Chapter 87: Chapter 87

EXPOSED

"It's no other person than Madok Zadir", she bellowed.

Emir Abdul paused, his neck snapped to look at her, "Tell me you are joking", he snapped.

"Joking?, would I come all the way from my room to bring such disheartening news to you?, why would I want to taint your son's reputation just like that, I won't lie to you, you can call the victim for questioning", she boomed.

"Allah!!", he cursed.

His eyes watered, he remembered his verdict, he could not just go back and change his words, he had given his words to this woman sitting here.

Even at that, Abdul won't go back, but he would still investigate, it would be a thorough one, to make sure all she said is true and it wasn't just false words.

He bent his head low, his eyes watered, he cleaned it off immediately so as not to give himself away in front of Mrs Robson.

"Does Amancia knows about this?", he calmly asked.

"I don't think so, I really dont", Mrs Robson answered truthfully.

"Although even though she knew about it, she would eventually had kept it a secret from you", she added.

"So who is this maid that he defiled?", he questioned.

"Khadija, the maid in charge of all the cooking and kitchen in the palace", she explained.

"That little girl I had picked up myself from the streets, she was so young, had no one nor nowhere to go to, her parents had died, she was just a poor orphan, I brought her to my home to protect her from the wrath of the outside world.

I brought her here to give her a chance to make a life out herself, but now see what had happened, she would think I have done her no good by bringing her here, she would curse herself for being so miserable.

He would be my son, yes, but..., he won't go Scot free, he would still pay for his sins", he growled, his fists clenching and unclenching.

He motioned on one of the guards to call Khadija for him, as he placed his head back on the couch, impatiently waiting for her.

The door opened, he needed no one to tell him that Khadija was here already.

She walked towards them on shaky legs and knelt before the Emir.

He was bewildered, "Stand up Khadija, do that immediately", he ordered.

She didn't, she maintained her position, he was sorry for her, very sorry for her and mad at himself for not always checking up on her.

If he had been checking up on her like he had been doing the first day he brought her here, he would have known when things went South.

"You would have left when I told you to, I wanted to give you money to start a new life, but you refused, you told me you wanted to stay here, that you have received this place like your home and you didn't want to ever leave here.

You would have listened to me, that is why I always maintain that women are stubborn, if you had listened to me all these would not have happened..., what are you doing to do now, what would I do, where would I start from?", he asked himself rather than her.

He was just throwing different questions at himself, Khadija began weeping.

"Who was there when all this happened, tell me who?", he asked, wanting to get more proof, not like he did not believe all what she said, but he wanted something solid.

For him to mete out his punishment, then he also has to provide concrete proof and evidence.

"A-aa-amina", she stuttered.

"Aamina?", he repeated.

"Yes..., the new maid, she is the personal maid to Queen Amancia, she was there the whole night.. when everything happened, I had pleaded with her not to let anyone know about what happened.

Please my king do not punish her, it's actually my fault", she begged.

"She's your witness right?, I am not expected to ask you this Khadija but please, I just need to do through investigation, until I hear from her, I won't pronounce my verdict", Emir Abdul said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Suddenly, you were meant to be sleeping by that ungodly hour of the day, but alas you were patrolling, so what were you doing outside by that time?", Abdul asked.

Aamina bowed her head first before answering, she was filled with courage to expose Madok, "On that fateful night, Prince Madok had called me earlier to come to his room once it was 12:00 am, I accepted.

Although later the Queen called me before that time and told me to give her a massage, I was running errands for her until 1:35 am, that was when I was done and she allowed me to go", Aamina paused.

"So after that....., what else?", Emir Abdul said as he urged her to carry on.

"So after that, I left the Queen's room for my room, I had passed the passage and was about taking the step downstairs, when I heard muffled cries and grunting.

It finally dawned on me that the Prince called me and I hadn't answered him, I wanted to go when I noticed that the cries and grunting was coming from his room, I had to hid behind a corner to confirm my thoughts.

Until I saw Khadija coming out from his room, with blood trailing down her thighs to her legs, that was when I confirmed that she was actually raped, I took her to my room and cleaned her up, she told me everything that transpired between both of them.

Although I was sorry for her, I was also sorry for myself...", she stopped.

"So why would you say you were sorry for yourself?", the Emir asked.

"The Prince had called me earlier, if not for the Queen that had held me back from going that fateful night, then maybe I would have been the one coming out from his room, bruised instead of her, with no witness because as you said... My King, it was an ungodly hour to be roaming around the palace", she explained.

"Khadija, you said the Queen doesn't know about all these things that happened right?", he questioned.

"Yes... she doesn't know", she replied.

"Why?", Emir Abdul furrowed his brows.

"I guess My Queen would have thrown me out immediately without any thorough investigation carried out, she would never have given me a listening ear.

Since the day you left me in her care, things had never been the same, she showered me with hatred, she despised and loathed me, until now I still don't know the reason for the loathe", Khadija sobbed.

"It's okay Khadija, both of you can leave now!, I would take things up from here", the Emir promised.

Aamina and Khadija bowed their heads and thanked the king, while Khadija stood up from her kneeling position and they both left the presence of the Emir.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Madok..., it's good you now have a baby to take care of, I am so happy about that, finally you have given me a grandchild, I hope you take care of him or her very well...

Now I expect you not to talk after this, because I am very sure that you know of the seed you planted, now I am happy to let you know that the seed is germinating.

Remember not to talk after this, if you should do that, your punishment would increase, now you will take this woman in as your wife.

For once if she should ever complain that you lay a finger on her, then you would not like what I would do to you.

Secondly after much pleas from everyone who secretly loves you, you are stripped off from being the Prince Of Al Zayed, you would be an ordinary person, and I would treat you like my subject.... instead of me to send you out of the palace, you are entitled to stay here, but all ceremonial duty has been stripped off from you.

Thirdly, you would still be flogged mercilessly, for what you did is an abomination, and it would serve as a deterrent to other rapists out there, both male and female...

That is all for you, your punishment would commence from next week Monday, but from now you have been stripped off your Royal Identity, you would be flogged tomorrow in the court yard, while you would commence your marriage on Monday", that was the final verdict of Emir Abdul.

They made everything to be secret, because it would run like whirlwind if they should let things get out of hand.

Madok snapped his head towards Khadija, his eyes filled with anger, he removed the bead on his hands and around his neck, his Princely garments, bowed to his father and left.