I did not sleep that night. Even after the palace had fallen quiet and the lanterns in the corridors dimmed one by one, my mind refused to rest. My father words from the throne hall kept circling in my thoughts like a bird trapped behind glass.
My answer will be delivered tomorrow but tomorrow felt like a blade hanging over my head. I lay on my bed staring up at the carved wooden ceiling, listening to the faint sound of wind brushing against the palace towers. My chambers were large and beautiful, decorated with silk screens painted with lotus flowers and cranes, but for the first time since I was a child, the room felt suffocating. "What if he accepts?" The question whispered itself through my mind again.
I turned onto my side, pulling the silk blanket closer around my shoulders. Livia had insisted I try to sleep, but she had eventually left when it became obvious that I could not. Outside the tall windows, the moon hung low above the palace gardens. If my father agreed to the marriage, Sahramir would become my new home.
A place I had never seen a kingdom ruled by a Padishah instead of an king and a husband I had known for less than a day. Prince Rashad's cold grey eyes appeared again in my thoughts. The way he had looked at me… not like a man seeing a woman. But like a man selecting something he wished to possess. My chest tightened I closed my eyes and forced myself to breathe slowly.
"Perhaps Father will refuse," I whispered quietly to myself. But even as the words left my lips, I knew how unlikely that was. Royal daughters did not choose their marriages they served the empire.
Morning arrived far too quickly.
Livia entered my chambers just as the first pale light began creeping through the windows. "Your Highness," she said softly. I sat up slowly, feeling the weight of exhaustion pressing against my temples.
"His majesty has requested your presence," she continued. My heart dropped and I swung my legs over the side of the bed. "Is the court assembled?" I asked quietly. "Yes."
That meant the decision would be announced publicly. The thought made my stomach twist Livia helped me dress in silence. Today's gown was pale ivory silk, embroidered with delicate golden flowers along the sleeves and collar. My hair was brushed carefully until it fell smoothly down my back. "You look beautiful," Livia murmured but her voice sounded sad.
The throne hall was even more crowded than the day before. Ministers, nobles, military commanders every important figure in the empire had gathered. The atmosphere felt tense and anticipating. I walked down the long marble floor toward the throne once more.
My father sat where he always did, towering above the court with quiet authority. And standing beside the imperial dais is Prince Rashad. He wore a different coat today. This one was deep midnight blue instead of black, with silver embroidery tracing sharp patterns across the sleeves. The heavy cloak across his shoulders was secured by the same crescent-shaped brooch I had noticed yesterday.
His long dark hair hung loose as before, falling over his back in thick waves. The grey of his eyes looked even colder beneath the morning light when I approached, his gaze immediately settled on me again and my skin prickled beneath it. I bowed before the throne. "Princess," the emperor said gently. I rose slowly. The throne hall had fallen completely silent. "Yesterday," he began, his voice carrying clearly through the chamber, "Crown Prince Rashad of Al-Sahramir made a proposal."
Everyone in the room already knew what he meant. Still, hearing it spoken aloud made my heart pound painfully in my chest. "He has requested the hand of my daughter in marriage." I kept my eyes lowered. "My advisors and I have carefully considered this matter," my father continued and a long pause followed In that pause, my entire future seemed to hang suspended in the air.
Then the emperor spoke again. "For the sake of peace between our kingdoms… and for the prosperity of both our nations…" My fingers tightened slightly against my sleeves. "I accept the proposal." The words echoed through the hall like thunder. A wave of murmurs swept through the nobles. Some sounded pleased, some sounded surprised. But none of that mattered.
The only thing I heard was the dull roaring in my ears. My father had agreed and I was going to marry Prince Rashad. "Preparations for the wedding will begin immediately," the emperor declared.
"Within two weeks, Princess..." He paused briefly "will become the Crown Princess of Sahramir." Applause broke out across the hall and nobles bowed.
Ministers congratulated one another but I could barely breathe.
Two weeks until I left everything I had ever known. Prince Rashad stepped forward beside me. "Your Majesty," he said smoothly, bowing slightly toward my father. "Sahramir is honored by your trust." My father nodded. "May this union strengthen the bond between our nations." Rashad straightened then he turned toward me. Up close, I could see the faint shadow of stubble along his jaw and the sharp lines of his cheekbones. His olive-toned skin contrasted strongly with the pale marble surroundings.
But it was his eyes that held me still. Those cold grey eyes studied my face with quiet satisfaction. As though something he had wanted had finally been delivered to him. "Princess," he said his voice was softer now. "But soon…" A faint smile curved his lips. "My bride." The words sent a chill through me because for the first time I realized there was no escape.