A war council was the last thing Naila expected to come out of Rani's mouth. Though at the same time, it wasn't like it came directly from her.

"As you may have noticed or heard," Rani announced to her council, "assassin attacks have intensified as of late, alongside the growing dissent and starvation."

The good women ruling Sadina had been gathered in Rani's barely used office. Everyone was here, the two princesses of Sadina, Tamara, Ruhena, Nuha, and that new scribe of commoners. Naila had yet to learn her name even though she had been with them for over half a year. The woman would be substituted in a matter of years by a pawn of her own device.

And talking about pawns, the comically named Aya Ayad was standing up behind the scribe of commoners as she had been placed as her apprentice. Whilst the girl lacked experience due to her young age, she showed great interest and intelligence. Not only did she appear brighter of mind than the former scribe of commoners, but her education was pointing towards being better.

Naila had investigated Aloe's background – out of duty rather than interest – when she had been declared an assassin, and she was surprised to find out how the commoner had gotten an education equivalent to that of kings. Sadina was the scholar capital of Ydaz, but even then, the results of the sultanzade's digging were confounding.

Yes, the former scribe was the daughter of another emir's personal scribe and a wealthy businessman, but by all means it was rather odd to see lowborn people this educated in so many fields without being affiliated with the sultanate.

Aloe Ayad's loss was becoming more and more pronounced as time went on. She wasn't an unpolished gem by any metric, but she was a diamond that only lacked a firm polish to be one of the best.

But enough dwelling on the past, the former Ayad matriarch was a footnote in Naila's machinations. She didn't intend to usurp the Emirate of Sadina as her half-sister had done, but having another seat in the shape of the scribe of commoners would allow her to tip the scales in her favor.

Mainly reducing her workload.

…Her machinations still needed a bit of ambition, truth be told.

For now, she tuned in to the discussion.

"The main problem is the assassin’s choosing of targets," the new boring scribe of commoners said. "They have focused on key infrastructures like wells and farmlands, and whilst not lethal and commonly superficial in nature, their continued attacks are generating a lot of unrest."

"We already know that, Shula," Rani told the scribe as she massaged her temples. "I would love some new insights rather than facts I have heard ad nauseam."

Shula, got it. Naila acknowledged the scribe's name, only to forget it the next instant.

The newly appointed scribe of commoners cowered at Rani's aggressiveness and added nothing more to the discussion. That was why her name never stuck to Naila's memory, the woman was too scrupulous and pathetic. Ayad wouldn't have been so passive, even if she was not the most active or talkative woman.

Rani sighed in disappointment. "Anyhow, I have someone that wants to speak with all of you. You can come in, Fatima."

"Ugh, finally," her other half-sister barged into the room. "I was tired of waiting."

"You just arrived," Naila added. She had heard her arriving as she was wielding the sense stance.

"No one likes snitches," the oldest sultanzade squinted at the youngest.

"Fatima, no fighting." Whilst it wasn't a plead, Rani's voice did convey genuine exhaustion. "You told me you wanted to be at our meetings, but you have yet to tell me why you are in Sadina in the first place."

"Right," Fatima snapped her fingers. "I did forget about that." The sultanzade cleared her throat and straightened her posture. She almost looked royal and everything. "Our dear Mother, Aaliyah-al-Ydaz, has sent me here to enlighten you on the end of the Pax Qiraji."

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Some of the members of the meeting gasped at the revelation, namely Tamara and that scribe whose name had been erased from Naila's mind.

The Pax Qiraji, or the peace of the desert, was an edict that their mother had proclaimed early into her reign. It was initially enacted as a statal declaration of peace meanwhile the sultanate accepted their new sultanah as it wasn't a great idea to declare war as a newly appointed monarch. But as the years went on, Ydaz proliferated on its peace, no longer needing Kyra-al-Ydaz's expansionist wars to sustain its economy.

Most of that effect was thanks to Aaliyah-al-Ydaz's centralized government, as unlike Naila's grandmother who was always waring and whoring on the new territories of Ydaz, her mother kept herself in the capital, allowing the whole country to benefit from the Blood of the Sultanah.

"I hypothesize the reason why you came," Rani started, "but could you elaborate on why Aaliyah wants to put an end to a prosperous semicentennial peace?"

"Oh, how fancy, semicentennial. What will be the next term you use? Half-a-tenth lustrums?" Fatima snickered.

"I am being serious here, Fatima," the emir frowned.

"My apologies, your question was so devoid of thought that I guessed you were jesting."

"Some of the people here are not as bright as us." Now, Rani didn't look at anyone as she said that, but Naila's hyperattentive eyesight boosted by the sense stance caught the slightest flicker of eyes toward her.

The imperial scribe didn't add anything to the non-verbal comment except a scowl. Rani dared to talk about her like that when there was only one reason why one would put a stop to a period of peace.

"Simple," Fatima said, "the Heavenly Descendant wants to annihilate the Loyatans before they can hurt us more."

This time no one gasped. Everyone here was well aware of the possibility of war, even the young Aya. However, everyone was expecting the Loyatans to break the peace, not Ydaz herself.

"So when is this war declaration coming?" Rani questioned the foreign sultanzade. "Are you here to notify us in advance that we are already at war?"

Fatima's mouth twisted in the utmost djnnish smile she could muster, the corners of her mouth as high as her nose.

"Well, that depends on you," she announced.

Rani severely frowned at her words and finally straightened up. Not even when Fatima had talked about putting an end to the Pax Qiraji had she been this perturbated.

"What do you mean by this?"

"Exactly what you are thinking," Fatima added.

A series of confused gazes flew across the room, no one daring to speak and interrupt the princesses.

"What are you musing about?" All except a third princess.

"Ah, Naila," the older sultanzade giggled, "you do not get it, do you?"

"No, stop with the subterfuge and speak plainly," the younger sultanzade responded stoically.

"Very well," Fatima raised her palms in a traditional Ydazi defensive manner then bowed with a grin on her lips. "By decree of Her Youthfulness Aaliyah-al-Ydaz, Sultanah of Ydaz, Emir of Asina, Ruler of the Qiraji, and Heavenly Descendant, the management and command of the war efforts in the conflict against the Loyatan Coalition will be given to the Emirate of Sadina and their controllers."

Naila heard a cup fall to the ground and shatter, whose it was, she didn't know.

This progression of the events was… unexpected.

"Speak frankly with me, Fatima," Rani said in a very serious tone, her eyes flaring purple. "Is this one of your jokes?"

"I can assure you it is not." Whilst the princess showed no seriousness, there was no hint of comedy either in her mannerisms. "Mother is quite literally leaving Sadina the decision-making in the war. Albeit with the caveat that she may step into it whenever she pleases."

That last part was to be expected. Their Mother was just declaring them generals – emphasis on them as Fatima specified the Emirate and not just Rani as the commanders – and no matter how wise a general may be and how much power they may have in the army and a state of war, the one who ruled the country was the monarch.

"Hmm," Rani put a hand before her lips as she pondered. "I was expecting something, but…" she gave Naila another subtle glance. "Yes, this makes sense."

There was something wrong in that gaze, Naila could feel it in her bones. She understood the previous one as her half-sister underestimated and undermined her, but this one was wholly different.

She had tried hard to put herself into the court affairs as of late, especially as she intended to use Aya for said affairs, so she needed some understanding of them in the first place. But even with her newly acquired worldview, she was unaware of something. And it was irking her.

"Understood," Rani accepted Fatima's words with chilling calmness. But what shook Naila more were her next words. "Fatima, I declare you regent vizier of Sadina until my return from Asina," the emir announced as she stood up.

"What?" For the first time in their meeting, Fatima lost her cool. "What about Naila? She's the imperial scribe of Sadina, she has acted before as the regent emir – let alone vizier – so why should I do it?"

"Foolish girl," Rani casually told her older half-sister. "Naila is coming with me to Asina, of course."

"What?" It was time for Naila to lose her cool too. "What are you planning, Rani? What is that wicked mind of yours concocting now?"

The emir cackled. "You should reserve that question for your mother. We are going to meet her at once."