don't want to defend herself, she couldn't, she wouldn't and she know she shouldn't also. It's already a crime that someone said they look alike the first time she started working, so all she could hope is to stay in the dark till the time is right. She will keep working till she gets a better job then flee away with all her might.

"Why did you stop? Aidah is calling you there." Lubabatu shook her shoulders, she blinked before slowly moving her feet to the next step she's stopped midway.

"Oh, let's go. I was just thinking about my sister." She lied through her teeth with a tight smile then moved forward to where Aidah is tapping her foot impatiently.

"Walk fast of Adda Nana punish us, I hate that sly woman. She is changing our works, I don't like that. And I darn hope she won't make me work in the morning cause i'mma report her to her Royal Majesty." Aidah said in exasperation, walking in faster strides than her.

Aidah is a tall Hausa woman from Bauchi. Her father is an abuser so when her mother died, her Aunt sent her to work in the city. She has beautiful features but she is not beautiful overall which is something Amirah can't get all the time. How can she have thin nose, small lips and eyes of a dove but still look ugly when stared at? It doesn't make sense to her but that is how Aidah is, but she is tall which is a bonus. Amirah likes seeing tall girls, it makes her proud in some weird way even with her petite figure.

"I know right. Did they say anything about the youngest Prince coming back?" She asked trying her best not to sound too fastidious but maybe it slipped because Aidah gave her a suspicious once over before shrugging her lean shoulders.

"Not that I've heard of. If not for that bitch of a wife he had, he would've happily been at home with his parent. Some women can be very ungrateful!" The disdain is there which makes Amirah flinch but forced a tight lipped smile though she is gritting her teeth.

She's caused this upon herself!

"You are right." And they continue down to the main ground.

Her life taking drastic turn with each step..

Sup?!
You guys, I've been wanting to update since forever wallah but my phone, ugh. And my sister is back home after two long years, just imagine how busy I am going to be.

Anyways, what do you think Amirah did to get such awful life? Those three years ago? Me I don't even know what is so terrible o, please tell me.

Aishatu.
Xoxo