Chapter Eight

Silence swallowed the hall, as they all looked at Ana in disbelief. The sharp intake of breath from my mother, and the distant whispers questioning if they were truly seeing a ghost faded into a blur. My focus was entirely on her, she looked breathtaking.

Her black hair was weaved into a braid that rested on her shoulder, and she wore a plain black traditional dress. She stood tall with her head held high, her hazel eyes filled with steel as she locked eyes with my mother. 

"Impossible," one of the elders muttered. "She should not be here."

"You imposter!" My mother's voice sliced through the murmurs like a blade. She rose from her seat, her expression dark with fury. "You dare to show your face here?" 

She tilted her head, her lips curling into a mirthless smile. "Imposter?"

She took a step forward and the moment she moved, the council erupted.

"This is a clear insult to the throne!"

"She has no right to be here!"

"Have her dragged out immediately–"

The clamor of voices crashed around the room, but she didn't flinch. Instead, her gaze found mine and a clear warning burned in them: do something.

"Enough," I said, my voice steady despite the chaos brewing, and the room fell silent. My mother gave me a frosty glare, glaring at Ana in disdain.

"Sultan! Why are you allowing this disgrace to step into the royal halls?" Her voice was filled with venom, but Ana stood unmoving.

"She was exiled" her voice rang through the hall. "She has no place here."

Ana let out a humorless laugh, and something unreadable flickered in her eyes. "You must be mistaken, Your Majesty. I was summoned by my late Grandfather's own will."

I shifted my gaze to Mr. Ali, who remained calm despite the chaos Ana's presence had unleashed.

"She is correct," Mr. Ali affirmed, his voice level. "His Majesty's final condition was that the will should not be read unless Zara Hamzat was present."

"Impossible," my mother seethed. "She lost all rights to the Khalid family the day she was exiled."

Ana chuckled, the sound dark and knowing. "Lost all rights?" She turned her gaze to me. "Is that true, Sultan?"

I didn't answer immediately. I could feel my mother's eyes on me, demanding that I put an end to this spectacle, to remove Ana before she could bring further disgrace. But the thing was, I didn't have the right to….. and I didn't want to.

"If the will states she must be here, then she stays," I declared, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me.

My mother stiffened. "Darian—"

"The law is clear," I cut her off. "And we will not violate my grandfather's final command."

Her eyes gleamed with disbelief, then something flickered in her eyes—something cold and knowing. She understood now. 

Mr. Ali nodded. "Then, if there are no further interruptions, we shall begin. Miss Zara Hamzat, please take your seat."

Ana moved past the row of seats to the front, her gaze meeting mine at each step she took. When she reached me, the sunlight streaming through the high windows caught the flecks of gold in her eyes. She folded her hands in front of me, and my heart stilled.

"Long live the Sultan."

***************

Ana's POV

I should have been shaking. I should have felt fear pressing down on me as I stood in the same room as the people who had torn my life apart.

But I didn't.

Instead, I watched them. Watched them watch me as I moved to a seat at a far end of the hall.

The disbelief in their eyes, the barely concealed horror on the faces of Darian's family, the whispers slipping between lips that had once spoken of my name only in disgrace. I had imagined this moment for years, played it over in my mind a thousand times. And now that I was here, standing before them, I felt nothing but cold satisfaction.

Grandfather had done this. Even in death, he had made sure they could not erase me.

Mr. Ali unfolded the first document, his voice measured and unwavering.

"This is the last will and testament of Faizal Khalid, former Sultan of Akhar. It is to be executed under the conditions I have outlined and without contest. Any violation of these terms will render the inheritance null and void."

Mr. Ali's voice was steady as he began reading. 

"…And to my grandson, Darian Khalid, I leave the sovereignty of Akhar, to rule with wisdom and justice. My greatest hope is that he will not let ambition cloud his judgment, nor allow the past to shape the future of this nation in bitterness."

I glanced at Darian at those words, and to my surprise, I found him already looking at me. His expression was unreadable, but I didn't miss the tension in his jaw.

Then Mr. Ali glanced at me, his voice firm.

"To Zara Hamzat, whom I have always regarded as my granddaughter, I leave…"

The silence in the room deepened. From a glance, I could see Darian's mother straighten in her chair, her lips pressing into a thin line. For a moment, I held my breath.

"…the Late Meher Ishaan's estate and inheritance, as well as the funds allocated under her name."

The gasps were immediate and I stilled.

My mother's estate?

"I also leave behind the Aaliyah foundation to my granddaughter Ana Hamzat, I believe she will know what best to do. I believe she is the best choice to continue my legacy."

I had expected something. A letter, or perhaps a small piece of land. But the entire estate? The foundation he and his wife held dear? I could barely process it before Darian's mother rose to her feet in outrage.

"This is outrageous! That estate has belonged to the Khalid family for generations! She has no right to it!"

Mr. Ali remained calm. "His Majesty Faizal Khalid deemed it her birthright, as it was originally granted to her mother's bloodline before being absorbed into the royal holdings."

My father stood abruptly, and I saw him for the first time since I arrived. His face looked pale, whilst his wife clutched his arm, her lips pressing into a thin line.

 A cruel smirk tugged at my lips. They had watched my suffering in silence. But now that the tables had turned, they could not stand it.

 "This cannot stand. She is not recognized as a daughter of my family—"

"She was never legally disowned, Lord Hamzat," Mr. Ali interrupted firmly. "You may have cast her out, but the law still considers her your child by birth."

I watched my father's hands curl at his sides. His humiliation was palpable, and I reveled in it.

I met his gaze, my chin lifting. "I believe this settles the matter, then."

Silence fell over the hall once more. I turned to see Darian watching me again, something unreadable flickering in his expression. It almost looked like....pride?

It did not matter now, so I quickly dismissed the thought.

Mr. Ali continued reading, finishing the rest of the will. There were murmurs, objections, but no one could change what had been written.

When it seemed like it was over, Mr. Ali spoke up again.

"There is one more thing for Miss Hamzat."

He cleared his throat, continuing.

"There is one final clause. His Late Majesty Faizal Khalid stated that, in order for Zara Hamzat to formally transfer her inheritance if she wishes to, the public and the royal court must acknowledge her innocence. A formal announcement must be made by the Sultan himself, retracting all accusations."

The room stilled, and my gaze flickered towards Darian's mother. She was seething.

One thing was certain, I won't be leaving anytime soon.