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XIII "He's Back!"

last update Last Updated: 2025-02-13 19:43:59

A fortnight had elapsed since Inayat received the devastating news of Izhar's demise.

The brutal execution of Commander Kenaz's entire family still lingered in her mind like an open wound. Her heart bled for the innocent kin who had been forced to witness the carnage with their own eyes.

Queen Adah's detailed account of the past events had left Inayat traumatized, but it was the loss of the man she loved that cut deepest.

Even now, a month after the tragedy, Inayat sat alone in her chamber, surrounded by the opulent furnishings of her plush couch, yet drowning in a sea of memories.

Tears streamed down her face as she reminisced about the joyous moments she had shared with Izhar.

Her mind also wandered back to a time when her father was a just and righteous man — a mythical era that now seemed lost forever.

Inayat's world had also been turned upside down.

She had witnessed a profound transformation in her father since the day she declared her devotion to her faith.

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    The moon spilled its silver warmth over the palace gardens, painting the world in gentle light and shadows. The fragrance of night-blooming jasmine floated up from below, and the quiet rustle of the breeze through the silk curtains gave the air a kind of hush, like the night itself was listening. Inayat stepped into Samarth’s private chamber, her anklets chiming softly beneath the folds of her pale blue skirt. The room was bathed in warm amber light from the brass lanterns hung above. A scroll lay half-unrolled on the polished wooden table, abandoned. Samarth stood near the window, his dark silhouette drawn against the moon.She paused a moment, smiling quietly to herself before calling gently, "You look like you’re about to leap out of that window."Samarth turned, and the usual weight in his eyes lifted just a little. "If I did, would you come catch me?""No," she replied at once, walking toward him, "but I’d probably climb down and pull you back by the ear."He chuckled, stepping

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  • The Rule   LXXIX Quiet Prayer And Unborn Dreams

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