Tavik's POV
"You summoned me, my so called prince?"
I raised a brow as I signed the words lazily, my hands moving with deliberate sarcasm. I leaned slightly against the carved wooden pillar of the chamber, watching him from a distance.
His face was stiff. Too stiff. The kind of expression a man wears when he has been carrying something heavy for too long and is finally running out of strength to pretend otherwise.
It had been days since I saw him like that, since he saw me with Rahina in my arms.
He let out a long, tired breath, like I was the last person he wanted to deal with today.
"Just say it already. I am busy with other matters. I only squeezed you into my schedule."
That was when I noticed it.
His shoulders trembled slightly. His jaw clenched. And then, just barely, like he was trying to swallow it down, he started to cry.
Not loudly. Not dramatically. Just silent, contained breaking.
"Hey. It is still morning. Why are you crying already?"
He did not answer. He just lowered his head, staring at the floor like it had suddenly become the most interesting thing in the world.
I exhaled sharply. "Are you going to make me force words out of you? Do you think I will just let you sit there and act like this? Not everything you want will be given to you instantly, Almi."
My tone sharpened before I could soften it. I could feel irritation creeping in, not because of weakness, but because of how predictable this was becoming.
And yet, he still looked like he was holding something back. Like something inside him was clawing to get out.
"I am really struggling to hold it in,I hoarsely. "The feeling… I want to expose everything to her. So she would understand who you really are. So she would stay away from you."
"Watch your position." i added.
"I know," he interrupted, his voice breaking. "But I cannot stop it."
His hands curled into fists.
"You are a prince," I said sharply, stepping forward. "Act like one. You have duties. You have a future arranged for you. You cannot just destroy everything because of a feeling you refuse to control."
His eyes finally lifted, red and exhausted.
"It hurts," he whispered. "I do not know how to stop it. Why was I born with this title if I cannot even choose who I want?"
Silence filled the room.
He wiped his face roughly, like he was angry at himself for crying.
"Can I not just… keep her as a friend?" he asked weakly.
I shook my head immediately. "And how long before that friendship destroys you further?"
He laughed bitterly, but there was no humor in it.
"Give me time," he said. "Just a little time to fix this inside me."
Then, quieter, almost like a child asking for mercy he already knew he would not get, he added,
"Are you and Rahina lovers?"
That question hit harder than I expected.
"Yes," I answered without hesitation. "So stop this foolishness before it becomes worse."
He closed his eyes.
"I understand," he whispered.
But he did not look like he did.
When I finally left his chamber, I felt more drained than when I entered.
And I hated that part the most.
Rahina's POV
Thank goodness Almi has not been showing up around me much lately.
I can finally breathe.
I adjusted the bag on my shoulder as I walked through the market path back toward the palace. The smell of fresh herbs and roasted spices lingered in the air, mixing with the sound of vendors calling out their prices.
My arms were full of groceries. Fresh vegetables, grains, a few spices I managed to get with my recent pay. It was a good day.
"Excuse me, miss."
A voice came from behind me.
I stopped and turned.
Our eyes met.
And suddenly, my heart did something stupid.
*Ba dump.*
What was that?
"Huh? What was your question again?" I asked, slightly startled.
The man in front of me looked composed, almost too composed. Calm eyes, clean posture, and a strange sense of formality in the way he stood.
"My question is whether I may ask something," he repeated politely.
I blinked.
That made absolutely no sense.
"Oh." I scratched my head lightly. "Yes, of course. What is it?"
He pulled out a folded paper, carefully opening it to reveal a map. It looked messy, lines overlapping, notes scribbled in unfamiliar handwriting.
"I am trying to find this place," he said.
I leaned closer. My eyes scanned the paper.
That is… the palace.
I straightened immediately. "I will guide you there."
He looked surprised. "You will accompany me?"
"Yeah," I said casually. "I am heading in that direction anyway."
We started walking together.
The silence was not uncomfortable at first. Just calm.
Then he spoke again.
"I am grateful that you are willing to guide me."
"No problem," I replied. "So, what are you doing at the palace?"
"I am delivering a letter to the king."
"Oh," I nodded. "Important stuff."
He glanced at me. "May I know your name?"
I smiled slightly. "I am Rahina. What about you?"
"I am Ayman."
"Nice to meet you, Ayman." I instinctively extended my hand.
He looked at it for a moment, then stepped back slightly.
"I apologize," he said politely. "I cannot touch the hand of a woman unless she is my wife or betrothed."
I froze for a second. Right. Different culture. Different rules.
"Oh, sorry," I said quickly. "I did not know."
"It is fine," he replied softly.
After a few steps, he tilted his head slightly.
"Your way of speaking is… unfamiliar. I cannot fully understand it."
I almost laughed but held it in.
Of course. That again.
I did not answer, and he did not push further.
Soon, we reached the palace gates.
"Thank you again," he said. "I will look for you to properly express my gratitude someday."
"No need," I waved him off. "I was already going here anyway."
I waited until he entered before heading toward the kitchen entrance.
Something about that encounter stayed in my mind longer than it should have.
But I shook it off.
I had work to do.
Days passed.
And Almi… became quieter. Too quiet.
No teasing. No presence. No sudden appearances that usually annoyed me but somehow felt normal.
It should have been peaceful. But it was not. It felt off.
One afternoon, I was summoned to the prince's quarters.
When I entered, I saw a familiar face inside.
My body stiffened instantly.
What the hell. I turned slowly. It's Almi was standing there. Except something about him felt different.
"Why are you here in the prince's chamber?" i asked, definitely confused.
"Rahina…, I am sorry," he said, voice breaking. "I should have told you earlier. I was afraid. I was confused."
I knew what he will gonna say and how this talk will end but i let him spoke.
"I am the prince," Almi said quietly, his eyes not meeting mine as he admitted the truth, his voice heavy with regret. "I am sorry, Rahina… I should have told you earlier instead of hiding it from you."
He finally removed his disguise and looked at me without hesitation, his voice steady but heavy as he admitted that he was the prince I had been unknowingly talking to all this time. The truth settled between us like a blade, sharp and undeniable, as I stood frozen trying to process everything I had just heard.
"You have been lying to me this entire time?" I said slowly, voice shaking.
"I did not mean to," he replied.
"Did not mean to?" I snapped. "Do you think this is something that just happens accidentally?"
My chest felt tight. All this time I treated him normally. I spoke freely. I trusted him.
I pulled away completely.
"Replace me," I said coldly. "Do not come near me again. I do not want to see you."
"Rahina," he said quickly, reaching out.
I stepped back.
"No," I said sharply. "I hate people who lie to me."
Silence fell between us.
His voice lowered. "I cannot let you go."
"Too bad," I said. "You already did."
I walked away without looking back.
And when I reached the door, I slammed it shut so hard the sound echoed through the corridor.
Almi's POV
I could not keep pretending anymore.
Every time I looked at Rahina, the weight in my chest grew heavier, like I was choking on every lie I had ever allowed to exist between us. I told myself it was for protection, for timing, for control… but the truth was simpler and uglier.
I was afraid.
Afraid she would look at me differently. Afraid she would stop laughing with me the way she used to. Afraid she would see me only as a title, not as Almi.
But hiding it did not protect anything.
It only made it worse.
The moment I saw the hurt in her eyes, I knew I had already lost something important. Not her trust completely yet… but the version of it that was still innocent.
So I told her.
Not because I was ready.
But because I could not bear lying to her anymore.
I did not tell her because I was ready to be honest. I told her because I was running out of ways to control what was already slipping beyond me.
For a moment, a selfish thought even crossed my mind, that maybe if she knew who I really was, if she understood my position, I would have more chances to keep her close, to make her stay in my orbit. I hated myself the instant that thought appeared, because it sounded nothing like love and everything like control.
But standing in front of Rahina, watching the confusion and hurt build in her eyes, I realized something worse.
I was not trying to win her.
I was trying to hide behind my title because I was too afraid to be rejected as just Almi.
And that was exactly why I finally confessed.