After the last bite of my date, Yusuf brought up a much more serious topic than mine.
"Did the current King pay you a visit?"
I rolled my eyes at his words and replied in an annoyed tone.
"Why bother adding so much respect while speaking of him? That old man is just another nuisance."
"To you, maybe, but to me, he is a legend and a man to look up to."
Yusuf uttered with utmost admiration and esteem.
"Yet he bears no care for you."
Zayne concluded hastily and earned himself a scowl right after, making him squint his eyes and stick his tongue out at Yusuf.
"Tsk, how childish."
I let out a quiet sigh, watching the two of them bicker over something so insignificant.
"Can we return to the topic?"
Yusuf's returned back to his original seriousness and his attention shifting back towards me.
"What did he mention this time?"
I twisted my wrist and clasped both my hands together, preparing myself to relay the news.
"The coronation is approaching."
Instantly, both men flinched, and Yusuf replied in a heavy voice.
"I'm running out of time."
It was obvious to both Zayne and me why Yusuf was getting tense.
The Khan had been silent all this time, pushing and playing his chess. His moves were quiet but effective.
Amongst the other previous heirs and Kings, he had held the position the longest. A survival as crucial as this was what made K.H.A.N thrive throughout the past years.
If the throne could be described in one proverb then it would be: Survival of the Fittest.
The throne is earned and only belongs to those who uphold it.
The coronation was more than the crowning of a new King.
It was a change in the face of power.
The King might sit upon the throne, receive the people's loyalty and carry the authority of the crown, but there were forces far beyond the palace walls that had shaped the kingdom long before the crown ever reached his head.
K.H.A.N. is exactly that.
To the world, it was nothing more than a powerful business empire- one that had grown too large to ignore and too influential to challenge. Its name was associated with wealth, success and generations of carefully built influence.
But that was only what they were allowed to see.
Behind closed doors, the Khans moved through places where their name was never spoken. They settled matters before they became disputes, shifted decisions without leaving fingerprints and pulled strings without ever appearing to hold them.
The King ruled in the light.
The Khan ruled from the shadows.
And perhaps the most dangerous part was that almost no one knew there was a difference.
The coronation threatened to disturb that balance.
Behind the walls of their companies and beneath the layers of their businesses existed an authority far older and far more influential than their public reputation suggested.
The Khan was the one who stood at its peak.
And now, after years of holding that position, he was finally preparing to step down.
The coronation was not for a King.
It was for the next Khan.
A ceremony hidden beneath the appearance of tradition, witnessed only by those who were permitted to know what K.H.A.N. truly was.
Once the crown was passed, so would the authority that came with it.
The new Khan would inherit everything- the name, the influence, the alliances, the secrets and every invisible thread that had been carefully tied throughout the years.
And unlike the public throne, there would be no kingdom watching the transfer of power.
Only K.H.A.N.
Yusuf lowered his gaze, his fingers slowly tightening around the date in his hand.
I gritted my teeth, knowing the next set of words would hurt Yusuf's ego greatly. I rested my face and calmly spoke the harsh truth.
"He is still adamant about me taking over the Kingship."
Yusuf's face faltered as I expected. He meant no harm towards me, but the favour Khan held for me amongst all the heirs was still unjustified.
I held Yusuf's stare, Zayne wavering to re-enter the conversation as he noticed the growing flare in Yusuf's frown.
After a long, subtle pause, he questioned me without beating around the bush.
"Did you take the offer?"
He raised a brow, almost a clue to the concern sweeping out from beneath his aloof facade.
I sadly chuckled and shook my head.
"There is no place for me on that chair. My mind has not changed ever since I was seventeen."
"I really wanted to spar with you fair and square."
"Ahh!! You should be grateful that the strongest is stepping away! You have enough competitors."
Zayne interrupted, finding his opportunity to barge into the exchange.
"Khan is furious."
I murmured, a chill running through me.
"As he should be. If I were in his place, I would question your judgement too."
Yusuf grumbled unhappily.