Fanaza lay still beneath the silken sheets, her breathing soft and uneven, her lashes fluttering against her pale cheeks.
The dim candlelight painted her face in shades of gold and shadow as the physician hovered beside her, his brow creased with full concentration.
The faint scent of healing herbs filled the air, mingling with the cool fragrance of night jasmine from the open window.
The queen stood nearby, her jeweled hands clasped tightly together, impatience flickering in her eyes. The king's presence beside her was calm but tense, the weight of his crown mirrored in his furrowed brow.
"Is she pregnant?" the queen blurted out, unable to contain herself. Her voice cracked slightly, betraying her anxiety.
The physician glanced at her and shook his head softly. "No, my queen. She isn't. She fainted due to exhaustion."
"Exhaustion?" the king repeated in disbelief, his deep voice rumbling through the still air. "Why would she be exhausted when she has people who do everything for her?" His confusion carried a trace of irritation.
The physician's eyes softened as he replied, "It might be emotional exhaustion, my king. But she is fine. All she needs is rest for a while, and she'll be up and active again." His tone was calm and sure, like one who had seen such fragility before.
He bowed and quietly took his leave. The king and queen exchanged a glance.
"You chose a weak partner for Percival." She hissed under her breath and walked out. Loban followed, their footsteps fading into the corridor like whispers of authority leaving the room.
When the silence settled again, the door creaked open slightly. Sally slipped in, her heart pounding. She had waited until the royal footsteps had faded completely down the marble hall.
"My lady," she whispered as she hurried to Fanaza's bedside, taking her hand gently. But Fanaza remained motionless, her body still as the moonlight draped across her bed.
"My lady, please wake up soon," Sally murmured again, clutching her hand tightly. Her eyes burned with unshed tears. The sound of her soft plea filled the emptiness of the room.
Then the door creaked again — this time louder, startling her. She turned sharply, and her eyes widened.
"...My prince," Sally breathed, bowing quickly when she saw Percival standing at the doorway. His face was unreadable, shadowed by the faint candlelight.
"Get out," Percival said, his voice low but sharp enough to slice through the silence. Sally flinched at his tone but stood her ground.
"I may be a slave," she said, her voice trembling but firm, "but I'll say this, and I don't care about the consequences. I only care about my lady's health, and I will do everything to protect her."
Percival's eyes flickered — surprise, then faint anger, then something softer he quickly buried. "What exactly is this?" he asked flatly.
"If you truly love her," Sally pressed, her gaze unwavering, why don't you show her fully? Lady Fanaza had never for once experienced true love not even from her parents, I just want a happy life for her. So please, don't be lukewarm, my prince. Choose a side."
Her voice broke slightly at the end, and then she bowed deeply before leaving, her footsteps fading quickly down the hall.
Percival stood still, staring at the door long after she left. A slow breath escaped his chest. He turned and sat beside Fanaza, the mattress dipping gently under his weight.
He took her hand into his — her skin cool, fragile, yet familiar. His thumb brushed over her knuckles as if memorizing the shape of her fingers.
He said nothing, only stared — his thoughts a tangled storm of guilt and something else he didn't want to name.
Then, Fanaza stirred. Her lashes fluttered, and her eyes opened weakly, locking instantly with his. For a fleeting second, silence wrapped them — heavy, fragile, unspoken. Then she pulled her hand from his grip, her movement sharp despite her fatigue.
"What are you doing here?" Her voice was soft but strained, each word dragging out like effort.
"You look too tired," Percival said gently. "You should rest."
She let out a faint, bitter laugh. "I can't believe you already chose a date without even telling me about it."
"I didn't do anything about that," Percival said, his tone calm but weary.
"Really? You think I'll believe that?" she snapped, though her eyes shimmered with more hurt than anger.
"It's left to you," he said quietly, "whether you believe it or not. I'm not wasting my time trying to convince you."
He stood and walked away, his steps slow, almost reluctant. When the door closed behind him, silence rushed back in, thick and suffocating.
.Fanaza stared at the spot where he had stood, her chest rising and falling unevenly.
Then the door burst open suddenly. Sally rushed in, breathless.
"My lady! There is war!"
Fanaza's head snapped up. "What's going on?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"The whole of the Dragonseed Clan are here," Sally said quickly.
"No…" Fanaza's lips parted, her voice breaking as dread filled her chest.
"And the Lord and your mother are on their way here," Sally continued.
Fanaza's heart clenched. "No! What do they want?" she cried.
Before Sally could answer, the door swung open again, and her parents entered — regal, radiant, and terrible in their authority.
"Fanaza, my pretty bear!" Elizabeth exclaimed as she rushed forward, wrapping her daughter in a fierce embrace. She cupped Fanaza's face, inspecting her. "Don't they feed you well here? You look thinner than the last time!"
"She is doing fine, Elizabeth," Elric said, his tone steady but cold. "She's no longer a child. Stop being overprotective."
"Don't blame me," Elizabeth replied, running her fingers through Fanaza's hair. "We haven't seen her for months, and the mansion feels lifeless without her. Oh! And your aunt gave birth last month."
"She… gave birth?" Fanaza blinked in surprise. "I had no idea she was pregnant."
"No one did," Elizabeth said with a knowing tilt of her head. "She hid it from everyone. Only came visiting a day after delivery — after Boyd cheated on her with the Princess of Matadon."
"Boyd was the father?" Fanaza's expression darkened. "That's disgusting. Why would she give birth for such an animal like that?"
"You shouldn't speak to him that way," Elric warned sternly. "He's still your uncle and deserves respect."
Fanaza's eyes burned as she rose from the bed. "You'll always stand by him, even after everything he did to Aunt, your sister. You knew he was abusive, but you still forced her to marry him because of the money you'd gain!"
"Fanaza, stop that," Elizabeth cut in sharply. "He loved your aunt."
"Love?" Fanaza laughed bitterly, her voice breaking. "And now you're doing the same thing to me, marrying me off to someone I don't love!" Tears streamed down her cheeks, her voice trembling with years of pent-up pain.
"I won't have this conversation again," her father said coldly and turned to leave.
"I'm sorry, but I have to go," Elizabeth whispered, glancing at her husband.
Fanaza didn't move. She just stood there, trembling, as her mother kissed her cheek and followed after him. The sound of their departure echoed like a hollow memory down the hall.
When the silence returned, Sally approached gently. "Is everything okay?" she asked softly.
Fanaza only nodded weakly before breaking into sobs. Sally wrapped her arms around her and held her close.
"Can you do me a favor, Sally?" Fanaza whispered after a while.
"Anything, my lady," Sally replied immediately.
"I want you to check on Rwaine. Just… find out if he's okay. I'm really worried about him."
"My lady, that's dangerous," Sally whispered, her heart pounding.
"Please. Just help me this once," Fanaza begged, her voice small and pleading.
Sally hesitated, then nodded. "Fine. I will."
******
Night draped itself over the palace like a dark veil. The wind was sharp and cold, and the woods beyond the city whispered with secrets.
Sally rode through the moonlit path, her cloak fluttering behind her like a restless shadow. The silence of the mountains pressed against her ears. When she reached the cave, she froze — the air felt heavy, too still.
Then she saw him, a man holding firewood, his face half-lit by the flickering flames.
It was Moaz.
"What are you doing here?" Moaz asked, his gaze sharp and suspicious.
"I'm sorry for intruding. I was sent by Lady Fanaza," Sally said quickly.
The name made Moaz's expression twist — anger, pain, and something unspoken flashing in his eyes.
"And who are you?" he demanded.
"I'm her servant. Sally," she replied quietly.
"What does she want?" His tone was a hiss.
"She only wanted to know if Rwaine is fine… if he's okay," Sally said.
"Coward," Moaz spat. "She couldn't face him after everything she did to my son. She led him on, knowing she was promised to another and mocked him for his skin. You think I'll forgive that?"
"I'm so, so...." Sally began, but he cut her off.
"We don't need your sympathy," he said sharply. "Tell her to leave my son alone. Rwaine doesn't love her anymore. He told me to tell her never to visit him again and everything they had is put to an end."
Sally bowed deeply, her eyes full of sadness. "I will inform her. Thank you."
As she left, Moaz remained where he stood, the flames still flickering in his eyes. He had lied but it was the only way to protect them both.
He knew their love was forbidden, it would only lead to their destruction.
"Please come back home, Rwaine," he whispered into the wind.
The night swallowed his words.
******
Meanwhile, Percival, the future groom stood before the tailor, motionless as the man measured him. Stefan paced around him like a hawk, studying his expression.
"What?" Percival finally asked, breaking the silence.
"You haven't said a thing since," Stefan replied.
"So?"
"It's not strange for you to be quiet," Stefan said, smirking. "But considering what's going on, it's weird."
"What's weird?" Percival muttered.
"The marriage," Stefan said with a grin. "Aren't you happy about it?"
"No. I honestly don't want to get married," Percival said flatly.
"Is this because of Fanaza's one-sided love?"
"No. It has nothing to do with her. When Father told me about the marriage, I hated the idea. I even planned to make her life miserable so she'd run away. But… things changed. No matter how hard I try to push her away, I fail. And now…" He paused, lowering his gaze. "It's like I have feelings for her."
"That's good," Stefan said quietly.
"No. It's a weakness. And I don't want to feel weak. Ever. This marriage is already a failure," Percival said, scoffing bitterly.
"Do you want to cancel it?" Stefan asked.
"I really want to," Percival admitted. "But Father would go crazy and the council too. I hate drama."
"Ever since Fanaza came into your life, you've changed. You've become softer, calmer and handsome. Before, you barely open up to me, too difficult to even hold a proper conversation with you." Stefan said with a fake smile.
"Ijust don't want a marriage." Percival said with a sigh.
Stefan smiled faintly, eyes glinting with mischief. "What if there's a way to cancel it?"
Percival looked up, cautious. "And what way is that?"
Stefan's grin widened, dark and hollow. "How about we kill Fanaza?"