He waited until his arrival was announced to the King. Not everyone came to His Majesty's room at night, but Na'im did, and it seemed everyone knew that he was the only one amongst the princes who could do that. He was ushered in at once and a small smile spread across his face when he saw his father, on a sofa as he reclined while he read a newspaper. "I extend my greetings to you, Alan Gubro," he was called that Royally, and no matter how Na'im wanted to speak to his father not the king, he had to extend these greetings with the royal ethics he had been taught since after birth.

Abba waved his hand at him and patted the space beside him on the sofa. "Look at who's here, the greatest Captain Maiduguri has ever been blessed with. Come and seat here, you don't have to stand at ceremony." He was instantly eased at the manner he had found his father and that only meant he would be able to ease his mind and get some rest for the time being. Na'im walked and sat beside him and before he even spoke, he rested his head on his shoulder and closed his eyes.

Abba stared at him from his shoulder and smiled, giving him the silence he wanted. They stayed like that for over five minutes before Na'im found his voice, choked with emotions as it was, he didn't filter it from his father. "Abba, everything is so hard on me. I just want to drop everything and run away."

Abba chuckled at that, and not once did Na'im appreciated the sense of humor of his father. Because if it hadn't been for that, he wouldn't have been who he was today. That knot in his chest wouldn't have laid dormant, even though it had been in his heart for what seemed like forever-it wouldn't have felt like it wasn't. He would forever be thankful for the father he had.

Abba fondled his hair and smiled again, "How can a prince run away from the palace? You can't do that, Na'im. And I understand how things may be hard for you, traumatic even, judging with the things you deal with now. But you have to be strong, okay? I won't forbade you from taking a space, a day or two break is okay, but don't ever think of throwing away all that you have and run away forever, you'd even be bored if you do that."

Na'im chuckled at that, he always had a way of saying no to you, scolding you for saying or doing something you shouldn't have, yet in a humorous way that you wouldn't feel bad. Na'im believed that Sadeeq got his sense of humor from their father, as annoying as believing that may seem. "Can I take the two days break then?" He asked, his heart wavering even though what he had in mind for those two days wasn't in anywhere close to a break.

Even though it may seem that he could take days before he came to visit his father, but a day spent out of the palace, and he would know. He knew everything about him that he couldn't do whatever he liked. Abba smiled when Na'im looked into his face to ask for that permission. "Yes, two days break is okay. I'll have them to stop checking up on you for those days, you're all on your own to do whatever you want to. I know I shouldn't keep tabs on you, but first it was because I was worried for your safety, and then it became a habit that I can't stop."

Na'im smiled widely and put his head back on his father's shoulder, he hadn't shared much with him, not even a word from what was actually bothering him, but he could feel his worries slowly subsiding. "And I've never complained, Abba. It helped keep me on the right track, I'll confess." He chuckled and shook his head, "Because whenever I wanted to do something bad, especially on my teenage days, I stopped myself before I ventured into it, because I know that you always have someone to watch over me and if I do it, you'd be angry at me."

They spent hours talking about all things that were both important and not, and it was nights like this Na'im cherished about his Father. He loved it when he wasn't being a king and simply a father and a friend. He knew not all father's were like his, especially if they were kings to give this much time and attention and the power of healing to their kids. But his did and that was the reason that no matter how he stopped himself, when he got back to his chamber and laid on the bed, Na'im thought of Maryam and he imagined if he was the one that lost his father in such a gruesome way she had lost hers, he knew he'd go crazy.

•

Maryam was fast asleep, for all the 16 years of her life, she had never slept on a bed so lush and comfortable, a blanket so fluffy and soft with the ambience not filled with the intense hotness of Maiduguri like today. Funny enough, she had lived all those 16 years of her life in the little house they owned, and the only mattress they had was sacrificed to her by her sister that she mostly felt bad for that, yet no matter how she tried to sleep on the mat Intisar slept on, she always woke up to find herself back on the old mattress.

But today was different, as she had a dream of the once happy family she had, even though she seemed to be the only one in her family who didn't seem to be entirely happy but in her own way, she was. Amidst her happy dream, Maryam heard the sound of someone knocking and the reality felt more like a dream. When she opened her eyes and found out that she was in the room she had slept in yesterday and there was a sound of someone knocking, she quickly sat upright and stared at the door that led to the living room, then to the door the sound was coming from.

She stood up from the bed, fixing back her veil as she covered even a strand of her hair revealed before she took tentative steps toward the door, wondering who it was because there was no way he would keep to his words. She had thought of the time she saw him yesterday as the last time she would ever see him again and when she stood by the door, the intruder still knocking, she felt a tightening in her throat as she tried to speak.

"Who's it?" She asked, proud of herself at how smooth that came out.

"It's me, open up." She heard a voice that sounded like the one she knew but then he had asked her not to open the door to anyone until it was him and she wasn't sure if it was.

She closed her eyes and tried to recollect the memories of his voice that she had kept within her heart, "Speak again," she muttered and if she wasn't mistaken, she heard someone chuckled from the other side of the door.

"Look, it's me and I brought you breakfast." Wait! That was really him! She thought and not knowing how, excitement rushed into her body as she opened the door and she waited until he got in before she looked up at him, not being able to hide her excitement. For the first time, this man had kept to his words. And he was in his soldier's khaki today, yet she was so excited to even panic or remember the horrible memory she had of Captain Bolori.

When he read the expression on her face, Na'im was surprised to see that she was excited about seeing him. He knew it wasn't the fact that she saw him that excited it, it was because she felt that he had kept to his promise. He tried to smile at her, the not so therapy session he had with his father yesterday at night had done wonders to his heart. He had accepted that this was his destiny as Hafiz referred to it, and he was going to handle it so well before he took care of everything.

He went inside and find a seat for himself and motioned for her to come over, she did, but she sat on the carpet at the far end of the living room and he seemed unbothered by that. "Have you eaten yesterday?" He asked and she silently nodded her head. He brought out everything from the basket, he had asked the royal maids to make breakfast for him that he knew they would all be wondering what he was going to do with breakfast today. "Here, I might not make it here for lunch, I believe this will be enough, right?" She just stared at him and he stood up to leave.

Her eyes followed him until he stood by the door, wondering how someone could live a life that was filled with more nods and head shakes than the words she had uttered. She seemed excited to see him and if she were a normal person, she would've spoken to him but she said nothing and it occurred to him that the mystery surrounding this girl was close to something he had never seen. He might take her to see a doctor.

He went to the office and it was after a few hours that Hafiz walked in and pulled out the visitor's seat for himself. Na'im tried to get himself busied with work before he asked, "Do you have any update about that?"

Excitedly, Hafiz brought out the brochure in his breast pocket and handed it to him. "This is everything you need at the moment, it's located at Damboa road, a very nice and luxurious house, fully furnished so that we don't have to go through the stress of finding the right furnitures and you know the area will give you the secrecy you want. I think it's the best place to keep her." As Na'im went through the brochure, he nodded his head in approval. At least, he wanted to give her a life of luxury and this was the luxury she would never have dreamt of, like Hafiz said.

"So?" He asked with an approving look and Hafiz seemed too proud of himself as he said, "I've already contacted them and we're going to meet at five in the evening today. Hopefully, by tomorrow we can get the house keys and everything." And that was exactly what had happened, they met by five in the evening and discussed more about the house and when the deal was sealed, Na'im transferred the money to them right at the instant and demanded he wanted to get into the house tonight if that was possible.

They gladly gave him the house keys and told him the contract would be brought tomorrow along with the house documents and while they were on their way to the hotel, he was so relieved. "Thank you, Hafiz. All this wouldn't have been so easy without you."

Hafiz smiled, he loved Na'im because of how he led his life. He spent over a year with him before he knew that he was the first son of the king and even after he found out, nothing had changed in their friendship. He was just so down to earth that he wanted the best for him. And right now, he felt that girl was the best for him. He had known of this engagement scandals and even though he knew Na'im enough to trust all that he had said, Hafiz couldn't bring himself to believe him when he kept saying he had forgotten those girls, it just seemed ridiculous.

"If you want to thank me properly, take care of that girl and treat her right, you're all she've got." Na'im groaned in annoyance and he laughed. He knew how badly this was messing with his head and how he wanted a way out but the way out seemed that it would take longer than they would ever imagine.

"This reminds me, I have a question for you, as we didn't finish our conversation yesterday," Na'im said as he turned the steering wheel towards the road that would lead them to the hotel, "What if Alan Gubro wants me to get married again? I mean, set things so fast or even get me married without consulting me again. He made a lousy comment about doing that yesterday and I'm so worried."

Hafiz thought for a moment, "I think it's fine. Since to them, you have no wife and you don't expect them to let you keep on living your life this way, do you? And even if they don't want you to get married, at a stage in your life you'd want to get married too, it's only natural if you do. So, I think even if that happened, you're only at an advantage." Na'im opened his mouth to argue when he beat him at it, "I know, you have no intention of marrying two wives but have you forgotten that your dear 16 years old bride in all senses isn't normally your wife? You need a real wife, Na'im."

He stopped at the parking lot of the hotel and turned to him, yet, Hafiz didn't let him speak when he beat him at it again. "Or, don't tell me, are you planning on consummating this marriage with her so that you can stay single in the eyes of the world for as long as you want knowing you always have a wife waiting for you in a house at Damboa road to fulfill her wifely duties towards you?" He ended his words with a peal of laughter and when Na'im threw the water bottle he had just drank from, he caught it and immediately hopped out of the car.

"Hafiz, it seems like you so badly want to visit the punishment cell, don't you?" He said as he walked out of the car, not even thinking about the ridiculous and sinful thing Hafiz had foolishly thought about.

"With all due respect, No sir! I was just asking and we both know it's possible and I can only suggest that if you're planning to do that, then it would be best to just announce her as your wife to the world, because things might not be funny anymore when she gets pregnant." The way Na'im lounged at him made him break into a run as he laughed his chest out. He ran into the reception and up to the room before Na'im reached, and no matter how Na'im wanted to keep a straight face, he couldn't help but laugh at Hafiz's silliness and humor. It was good to have a laugh when he was even forgetting how it felt like to laugh.

He found him waiting at the door and mockingly, Hafiz saluted him. "I'll be waiting for you two here. I'll watch over to see if there's someone we know around or something. It's not dark for us to hide our identities."

Na'im nodded his head in an understanding manner, appreciating the warm and thoughtful gesture of Hafiz. They stood by the door as Na'im knocked and it took minutes before they heard her babyish voice, "Who's it?" She had asked, and before Na'im was able to answer her, Hafiz had beat him at it.

"It's Captain Na'im Bolori."

"I don't know you." She had simply said and turned her back to the door, but the Captain and Bolori rang into her head that she nearly lost her balance if it hadn't been for the sofa next to her. She held it tightly and sat down to get a hold of herself; Intisar!

Where had he taken her sister to? What if he was here to take her away with him too? What if it was Intisar that had begged them to bring her sister along and they came to find her? Tears had already washed over her face when the knock came again and terrified, she turned to watch the closed door. Maybe they had killed Intisar and was afraid that someone might reveal their secret so they came to kill her too?

"Open the door, it's me." She heard his voice. This time, she didn't have to close her eyes before she could recognize it. It seemed like the voice had engraved itself in her heart.

This just proved to her that he was the one that had indeed taken her sister away from her. Then why hadn't he reunited them? Had he killed Intisar already and he was feeling guilty about it that was why he was treating her so well? Or he was being like this because Baaba said he was her husband and he was going to take care of her.

She was suddenly terrified of him more than ever, and she opened the door with her hands shaking. Maryam immediately retreated and tried so hard to fight her tears and wipe them away before he saw them, but he did. Gently, he closed the door behind him and when he took a step towards her, she took a few backwards and trembled.

"What's wrong?" He knew they didn't have the best relationship. Hell, they didn't even speak as much as strangers did for him to expect something from her, but this seemed strange. It looked so new because when he stopped by in the morning, she seemed to relax around him.

Na'im was determined to find out what was wrong, and he took another step towards her while she kept walking back until she had her back pinned to the wall and he hovered over her, placing both hands on either side of her as he fixed his gaze on her now closed eyed face as she cried, trembling in fear. "Did something happen while I was away?" He asked in a cold and scaring tone that forced the cry Maryam was stifling out of her chest.