One

"Stay". He spoke quietly.

He spoke knowing it was useless, she wouldn't listen to him, at times she did, but the line was drawn, not this time.

"Please".

She said nothing still, just kept her gaze straight as she took determined strides towards the door.

Suddenly she seemed nothing like the woman he'd become so fond of, the woman who smiled so easily, who blushed at his comments so shyly, who melted and fitted into his arms so perfectly.

She suddenly seemed like the woman he first met; one who would crack a smile only for courtesy demands, one who he once considered frigid and heartless, she suddenly seemed like the CEO she was, she seemed like the Sayya Bilal he had grown to forget.

He hurried after her, his fingers encircled her wrist at once to stop her from leaving, he was almost relieved when her steps halted and she inclined her head a bit so her gaze fell on his hand holding onto hers.  For a moment he dared to harbor a glimmer of hope, however it vanished when she raised her teary gaze to meet his......her teary and very much decisive gaze.

Their gazes lingered and she smiled faintly, a smile that said a thousand words, they needed space, a lot of it.

He felt his heart shatter to bits as she gently tugged her hand free, he did nothing, truth is he could only do that much......nothing. Nothing could ease the pain that engulfed him at that moment, nothing at all, it felt like he had lost her, he felt that way though she was still his.....

What the heck? Who was he kidding?

Once he could say she was his with no doubt at all, now however, he wasn't sure at all, now...it sounded so unreal, so farfetched.

She turned around and resumed walking away.

Sayya, Sayya please.

His voice failed to come out, it seemed to be locked away, locked far, far away, he wished against all odds that it'd break free and she'd hear him, maybe, just maybe she'd stop. He watched her walk away, she walked out of the house they had made their home, she walked out on him, walked away from everything they ever held dear.

ONE

She lay lazily on the bed, sunlight streamed into the room through the parted curtain, casting a beautiful golden hue around the room, once again she found herself staring at the all too familiar ceilings, her steady and relaxed breathing slowly changing as her mind traveled back to times before now, times in which all was fine, when all was peaceful.

19 YEARS AGO

She straightened her spine once her aunt’s gaze fell on her, she smiled softly at her; approvingly. The slow song playing softly was calming as was the soft scent of the rose fragrant that lingered in the air. She could complain about nothing except the fact that her hair was pulled back into a tight bun which caused her head to throb painfully, of course she had complained to her attendant but the fussy woman had disregarded her complaint saying a mild headache was a small price to pay for a sleek bun.

She almost shuddered as she recalled the scorching heat from the stretching comb as it combed through her hair straightening the frizzy strands painfully, she had complained about that too but her attendant had once again disregarded her complaint saying "no pain, no gain".

"Now dear, show me how you hold your teacup". Her Aunt Zarah said, her warm gazing finding comfort from resting on her beautiful niece who bore great resemblance to her.

In Nigeria, their bronzy complexion was one which was considered to be the flawless complexion of a person who was considered ‘soft and posh’, a complexion which was untainted by the harsh rays of the sun nor the sharp bites of the cold. Their wide almond shaped eyes were always lined flawlessly as were their naturally pink lips which was never....ever caught chapped.

Sayya's smile softened as she focused on the teacup in front of her, carefully she reached out and picked it up by the delicate handle making sure that her pinky stuck out, she raised the rim to her lips slowly and took a small sip before she set the cup down on the saucer.

She raised her gaze to meet Aunt Zarah's which held pride and admiration.

"I did well, didn't I?". She said, her eyes twinkling with delight.

Aunt Zarah smiled and nodded.

"Yes my sweet, you did great". She said. "Tell you what, you were as a Queen".

Sayya's smile grew into a grin at once.

"Does that mean I stand a chance to marry a prince then?". She said, she giggled childishly; her five years of existence had had fantasies of princes and noble knights with regal horses.

Aunt Zarah chuckled.

"Why not?". She said. "You're gonna make a great Queen ,one fit for kings, you know why?".

Sayya shook her head.

"'Cause my sweet, you're already a princess, a graceful one at that".

She watched her niece smile brightly; deep dimples flashed themselves just as bright.

Sighing, she thought ‘Layla dear, if only you were here to see how much of a beauty your Sayya's turning out to be’.

She couldn't help but remember her sister in-law whom she missed so much T'was sad she had to be gone so soon, she was a faithful wife to the end, she had said she couldn't live without her husband, Sayya's father, and true to her words she accompanied him till the very end, they both lost their lives in an accident leaving Sayya in the care of her aunt.

".......and we'd live happily ever after". Sayya's voice brought her out of her reverie.

She nodded quickly and said "Happily ever after, yes, happily ever after indeed".

"You'll be there too, you know". Sayya said. "We'll live in the castle together"

She smiled. A castle?

Maybe their great old Powers Empire would be the castle for her princess; she'd grow up to be the Queen of their empire.

16 years later.

How quickly time had passed, how easily everything she loved had faded, how painful it was to remember times lived, memories of priceless moments hurt, moments shared with Aunt Zarah, she still remembered how melodious her voice sounded, how warm and comforting her smile was, how her beautiful brown eyes would gaze at her lovingly .

Her chest tightened as emotions began swirling within, she dragged in a deep breath to calm herself.

'Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened'

She'd repeat those words like a mantra until she was calm, or at least till she wasn't at the brink of breaking down.

She walked to her vanity table and stared into the dressing mirror , she had a business dinner and she had to get ready, she couldn't afford to be late, aunt Zarah would be disappointed if she was.

A small smiled curved her lips as she recalled memories of how Aunt Zarah had fussed over her during her prom, how she had told her she looked like an angel.

"I wish you didn't leave me". She breathed quietly. "Wish you were here".

Her reflection stared back at her; a slim lady with high cheekbones, almond shaped eyes, long pointed nose and lush pink lips.

‘You're gonna be a real beauty my sweet, just wait and see’. Aunt Zarah had said lovingly.

And indeed she had, life had changed a lot since Aunt Zarah passed away, dreams of princes and castles had been replaced by power and empires, where once held Aunt Zarah's warmth now held emptiness and cold.

Again she inhaled deeply and applied the final touches to her make-up, she wrapped a deep blue veil around her head loosely before she stood up, she grabbed her purse and keys and then headed out.

Her heels clacked against the marble floors as she made her way downstairs, the trails of her light ash colored dress swept  the floor ever so slightly, the deep blue stilettos she had on added to her 5'4 by 3inches , she embodied grace as she descended the stairs, every step controlled and deliberate.

At the bottom of the stairs stood Ima, whose smile was bright as always.

"You look beautiful, Miss". She said once Sayya reached the bottom of the stairs.

"As always".

Sayya smiled warmly before she said

"I'll be out for about two hours, if I get late just go to bed and don't worry about me".

Ima was a house help but was considered as more than just that, she was considered family, at times though, for Sayya, it was hard to express how much she cared about people, that soft emotional part of her had died along with Aunt Zarah. Her tough exterior was all that was known to most of the people she met, Ima and the other house helps however, knew what she really was like, or what she used to be.

After a small talk with Ima she concluded by saying;

"I'll be on my way now".

Ima nodded.

"Take care, Miss". She said.

Sayya nodded and walked away. On stepping outside the cool night's breeze blew against her, caressing her face ever say softly, the moon glowed brightly illuminating the sleek jet black Mercedes waiting for her to unlock it and get in, it's headlights flashed as she pressed the button of her key to unlock her beloved Raven, she closed the distance between them soon enough and got in, the ignition started with a soft hum, she pulled out of the parking space and made her way onto drive whilst the security man hurried and opened the gates.

"Take care, Miss". He said as she drove passed him.

She simply smiled and nodded. Of course she'd take care, she always did.

~~~

The drive to Malta’s Restaurant was smooth and steady, the night was alive and active as people went about doing their businesses regardless of the hour, it was one of the reasons she loved Kaduna, time could never dampen the active vibes of the people.

During the drive she had enough time to plan and strategize her game, she would be meeting Mr. Raysham Muhammad, one of Nigeria's most influential business men. They would be meeting for the first time to discuss a business proposal made prior to their meeting, she had done thorough researches on the Dominion Empire and had found no trace of shady activities, though deep down she had her doubts, Mr. Raysham Muhammad had Miraculously raised the Dominion Empire so high in the ranks of successful business empires in the country surpassing many who had been at the top, truth is even her beloved Powers Empire was being threatened by the Dominion Empire, what better way to put an end to rivalry and secure her place at the top than to secure a partnership with the top rival?

For the first time in five years of rivalry, she'd be meeting Mr. Raysham Muhammad, and she intended to leave the impression she always left on her business associates; strong and independent.