Fire. The flames burned through Aaleyah’s body. Waking she cupped her aching wrist to her chest, pretending to alleviate the pain. As her mind awakened, so did the rest of her pain. The throbbing in her legs grew until her eyes shot open.

  The bed she laid on was surrounded by a white curtain blocking the whispering people from view. The whispers were not too loud, maybe three people?

  Trailing her eyes down to the thin blanket covering her, her cloak gone. The tattered grey dress the only physical reminder of what she ran from. That and the bandages she saw through the holes in her ripped sleeves.

  Where were the guards? Where did they take her? She could still feel the scratches of Saan’s nails as she was pulled away.

  The guards… They took her. High Prince Hammaan was supposed to help them. High Prince Hammaan was supposed to lead her family to safety. Why-

  The last thing she remembered was the hilt of a sword hitting her head.

  Moving her injured wrist to her pulsing leg she felt no wound.

  Lifting her arm to the light she saw that her wrist was uninjured. So the pain- the pulsing was… Her heart raced at the thought.

  Zale was injured.

  The whispers of the people entered the room, and as the sound of footsteps grew closer Aaleyah closed her eyes feigning sleep.

  “Is it noble or foolish the way the young prince pled for the Aljehnis?” A female voice said in a strong accent. Aidjeeken was not her native tongue.

  “It seems that the young Prince Saan asked for Aaleyah to be spared, the rest of the family will be tried for treason,” A second voice was heard, younger than the first.

  “Is that not cruel? To plead for one instead of all? To kill her family and leave her to live is a worse punishment than death. Surely High Prince Hammaan would plead for his friend?”

  “High Prince Hammaan has not woken from his injuries. It is only Prince Saan who can speak for them.”

  The curtain was drawn and Aaleyah's pulse was checked.

  “Well the young prince certainly picked his favorite. How is she?” The older woman asked drawing closer.

  “Her pulse is fine, she should wake soon.”

  “Let us leave her to rest,” The older woman said and the footsteps retracted. Only when the door slid closed did Aaleyah open her tearfilled eyes.

  Her family was to be killed? Did they not even deserve a trial to prove their innocence? Why only her? Did Saan not care for her sibling? Why does everyone only choose her? Surely Herom, or Amenah would be better? “No, I refuse for it to just be me.”

  Consumed by her grief, Aaleyah did not register the sound of the door opening. The curtain moved revealing Duke Majidi’s hand extended towards her.

  “Come with me,” he ordered flatly.

  Aaleyah had never seen Duke Majidi up close. In her lifetime he was always on a horse, or attacking others with a whip. Her parents had warned her to stay clear of him. Now here he was.

  His hand yanked her from the bed, her foot tangling in the blanket as she tried to follow only to collapse on her knee.

  With the duke’s refusal to release her hand Aaleyah made due with collecting herself. Pain ached from the wrist he held and she was not sure if it was her pain or Zale’s.

  Perhaps Aaleyah had taken too long to rise for he lifted her over his shoulder without a word.

  Aaleyah had been in the palace numerous times but never upside down. Never in this wing.

  Duke Majidi approached a magnificent door and knocked twice before he entered, and suddenly the world was right-side up. Her bare feet touched the wooden floor, her shadow flickering in the candlelit room.

  “Little Aljehni, we meet again.” Hearing his voice Aaleyah swallowed and lifted her head to face the king. She took a step back towards the duke who immediately pushed her forward.

  With a trembling chin Aaleyah did the erisun-e bow.

  The king’s hot hand wrapped around her chin in a vice-like grip. “My little Aljehni did you sleep well?”

  His sickly sweet tone alerted her of danger she could not escape.

  Your home was attacked today?” He led her to a chair before finally releasing her chin.

  Scanning the room, Duke Majidi was blocking her only exit.

  The king sat across from her with a serpent's expression. “Tell me, did you recognize the people who fought at the estate?”

  Aaleyah shook her head. The image of her slipping on a servant’s blood flashed through her mind. It was still warm as it soaked her dress, her eyes drifted down towards the stain.

  The loud snapping of the king’s fingers made her jump. “Speak. Use your voice. You did not recognize any of the Stilits that fought?”

  The king sounded disappointed and Aaleyah ran her nails together nervously. “At the p-palace I rec-recognized guards.”

  Across from him the king gave a look of satisfaction. “Guards? Where did you recognize them from?”

  “Herom.” She swallowed the urge to cry. Herom invited the people he trained home for dinners. They rode horses together. Some of them would even bring snacks to bribe her in hopes she could convince Herom to go easy on them. “My brother once trained them. I did not understand why they attacked,” she whispered, holding back sobs. What had her family done so wrong? Was extra training at her estate so wrong? Her mother was a general. Her uncles used to do that. Her uncles… they are also gone. Everyone is-

  “So you are saying the Stilits are men that your brother Second Lord Herom Aljehni trained?” Across from her the king glanced towards Duke Majidi’s direction.

  “The guards are Stilits?” She asked subconsciously aware of the answer.

  King Saamun smiled. “Thank you for your confession, Little Aljehni.” As he rose he grabbed her by the wrist and led her out the door, the duke following behind. “I have something to show you.”

  On the other side of the palace in the cell, Amenah banged her fist against the cement wall. Her head rested against the bars that separated her cell from the neighboring one.

  Dharam opened his eyes. “Amenah.”

  Holding back her punch she released her screams as inaudible exhales. Her chest ached from the tears she would not allow to fall. She was a geyser in desperate need to erupt, but any action she took would harm her Dharam more. His pain was consuming her as well as terrifying her.

  In the cell behind her Amenah heard a whisper.

  “Amenah?” The pained voice was hoarse and filled with disbelief.

  Turning her head Amenah focused on the person inside. His face was dirty, and his usually tied back brown hair fell in clumps around his face. “Kemal?”

  Turning fully, she slid her hand through the bars. “Why are you here?”

  Kemal slid himself towards the bars and Aaleyah saw the wounds on his leg. His hand clasped hers, “I could not convince the people. I am sorry. I did all I could as a disciple of Scholar Aljehni, but I failed.”

  Oh how Amenah hated Kemal. For in his presence the tears she held back fell. “You did not, and have never failed. Not to me. Kemal will succeed in all he aims for.”

  Kemal’s rough hand wiped the tears from her cheek. “I did not succeed in attaining your heart.”

  “It is yours.” She bit her lip to give her time to swallow her sobs. “It is yours. I am yours. I was foolish to pretend I was not.”

  Taking her hand, he kissed it. “You are perfect.”

  Amenah slid her other hand through the bars to soothe his hair. “I am not. I have tried to tell you. Tried to warn you, but you refused to listen. Kemal Adel, I am not perfect. It is due to my imperfections that you are here. You are injured. Kemal. My Kemal.” She broke, her sobs accompanying her tears.

  His strong arms squeezed through the bars to hug her, and Amenah cursed herself for not accepting her sooner. “If I knew it would end like this I would have– I would have…”

  “My beautiful moon, the fact that you find me worthy to have your heart makes it all worth it.”

  After some time Amenah heard guards approaching and quickly moved from Kemal’s embrace. With a quick pinch of his pressure point his eyes closed and she gently guided him to the ground.

  The guards that came had bruises at their temples, a trait Amenah was beginning to connect to Stilits. That and blank eyes. They unlocked her family’s cell and stepped inside. “His majesty summons you.”

  The two guards behind him picked up Dharam who had curled into a ball to ease the pain. His teeth drew blood from his lip as he held back his hiss.

  Wincing from the shared pain, Amenah rushed to her feet. “Please, you are hurting him. We will carry him. Just tell us where we must go.” As she said the second sentence Asbed rose and opened his arms to help Dharam.

  The guard dumped Dharam’s body into his arms. Amenah rushed to help Asbed who was not prepared for the weight and as the guards lifted a waking Zale.

  Herom held Roset, and Amenah caught him pinching Roset’s neck once more. Chiara wordlessly followed behind and Amenah squeezed her hand.

  Instead of exiting the dungeon into the palace Amenah’s teeth chattered when she saw they were entering the This was where criminals would have their punishments watched.

  At the center of the courtyard was a stage, and her family was forced up the two steps onto it. The guards forced them kneel, and only at the last moment did she release her hands from Dharam and Chiara.

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  Zale had finally woken his sunken gold eyes filled with pain and fear.

  Amenah winced, unable to look away when Dharam spat up blood. Blood seeped through his stained clothes. His struggles to sit on his knees broke Amenah more than she thought possible. Please leave him alone. She silently prayed in her heart. Too afraid to squeeze his hand she dropped her head so her tears could fall.

  Is this how they would be punished? Without trial? Without audience? She turned towards the empty seats for aggrieved family. With only guards as an audience, was this how they were to die?

  Across the courtyard the king entered. Seeing Aaleyah being pulled to follow, Amenah's heart sank. Heavenly Lord please do not allow this. She prayed, her eyes turning up to the sky.

  The king made his way with Duke Majidi, once they were before the stage he threw Aaleyah forward and Amenah watched her baby sister lose her footing and collapse at the bottom of the stage. On instinct she moved to stop Zale but was too late.

  “Ley Ley!”

  A guard stopped Amenah from stopping Zale’s attempt to help Aaleyah. He ignored the first hit, only the third jab from the hilt of the sword to the head stopping him.

  “Kneel in the presence of the king.”

  Amenah turned to glare at the guard. He was trained by her brother. The very sword he held was the one she helped make. How could he easily harm them?

  “Let it go.” Herom whispered and she turned towards him. He knelt with his back straight and his head high. A glance in the guards direction had him step back, leaving Zale to collapse on the stage.

  Aaleyah scrambled to her knees. “Zale!”

  Amenah did not know what she felt while she watched Aaleyah kowtow to the king with tear filled eyes. Aaleyah’s broken eyes turned away from her family to the king and she kowtowed multiple times.

  “Please. Please your majesty, please do not harm my family.”

  “Do not beg him Ley Ley. Do not allow him to think he has won,” Herom said in the old tongue.

  Amenah caught the king’s darkened expression. “Young Aljehni has confessed to your family’s crimes.”

  Aaleyah’s gasp was not necessary. Amenah knew it was not true.

  “What?” Aaleyah asked, her small body shook on the ground.

  Duke Majidi tapped the back of her head. “Address his majesty with respect, and speak no language other than Aidjeeken,” the latter part of his order was directed to Herom, but he displayed no signs of acknowledgement.

  “Little Aljehni, did you not tell me earlier that the Stilits that attacked were men your brother trained?” The king pointed his long skinny finger in Herom’s direction.

  Aaleyah shook her head. “No, no. That is not what this one meant. Your majesty, this one meant that the men fighting attacked my family. They betrayed us even though they were guards my brother t-tau-”

  Amenah closed her eyes, she could hear it now. The manipulation, and the upcoming twist of words the king would use to punish them. Oh Ley Ley, it is unfair what is going to be done to you.

  “Yes. Second Lord Herom Aljehni trained the Stilits to fight for his cause and they betrayed him by attacking today.”

  “No my brother did not train Stilits-” Aaleyah tried to clarify.

  “Ley Ley, enough,” Amenah told her in the old tongue, ignoring the hit she received for it. It did not matter what they said, the king knew what he wished to hear.

  “Were the men who attacked not Stilits?” The king asked.

  Aaleyah hesitated to answer, her eyes connected with Amenah’s. Amenah tried her best to look strong at that moment.

  “Little Aljehni?”

  Their gaze broke and Aaleyah turned towards the king. “Y-yes but-”

  “Were they not men your brother has trained?”

  “Aaleyah,” Herom called.

  Aaleyah turned and Amenah’s tears fell as she listened to her little sister beg for understanding. “I did not. Herom I would not-”

  “Do not cry. It is not your fault,” Herom comforted. At his words Amenah’s chin trembled and she held her tongue tightly between her teeth trying to control her tears. It is not any of their faults. Certainly not Herom. Her brother was as strong and calm as a rugged mountain breeze. He trained the strong not because he was strict, but because those around him wished to reach the same height he portrayed. How dark the world had become that the good were being punished.

  They would die before Herom’s truth could be known.

  Her brother, her Herom was playful. He was loving. He never fought for himself. He watched the girl he loved fall for another and did nothing. He gave his favorite sword to Dharam and did not bat an eye when he broke it. Herom only pretended to be the strength of the mountain, when in reality he was just the wind. Even now, with his head held high he pretended to be the pillar of strength so she and her sibling would not break. To be the first born son was his only pain.

  The king pointed at the guard behind Herom. “Make him stand.”

  Herom was pulled to his feet, and the white wrap around his shoulder seeped red.

  King Saamun made his way to the stage, his hand twirled in Aaleyah’s hair as he dragged her with him. “Second Lord Aljehni, is it true that men within the capital call you captain?”

  Herom glared at the king’s hand in Aaleyah’s hair and answered shortly. “Yes.”

  “Are you a captain?”

  “No.”

  “Is it true that the one you follow and receive orders from is Duke Majidi.”

  “Yes.”

  “Did Duke Majidi give you permission to create your own team and hunt animals?”

  “No.”

  “So you disobeyed?”

  “No.”

  “No?”

  “There was no order not to.”

  The king laughed. “Was there an order for you to train Stilits then?”

  Amenah gritted her teeth. These questions were unfair. Herom training men that became Stilits was not his fault. How was he to know?

  Herom remained quiet.

  King Saamun took a step back. “Duke Majidi, bring the attendance record.”

  Everyone waited for the Duke to return with a book.

  King Saamun released Aaleyah’ and opened it. “Have Third Lord Dharam Aljehni rise.”

  The sound of blood dripped from Dharam’s wounds, and he gritted in pain. Amenah failed to possess her twin’s strength, and as Dharam’s pain crashed into she whimpered. Her nails scraped against the wood of the stage. “Is it not a display of respect to kneel before the king? Why do you make us stand?”

  “Aljehnis are the assisting founding family of the nation, how could I force you to kneel?” Ameneh held back her scoff at the king’s words.

  “Third Lord Dharam Aljehni, can you tell me when the weapons missing case began?” King Saamun asked.

  “Five… five moons… ago,” Dharam struggled to breathe after each word. His shallow breaths not nearly enough.

  “Just ask me the questions,” Amenah said, barely holding back her yell..

  Her words were ignored and the king flipped through the book dramatically. “Here you started missing classes around five moons ago. Tell me, what were you doing instead of attending lessons at Scholar’s Sky?”

  “Training.”

  “Training for what? Did you plan on fighting?”

  Dharam wheezed, blood dripped down his fingers. “My family… Medes… military.”

  It was not a full sentence but everyone understand the meaning. They were a part of the military Medes family. Of course they would train and practice.”

  “Young scholars of the academy claim that you could be found in the back of the library sleeping instead of attending classes. Is this true?”

  Dharam nodded.

  “And the missing weapons were found in the back rooms of the academy next to where you are always found sleeping. Is this just a coincidence?”

  Dharam said nothing, and King Saamun tossed the book into the duke’s hand. “Have Second Lady Amenah rise.”

  Amenah needed no help and moved to Dharam’s side to help hold his weight, but Dharam was forced back on his knees. His head hung low, his body barely held himself up. Her own body shook from the pain Dharam was feeling.

  “Second Lady Aljehni, a young talented weapons specialist. Is it true you made and delivered Nubian Jian’s weapons to him?”

  Confused on how this could implicate her, she answered cautiously. “Not all of them.”

  “You made his specialty weapons, the star blades.”

  As it was not a question Amenah did not answer. She refused for the king to create guilt out of coincidence.

  “You do not have to answer. Instead, is it true that your brother brought Babu Jian to your estate, and that you attempted to grant him medical aid?”

  “This one is not a physician,” Amenah snarked.

  The king’s smile grew wider. “Did you clean his wounds?”

  “When he appeared at-”

  “A yes or no would suffice,” King Saamun interrupted.

  Amenah dug her nails into her palms. “Yes.”

  “Was it Third Lord Dharam Aljehni that brought him to the estate?”

  She hesitated. To say yes would implement him; to say no would be a lie. “Not exactly.”

  “Was he not supposed to be attending classes at the time?”

  “Your majesty-”

  “Yes or no.”

  “This one cannot perfectly recall the schedule of the academy, for that day was filled with-.”

  “Is it true that on that day many Stilits broke into your estate and attacked?”

  “I am unable to confirm if they were Stilits,” Amenah said, refusing to fall into his trap.

  King Saamun laughed boisterously. “Has the young prodigy always had such a bad memory? Did they not claim to be loyal to the Aljehni’s?”

  Her jaw tensed, how did the king know of these statements? Duke Majidi killed them all, and he was not there to hear what the men and Babu said at the time. Did the duke tell him? Amenah scoffed, so the shadows that encroached on her family’s path came from the king himself?

  “Your majesty,” she waited for him to address her before she continued, her eyes locked with Herom’s borrowing his strength. They had to protect their family.

  “I will ask something else.” King Saamun waved his hand, and a chair was brought for him to sit on. “You are engaged to Kemal Adel, yes?”

  “No,” she rushed to answer.

  “No?”

  The engagement was broken.”

  “Poor man, he seemed to be unaware. Is it not true that he was with you in the marketplace?”

  “When?”

  “The day the guards were checking for Stilits?”

  “The guards checked numerous times. However, during those days our engagement was annulled.”

  “During those days you also incited disobedience in the people and convinced them to fight.”

  Amenah’s heart felt colder and colder. “No, that is-”

  “And the next day they attacked my soldiers which resulted in death and many people being arrested.”

  “That was not-”

  “Is it true that because of your words the people defied Captain Enlil?”

  Amenah swallowed, her eyes stung with tears, but she would rather die than have the king see them.