Malikati

chapter 6

Chapter 6

Hamama’s POV

The caliphate

We were sitting in the sedan as Ibrahim led us into the capital, Bubba was moving like the wind but Saleem was lost in his bewilderment. she smiled at every emotion that crossed his young face, he now knows she and his baba had lied to him, the streets of the capital weren’t made of gold and marbles. “You should come take a nap Saleem, you were awake with your father throughout the night” she was awake too, listening to every sound they made and every word that was spoken. But where he looked energetic, she looked stressed. “Ummi, look there, it’s such a big house” she sighed and made up her mind to ignore him.

Her thoughts went before her to the palace, that woman, there’s no way that woman would have allowed her competitor back into the palace. She was scared, mostly for her son. That scheming woman. She sighed and made a mental note to nitpick anything that concerns Saleem, from his food to the people attending to him. “The Sultan returns, open the gate” she heard him say and her heart started beating wildly. She was here, back to the place it all began. The place she had played wife to this cruel man. “I will lead them myself” he said to someone and opened the sedan door himself “Qamari…” he said and she winced at the memories that exploded into her. She had done this before, she was placed into a bridal Sedan and sent to the Capital by her father, along with her dowry, gifts and maiden girls. She was a happy new bride until she came into the Capital and no one welcomed her. He did not invite her in himself but rather sent someone on his behalf, they told her that he was in a Court session and couldn’t come and she had believed, heart broken but she chose to believe him. Her Ibrahim could never hurt her, oh but he did, in the cruelest way possible. She had followed this person into the chamber prepared for her, she had waited like a new bride, she waited for hours for this man that now calls her qamari, he came, but he didn’t say a word. Not a single word, they consummated their wedding night and he was gone by the morning before she rose. It was then she knew, she wasn’t the Wife, she was the concubine and he had treated her exactly like one.

“Please…” He whispered, the memories seized and she turned to see him still staring at her with an emotion she couldn’t decipher in his eyes, was that regret? “Ummi” Saleem joined in, confusion on his face, his mother has been acting strange and he didn’t know why. She took his outstretched hand and with his help came down from the Sedan. She immediately let go of his hand as though it was fire the moment she touched ground. He sighed. “Your room has been prepared for you, would you like to eat first?” he asked as he led them into the palace, she had been here before so she wasn’t moved by the gold pillars holding the palace building, the marble statues, precious stones that surrounded every corner and there were many corners and different people at different corners, he turned back and waved his hand dismissing all the servants and the guards that had followed them, they bowed and left. “Ummi, the palace is so big” curious Saleem said, running into every corner he discovers, touching everything. His father laughed as they watched him, she was apprehensive. “Saleem, stop that!” she cautioned harshly, “it belongs to his father, let him be a child Hamama” “His father has a wife, and she will not be happy seeing her husband’s illegitimate child, running around!” “Saleem is not my illegitimate child, he is my legal heir” “he is the son of your concubine”

He pulled her to himself and she held on to his shoulders for support; he was upset she could tell from the way his brows curved. “He is my woman’s son, I do not have a concubine, I have a wife, a legally married wife”. Her brows curved too, in anger. Was he trying to deny her existence, was he going to take Saleem away from her and give him to the Malika, was that his plan all along, was that why he finally brought her to the capital, to take her son and give him to his wife as the heir while she rots in loneliness? How foolish of her to have a little hope, to believe that he has changed. “Then what am I to you Sultan”

“The sultan’s Malika” he answered “liar” she whispered. He already had a Malika. “Give me time to make it right Malikati, I will make it right, I promise” he answered, cupping her face in the palm of his hand, still holding her close to him, Saleem who had been the subject of their discussion was long forgotten. “You said that to me in my father’s house” he smiled. “This last time…”

“Do you want to kiss Ummi now baba, should I cover my eyes?” Saleem’s very curious voice said and she pushed the sultan away. “Who t..thought you such things Saleem?” “Hamza did, he said two people in love kiss” the atmosphere changed at an instant, it became frosty and difficult to breathe, what has Hamza been teaching her son? She cleared her throat multiple times but couldn’t find the courage to look at the sultan’s face. “And that one day he will kiss you too Ummi, because he loves you, just like I and baba loves you” oh how she wanted the chatter box to stop talking. Her heart did flips at the mention of Hamza’s name but oh she truly wanted her talkative son to stop talking. “You love Ummi right baba?” Ya Allah, she hung her head low.

After several seconds of silence, Ibrahim took up Saleem and pinched him playfully making the boy giggle. “I love your Umm with my soul, and yes I want to kiss her…” she grabbed her son hastily from him and covered his ears. He smirked “he’s too young” she said. “You should rest, you and Saleem haven’t eaten since you left the northern border” and he took them into a well-furnished chamber, different from the one she used to sleep in before she was accused of treason. It had a sofa made with furs, had a woven bed, water pots made with gold, silk clothes carefully folded by the side and on the wooden table, it had everything, as though the kidnapping was well planned.

“I will send your food to your room, anything you need I will provide” “my freedom” she answered “anything apart from that” he replied. She wanted to retort but a servant girl ran into the room and knelt with so much force on the marbled floor. Ibrahim unsheathed his sword and stood before them in an instant,separating them from the kneeling girl, his sword on the neck of the of the shaking servant girl. “Speak or loose your head”

“Forgive me my Sultan…it..it is the Malika” her heart broke before she even heard the rest of the sentence. “The Malika is losing her life! The physicians say her health is failing, her temperature keeps rising and she is delirious and keeps uttering a name, please my sultan, you need to save my mistress!” the servant girl kept crying. “when did this happen?” he asked and Hamama shifted her gaze to him. watching his every reaction.

he was tense , the way his hands tightened around the sword showed it, his voice became a deeper tone , cutting but still tense. “when you left the capital my sultan” the girl answered and continued “ she asked for a cleansing bath to be prepared and that she wanted to fulfill a tradition, we prepared it but after that...she slipped and fell, since then it has been from one Physician to another, she is as hot as the furnace fire” “ food?” “She didn't eat anything before this and she hasn't been eating either, we try to force a bit of herbal tonic so she wouldn't lose herself” Hamama herself was getting weaker as the conversation kept going.

“Leave, I will be there” he said and she bowed and left. Hamama chuckled darkly, the Queen has started the game of chess and she has made her move as well.

“ Sayidi Ibrahim, please leave” she said.