Swords of Justice
Chapter 26: The Siege of the Palace
"What is this nonsense I'm looking at right now?" said Minister Taher as he gazed from the palace balcony at the army raising banners of war against them.
The situation was no different in the royal capital. The people were terrified as they realized they were surrounded by an army that had completely encircled them.
Minister Taher, in great fear: How did the army find out that I staged a coup against the king?!
King Hussein laughed and said: This is your end, traitor.
Minister Taher: This makes no sense at all. The army is supposed to be fighting the Kingdom of Al-Malkanah at the borders, thousands of kilometers away.
King Hussein: It must be the army of the Kingdom of Fouza. They must have learned that you kidnapped their prince and came to rescue him.
Minister Taher: Impossible! They wouldn't know about that. And even if they did, their country is too far away—they wouldn't arrive before tomorrow.
Prince Mustafa, thinking to himself: Yes… this doesn't make sense. Things can't happen this fast.
"I know who summoned them," said a military general as he entered the royal hall, throwing the maid Maryam—Princess Hasna's friend—onto the ground before Minister Taher. Then he continued:
I saw her earlier sending a bird somewhere. She must be the one who called this army.
Minister Taher grew furious. He kicked her hard in the face, then grabbed her by the hair as blood flowed from her mouth and said:
You filthy rebel… I will make you regret this. I'll sell you to slave traders and make an example out of you—so disgraceful that even dogs wouldn't want you.
The general said calmly: Don't worry, Minister Taher. It doesn't seem as dangerous as you think.
Taher released Maryam's hair and stomped on her head, then shouted angrily:
Are you blind, Jaafar?! Can't you see that massive army surrounding us?!
General Jaafar: Look closely at their uniforms, Minister Taher.
Taher looked again and said, confused: What about them?
General Jaafar laughed: That's not our army's official uniform. They're just rabble—thugs and lowly gangs from our own kingdom. It seems Commander Jalal has grown so desperate that he resorted to using them.
Taher's heart calmed down:
I see… so that's it.
You filthy traitor! King Hussein shouted angrily.
Jaafar turned to him arrogantly:
I think you misunderstand the meaning of betrayal, Your Majesty.
King Hussein: You are betraying me and the entire kingdom.
General Jaafar: Betrayal? … Are you joking?
He paused, then shouted: You're the one who betrayed me first! Have you forgotten that you stripped me of my position, even though I was the smartest and most capable among your dogs? And that wasn't enough—you humiliated me and threw me in prison, even though I was serving my country!
King Hussein shouted angrily: Have you forgotten what you did to that village?!
Jaafar: A village? … Oh, that village… I turned it into a trap for enemy soldiers. The plan succeeded—I wiped them out and saved the kingdom.
King Hussein, furious: You lied to us that day!
Jaafar, surprised: I lied?
King Hussein: You told us it was an empty village. So I ordered my soldiers to rain ten thousand flaming arrows upon it as soon as they entered. They did… only for me to realize I had ordered the killing of my own people!
He shouted: You deceived me to carry out your filthy plan. I will never forgive you!
General Jaafar removed his helmet and brushed his hair back, saying: Ah… you mean I didn't tell you the villagers were still there…
He smiled: If I had told you, would you have given the order? Would the plan have worked? Sometimes sacrifices are necessary. Losing a few people won't affect the population of Darhamsan.
King Hussein, even angrier: A few people?!
Then he shouted: They were women, children, and the elderly! Do you see them as mere numbers, you dog?!
General Jaafar shouted: Silence, foolish king! Your emotional decisions have never saved this kingdom. Every day wars erupt between nations, and all you care about is the people… only the people! You are incredibly naïve.
Do you think your people love you? Every day massacres happen in your kingdom while you remain unaware—sleeping, indifferent, believing Minister Taher's words without investigating anything yourself.
Your excessive kindness blinds you. We do not need a king like you to rule us. If things continue this way, we are finished.
King Hussein fell silent, unable to respond, overwhelmed with guilt. Jaafar continued:
Cat got your tongue? You are nothing… a nobody.
He then turned to Minister Taher with a sly smile:
Minister Taher promised to make me the Supreme Commander of the army in his new rule. And here, before all of you—and before the entire world—I declare: I will make the Kingdom of Darhamsan stronger and greater.
With my plans, I will destroy both the Kingdom of Al-Malkanah and Fouza. I will impose our dominance over the unknown lands. No… I will conquer the entire world—from east to west, from north to south.
I will make Darhamsan the only kingdom on Earth. I will even rename this planet Darhamsan… and make Taher its king.
Minister Taher smiled wickedly:
I know you will.
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At last, the sun began to set. Commanders Jalal, Hamza, Qasim, Mu'taz, Muawiya, and Fateh, along with Princess Hasna, were waiting for Deputy Salman, who finally arrived on horseback and said:
As you ordered, Commander Jalal, we have evacuated the capital of all its citizens. The Lady is currently overseeing their relocation in preparation for tomorrow's battle.
Mu'taz, thinking to himself: The Lady has become someone they truly rely on.
Commander Jalal: Good. Come with me to the tent. We will discuss tomorrow's plan together… the invasion plan.
To be continued…