The next day Cassim was awaken by Anna yelling!
"Grandpa! Grandpa, wake up! Grandpa!"
Cassim sat up and rubbed his eyes sleepily just as Anna burst into his room.
"Anna, what is it? What's wrong?"
"It's Mom!"
"What about her?"
"She's dead!"
Sleep vanished from Cassim's eyes. He leaped out of bed, throwing the covers on the floor as he did, and dashed out of the room. He raced down the hall to Isabel's room. He burst in to the room and came to an abrupt halt. He stared in horror at the sight before his eyes.
The funriture was over turned, and Isabel lay on the floor with a dagger in her chest! Cassim rushed over and dropped to his knees beside her.
"No."
He jerked the dagger from his daughter's chest, set it off to the side, and cradled the upper part of Isabel's body in his arms. He gently rubbed his face against hers, kissed her forehead, and gently lay her back down on the floor. Just then the others came running.
"What's going on? What was all the shouting about."
Cassim picked Isabel up in his arms and faced them. They all gasped in shock and horror.
"Aden, take her out to the throne room. Genie. Iago. Gather everyone in the palace in the throne room."
They did as they were told. Cassim picked up the dagger and went into the throne room. Before long everyone in the palace was in the throne room. Cassim explained why he had them all there. He lifted the dagger so they all could see it. Achmed gasped aloud.
"Sultan Achmed, do you know something about this dagger?"
"Yes I do. It's Jordan's dagger."
Everyone looked at Jordan.
"What! No it's not!"
Achmed grabbed his son's arm roughly.
"Don't you lie about it, boy!"
"It's not mine, I swear!"
Cassim came over, grabbed Jordan by the neck, and slammed him up against the wall, lifting him off his feet! Everyone gasped.
"You listen here, boy! Is this or is this not your dagger? Don't you dare lie to me! I found my only daughter laying on the floor of her room with *this* in her chest, dead!"
"Okay, it is my dagger, but I didn't kill her."
Cassim tightened his grip on the young prince's neck!
"You're lying. I can tell by looking into your eyes. Tell the truth! Did you or did you not kill my daughter?"
"No."
Cassim tightened his grip a little more. He pulled the boy closer so their faces were only a few inches apart.
"Do you know what it's like to be soffacated?" Cassim asked in a low voice so only Jordan heard him.
"No."
"Well, if you don't tell the truth you will! I can easily crush your windpipe, causing you to soffacate. Is that what you want? Do you want to die a slow, painful death?"
"No."
"Tell the truth and die a quick death by beheading. If I were you I'd tell the truth. If you tell the truth you will get a quick and painless death. Lie again and get the opposite."
Cassim slammed the young prince against the wall again!
"I will ask you one more time. Did you or did you not kill my daughter?"
Jordan was silent for a moment.
"Well?"
"Yes."
Everyone gasped again. Achmed's jaw dropped. Cassim put Jordan down.
"Rasoul, take him away, and have the executioner's block made ready. Prince Jordan shall be beheaded at sunset for the murder of Princess Isabel of Bali, my daughter."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Later that afternoon Cassim went into Jordan's cell. Jordan stood up quickly.
"Why did you kill her?"
To Jordan's surprise there was no anger or hatred in Cassim's voice as there had been that morning. There was only sorrow and confusion.
"Huh?"
"Why did you kill my daughter?"
"Because my real father was killed years ago by the sorcerer Mozenrath for failing to kill her. I took revenge and finished what my father did not."
Cassim's jaw dropped in disbelief. The anger and hatred returned to his voice.
"Your real father killed my second wife, Princess Diana of Bali!"
Growing Up by Cassim fan