---Nadir's POV---

Hope.

Hope was a sick, twisted thing. Easily replaced with despair, but also something that could push you beyond your limits.

I now found it kindling a fire in my heart. A hope, a desire to be able to survive and see what tomorrow would bring. I knew this had been the intention of Carson when he pointed at his men.

Started divulging secrets that probably hardly saw the light of day. It didn't make sense that the others suddenly started providing their backstories, at least, not without a reason.

I suppose that my outlook on life had been extremely grim. Where I had cast out all hope of survival, had already planned when and how I'd die without any wish or desire for something more.

The scars on my back and wrists burned viciously, as if mocking my newly found courage. Trying to avert me from the path I had chosen.

Even now, approaching Mercer's city, there was not a hint of fear in my body. Instead, there was a deep calmness, covering me like a soothing balm.

Perhaps I couldn't accurately describe what I wanted to become. I had no physical dreams like I had when I was a child, where I wanted to make my family proud, perhaps secure a high paying job so I could support my parents.

Now, my aspirations were vague at best. I knew I wanted to survive and think of a brighter future. But nothing was set in stone yet.

Still... It was weird to approach Mercer's city, see the gates loom in the distance and be at peace. To not worry about the guards patrolling the walls, not having to fear for my life.

That was a sharp contrast compared to when Mercer had dragged me here against my will. How he had bragged and taken great delight in trying to destroy my spirit, my very soul and failed time and time again.

Now I was walking into the lion's den willingly, nowhere near armed enough should the guards turn against us. But I simply smiled, enjoying the stunned looks from Carson and his men when I didn't avert my horse, didn't even attempt to try and hide my presence.

A few of the guards at the gates spotted our rather large company, brows frowning as hands dipped to their weapons. Prepared to take them out if things took a bad turn.

And yet I ignored all that, approaching the guards with a gentle smile, holding my hands in clear sight. "Lady Ishtar has invited me in the hopes of aiding her partner." I announced before motioning to Carson and his men. "These are hired guards, as I had to travel a long distance on dangerous paths."

The guards shared a look and I knew I was stretching things. Sure, it wasn't that unbelievable to hire mercenaries for protection, but such a vast crew?

Carson shrugged as he brought his horse to a standstill beside mine. "He stumbled into us when we just finished a larger assignment. We figured it be easier to finish the task together than sent the entire crew scattering over the country."

A few of the guards shared a few looks and a noncommitted shrug before one of them called out. "Do you have proof of your claim?" He motioned towards their surroundings as he added "Anyone could claim they were invited by the masters of the land."

"I have a letter in my pocket." I said with a questioning look before reaching down when the guard nodded and approached.

The man briskly approached and accepted the letter, checking the wax sealing on it before reading the contents. His expression cleared the more he read, before tucking his weapon aside.

"Aadab arz hai. Aryan, guide them to the palace, quickly!" The guard stated with a hand gesture, to which I nodded in acceptance and guided Tahir to follow the guard, who rushed ahead while shouting at the people to make way.

Carson stayed by my side, his crew fully acting like my actual guards as they made sure I was safeguarded on all sides.

They were wise enough not to ask any questions as we were followed and I smiled warmly when Ishtar welcomed us at the top of the stairs.

"Thank you for rushing here as fast as you could. Please, this way. He's been hallucinating, writing letters and speaking of dark-" She motioned, hair behind her shawl before turning to the guards with a clearly frazzled state of mind. "Please bring their horses to the stables. And pray to Allah for Mercer's health. He's...He's not improving." She whispered, emotion clogging up her throat.

The guard nodded respectfully, gathering a few others to collect the horses as I followed Ishtar at a respectable distance.

Her mood instantly changed as the doors closed, met only by the countless of slaves that Mercer had in his possession.

And I grinned, knowing that my plan, our plan was working.

"Nice bit of theatrics out there." Carson murmured in awe while Ishtar straightened up. There was not a sign of the formerly distraught and frazzled woman, whom clearly worried about her ailing husband-to-be.

Instead, she was the Ishtar I remembered; strong, powerful and with an unbreakable will.

"Thank you. I've practiced a lot over the past few months." She bared her pearly white teeth in a stunning smile before motioning the remainder of the crew further into the palace. "Come, come. Tea? Snacks? Aisha and Farah can whip up some food if you don't mind waiting for a bit."

Mord'U chuckled at that, patting his stomach. "I'll never say no to a meal when offered."

"Not that I don't appreciate the offer but." Carson turned towards both of us, eyes confused. "Some explanations would be very much appreciated."

I snickered, shaking the curls out of my face. "Like I said. Mercer was my first. Oh, don't worry." I added when Carson shot a look at the men and women within earshot. "They all know."

"H-How?"

Motioning to Ishtar and then the former slaves, I explained. "We planned to have Ishtar take over as soon as the poison started taking effect. Mercer would obviously be suspicious if she didn't take it as well so-"

She grinned as we spoke in unison. "We played on his ego."

It was ironic that Mercer's greatest treasure, his ego, was what lead to his downfall.

I had known that Mercer would still be suspicious. Would keep to his old ways and do some investigation on Ishtar, at the very least have her room watched.

And Ishtar played on that beautifully. Writing letters to her mother on how Mercer was a dream come true. Praising every single one of his qualities, his good looks and Ishtar made it seem like she couldn't wait to be married.

Those letters were always in their place when Ishtar returned, but she knew he had read them, or had a servant return them in their former position.

"But, how did you snuck in the antidote without Mercer growing wary?" Carson inquired, to which Ishtar gave a cheeky smile.

She averted her eyes before replying, "I had sent out a letter to my mother, who was well informed ahead of time. Ever since I came in Mercer's care, I had always pretended that my cycle was extremely painful."

"He caught on pretty quickly and had asked for a few healers but those either pretended to care or honestly didn't know what a do for a woman during that time." She smiled, shrugging a delicate shoulder. "It's funny how powerful men shy away from something so natural. Just the vaguest mention and they run for the hills with their tails tucked between their legs."

I chuckled as well, shaking my head as I too didn't understand what the fuss was about. A woman's menstrual cycle was a natural, inescapable event that happened whether either man or woman was comfortable with it.

"When I mentioned to Mercer that mom brew a specific tea for the pain, he instantly accepted my letter and sent it towards her. The rest is history." She smiled, knowing that Carson and the others would understand.

After all, why would a man who deemed himself to be a pure masculine Alpha male, even dare drink something that was designed and concocted to help a woman on her monthlies?

Ishtar had a daily excuse to drink tea, different herbal teas, all of which contained the antidote. And even if she ate the same poisoned food as Mercer did, she didn't grow sick.

And he thought Ishtar to be beneath him. Too dumb to concoct a plan on such a scale. Not intelligent enough to worry about anything but fashion, what to cook and how to please her husband-to-be.

"So, where is Mercer?" I questioned, making Ishtar snort as she leaned back in her seat. Sipping from her tea before murmuring "In his bed. Suffering while he's unable to move or even speak. He can only move his eyes lately."

Mord'U hummed around a mouthful of food just delivered to him before he nodded to himself. "The delusions and mentions of writing letters. Also a well prepared lie?"

"Nadir! So good to see you again." Aisha bounced out of the kitchen, ignoring customs as she gave me a strong hug. I grinned, gently returning the embrace of the woman I considered as a sister.

She backed out of the hug with a flush on her cheeks before motioning to the kitchen, where multiple other girls came out with more food.

"And yes, Lord Nadir and Lady Ishtar have really thought things true." Aisha grinned, plopping next to Ishtar as the older woman laughed when the young teen didn't care about custom or pretense and flopped quite unlady like into the seat.

"Mercer will realize he's doomed to die and in an attempt to appease Allah for his misdeeds, he's writing letters. Describing all the horrid actions he's done, the people he murdered, the girls he raped or were raped on his command."

Several of those letters had already slipped in the hands of multiple guards. All of which were none of Mercer's former crew of henchman.

After all, Mercer's ego would've made him suspect his own men. The monsters that had followed his commands had found their end by his own hands.

And those that took their place had already been suspicious about the sudden requests for more guards, the disappearance of the men before them.

Mercer's entire name and fame, the fake alter ego he had created to alure the people, was crumbling apart with every second that passed.

Before he died, everyone would come to know Mercer as the monster he actually was. Would see him as a sick, despicable man that didn't deserve a hit of sympathy or mercy.

"Well, no time like the present. Let's go say hello to my former master, shall we?" I grinned before pushing up. Knowing that to Mercer, being vulnerable, broken and pitiful would be a far worse punishment than the actual toxins in his system.

And I was more than willing to rub salt into his open wounds, make him realize that he had been outplayed and outmatched by the people he despised the most.

Slaves and 'weak' women.