Jafar interrogates his prisoner on the situation

"My dear guests," Jafar announced, his voice strong and commanding despite the turmoil of the evening. "As your host, it is my solemn duty to ensure your safety. Given the gravity of the situation, I must insist that everyone remain calm and in the grand hall while I, along with my most trusted guards, conduct a thorough search of the palace. We must ensure that no agents of the Royal Inquisition remain within these walls to threaten us."

"Yeah, and who says you're not with Zakaria and you won't command your guards to kill us all?"

"Yeah, of course! I have already married the sultan's daughter and my path to power seems pretty straight forward, and you're telling me that what I should be doing is slaughtering my supporters along with my wife? Think, you idiot!"

The room grew still as the guards' loyalty to Jafar was clear. They had seen the way he handled the situation and knew that he had been preparing for something like this. They had seen the way he had cared for the sultan and his family and knew that he was not the enemy.

"Fine, if there is nothing else, I need to leave the room. Remove the barricades on that door please. I need to pass!"

The guards obeyed without question, and the heavy oak doors were pushed open with a thud that echoed through the hall. Aisha ran to Jafar, hugging him. Her eyes were filled with a mix of fear and longing. "Jafar," she called out to him, her voice shaking slightly. "Promise you'll come back to me. I don't want to lose you."

Jafar looked into her eyes, his expression softening. He leaned down and kissed her gently on the forehead, whispering, "I promise, my love. I will always come back to you." He then kissed her on the lips, before leaving the room with a few guards. The remaining ones closing and barricading the door again behind him.

Jafar had lied to his guests. He wasn't leaving the room to secure the palace. He had already taken care of that from within the room. He was going to pay a visit to someone who just might provide him with answers...

"Zafira," he thought to her, "meet me in front of the secret passage to the interrogation room immediately. Make sure your face is covered."

Jafar got into the basement of the palace and in front of the secret passageway that led to the interrogation room. Zafira was waiting for him there, the lower half of her face covered by a piece of cloth, her piercing emerald eyes being the only window to her thoughts.

"Master," she said "I humbly ask for your forgiveness for failing to uncover this conspiracy before it unfolded."

"Now isn't the time to talk about that. What matters for now is how we react. If we act quickly, we can get rid of the usurper. I will interrogate the prisoner, but since he cannot see my face, I will wear the best mask in the world...you."

Without hesitation, Zafira pulled down her pants, revealing her bare, shaved pussy. She got on the ground and opened her legs wide to him. Jafar pulled down his own pants and began to fuck her, but neither of them seemed to take great pleasure in the act. There was no time for pleasure. The situation was too dire for that. The only reason Jafar was having sex with her at that moment was to possess her and to use her guise to grant him anonymity in the interrogation.

Before even coming, Jafar possessed Zafira, his body shrinking as it entered her from her pussy.The power of his magic surged through her body, and she could feel his will taking over hers. Once the transfer was complete, Jafar, now in Zafira's body, got up with grace. He pulled her pants up before turning to the wall where a torch burned. He pulled the torch down, revealing the secret passageway that led to the interrogation room. The stone corridor was cold and damp, a stark contrast to the opulent warmth of the grand hall above. Jafar then took his own clothes which were now laying flat on the ground and dropped them inside the secret passageway before closing the door from the inside. That way, no one would know that's where he went.

He proceeded down the spiral staircase, his footsteps echoing off the walls like whispers in a tomb. Each step brought him closer to the heart of the conspiracy, his excitement growing with every turn. The stairs led to a heavy, iron door, the only entrance to the bowels of the palace where the darker deeds were done. Jafar felt a thrill run through him as he pushed the door open. It creaked on its rusty hinges, revealing the cold, stone chamber beyond.

The chamber was a big, cold and dark place, filled with **** devices and one single inhabitant: Sayyid Abad, the head of information analysis for the Royal Inquisitors whom Jafar had captured a month earlier, but Abad only knew him as the Faceless One. Jafar looked at him. His face was badly bruised. His body was covered by many cuts, some of them still bleeding a little. He was tied down to a chair and a foul stench emanated from him.

Recognizing the woman who had spent the past month torturing him, Abad smiled, not wanting to look afraid or intimidated. "Hey there, sweetheart!" he said "You're back again! What are you going to do to me this time? I look forward to finding out."

Jafar, controlling Zafira's body, sat down calmly on the chair opposite him. "What do you know about the Sahar tribe?" he said in a tone that was both firm and commanding.

"They are magic-wielding freaks just like your Faceless One and just like him, they need to be crushed"

"I suppose that's what you think of them, indeed. You see, we've just ambushed a royal courier carrying a letter addressed to the governor of the local province and I'd like you to read it"

Jafar took out the letter from his pocket and slid it over to Abad. The latter's eyes widened as he saw the royal seal. He licked his dry lips, eager to know what was so important that the Faceless One had gone to such lengths to acquire. He took the letter and began to read, his eyes darting over the parchment rapidly as he tried to absorb the words.

As Abad read the contents of the letter, the malicious grin on his face grew wider and wider. It was clear from the smug look on his face that he knew exactly what it meant. His eyes sparkled with glee as he took in the words that declared the Royal Inquisitors' coup against the sultan.

"HAHAHAHA!!! You and your master have lost. Do whatever you want to me. Zakaria now rules this empire and magic will disappear forever."

Jafar started to breathe heavily, trying to look distressed by the news and asked if Zakaria hired the Sahar to ambush the sultan. Abad then said "Not so much hire, more like...purposefully leaked his location to them. The Sahar hated the sultan anyway, but now, they are the perfect scapegoat for Zakaria to blame..."

Jafar feigned ignorance, his eyes wide with horror. "But why?" he asked, his voice shaking as he pretended to be Zafira. "Why would Zakaria turn on his own sultan?"

"Because this incompetent fool gave Aisha's hand in marriage to the governor of Jabit instead of him. Aisha even admitted to him that they were both planning to make magic legal again. That was an admission that the governor harbored pro-magic sentiment. When Zakaria told him that the governor, or Jafar as he was called, should be removed from his position, the sultan refused, stating that he intended to grant Aisha's hand to that heretic! Al-Rahman was weak! The great warrior who had his own brother killed for defying him was long gone. He had gone so soft, he was no longer able to keep his whore of a daughter in line. This sultanate needs someone strong to lead it away from heresy and now, it has that someone!"

Alright. This was proof that Zakaria could not be reasoned with. He would not step down once he'd realize his plans were foiled and that the sultan was able to prove his survival to the province governors. He would fight to the bitter end to stay in power. Jafar took a deep breath as the realization that he would not emerge victorious without putting aside his respect for human life sunk in.

"But how does he expect the province governors to recognize him? He has no rightful claim to the throne? I suppose he plans on assassinating a few of them"

"He has eyes everywhere. Swords in every corner. He has spies and assassins in every provincial court with instructions to kill the governors and all their like-minded successors if they fail to recognize him. He's already got potential replacements planned out for every single one of them. Whether you like it or not, Zakaria rules this kingdom now and there's nothing you can do about it."

Jafar then got up and said "Thank you for your collaboration. I regret to inform you that your plans have not been as successful as you thought they would be. The sultan has survived."

"What? But...HOW!?!"

It was a question that Abad would never hear the answer to. The shock and horror in his eyes was priceless as Jafar, in Zafira's body, drew out her dagger. It was a beautiful piece of craftsmanship, the blade gleaming in the dim light of the torches that flickered on the wall and the pommel was ornated with an emerald that mimicked the intensity of Zafira's eyes. It was a tool of **** and pain, something that Jafar had become intimately familiar with over the past month.

In one swift motion, he slit Abad's throat. The blade was so sharp that it barely made a sound as it sliced through the skin, and for a moment, it looked like the prisoner was merely gasping for air. But then the blood began to spurt, painting the stone floor a crimson hue. Abad's eyes grew wide with terror as the life drained from his body, leaving him a limp corpse in the chair, his eyes staring vacantly at the ceiling.

Jafar thought of the gravity of the situation. He already had information on the double agents the royal inquisition had in most provincial courts and he knew that now, it was a race against time. He quickly needed to prove the survival of the sultan to as many provincial governors as possible and to guarantee their safety from the inquisitors that surrounded them. The more governors he would keep from being confused or assassinated by Zakaria, the easier it would be to remove the usurper from power, but that was easier said than done.

Leaving Zafira's body, he felt his essence slip out of her, his form solidifying as he took his original shape once more. He watched her eyes roll back into her head as she gasped for breath, feeling the emptiness of his departure. "Good job," he said, his voice gentle, stroking her cheek. "Now, dispose of this traitor's body and clean up. We have a lot of work to do."

Jafar ascended the staircase, his thoughts racing. He had to act swiftly to gather the governors and reveal the truth before the inquisition could tighten their grip on power. As he emerged from the secret passage, he slipped his clothes back on, his movements quick and efficient. The fabric felt cold against his skin, a stark reminder of the bloody deed he had just performed.

Approaching the grand hall, he thought to Sara, who was many rooms away: "Tell Zakaria that his plan to **** me has succeeded, and tell the provincial branches of the inquisition that it failed, that the sultan is alive and that Zakaria is considering stepping down and pretending he genuinely thought the sultan was killed by the Sahar. Do this and we shall achieve maximum confusion in the enemy ranks"

"Yes master!" She thought back, "Forgive me for not informing you of Zakaria's plan. My rank in the organization was sadly too low for him to trust me with this information. I swear I would have told you if I knew"

"I know, Sara. Don't worry"

Jafar walked back into the grand hall, the heavy oak doors swinging open in front of him. His heart was racing, but his face remained an impassive mask of calm. The guests looked up at him with a mix of fear and hope, their eyes wide with anticipation.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he announced, his voice echoing through the vast chamber, "the situation is now under control (in this palace at least). I regret the alarm, but it was necessary to ensure your safety." His eyes swept over the room, taking in the hastily constructed barricades and the tension etched into every face.

"Zakaria planned to poison us with the dessert, but luckily, the killer was caught and killed. We should be safe within those walls for now"

The three governors, each of them with a different expression on their faces, nodded in relief. They had seen the chaos unfold and knew that their lives were in danger. They had all come to the wedding expecting to return to their provinces as allies, but now they were trapped in a political minefield.

"Your Excellency," spoke the eldest of the trio, his voice shaking slightly, "how can we return to our lands? With the Royal Inquisition under the command of this usurper, our lives are forfeit."

Jafar nodded solemnly. "Indeed, your concerns are justified. However, we must not succumb to panic. The sultan has survived and once he has recovered from his ordeal, he will be able to reveal the identities of the inquisition's agents in your courts. Until then, you must remain here, under the protection of my own loyal guards. As you saw earlier, I already knew the identity of some of the inquisitors hiding inside my court and the one we caught poisoning the dessert was pretty cooperative and told us about 10 of his accomplices. With that, I think at least MY palace can be considered safe, so please, go back to your rooms, lock the doors and do not hesitate to ask the guards for anything you may require." Of course, the way he obtained the identities of the inquisitors was a lie. Jafar didn’t want to reveal the extent of his spying network as he didn’t want to be perceived as a traitorous schemer, but as a great warrior, a spearhead of justice and righteousness.

The guests murmured amongst themselves, unsure of what to make of the situation. Slowly, they began to disperse, the grand hall emptying out as people retreated to the safety of their chambers. Natasha and Aisha helped the sultan, who had been too exhausted from his heart attack to intervene in the conversation in any way, get up and walk to his room to rest. Soon, Jafar was all alone in the room with his brother...

Fadi stepped closer to Jafar, his eyes filled with admiration. "Brother," he said, "you handled that like a true master of leadership and deceit. Congratulations!"

Jafar offered a thin smile, his mind racing with the gravity of the situation. "Thank you, Fadi. But the night is still young, and the real battle has just begun." He took a deep breath, his eyes scanning the now-deserted hall. "We must act swiftly. The governors must be warned of the true danger they face, and we must ensure that the loyalists among them stand with us. Get in contact with our spies and assassins in every province. Tell them to **** any and all royal inquisitors that we know of (and there are lots of them) and to hunt for the other ones before they can **** the loyalist governors. I've interrogated Abad and he told me Zakaria had replacements planned out for all of them if they failed to recognize him, so tell our contacts to make sure as many of them survive. Every governor we save will shorten the upcoming civil war. Right now, we have made sure that four of the ten provinces will remain on the loyalist side. It's a good start, but we must ABSOLUTELY make it so the vast majority of them end up on our side. Otherwise, we will end up in a scenario where both sides are roughly equal in strength and you know what that means, brother?"

"Years of civil war and the pointless suffering of the people. A civil war we would not even be guaranteed to win."

"Precisely, brother. Send our spies to every province immediately. Use flying carpets. Camels and horses are too slow. Also, make sure that as soon as the sultan wakes up, he sends letters confirming his survival to every province…"

Jafar thought if there were other things he needed to clarify for a moment before adding "...and if the sultan fails to remember the names of every agent the inquisition has in the province of our 3 governor guests, Natasha will, so make sure she passes over the list the sultan makes (without the governors or the sultan knowing of course) and make sure our 3 governors are on their way back home immediately after receiving the list. We need to assert our control over their provinces as soon as possible..."

"What about you, brother?" asked Fadi, "what are you going to do?"