Clash of Royalty

3

Katsina, Nigeria.

7:00pm! It's already 7:00pm and Yasira was not making an attempt of leaving the restaurant anytime soon. Yasmeen tried all her possible best to make them leave but being the stubborn Yasira as she's, was so adamant.

When it was exactly 7:15pm, Yasira and the guy which name happens to be Hameed decide to call it a day. She was so happy because this was the kind of life she had wished for. They discussed on so many things and earlier, he had asked her out which she told him she will give him her response in two weeks time.

Internally, she was happy, but she had to hide the fact from him, she doesn't want to show him to have the impression that she's desperate to be with him. At least, she would have to play the part of hard to get.

"Come on, I will personally drop you home"

"No!" She was so quick to decline his offer. "I mean, erm...my driver will be here soon. So don't worry and you need to leave as soon as possible, I'm scared he might tell my father that he had seen me with a guy" she lied.

"But-"

"Please, try and understand me. My father won't like the idea"

"Okay then, if you say so. I'm only doing this because you have said your father would get angry" he said slumping his shoulder in defeat.

While the guy was gone, Yasira drag her sister to the direction of the restroom. Once they were both inside, Yasmeen roughly yank her hand out of her baby sister's tight grip. It's evident clear in her eyes that she's very angry at her.

"Ukthy I'm...I'm sorry, I'm sorry please forgive me". She begged her sister showing her her puppy face.

"I'm not going to buy that look of yours this time around Yas, you told him I was your maid! Who does that to her own blood sister?!"

"I know...I know that I'm wrong, please just forgive me, please! I beg you".

"Why did you do that? Don't tell me you had lied to him too?!" She asked but Yasira kept mum.

"Should I take that as a yes?" Still, she kept mum.

"To God who made me, you're just so stupid Yas!" She blurted out angrily.

"Why did you bring me here in the first place and do you know what time it says now?"

"I don't have anything to say to you than, I'm sorry" she replied irritatedly. She had started to get irritated by her sister's nagging. The only reason she had brought her here with her was that she could cover up for her but instead, she's scolding her. Like seriously?

"Come on, let's go home"

"Wait!". She stopped her.

"What now this time around?"

"Actually, I can't go home like this"

"Why?"

"You should wear the dress instead"

"What?!!!"

"I mean, Umma won't get mad at you since you're the senior. And again, you're her favorite, she will pardon you if she comes to know"

"You're crazy, Yas" Yasmeen sneered. "She's your mother too. You know, sometimes I can't seem to understand you, you always feel that mom loves me more but you're wrong! She loves us" she said pointing between the two of them.

"Come on, let's go. I'm not ready for your silly drama"

"I'm not leaving". She blurted stubbornly.

"It's getting dark Yasira, please let's go home, enough of your stupid drama, I'm begging you, please". She pleaded clapping both of her hands together.

"I told you, didn't I? I'm not leaving this place if you're not wearing this dress"

"Suit your self!" Yasmeen replied back, hoping that her sister would change her mind but she wasn't even planning to move an inch.

Crazy, stupid girl!

After realizing that she's not going to change her mind, she decided to finally oblige to her request. "Fine! You won". She muttered.

Yasira rolled her eyes as they both quickly swap their dress. There was not much difference between the two, they'd same size of shoe and their body size is almost the same thing, the only difference is that Yasmeen has more shape than her little sister.

After the swapping of the cloth, Yasira couldn't help but to feel a pang of jealousy in her heart. "Even without make up, she still look so beautiful in that dress than me" she thought.

"We'll be so dead today if Umma finds out about this" Yasmeen said.

"Let's go home, I'm tired" Yasira replied.

•

Both sister's sneak into their room silently. Once, they close the door, Yasmeen took a very deep breath out.

"Alhamdulillah, I really don't know what Umma would have done, if she had comes to knows that we went out without her permission and most especially, I was wearing her cloth."

Yasira did not bother to reply her. Instead, she moved further towards their bed and on the light. Both Yasmeen and Yasira shriek out in shock.

There is their mother sitting on their bed with an expression Yasmeen couldn't pinpoint.

"Where are you two coming from?" Zahrahu asked in a fierce tone.

"Umma, I can explain" Yasmeen said with tears already streaming down her eyes. Yasira on the other hand was squealing internally in joy. She knew something like this would happen, and that's why she had asked her sister to put the gown instead. "I'm sorry sister, but you'll have to take all of the blame"

"Umma!" She ran towards their mom shedding out her crocodile tears. "I told Ukthy not to do it, but she was so adamant! I told her, I'm scared but she said you won't scold us. She told me she's your favorite and that you won't get mad at her. Mom please, forgive me. I swear, I didn't mean to go out without your permission. I never knew she would actually meet a guy, If I had known, I wouldn't have followed her" She lied to their Mom while Yasmeen just stood there looking at her sister in astonishment.

She knew Yasira is capable of something like this but at least, she wasn't expecting her to act this way to her today, she could have considered her this time around, she shouldn't have been so selfish. For goodness sake, the embarrassment she had caused her few hours ago wasn't enough,and now she's lying in her face to their mother?

Shifting away her gaze from her sister to their mother, she saw the disappointed look on her face, then was replaced by anger.

There's no doubt. She's dead!

"Umma, I can explain! Please, just hear me out please". She beseech.

"Lock that door" she announced for the first time after the two girls have been trying to explain themselves.

"Umma please". She begged. She knows what will come next if she should dare close the door.

"I said, close that door!" She shout.

With her trembling legs, she amble towards the door and lock it. She walk closer back to her mother waiting to face the consequences of her stupid sister's action.

Her mother brought out her stick whilst she point at a very particular spot and asked Yasmeen to stand there "Mom, please!"

"I said, stand there!"

She finally obliged. After she did as she was told, her mother asked her to raise up her cloth and within a blink, she had started whipping the back of her leg. Yasmeen shriek in pain as another hot tears start streaming down her face.

"You'll count up to 20, do I make my self clear?"

"Ye.. yes Umma" she said biting her lower lip just to hold in the pain.

"Now count!"

"One! Whip Two whip three whip four whip five whip six whip seven whip eight whip nine whip ten whip"

The counting was still going on as the rest of the neighbours are now at front of the girls room. Sani was banging on the door so hard while asking Zahrahu to open the door but she turned into a deaf ear as she continued with the torture.

"Umma, please forgive me"

"Shut up! You're her senior sister but you're laying a bad step for her. Aren't you ashame of your self?"

"Umma please,it won't repeat it self again. Please, this pain is becoming unbearable" she cried out in pain.

Immediately that statement came out from Yasmeen's mouth, Zahrahu stopped. "Let this be the very first and last time you will ever try this rubbish! Like seriously Yasmeen?! You went out to meet a guy?" She glared angrily at her daughter.

Yasmeen felt bad and sad at the same time. Her mom will not call her real name else if she's mad at her.

"Umma please I'm sorry, please forgive me. I swear, I didn't mean to-"

"Shut up! Go and sit there. I'm not done with you yet"

"And you" She faced Yasira. "Come here, I'm not sparing you on this. As the junior one, why can't you stop her from leaving huh? Now, come here"

"But Mom, it wasn't me! She's the one at fault here. Please spare me Umma"

"Not today. You better come here young lady, else I'll beat you more than you can ever imagine" she threatened.

She amble slowly with her trembling legs towards her mother. Zahrahu only whipped her three stroke of cane but the loud yelp she had given out loudly was more than Yasmeen who has taken twenty stroke of cane.

After their mother was done with them, she finally open the door and storm out of the room to her room. Then, she burst into tears. She was crying not because she's mad at her daughter's but because she had beaten them, most especially her Gimbiya, Umme Khairi .

That name! That was the name both she and her ex husband had promised to give to their daughter if someday they had a daughter. And here she's, with their beautiful daughter, but the poor child didn't even know who she really is.

She felt two strong arm on her shoulder as the person engulf her in a tight hug. She clutch her hand tightly on his shirt and cried her heart out. "I just beat my Umme khairi, Sani. I'm a bad mother, walahi"

"No you're not, you're just mad at her. But you take it too far, you shouldn't have done that. She's old enough to see whoever she wishes to. "Don't get me wrong" he said the moment he sees that she was about to argue with him. "I never said what she did was right but you could have allowed her to explain her self"

"I don't know, I just felt bad that she's doing the wrong thing. I'm sorry, I thought I was doing the right thing....please forgive me"

"You shouldn't beg me Zahra, instead the apology should be for our princess. Do you think if she's with her real father, he would allow you to touch a single hair of her? Please don't scold our children like this, most especially Yasmeen. She deserve more than this"

"I'm sorry"

"Talk to your daughter wifey" he smiled at her.

•

It been three hours already and Yasira is not ready to speak to her senior sister. Whenever Yasmeen tried to talk to her, she'll bark at her, telling her it was all her fault their mom had flogged her.

"Please Yasira,I'm so sorry, please believe me. I swear, I didn't mean for Mom to touch you. It just happened suddenly, everything happened so fast"

"It was all your fault! You could have done something. Lie to her, tell her that I'm innocent that it was all your doing but what did you do? You kept mute, you allowed her to flog me!"

"Haba(please) Yasira, you only received three stroke of cane while mine was twenty. Do you even know how painful it was for me?"

"I don't care! Walahi talahi I'll never forgive you for this, Ya Yasmeen!" She said as she storm out of the room not without banging the door so hard that got Yasmeen startled.

Kano, Nigeria.

"Yamir! Where are you going to at this late hour? Or you're retiring back to your chamber already?"

"No Father. Actually, I need to go to Samir. We promised to meet"

"I'm happy that you two are getting along so well. Masha Allah. You know, that was how I and his Dad was when we were young. We were inseparable"

"I know you missed him a lot"

"I do, I missed him a lot. I wish he was still here with me"

"Do you miss Mom too?" He asked, taking him off guard.

"Yo...your Mom? Of course, of course I missed her too" he said with a small smile.

The truth is, he missed Zahrahu more.

I'm so sorry Yamir,but I can't disclose anything to you yet. You can only know the truth when the right time comes. But for now, I can't tell you the bitter truth that I'm not your real father and Samir is my biological son.

"Father!". He called bringing him out from his thought.

"Hmm" he hummed.

"I know, you don't love mother but Miss Zahrahu more, but I hope deep one there in you, you still have some feelings for my mother. I hope her memory is still with you father". He said as he tried to walk away but the king's voice stopped him.

"We're are going to Katsina, insha Allah next tomorrow morning. I know you would want to go to your office first thing tomorrow morning, since I and your mother didn't give you the chance to leave for your office today". He announced to him.

When he said his mother, he meant the Queen he later married. Sarauniya Binta. She bears same name with his first wife. She's Chief Farhan junior sister. Chief Farhan is very close to the King.

"What? But father..." He pinch the bridge of his nose. "I just returned and now you're making me travel again? And why are we going to Katsina? For what purpose?". He bombarded his father with so many questions.

"You'll know when we get there, and please don't ask me questions. You'll do as I say" he said in his authoritative tone, leaving no room for an argument.

"Where in Katsina father?"

"Babban Saura" he said and walk back to his room.