Princess Ayat’s section of the palace was built with advanced architectural technology. Apart from its beauty and prestige, the place was so large and complex that someone unfamiliar with its design could easily get lost inside.
To reach Ayat’s quarters, one had to climb several extremely long stairways. Because of this distance, a modern escalator system was installed to carry workers and security guards up to the higher levels.
However, beyond the well-known stairways, there was a secret path known only to Princess Ayat.
This path used a hidden elevator, concealed in a place where no ordinary eye could notice it.
Whenever the elevator went up, it stopped in a special hidden room. If someone opened the door of that room, they would find themselves right in the middle of Princess Ayat’s grand bedroom.
If someone wished to go down, they had to enter the same hidden room inside her bedroom. From there, the elevator would descend deep underground.
Beneath the palace was a massive underground structure with a long tunnel stretching far into the distance. This tunnel extended all the way to the outer region of Ayat’s residence and eventually led to the royal garden area behind the palace.
Underground there were hidden steps leading upward. Once a person pushed aside the cover of the tunnel opening, they would emerge among the flowers and tall grasses of the royal garden. No one would ever suspect that a secret tunnel existed there.
This structure was originally designed as an emergency escape route in case of fire, enemy attacks, or invasion.
But now it had become Princess Ayat’s secret passage.
Through this hidden route, she secretly left her quarters every night to visit her younger sister Chingching… and then returned safely before dawn.
---
Ayat’s Status
This place reflected Ayat’s royal status and dignity.
The air inside her residence was always cool and pure.
The noise of the main palace and the busy servants never reached her section. Silence and calm ruled there.
Ayat was one of the five royal princesses, but she was considered the most mysterious among them.
Now, at 5:00 AM, after returning from secretly visiting her sister, she sat in the main hall of her residence.
The hall was filled with modern Arabian luxury decorations.
She sat on a long golden Arabian couch.
She wore elegant royal garments, but one thing always distinguished her:
Her face was permanently covered.
This was not a habit—it was a strict secret rule.
A beautiful veil embroidered with silver thread covered everything from her eyes downward.
Only her eyes could be seen.
Those same striking eyes were the ones Chingching had seen the previous night.
---
The Hidden Past
King Nourdeen—the Lion King—had not seen Princess Ayat’s face since she was five years old.
This was because of a major event in the past, something connected to royal secrets and destiny.
The palace had hidden the truth from everyone, which made Ayat a mysterious figure in the kingdom.
Ayat was exhausted.
Almost every night she broke the royal law just to see her younger sister.
In her hands she held a small antique box filled with pictures of Firdos (Chingching) and another photograph of someone she had lost when she was young.
Ayat did not see royalty as luxury.
She saw it as a burden of destiny.
She feared that her father’s strict rule could one day destroy the kingdom if he failed to choose a proper heir.
She walked toward a large mirror and stared into her own eyes.
With sadness in her voice, she said in Arabic:
> “You are breaking the law, Princess Ayat.
You are disobeying your father—the man who loves you more than anyone.
But if this law destroys your sister’s soul…
then you must choose between law and destiny.”
---
The Promise
Ayat had another painful secret.
Long ago, during the reign of the previous king—her father’s elder brother—there were two twin princes.
One of them had been Ayat’s closest childhood friend.
But their fathers were rivals fighting for the throne.
Because of that conflict, both families forced the children to separate.
Before they were separated, Ayat made a vow:
> “No one will ever see my face again…
except the boy I was separated from.”
Years passed.
No one knew whether that boy was alive or dead.
But Ayat kept her promise.
If she never saw him again…
Then the only time anyone would see her face would be after her death.
---
Her Desire for Freedom
Another thing troubled Ayat deeply.
She had never left the palace in her entire life.
For 25 years, she had never walked freely outside the palace walls.
Her life was nothing but moving from one room to another.
Her heart longed to breathe the air of the outside world.
One day, while watching a movie brought by a palace servant, she saw a film titled:
“A Woman Disguised as a Man.”
The poster showed a woman with a fake mustache and beard, wearing men’s clothes.
Ayat stared at it in shock.
> “A woman… hiding among men?”
She watched the film carefully.
She studied everything.
How the woman hid her chest.
How she changed her voice.
How she walked like a man.
How everyone believed she was male.
For the first time in her life, a powerful idea entered her heart.
> “I can do it too…
I can leave this place…
I can live like normal people.”
---
Her Secret Plan
Ayat began preparing secretly.
She collected everything she needed one by one.
A male guard’s uniform
A turban to cover her hair
Boots
A belt
Fake mustache and beard
Practice changing her voice
Practice walking like a man
She even confronted a palace worker who had been secretly taking bribes from guards for boots.
Ayat exposed his corruption and ordered him to stop.
He quickly obeyed in fear.
But he had no idea that Ayat was secretly gathering materials for her disguise.
---
Training
Every night she practiced.
She stood in front of the mirror.
She tried to speak like a man.
At first her voice sounded too soft.
Too feminine.
She tried again.
Lower.
Calmer.
> “Bring the guards to the palace gate…”
She laughed suddenly.
> “No… that still sounds like a woman.”
She continued practicing for hours until her voice resembled that of a young man around 18 or 20 years old.
She also practiced walking.
At first her royal feminine walk was obvious.
Her hips moved too much.
She stopped.
She forced her steps heavier.
Straighter.
Less graceful.
Slowly she began walking like a palace guard.
---
The Transformation
Finally, one night she stood before the mirror.
Her heart was beating faster than ever.
She began dressing.
First she tightly bound her chest with a strong belt to flatten it.
The pressure hurt so much that tears filled her eyes.
But she endured it.
Then she wore the male trousers and belt.
After that she attached the fake mustache and beard.
Princess Ayat’s Residence
Princess Ayat’s section of the palace was built with advanced architectural technology. Apart from its beauty and prestige, the place was so large and complex that someone unfamiliar with its design could easily get lost inside.
To reach Ayat’s quarters, one had to climb several extremely long stairways. Because of this distance, a modern escalator system was installed to carry workers and security guards up to the higher levels.
However, beyond the well-known stairways, there was a secret path known only to Princess Ayat.
This path used a hidden elevator, concealed in a place where no ordinary eye could notice it.
Whenever the elevator went up, it stopped in a special hidden room. If someone opened the door of that room, they would find themselves right in the middle of Princess Ayat’s grand bedroom.
If someone wished to go down, they had to enter the same hidden room inside her bedroom. From there, the elevator would descend deep underground.
Beneath the palace was a massive underground structure with a long tunnel stretching far into the distance. This tunnel extended all the way to the outer region of Ayat’s residence and eventually led to the royal garden area behind the palace.
Underground there were hidden steps leading upward. Once a person pushed aside the cover of the tunnel opening, they would emerge among the flowers and tall grasses of the royal garden. No one would ever suspect that a secret tunnel existed there.
This structure was originally designed as an emergency escape route in case of fire, enemy attacks, or invasion.
But now it had become Princess Ayat’s secret passage.
Through this hidden route, she secretly left her quarters every night to visit her younger sister Chingching… and then returned safely before dawn.
---
Ayat’s Status
This place reflected Ayat’s royal status and dignity.
The air inside her residence was always cool and pure.
The noise of the main palace and the busy servants never reached her section. Silence and calm ruled there.
Ayat was one of the five royal princesses, but she was considered the most mysterious among them.
Now, at 5:00 AM, after returning from secretly visiting her sister, she sat in the main hall of her residence.
The hall was filled with modern Arabian luxury decorations.
She sat on a long golden Arabian couch.
She wore elegant royal garments, but one thing always distinguished her:
Her face was permanently covered.
This was not a habit—it was a strict secret rule.
A beautiful veil embroidered with silver thread covered everything from her eyes downward.
Only her eyes could be seen.
Those same striking eyes were the ones Chingching had seen the previous night.
---
The Hidden Past
King Nourdeen—the Lion King—had not seen Princess Ayat’s face since she was five years old.
This was because of a major event in the past, something connected to royal secrets and destiny.
The palace had hidden the truth from everyone, which made Ayat a mysterious figure in the kingdom.
Ayat was exhausted.
Almost every night she broke the royal law just to see her younger sister.
In her hands she held a small antique box filled with pictures of Firdos (Chingching) and another photograph of someone she had lost when she was young.
Ayat did not see royalty as luxury.
She saw it as a burden of destiny.
She feared that her father’s strict rule could one day destroy the kingdom if he failed to choose a proper heir.
She walked toward a large mirror and stared into her own eyes.
With sadness in her voice, she said in Arabic:
> “You are breaking the law, Princess Ayat.
You are disobeying your father—the man who loves you more than anyone.
But if this law destroys your sister’s soul…
then you must choose between law and destiny.”
---
The Promise
Ayat had another painful secret.
Long ago, during the reign of the previous king—her father’s elder brother—there were two twin princes.
One of them had been Ayat’s closest childhood friend.
But their fathers were rivals fighting for the throne.
Because of that conflict, both families forced the children to separate.
Before they were separated, Ayat made a vow:
> “No one will ever see my face again…
except the boy I was separated from.”
Years passed.
No one knew whether that boy was alive or dead.
But Ayat kept her promise.
If she never saw him again…
Then the only time anyone would see her face would be after her death.
---
Her Desire for Freedom
Another thing troubled Ayat deeply.
She had never left the palace in her entire life.
For 25 years, she had never walked freely outside the palace walls.
Her life was nothing but moving from one room to another.
Her heart longed to breathe the air of the outside world.
One day, while watching a movie brought by a palace servant, she saw a film titled:
“A Woman Disguised as a Man.”
The poster showed a woman with a fake mustache and beard, wearing men’s clothes.
Ayat stared at it in shock.
> “A woman… hiding among men?”
She watched the film carefully.
She studied everything.
How the woman hid her chest.
How she changed her voice.
How she walked like a man.
How everyone believed she was male.
For the first time in her life, a powerful idea entered her heart.
> “I can do it too…
I can leave this place…
I can live like normal people.”
---
Her Secret Plan
Ayat began preparing secretly.
She collected everything she needed one by one.
A male guard’s uniform
A turban to cover her hair
Boots
A belt
Fake mustache and beard
Practice changing her voice
Practice walking like a man
She even confronted a palace worker who had been secretly taking bribes from guards for boots.
Ayat exposed his corruption and ordered him to stop.
He quickly obeyed in fear.
But he had no idea that Ayat was secretly gathering materials for her disguise.
---
Training
Every night she practiced.
She stood in front of the mirror.
She tried to speak like a man.
At first her voice sounded too soft.
Too feminine.
She tried again.
Lower.
Calmer.
> “Bring the guards to the palace gate…”
She laughed suddenly.
> “No… that still sounds like a woman.”
She continued practicing for hours until her voice resembled that of a young man around 18 or 20 years old.
She also practiced walking.
At first her royal feminine walk was obvious.
Her hips moved too much.
She stopped.
She forced her steps heavier.
Straighter.
Less graceful.
Slowly she began walking like a palace guard.
---
The Transformation
Finally, one night she stood before the mirror.
Her heart was beating faster than ever.
She began dressing.
First she tightly bound her chest with a strong belt to flatten it.
The pressure hurt so much that tears filled her eyes.
But she endured it.
Then she wore the male trousers and belt.
After that she attached the fake mustache and beard.
Finally she wrapped the turban around her head.
She stood upright like a man.
When she looked into the mirror…
She saw a completely different person.
A new man stood there.