A month ago when they all explained the truth to her it had been hard to accept, almost an impossible reality. After taking it in at first she had been horrendously angered at Jian and everyone for not telling her.
After having carefully considered it though Chang realized she might not have done it any differently in their shoes.
Later that night after coming to that realization she had held Jian tightly and apologized for taking her anger out on him. He held her gently like she was made of glass and told her he would take it all, no matter what it was. Only for her. Always for her.
His words hit her in the soft spot of her chest and she was rendered wordless. Unable to say anything more she buried herself in his arms. Somewhere along the way he had become her bedrock, in the tranquility of his arms she slept peacefully.
Seeing her in repose, Liang Jian Amal whispered words into her ears causing a small smile to bloom on her face, in her dreams she must have heard him. He felt his heart lighten seeing her safe in his arms and let himself go as well.
To know that she had only about a month more with her mom crushed her a little, time took on a whole new meaning for her with that.
Chang was still healing from the pain of the loss from her father and now had to prepare to lose her mother too. It was just too much for her to process some days.
She noticed too as she spent more time with her mother, while her own condition was improving her mother's was worsening; even with the treatments.
Li Hua fatigued easily, and had started having trouble controlling her moments at times. She would drop glasses or utensils almost regularly, and even had a hard time holding cards when they would play at night. She walked jerkily and was even given a walking cane to help assist her a week ago.
It killed Chang a little inside when she saw these little things. It drove home it all.
Chang had her head laid on her mother's lap savoring the feeling of her running her fingers through her hair like she had when she was a child. Every moment she had left with her mother she treasured more than anything else.
"Hey mom?"
"Yes sweetie?" Li Hua paused for a moment before continuing. The two were on Li Hua's favorite swinging bench in the water garden, the sunlight streamed down on them between the willow leaves warming them.
Over the last month the weather had grown slightly chillier as November heralded its arrival. It would still though be considered mild, even to her San Francisco standards of not more than 80° or less than 50°.
"Will you tell me the story of how you and Dad met again?"
Li Hua paused for a moment before recounting the tale of her youth. She still remembered it just like yesterday.
"I first met Hénri Alexander Dumont shortly after I turned 19 years old. I was working in my parents shop, arranging the stock outside when I heard a large crash to my right." Li Hua giggled remembering the sight.
"A large man was sprawled over a line of suitcases with a bunch of other things from a higher shelf he took down with him, probably trying to stop his fall. Within just a minute he ruined what had taken me the better part of an hour to put up.
"I of course berated him as he put everything back up, completely red in the face like a tomato. After putting everything back up, he ran out like I was a devil hot on his heels."
Chang laughed imagining just how embarrassed her dad had probably been then.
Liang Jian Amal standing next to Hakim al-Hassan watching over the two women laughing on the bench. The older man looked at the younger, one hand clasped behind his back the other on the latter's shoulder.
"This is what we fight to protect."
"Do you really believe that war will come to here?"
"Your uncles have made their move. I hope not but we need to be prepared for the worst."
(;'p`) bleah might sleep a million years after today, sorry so late, luv y' all~<3
Jari Maan al-Hassan moved quickly and quietly through the shadows of his home, headed to his daughters' sleeping chambers.
He had been awoken by a faint strangling sound that made his blood run cold. He sat up finding himself alone in the giant bed, his wife no longer beside him.
Jari Maan al-Hassan walked through the corridors looking as to where she could be at the ungodly hour disturbed for an unexplainable reason.
The man soon had his answers. As he walked through the dark corridors he stumbled over a large dark mass near the cooking area.
On the ground near his feet lay their only servant. An older widow by the name of Sama, she mostly helped them with their two little girls who were about as wild as their late aunt had been. The older woman's neck had been broken.
Jari Maan al- Hassan recoiled from the ghastly sight and began looking for his wife with renewed vigor. No longer fearing to wake anyone, he started to call for her while turning to head to the girls' room.
"Fajr! Fajr!"
.. "Jari..." Her weak voice came from wall, hidden in the shadows not far from where old Sama lay.
Her two hands were pressed to her swollen belly, blood seeping between her fingers.
"Fajr!" He rushed to her, trying to check her grievous injury. She grabbed onto his hands tightly, a grim light burning in her eyes.
"Take the girls and leave here immediately!"
"Not without you, now come, let me help you, we will get the girls on time." He tried to help her stand but she refused, pushing him away.
"No, it will take too much time! You need to go make sure they are safe first! The ones who did this didn't ask questions or anything they just struck, please Jari."
"Fine, you stay here, hidden. I will return for you after the girls. Wait here." Seeing her nod in acknowledgement he moved quickly and quietly.
He grabbed the door to their room only to find light coming from within. Inside sat his older brother, turned to the door as if waiting for him. His two little girls were holding onto each other as a man with a bloody knife stood over them.
"Fahir, what is the meaning of this?"
"Ah Jari, little brother, at last you join us. Did you find the presents I left for you?" He smirked as he said that, his gold-flecked eyes cold.
"You did that to Fajr and old Sama? But why brother?" He held out his hands imploringly.
"It's time you choose a side in this war. You have been sitting on the fence for too long. Our patience has grown thin."
"Why does there even need to be war? What you and Mamud are planning to do is wrong!"
"Is that truly your final answer little brother? How disappointing.." He lazily flicked a finger at the man, and like that the two small flames of life that were his daughters were viciously snuffed out.
Jari Maan al- Hassan threw himself at his brother, trying to strangle him with his bare hands. "They were your nieces how could you!"
"Easily, just like this."
Fahir Sarhan al-Hassan whipped out a small dagger and lodged it firmly into his side. He twisted it in cruelly dropping his younger brother to the floor before walking over him.
"Set fire to this place, and be done with it quickly. We need to prepare an appropriate gift for my father."
The man who had murdered his daughters took one of the candles lighting the room and threw it on their bed, igniting it. He coldly eyed Jari Maan al-Hassan who kneeled on the ground holding the blade sticking from him.
Jari Maan al-Hassan cried out seeing it set aflame and took a few staggering steps forward to see that there was nothing that could be done. The damage had already been done.
Staggering from the room, leaving a trail, he went back to where he had left Fajr. She reclined against the wall where he had left her. Her face was now ashen and cold to the touch.
The man wept as he looked at ruin his brother's had brought down onto his household.
'For Fajr. For my little Tali and Yahra. I will see that you be brought to justice for this atrocity.'
He vowed as he held a blood soaked hand to the side of Fajr's ghostly face.
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GOT IT