Kanha arrived at Malaka Palace to the sound of laughter and music drifting through the courtyards. The entire palace seemed to glow—maids buzzing happily, guards smiling, the air full of warmth. Why is everyone so joyful? Kanha wondered, her stomach tightening.
The maids at the entrance bowed to her politely, and she forced a graceful smile, lifting her chin a little higher than necessary.
Then she nearly walked into someone.
Yadid—Nailah's personal physician.
He bowed, offering a calm smile. Kanha blinked. Was he always this tall? She couldn't remember him towering over her like this. He straightened, his eyes studying her closely.
Yadid knew Kanha well enough. She only ever came to Malaka when she needed something—strings pulled, sympathy gained, or trouble smoothed over. Usually she arrived looking frail or pitiful, clutching her stomach or forehead as if she were half dying.
But today?
Today she looked like she owned the palace.
Confident. Composed. Almost glowing.
Suspicious.
Yadid didn't voice his thoughts; he simply watched her with that physician's stillness, observing everything.
Kanha broke the silence.
"I'm here to see Her Majesty."
Yadid's expression didn't change, but a small, polite smile lifted his lips.
"This way, my lady."
He led her through the corridors, into the sunlit courtyard.
Nailah was reclining gracefully on a cushioned chaise, eating fruit from a jeweled tray while Elara fanned her with a wide lotus-leaf fan. She looked radiant—content, almost regal in the soft Malakan light.
When Nailah spotted her cousin, her face brightened.
"Kanha!"
Kanha inhaled slowly, straightening her spine, smoothing her expression into something gentle. Her heartbeat was pounding, but she stepped forward anyway.
Kanha sat beside Nailah beneath the warm Malakan sun, their laughter blending with the gentle rustle of the courtyard trees. Anyone watching would think they were the closest of cousins—two women enjoying a peaceful afternoon.
But Kanha's smile had an edge.
And Yadid, quietly observing from a distance, noticed it.
After a few light jokes, Nailah asked softly,
"How is everyone doing back home?"
Kanha's lips curled. "Everything is going well, Nana. In fact… extremely well."
Nailah smiled, relieved.
Then Kanha's eyes slid to Elara—sharp, cold, deliberate.
Nailah noticed immediately.
"Elara, dear, give us a moment."
When the door closed, the air thickened with quiet tension.
Nailah turned to her cousin, concerned.
"Kanha… what is wrong?"
Kanha softened her expression beautifully, slipping into the role of worried cousin.
"That's why I'm here, Nana," she whispered, using the childhood nickname like a dagger wrapped in silk.
Nailah frowned. "Everything is fine, Kanha. Why do you ask?"
Kanha reached out, gently cradling Nailah's hand as though she were comforting a fragile child.
"Nana… I know you haven't been able to… entertain the Emperor."
Nailah's hand jerked away, her face tightening.
"I'm pregnant."
"I know," Kanha breathed sympathetically. "And I'm happy for you. Truly. But… I came here because lately, I've seen the Emperor taking different maids into his chambers."
The words sliced through Nailah.
Her breath hitched.
Her heart trembled.
Her face fell like a cracked porcelain mask.
"But… but he was just here," she whispered. "Two days ago. He wasn't… guilty. He wasn't distant."
Kanha leaned closer, voice almost pitying.
"Yes. And that is exactly why you must act. You don't want him falling for a maid."
Nailah's eyes narrowed, her voice sharp.
"Kanha. Choose your words very carefully."
Kanha hid her smirk.
The crack was widening.
Time to strike.
"I think you should give him a concubine."
Nailah recoiled.
"Kanha, stop."
"He is a man, Nana," Kanha pressed, her tone silk but her eyes iron. "If he chooses a concubine… it will be someone he loves."
Nailah's stomach dropped.
Her hands trembled.
Nothing terrified her more than losing Arvin's heart.
"No," she whispered, shaking her head. "I can't… I can't give Elara to the Emperor. I promised her. I can't break my word."
Kanha blinked innocently.
"Who said anything about Elara? She isn't your only lady-in-waiting."
Silence.
Then realization.
"Mirha?" Nailah breathed.
Kanha nodded softly—as if suggesting a harmless idea instead of plunging a knife.
Nailah shook her head, voice cracking.
"No. Mirha is a young girl. She deserves a chance at love—a happy ending. I… I would never forgive myself."
Kanha took her hands again, her voice soothing and low.
"But Nana… this is your story. What about your happy ending?"
She leaned closer.
"And you know Mirha. She would never hesitate to make you happy."
Nailah fell silent.
Her eyes glistened—fear, guilt, love, confusion swirling inside her like a storm.
Kanha watched every emotion flicker across her cousin's face.
Then Nailah whispered, fragile as glass:
"…Do you think Mirha would forgive me?"
Kanha smiled—slow, warm, triumphant.
"My dear Nana… of course she would."
Her victory tasted sweet.
And poisonous.
During dinner, Nailah was deep in thought, her mind drifting between the upcoming birth and her duties as Empress. Kanha, ever watchful, noticed her distraction and leaned slightly forward with a calculated smile.
"Ooh, Nana," Kanha began smoothly, "I have news for you."
Nailah, weary from the day's affairs, looked at her cousin, raising an eyebrow.
"Have you received a letter from Lord Kaisen about a private meeting?" Kanha continued, her tone casual yet pointed.
Nailah's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "I did…" she murmured, wondering how Kanha could have known about it. Then a laugh escaped her lips, light and airy. "He proposed!"
Kanha, uncharacteristically silent, simply blushed, leaving Nailah to laugh even louder at her cousin's awkwardness.
"What should I say to him?" Nailah asked, shaking her head, amused. "Oooh, I suppose I should ask him what his intentions are with you, Kanha…"
A soft giggle escaped Kanha. "I don't think that will be necessary anymore, Nana," she said, her eyes sparkling with quiet triumph. "I've revealed the surprise already."
Nailah tsked in amusement, finally nodding. "Very well. Then I shall simply write to him, approving of whatever advances he plans to make."
Kanha's smile widened, but she maintained a calm exterior. She had succeeded in delaying any direct meeting between Kaisen and Nailah, buying herself control over the situation.
Then Kanha leaned closer, her voice deceptively soft. "Could you also tell him to first go to Kamaya? I want you to escort him to Bukid personally."
Nailah, distracted by the thought of her pregnancy and the upcoming ceremonies, nodded absentmindedly. "Yes, that's a good idea."
"And of course," she added, "you two should marry after I have given birth. I want to attend it here."
Kanha nodded gracefully, hiding the thrill of her small victory.
Nailah's attention then drifted, as her thoughts wandered to Mirha. She tried to console herself, murmuring under her breath, "At least she will become a high-ranking noble…"
Kanha, unbothered by the mention of Mirha's rising status, thought only of her success. A royal mistress is still just that… nothing more, she reminded herself, a faint smirk tugging at her lips.
Yadid watched from across the hall as Kanha smirked ever so subtly to herself, her eyes glinting with quiet triumph while Nailah focused on her meal, oblivious to the full weight of Kanha's maneuvering.
Shaking his head slightly, Yadid muttered under his breath, "Poor Nailah… soft as she is, she invites people to use her goodwill."
He paused, his gaze lingering on the Empress's gentle features, and whispered again, almost to himself, "Poor Empress… so blind to the webs being woven around her."
Even from a distance, Yadid could sense the storm of manipulation quietly settling in the palace—subtle, deadly, and almost impossible to see until it was too late.