Anisa had entered the palace, but, she wasn't going to be staying for long. She knew that the family was currently having dinner so she walked into the dining room and greeted everyone with a slight bow upon entering.

"Anisa, where have you been?" Her father stood up from his seat but didn't walk over to personally greet her.

"I have an announcement to make," she started, "I won't be in the palace for another month. I'll be staying at the beach house temporarily."

"How come?" King Salman asked.

"I just want a break from the chaos that happens here. But, don't worry, I won't be neglecting my work while I'm away. I just wanted to inform you of where I would be," she responded

There was silence as she turned to walk back. Humeyra was content with the news she was hearing. Having Anisa around the palace made her stay on her feet, always having to be cautious. Even Layla was able to let out a have breath from comfort.

Just before Anisa walked out, she remembered, "Also, I'll be taking a maid with me."

Humeyra nodded as Anisa held eye contact with her for a brief moment.

Once she left, she looked for Hakim and figured that he was probably around the main hall of the castle.

"I hope you know how loyal he is towards your father," Tahir said, walking beside her.

"If anything, Hakim is more loyal to me. I was the one that introduced him to my father," Anisa smiled at the memory that flashed in her mind, back to the first few days she met Hakim.

"Speak of the devil," She said as soon as she spotted him.

Hakim saw Anisa approach him and instantly flashed a smile, greeting her.

"Anisa, it's been a few days since I've seen you," he slightly bowed his head.

"Same here. But, I've come to you for a favor," she started.

"Of course, whatever you wish for, " he reassured her.

Anisa paused to give him one last expression before she told him, "I'm going to be leaving the palace for a month. Baba and everyone else is aware of it. In that time I'd like for you to update me on everything that goes on here and I'd like it if you did it discreetly."

Hakim's smile slowly faded and asked, "Is everything alright?"

Anisa nodded, "Yes, I just want you to be my informant while I'm gone. Just, don't let anyone know you are."

Hakim looked down for a second with wavering eyes. Not because he felt as though he was betraying anyone, but he grew concerned because this was never asked of him, especially by Anisa.

"Well, yes, you know I'll do it. I just hope that you're not doing something that'll put you in danger," he said.

"I'm flattered that you're worried for me, but Mr. Hakim, I'm fine, trust me. Besides, I've got a trustworthy bodyguard if anything happens"

Anisa turned to look at Tahir who nodded once towards Hakim, reassuring him and proving Anisa's point, correct.

"Alright. I trust you and I'm glad you trusted me with this. I won't let you down," he bowed and Anisa smiled, "Thank you."

Meanwhile, King Salman sat, overthinking Anisa's announcement and grew worried. If Anisa was ever tired, it only took her three days to return to the castle. But, this time, she insisted on a whole month.

"Dear, don't worry, she's a very capable person. She's grown enough to spend some time outside of the castle," Humeyra slowly patted his shoulder, giving him a soft smile

"I know she's capable. But a month is almost too much," he said while looking down at the table.

"Baba, if anything, you shouldn't worry at all. It's not like she's leaving the country," Layla rolled her eyes. Part of her was also jealous because he never worried about her the way he worried about Anisa.

"She's right baba, Anisa knows what she's doing. She always has a reason for everything. Just trust her and everything will be fine," Yasin added.

"Very well," King Salman sighed.

"This is the pilot speaking. Please fasten your seatbelts and prepare for takeoff in two minutes."

Tahir and Anisa did exactly that as soon as the announcement was over. She took her private jet for a meeting that was to happen in Singapore. It was only going to take three days. But, Tahir still brought two teams of security.

"Assuming you're not nervous, you've been there before?" Tahir started

"I've been there a couple of times. But, when it comes to work, I never get nervous," she told him.

"Why does it take three days?" He asked

"The first day, all you do is unpack and prepare the last minute. The second day is when you have to attend everything business-related. And the third, it's a day where you're free to do whatever," she explained while resting her head on the seat.

Anisa was tired and sleeping was a bit of a problem for her. Taking herbal tea had its effects but she was able to notice the difference in the strength of effectiveness in contrast to the pills.

She shut her eyes for a moment and tried to sleep. Tahir looked away towards the window and watched the plane move out of the ground and into thin air. Before he started this job, it was as if he lived on a private jet. There wasn't a place he hadn't visited that was physically on the map.

As Tahir was in deep thought, Anisa brought her head back up and claimed, "You know, I never asked anything about you"

Tahir turned his head and asked, "Like?"

"Like about your personal life. I read over your resume, but a resume doesn't necessarily capture the true story of a person," she said.

Tahir looked down at his hands before asking, "What do you want to know?"

"Hmmm," Anisa thought, "Family. Do you have a family?"

Anisa's question was as personal as it could get. Tahir wasn't expecting that she'd ask about his family. Neither was he comfortable with the question. But, nothing good ever came out of comfort zones. So, he decided to answer, "I've got a mother who's ill. A younger sister who passed away. And a father who unexpectedly left."

Anisa's expression turned cold. She instantly regretted asking him. Tahir was able to sense the fear and regret so he tried to ease it up by telling her, "It's fine. I'm used to it. These things have long existed in my life. It's no surprise."

"I see," Anisa became speechless afterward. She looked down and tried to think of a question that would distract them from this topic. But, as she kept thinking of a different question, Tahir's previous answer kept bothering her and circling her mind constantly.

"Were you always a bodyguard?" She finally asked.

Tahir nodded, "I started fighting and combat at an early stage. I finished my studies before I turned 15 and ever since, I began training."

"Studies as is school and university?"

He nodded, "I don't remember sleep during those times. Nothing good comes without hardship."

"You're right. So, are you content with your life now?" She asked.

Tahir paused and thought about the question. No one had ever asked him a question like this which was why it took a moment to think about it. Was he content with life?

"You know, out of all the questions people ask me, that's one I'm hearing for the first time," he admitted, looking into her eyes that were filled with curiosity and expectancy, "So, I can't tell you at the moment. I never thought about it."

Anisa nodded, understanding the situation. Just from the things he's said from the beginning of her questions, he seemed as though he was faced with many challenges in life. She was able to relate to him with the studies part. She too had finished them early, but she was 16 when that occurred.

The air grew silent and both were thinking to themselves. It felt sort of awkward. Anisa thought that although he answered her questions, he was still being vague. Almost like he didn't want to speak the entire story. But, it's not like she ever crossed the line with her workers and that was exactly what Tahir was.

At the end of the day, he was just a bodyguard doing his duties to protect her from any threats outside her walls.

"Your highness. I'm glad you've come!"

Dr. Ibrahim bowed as soon as Yasin entered the laboratory with a calm expression. But, he was expectant of the news he wished to hear about the pills Anisa requested.

"What have you got for me Dr?" Yasin asked, hesitant to know the answer

"Currently, I've still got everyone off work as you requested. We wouldn't want this to spread to the public. But, now I have come to understand why you requested such secrecy with this case," Dr. Ibrahim explained.

"And what is that?" Yasin raised his brow and looked at him with a questioning expression.

"These sleeping pills you've been calling aren't actually sleeping pills," Dr. Ibrahim stated, "It's got some of the chemical ingredients that sleeping pills have but I've also found arsenic in them."

Yasin's eyes widened and immediately he told Dr. Ibrahim, "Arsenic? As in a poison that can kill someone over time?"

"Yes, your majesty. I'm not sure how long these pills have been in use but if any more consumption of them were to continue, then I'd be concerned for that person. Luckily, only small amounts are within these pills so for a scientist like me, it was the equivalent of searching for a needle in a haystack with each pill." Dr. Ibrahim said.

Yasin wasn't able to take his eyes off the pills that were on the table in front of them. Most importantly, he wasn't able to believe that his mother would give Anisa something like this. This was no different than the intent of murder.

He wasn't able to contain his rage, frustration, confusion, and every other feeling correlated with the three.

"Get rid of these pills, now!"

He raised his voice at Dr. Ibrahim, which was something he had never done before. But, Dr. Ibrahim quickly disposed of them in the nearby trashcan, making sure to cover it so that it wasn't in plain sight.

"You're not to speak of this to anyone, understood?" Yasin made sure before leaving the laboratory. After seeing Dr. Ibrahim nod frantically, he started walking towards the exit of the door, with his steps heavy.

Right now, he didn't know whether he should go and interrogate his mother first or tell Anisa that she was right about her assumptions of his mother attempting to kill her. This was the hardest choice he had ever encountered.

After exiting the building and making his way to his car, he decided to do what Anisa would've wanted him to and called her. It ringed a couple of times but there was no answer. Before giving up, he tried a second time but the results were no different.

Yasin wasn't able to handle this. He thought he was ready for the results before coming here. Just then, suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of his phone. He picked it up to see that Reem was calling and answered.

"Yasin. I just moved into the beach house and I needed a few things for this place. Are you able to take me?" She asked

Yasin sighed and felt some sort of relief after hearing her voice. Somehow, she had this effect on him that he couldn't explain.

"Yeah, I'll be there in a few minutes. Also, where's Anisa?" He asked

"Oh, she has a three-day business trip to Singapore. She should be back after that. Why? Is everything alright? You sound distressed?"

"No, everything's fine. I just ran to my car and you called while I was taking a short break," he lied.

"Alright, if you say so."

Reem wasn't convinced. She knew from the tone of his voice that something happened. Nonetheless, she was going to find out one way or another as soon as he came to pick her up.

A/N:

Hi guys! Sorry if I made you wait. It took a little longer due to some reasons but I hope you enjoyed the chapter! What are your thoughts about the whole situation? I'm really curious about what you guys think...

But, don't forget to show this book some love by hitting that star button and commenting wherever you'd like:)

Thank you and stay safe ~