Humzah was to embarrassed to face his friends so he went outside, behind the palace the friends had began to practice ATPIC, after a warmup Ashhad allowed everyone to rest for a few minutes, during this free time Zulqarnain was sitting with Asad as Zulqarnain upsettingly remarked
Zulqarnain : I feel as if we have wronged Humzah, he's our friend, everyone deserves a second chance.
to this Asad asked
Asad : are you on my side or his?
Zulqarnain : I'm on the side of peace.
Asad : he tried to kill me Zulqarnain, I won't forgive him for that.
Zulqarnain : I don't think he intended to kill you, his motives were different.
Asad : second degree assault?
Zulqarnain : regardless, I hope this doesn't affect his and Kainaat's marriage.
Asad had his eyes fixed on Kainaat who was at the minute chatting with Aliza and Alyne,
Asad muttered
Asad : this love story's gonna end before it even started.
Zulqarnain asked
Zulqarnain : did you say something?
Asad : no.
outside the palace Humzah was sitting near a lake, just across this lake was a market, in this market was a lemonade stand owned by none other than the former Prince of Ortania Saad Akhtar, after the revolutionary war Saad was left broke, with his remaining money he was able to build a lemonade stand through which he earned his bread and butter, Saad was doing his daily job when he saw Humzah, identifying the man as one of the many who overthrew him Saad quickly prepared a glass of lemonade and took it to Humzah, Humzah was in a pretty bad mood when Saad approached him and asked
Saad : why the long face, big guy?
Humzah looked up and saw Saad, he quickly got up and asked
Humzah : you, what are you doing here!
Saad : I sell lemonade, see that small stand over their that's mine.
Saad pointed at his lemonade stand as Humzah said
Humzah : I see.
Humzah took the glass of lemonade and curiously asked
Humzah : have you poisoned this?
Saad : why would I do such an act of violence against my beloved rulers.
Humzah : that doesn't answer my question but I'll buy it.
Humzah drank the whole glass as he said
Humzah : this was delicious, how much for one glass?
Saad : one glass costs 25 emeralds but for you my Prince, it's absolutely free.
Humzah took out 100 emeralds and gave them to Saad as he politely said
Humzah : thankyou, keep the change.
Saad : but, my lord.
Humzah : though I still do not like you, I feel pitiful at your current state, so please keep these emeralds as a token of my appreciation.
Saad : thanks.
Saad placed the emeralds in his inventory as Humzah returned him the glass, Saad asked out of curiosity
Saad : by the way, why were you so sad?
Humzah : their's this man named Asad in our cabinet, he's a real dick.
hearing that name Saad's eyes went wide, he dropped the glass and it broke on impact, as Humzah shouted
Humzah : hey be careful!
Saad looked at Humzah with horror in his eyes, as he asked
Saad : did you .... did you say .... Asad?
Humzah : yeah, he's a real piece of shit.
Humzah stood up and said
Humzah : you wanna know the strange part, he's Ashhad's nephew, that's the only reason why I haven't beaten a pulp out of him yet.
Humzah began to leave as Saad said
Saad : he's not Ashhad's nephew.
Humzah stopped dead in his tracks as he turned around Saad said
Saad : Ashhad's nephew is dead.
Humzah felt as if the ground beneath his feet slipped away as he asked
Humzah : what?
Saad : let me tell you a story, the story of Asad Bhatti.
Saad and Humzah sat down as Saad began his story
Saad : Asad Bhatti better known as Asad the ra*ist joined Rise and Fall as a member of Prothenia, Asad was a very strange person, never speaking to anyone, always being a bit frustrated and to top it all of he had a sadistic hate towards women, the very mentioning of a girl or love would make him very very angry, whenever a girl achieved something he hadn't, he would become so angry that if that girl were to be unfortunate enough to meet him, he would attack her.
Humzah began to sweat as he said
Humzah : is he a spy, sent by Prothenia?
Saad : no, you see as the stories say, Asad's hate for women fostered everyday, he began to fantasize about ra*ing pretty girls, he had really lost his mind, then one day he did the unthinkable.
Humzah : what?
Saad : he ra*ed a 12 year old girl and then brutally murdered her.
Humzah : oh dear.
Saad : he said that the sound of a girl crying was the best sound he had ever heard, he said it himself " girls begging me for mercy is like music to my ears ".
Humzah : this man's insane.
Saad : after his first successful ra*e he didn't stop, he kept kidnapping and ra*ing innocent girls afterwards he would watch them cry before brutally murdering them.
Humzah : did he ever get caught?
Saad : yes but, instead of severely punishing him, he was exiled to Bardonia, but even their his sick twisted tendencies didn't stop, he ra*ed even more girls and this time, his target was women of all age, his hate for the female gender had now gotten on another level, after successfully ra*ing 60 innocent girls and women, he was caught and again exiled this time to Rigen, their a similar story entailed finally, when Navarre invaded Rigen, Asad became a member of Navarre but even their he kept committing these atrocities finally, after he had taken 96 lives Navarre exiled him to Ortania, here Asad befriended Asad Zakir.
Saad looked down and said
Saad : Asad Zakir was Ashhad's actual nephew, he was the sweetest boy in all of Ortania, Asad Bhatti and Asad Zakir looked identical to one another, perhaps this was the reason the two even became friends in the first place, the two would spend hours talking to one another, all this time Asad Bhatti gathered all the information about Asad Zakir and suspiciously enough wrote it all down in a journal.
Saad sighed and said
Saad : then one accursed night Asad Zakir who was Ashhad's real nephew was found dead in his house, his killer was his best friend Asad Bhatti.
Humzah : oh my God!
Saad : after committing his 97th ra*e Asad Bhatti was arrested, it was planned that Sufiyan would personally take his life but, the day Asad Bhatti was to be punished you guys attacked Stevenburg.
Saad had picked up all the broken pieces of the fallen glass as he said
Saad : in a last ditch effort to save his rule, Sufiyan released all the prisoners and made them troops of the Ortanian army, promising them freedom if Sufiyan won the war, that didn't happen and Sufiyan was killed.
Humzah : you were there weren't you, why didn't you say something?
Saad : I was too worried about my own wellbeing, I didn't notice that Asad was with you, sir you need to kick that monster out of your cabinet, all your female friends are in danger!
Humzah : what do .... what do I do?
Saad : how many girls are in your cabinet?
Humzah : 3.
Saad : ok, I need you to listen to me closely, you must maintain good communication with all three of them, so that when Asad makes a move, you can alert them, can you do that?
Humzah : I won't have to worry about all of them, see Alyne was a prostitute, so she'd actually enjoy Asad and he's not to keen on Aliza either, his real target is Kainaat.
Saad : that's even worse, I hope you have good relations with Kainaat?
Humzah : yeah, not that much.
Saad : what do you mean, you have to keep Kainaat on your good side!
Humzah : I'll do my best.
Saad : you must!
Humzah's eyes were glowing red with rage as Saad said
Saad : girls are a blessing of God not a burden, they're delicate creatures who carry a lot of responsibilities on their shoulders, they're re not below us, they're our equals who deserve respect, but people with sick twisted tendencies like Asad don't think that way, to them girls are like s*x toys.
Humzah : disgusting.
Saad : Asad is a mastermind when it comes to trapping his victims and anyone who tries to come to his victims aid doesn't live for long.
Humzah : oh my God!
Saad : you can overpower him but that's not what you need, in order to beat Asad you must outsmart him.
Humzah : but Ashhad and Zulqarnain are the smart guys, I just know how to beat my enemies to death.
Saad : that's not gonna help, in order to win Kainaat's heart you must play this game the way Asad has set it up, through words and not swords.
Humzah : that will not be easy.
Saad : even if everyone turns against you don't worry, I'm on your side, I'll do my best to help you from the shadows.
Humzah : I appreciate that.
Saad : by the way what's your name?
Humzah : Humzah Asad.
as Humzah stood up to leave Saad asked
Saad : I'm sure you're wondering how all of a sudden I've became so worried about Kainaat even though, I was the one who wronged her.
Saad looked at his reflection in the shattered glass and said
Saad : I regret everyday of that life, the way I hurt her, the way I starved her, the way I took away the blessing of motherhood from her.
Saad got teary and said
Saad : I'm a monster who deserves to perish in hell, I made girls trade their dignity for money, I ruined hundreds of lives but.
Saad began to cry as he said while wailing
Saad : but if Kainaat forgives me I think the fire in hell will become a little lighter for me!
Saad wiped his tears and while sulking said
Saad : I want to change Humzah, I want the last moments of my life to be ones that leave such an impact that the people remember me in good words.
Humzah : I'll pray for you, even though you were my enemy, I'm atleast happy that you had a change of heart.
Humzah smiled as he placed his hand on Saad's shoulder and said
Humzah : thankyou Saad, take care.
Humzah began to leave as Saad placed his hand on Humzah's shoulder, Humzah turned around and asked
Humzah : yes?
Saad tightly hugged Humzah and said
Saad : you're the only person besides my mother who told me to take care of myself, so thankyou.
Humzah also tightly hugged Saad, back in the royal palace, Ashhad had successfully taught everyone ATPIC as he said with a smile
Ashhad : I'm glad you all learned this technique, now we're unstoppable.
Asad : I believe that we are no longer the strongest in this team, aye uncle?
Ashhad : indeed, according to my careful estimations, at the bottom of the barrel is Humzah since he didn't learn this technique, above him is Aliza, then Alyne, then Nizaam, then Hussnain, then you, then me but, as for the top two it could either be Zulqarnain or Kainaat.
Hussnain : definitely Zulqarnain.
Nizaam : yeah he's to fast.
Aliza : without a doubt in my word, it's Zulqarnain.
Zulqarnain : don't flatter me like that guys you'll spoil me.
Ashhad : anyways, you all deserve some well needed rest, so let's get some.
Asad : I couldn't agree more.
the friends went back into the palace and went to their respective rooms to rest, upon entering his room Asad quickly locked the door, he took out in his hand a journal as he said to himself
Asad : my plan is nearly complete, 98 down 2 to go but who will that lucky bit*h be?
Asad went and laid down on his bed as he said to himself
Asad : Kainaat's definitely gonna be 100, means I'll have to look for victim number 99.
Asad stood up walked to his window and while looking out of it he saw Humzah, he smiled and said
Asad : something tells me, I'll have to change my taste.