Having just learnt Thura was gone forever was a deep shock.
Desperate for air and distance, Sein took off into the forest, slashing aside thorny undergrowth with her blade until she reached a small clearing.
She lifted her gaze to the inky sky above. The moon was half full, casting a gentle spotlight. A breeze whispered through the leaves, sending shadows dancing across the ground.
The decadent scent of frangipani perfumed the air, but its sweetness neither soothed nor delighted Sein.
Her senses snapped to the sound of approaching footsteps. Whoever it was moved with long, deliberate strides, and she knew at once it wasn't Zeya.
"Why have you followed me?" Sein asked coldly, realising it was Khin Yu. "What do you want?"
"My duty is to protect the Crown Prince," Khin Yu began, voice as hard as iron. "That includes protecting him from harm… and from those who might bring it."
He strode forward into the torchlight of the moon, stopping behind Sein.
"What are your intentions?" Khin Yu demanded, arms crossed. "What are your feelings for His Highness?"
Sein was stunned by his questions. She turned around to face him, her eyes searching to unravel his meaning.
On the surface he appeared a true gentleman but his eyes were full of disdain.
"How dare you ask me such questions?" she retaliated.
"Come now, Lady Sein or is it still Bayin," Khin Yu said with a smirk. "We are not in the Royal Palace. Let us speak openly."
His hands unfolded and rested on his hips, waiting for an answer.
"What of it? Do you really have no idea how His Highness feels?"
A flicker of irritation rose in Sein at his persistence, but she refused to let him see it.
Turning away, she fixed her gaze on the darkness beyond the clearing.
"How can I know how His Highness feels? I am not him," she said at last, masking the doubts and insecurities stirring within her.
Once she'd believed she wasn't worthy of him. Now she wasn't even mortal. And what hope could there be when he'd said, plainly and without hesitation, that he regretted their kiss?
Her thoughts spiralled downward into a dark, endless abyss.
"I knew you were poison for His Highness the first time I saw you with him," Khin Yu said. "But I let it go because it was obvious that he was happy. However, that night of the Lighting Festival, I realised it was too late."
He paused as if recalling the moment.
"He had completely lost control of his feelings. I had to act quickly and informed the Queen. So do not blame him that you were sent away. Blame me."
"I do not blame anyone."
Sein bit her lower lip, fighting to remain composed, though rage simmered just beneath the surface. Her eyes glistened as the old sting of rejection cut through her once more.
"Did you not hear earlier?" she said, unable to hold it in any longer. "His Highness told me exactly how he feels. Were you not listening, always lurking in the background? His Highness regretted… regretted what happened that night. You were there. It was all a mistake. We were young. We were foolish."
Sein turned away again, hiding her tears.
"It seems you are the one still young and foolish."
Khin Yu shook his head in disbelief.
"Let me enlighten you by recounting what happened when Lord Thura turned up at the palace five years ago."
The mention of her brother instantly caught her attention. Sein turned to face Khin Yu, willing to listen.
***
With trained precision, Thura moved like a shadow, his mind expertly guiding each silent step past his enemies, evading the sinister spirit beasts and the black-clad men marked by their gold headscarves.
His keen awareness and disciplined body allowed him to blend seamlessly with the trees, making his stealthy passage almost supernatural.
Once he was cleared of the forest, he ran to the nearest village where he secured a horse. He rode through the rest of the night, reaching the Royal Palace by first light.
Looking distraught and dishevelled, he sought an audience with the King.
That same morning, the Crown Prince was dressed in formal attire, bearing the colours of the Kingdom of Arkar.
He was preparing to depart with his retinue of guards and servants, ready to journey to the Southern Delta to escort Princess Nanda back to the capital for their marriage ceremony.
However, before his departure, Zeya caught sight of the gathering of men who were to accompany Thura.
Curious to see Thura back at the palace, Zeya approached one of the men and asked, "What campaign are you gathering for?"
"Your Highness, we ride with Lord Thura to rescue his family."
Hearing this, Zeya's breath caught.
The mere thought that Sein might be in some sort of danger was deeply alarming. Without hesitation, he decided to accompany Thura himself.
After all, it was because of him that her family had been sent north.
He hurried back to his apartment to change. Khin Yu tried to persuade him otherwise but the Crown Prince was uncharacteristically stubborn.
"Lord Thura," Zeya called out. "I will accompany you."
Thura was taken aback seeing the Crown Prince and his two companions, Khin Yu and Saw Win, on their horses. He bowed his head in return.
"What has taken place?" Zeya asked, riding at an easy amble next to Thura.
Thura looked grim and made no attempt to mask his distress.
"There were reports of unusual disturbances at the northern outpost," he responded. "My father rode out to investigate. He never returned. We later found him and several men dead… the wounds were not from mortal enemies. It suggested the work of malevolent spirits."
"I'm truly sorry to hear of your father's passing," Zeya spoke up.
Thura flicked his gaze away, taking a breath to steady himself.
"After his death, I subsequently decided to bring my family back to the capital as I deemed it was no longer safe to remain. Not until we understand why they were attacked."
Thura pressed his lips together before continuing.
"We were just a day's ride away from home, but the roads at Madaya became impassable from the floods. This forced us to cut through the forest south and that's where we were ambushed by a group of hostile men."
Zeya's face drained of colour.
"And Sein? Where is Lady Sein?"
"My sister is with my mother and brother. I left them under the protection of ten of our warriors. The enemy outnumbered us, and we could not all break away. I managed to slip past them and ride for reinforcements."
"We must hurry," Zeya said, already fuelled with urgency.
Once they were through the capital gates, they rode the horses at full gallop.
It was the golden hour when the forest first emerged on the horizon. At this time of day, the foliage looked drenched in honey; a vibrant, rich amber creating a picture of calm and tranquility.
As they rode closer, the trees took shape, some loaded with clusters of yellow blossoms. The blousy flowers released an alluring fragrance, beckoning the riders onward.
The men unmounted and entered the forest on foot, twisting and clambering through thick vegetation.
They were on high alert, but nothing stirred except the leaves, and occasional agile leaps of squirrels between trees.
The light breeze brought the smell of wood smoke from a nearby fire.
Sensing no enemy present, the men followed their noses until they came to a small clearing where a campfire was glowing.
The men who had patrolled all night were seated, leaning against various tree trunks, catching up on sleep.
Jung, one of the men on watch, noticed the new arrivals. He put his hand on the hilt of his sword but seeing Thura, his face broke into relief.
Lady Marlar was slumped in Naing's arms. She appeared to be in great distress.
Thura immediately called out and ran to her.
"Mama, what has happened?"
Her eyes were red and blurred with tears but seeing Thura, she regained some composure and sat up.
"Thura, is that you?" she asked weakly. "It is too late. She is gone."
"She?" Thura's voice faltered. "Sein? Where is she?"
Then, more softly, almost afraid of the answer, he asked, "What has happened to her, Mama?"
At this point, Lady Marlar and Naing noticed the Crown Prince standing a few steps behind Thura. They struggled to a standing position to bow to him.
"Lady Marlar, what news of Lady Sein?" Zeya pressed urgently, stepping forward.
"Your Highness…"
Lady Marlar started but couldn't go on. She leaned heavily on Naing once again who spoke up.
"Your Highness, my sister… she is…"
Naing was unable to form the words.
Understanding without needing to hear it, Thura clutched his head in both hands and let out a broken sound.
"How can this be? I am too late."
"Where is Lady Sein?" Zeya demanded, his usual calm beginning to wane.
His mind refused to accept what they were implying. He pushed the thought away entirely.
Stepping closer, he drew a steady breath and met Lady Marlar's eyes.
"May I see her?" he asked, his voice unsteady.
Lady Marlar nodded.
She glanced towards an elderly woman dressed in hill tribe attire and gave a small signal. The woman stepped forward quietly.
"Would you take His Highness and my son to my daughter?"
The old lady nodded gravely, and indicated for them to follow. She was tiny and bent over, compared to the strapping young men, but there was some sort of vigour in the way she moved.
The Crown Prince walked behind the woman, his head cast down, eyes blank, face pale and grim.
Thura followed wiping silent tears from his face with his sleeves. Closely behind him, Khin Yu and Saw Win trailed solemnly.
As the light became dim under the thick canopy, the forest felt even more oppressive as they followed the old lady.
The burial cave was well camouflaged among the trees and bushes.
The outline of the entrance was only revealed by a flickering glow from inside. The rocks that formed the doorway were mottled with a patchwork of lichen and velvety moss.
As they entered, the air felt stifling, heavy with the scent of agarwood incense. The chamber wasn't high, forcing the men to stand with heads bowed slightly.
It was dimly lit by a soft glowing light cascading down onto a stone tablet where a white cloth lay, discarded.
A soft gasp escaped from the old lady.
"Impossible."
Her eyes were wide, causing multiple creases on her forehead.
The men looked at her, puzzled.
"What is it?" Thura asked.
"Her body… it has gone."
"What do you mean her body has gone?" Thura pressed, stepping forward to touch the smooth stone with his fingers.
"Who has taken her?" Zeya asked.
"I do not know. The body is no longer here."
This wasn't a satisfactory answer.
But to Zeya, the simple fact that Sein was not lying there brought a surge of relief. He blinked back the sudden rush of emotion, caught between certainty and doubt.
His eyes swept over the space, searching for signs of disturbance. There were none. No marks of a struggle.
The cloth lay gently pushed aside, as though Sein had risen and stepped away of her own accord.
"She has left," Zeya said quietly. "She is still alive."
Thura looked at him, astonishment written across his face as hope stirred within him. Then he shook his head sharply, as though breaking a spell.
"Let us not jump to any conclusions," he said, turning to stride back outside.
"Lord Thura, I know Sein," Zeya said, halting Thura mid-stride. "Lady Sein is alive."
Her presence shimmered in the air around him, unseen yet undeniable, like the scent of earth just before a rainstorm. It wasn't through sight or sound but something deeper, an invisible thread that bound them together.
How he knew, he couldn't explain. The certainty simply existed, as inevitable as the turning of the seasons.
Thura offered no reply. Doubt clouded his expression. To him, it sounded like the desperate hope of a man unwilling to face the truth.
"Lady Sein is alive," Zeya repeated.
Thura studied the Crown Prince for a brief moment, searching his face for answers.
"Your Highness, what are your feelings for my sister?" he asked finally.
"Is it not perfectly clear?" Zeya responded, his voice firm with conviction. "I am prepared to give up everything for Sein."
Thura's expression became complex as he considered his words. Then, his eyes softened, recognising the depth of the Crown Prince's devotion to his sister.
"But where could she be?" Thura murmured. "What could have happened to her?"
"Someone has taken Sein," Zeya said firmly. "We must find her at once."
"She is no longer alive," came the croaky voice of the old woman.
The men turned as she slowly approached, shaking her head.
"She is not a mortal who walks this earth."
"Then explain the missing body," Thura demanded, stepping towards her. "How in the spirits has someone crept in and taken her?"
"I cannot say who or how," the woman replied calmly, unmoved by his anger. "That is not clear to me."
She paused for a moment, then turned away and disappeared among the trees.
Thura moved to follow her but felt a firm hand on his shoulder.
"Lord Thura, I will find your sister," Zeya said. "You have my word."
Once Zeya fixed his sights on a goal, he pursued it with solid determination. Thura knew the Crown Prince well enough to recognise that look.
"I will organise the men to search the forest at once," Thura said.
Before Zeya could follow him, he heard Khin Yu clear his throat.
"Your Highness, allow the men to search for Lady Sein. It is time for us to return to the capital. We cannot delay your departure to the Southern Delta too long."
Zeya shook his head.
"No, I will not return to the capital until I find Lady Sein."
"But Your Highness…"
"I will not change my mind on this matter. Lady Sein is, without question, the only woman I truly and deeply love. I have to find her, Khin Yu. You may join me or return to the capital. The choice is entirely yours."
"Very well, Your Highness," Khin Yu responded with a bow, hiding his troubled face.
***
"His Highness searched for you. Months passed, then years. He abandoned everything else in his life, all in the name of finding you. He paid a heavy price for his devotion to you. When the Southerners invaded, he took it upon himself to lead the men, willing to face death and bear the weight of his decision. Yet, through it all, he never stopped searching for you."
Khin Yu paused, studying Sein's face for any reaction.
"Now you suddenly appear out of who knows where, dressed like that, and act as if you do not know him. Stop tormenting him. You must know you have a monopoly on his heart," Khin Yu continued, oozing with contempt.
"If you cannot return His Highness' feelings, disappear now. Leave him be. Never cross paths with him again. Let him find someone else. He deserves happiness. Let him have a life."
Having made his speech, Khin Yu pivoted and marched off back through the trail that Sein had made.
Sein stood motionless, stunned. Her thoughts twisted into a tangled knot. The feeling was painfully bittersweet.
On the one hand, she revelled in the knowledge that Zeya returned her love.
But that fragile joy was overshadowed by the dark cliffs of dread and sorrow stirring within her.
Perhaps Khin Yu was right. Could she truly be a poison to Zeya?
She could scarcely bear the thought of having been the source of so much of his misery over the past five years.
He'd strayed from his intended future, defying his parents' wishes, because of her.
That single choice had led to the broken engagement with Princess Nanda and likely contributed to the Southern Delta's invasion of the Central Plains.
He clearly blamed himself for her family being sent away, a decision that had ended with her father's death… and her own.
He'd carried the weight of all these consequences, all in pursuit of her love.
Sein felt utterly torn.
If she'd known all this from the beginning, what would she have done when she first met the Crown Prince?
Would she have stayed away from the Archives so they would never meet again?
Would Zeya be happier if she'd never existed in his life?
More importantly, would her father and brother be still alive?
"It's easy to know how to block an attack when you already know what the strike will be. It is the same in life. Only in retrospect can you say you would do this rather than that."
Thura had once told her. He was right of course.
What had passed had passed. She knew not to dwell on it. It was impossible, even as a spirit, to travel back through time to change the course of events.
But what of the future?
She was a spirit and Zeya was a mortal.
Would he accept her now? Should she disappear from his life?
"Fight for what you love. My blood runs in your veins. We are warriors. Never… give up," her father's last words came flooding back.
In that instant, realisation filled her mind, as if waking up from a spell.
Zeya undeniably loved her as much as she loved him. He'd sacrificed five years of his life searching for her.
How could she abandon him now?
He was the only man she could ever respect and cherish. The only man she could spend an eternity with.
Unbound by the rope of the past, Sein seized a step towards the future.
Wiping away tears, she clenched her fist and said out loud to the night sky, "I won't give up."
Then she started running, weaving back through the trees.
How could I possibly give him up? I will never give him up.
Blinded by tears, she crashed into someone who caught her in their arms. When she glanced up, it was Zeya.
His face was full of concern seeing the state she was in.
"Sein?" he murmured.
Sein couldn't help but beam at him. Her long lashes clearing her vision. Her dark eyes sparkled with clarity.
With unwavering certainty, she cupped his face in both hands, drew him down, and pressed her lips to his.
Zeya was momentarily bewildered, before he pulled her close into an embrace and returned her kiss.
How much time passed, they couldn't tell. It was a long while before their lips parted.
"Sein, I've been going crazy longing to kiss you. Longing to hold you in my arms," Zeya said, his voice low as his fingers threaded through her hair.
Sein drew closer, breathing in his familiar scent. Her arms circled his neck as though she feared the moment might slip away if she loosened her hold.
Zeya buried his face in her hair, nuzzling softly before his lips moved along the curve of her neck, lingering there in a series of slow, deliberate kisses.
"Zeya," Sein said softly, drawing back just enough to meet his eyes. "I know you came with Thura to find me. I know you searched for me all this time… that you never once gave up."
He gazed at her tenderly.
"I'm truly grateful."
He took her hand and pressed a kiss to it.
"Well, I knew I would find you eventually," Zeya said with his most charming smile. "Everyone thought I'd quite lost my mind, but I refused to listen."
She caught his eyes glisten as he blinked back emotion.
"When you walked back into my life disguised as a man, I could hardly believe it. I had to be certain you weren't just an illusion, some cruel trick. That's why I cut your arm," he added apologetically.
Then he paused, his thumb brushing lightly over her knuckles.
"Will you stay with me… and come back to the capital?"
Sein broke into a bright smile, and Zeya mirrored it.
"I recognise that face," he said softly. "It's your yes face."
"It is," Sein said.
Her brow furrowed slightly as she thought about returning to her mortal life. She no longer felt like Lady Sein. How could she go back to the capital?
Zeya sensed her hesitation. He cupped her face with his hands and kissed her lightly.
"Sein, you are the one I wish to spend my life with," he said, gazing into her eyes.
Sein took a deep breath. It was time to reveal the truth, even if Zeya could not accept her. She didn't wish to deceive him any longer.
"Zeya, before you commit to me… there is something you should know."
Her throat felt dry and she swallowed hard.
"Five years ago, we were attacked by the spirit insects and I was stung. Its venom took my life."
She watched his face carefully, but Zeya did not pull away.
"After that… everything was a blur. I wandered the forests for what felt like an age before I encountered a spirit. It was that meeting that changed what I became."
Her fingers tightened slightly around his arms.
"I spent years roaming the northern hills after that. Eventually I found a small village called Sagyo. I stayed there for a time and became part of the community."
She hesitated before continuing.
"When I heard there was a threat to the capital, I travelled south. On the way I met Kyaw and Soe… and somehow that path led me back to you."
Her voice faltered.
"Zeya, I am Spirit of Cloth," Sein admitted. "I am no longer a mortal."
Hearing the words aloud made her feel strangely vulnerable.
Zeya simply smiled, as if what she'd told him changed nothing at all.
He reached up and gently brushed the stray strands of hair from her tear-soaked face.
"What matters to me is who you are, not what you are," he said softly. "You've always seen me for who I am, not what I am."
Relief rushed through Sein, a lightness filling her chest as she finally breathed easily again. Her heart swelled with love for him.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and rose onto her toes to kiss him.