The morning sun filtered through the open windows of Malaka Castle, casting soft golden light across the polished marble floors. The scent of fresh jasmine lingered in the air, mingling with the faint aroma of the meal that had just ended.
Emperor Arvin sat at the head of the long dining table, his posture relaxed, but his mind alert. The breakfast with Nailah had been pleasant, though he would not admit that aloud. She had smiled more—spoken more. And he had stayed longer than he had intended. It's a fortnight now in Malaka.
A quiet knock sounded at the chamber doors. Arvin barely lifted his gaze.
"Enter."
The doors swung open, and Heman, his ever-loyal Shadow Guard, stepped in, his dark uniform immaculate, his expression as unreadable as ever. The man was both a blade and a shield, and above all, Arvin's most trusted set of eyes.
"Your Majesty," Heman bowed, stepping forward and holding out a sealed letter. "A message has arrived from the capital."
Arvin took the parchment without a word, his thumb running over the wax seal. His eyes flicked to Heman.
"From whom?"
"General Kian," Heman replied, his voice carefully measured. "He states that he will arrive in Taico on the next full moon."
Arvin's fingers tightened slightly on the letter.
Heman's silence was weighted as if waiting for the Emperor's reaction.
Arvin finally broke the seal, unfolding the letter with deliberate ease. His eyes skimmed over the formal words, noting how precise and diplomatic Kian's phrasing was.
"It has been long since I last set foot in Taico. I trust my return shall be met with warmth, as is custom for brothers."
Arvin nearly scoffed. Warmth? That was not a word Kian had ever sought from him.
"The Empire stands strong, and its throne remains secure. That is well. I will arrive upon the next full moon. May the heavens continue to favour your rule, Vino."
Arvin eyes lingered a bit on his brothers choice of words, especially where Kain addressed him by his childhood name. it was a sign from Kian to Arvin that there were no ill intentions.....more like Kian is swearing on his little brother. Arvin could help but smile, and then he folded the letter and placed it on the table. He could feel Heman's gaze on him.
"Your thoughts?" Arvin asked without looking up with a smile already, knowing what he was thinking.
Heman's voice was steady. "The timing is... interesting."
"Yes," Arvin said. But now he returns."
He leaned back slightly, his head facing the ceiling.
"Send word ahead," he finally said. "A welcoming feast will be arranged in Taico. If my brother wishes to make his presence known, we shall grant him the stage."
Heman bowed. "As you command, Your Majesty."
As his Shadow Guard departed, Arvin exhaled softly, his gaze drifting back to the letter.
The next full moon.
Kian was returning.
Meanwhile, in the Imperial Castle.
Kanha sat by the open balcony, watching the late afternoon light dance across the courtyard. The scent of jasmine drifted through the warm breeze, but the air around her felt heavy.
It's nothing.
That was what she told herself every time the thought of Mirha and Kaisen surfaced in her mind.
A week had passed since their return to the Imperial Palace, and Kaisen had not come once. Not to visit her, nor to see Mirha.
And yet, his absence unsettled her more than his presence ever had.
But her mind kept running back to that night as much as she hated the thought of it, but to this point, it's all that comes to her mind
It wasn't jealousy. Kanha repeated that to herself as she adjusted the silver bangles on her wrist.
But even so, the thought lingered.
Kanha wasn't the only one in a loop memory of that night Gina too had been fighting her own thoughts on the matter.
In the garden, Gina sighed, rubbing her temples as she paced across her chambers.
For days, Rnzo had been coming to see her. And for days, she had been avoiding him.
She had tried to convince herself that she was simply busy. That there was no reason to see him. Whatever had passed between them before their return to the Imperial Palace had been nothing.
But if it was nothing, why did her chest tighten every time Mirha told her he had come by?
"You can't avoid him forever, you know."
Mirha's voice was soft, but there was an edge of amusement in it as she carefully folded a silk sash.
Gina exhaled sharply, turning toward her. "I can for now."
Mirha hummed in response, unfazed. She had been the one politely sending Enzo away at Gina's request, but even she could see that it was only delaying the inevitable.
"He doesn't seem like the type to give up," Mirha mused.
"That's the problem," Gina muttered.
Mirha glanced at her, curious. "Is it that you don't want to see him or that you do?"
Gina tensed.
There was no good answer to that.
She didn't know what she wanted.
A part of her did want to see him, to hear whatever it was he had been so determined to say. But another part—a deeper, more fragile part—felt unworthy of whatever promises he might make.
She wasn't a lady of noble birth. She wasn't someone meant to stand beside a Duke.
And she hated the way that truth made her feel small.
So, instead of answering, she simply turned away.
Mirha didn't press further.
The next week Rnzo hadn't been seen at the Imperial Castle but he did write to Gina around the week explaining he had to go to Magili for a week and would be back to see her as soon as he got back and he had hoped she would then have time for him.
This gave Gina breathing space.
In the week that followed, the castle was beaming with joy and excitement as everyone was preparing for the return of General Kian, who had spent some good years without coming back to Taico... his hometown.
With Kian's return set for the next full moon, preparations began at once.
The Imperial Palace was alive with activity—courtiers bustling about, discussing seating arrangements, menus, and entertainment. Arvin had ordered that the feast be grand but not ostentatious—a welcoming, not a display of excess.
"The banners of Èvana must be hung alongside the Imperial ones," he instructed the palace stewards. "Let him feel that his time away has not distanced him from his home."
The feast would be held in the Great Banquet Hall, where the empire's most distinguished guests would gather. Noble houses sent in their RSVPs—some eager to meet the famed general, others watching carefully to see what his return could mean.
But beyond the politics, Arvin focused on something deeper.
He was a man who had spent most of his life with duty pressing down on his shoulders. Kian, for all their past conflicts, they had...he never forgot that they were family first...then royals later.
The Return of Prince Kian
The palace buzzed with anticipation.
After years away, Prince Kian was returning to Taico. The news had spread through the capital like wildfire, and preparations for his arrival were well underway.
As the sun dipped beyond the horizon, the gates of the Imperial Palace opened to receive him.
Kian rode at the head of his escort, his figure straight-backed and composed, a stark contrast to the younger, eager warriors that followed behind him. His gaze was sharp as it swept over the familiar landscape, taking in the towering walls and golden rooftops of the city he had left behind.
It had been years since he last stood in this place.
Years since he had watched his younger brother take the throne.
And though he carried no expression of displeasure, something in the way he held himself made it clear—Kian had never stopped hating the idea.
At the palace steps, Arvin stood waiting.
"Kian," he greeted, his voice measured.
Kian dismounted with ease, his movements fluid, practised. His gaze met Arvin's, and though his lips curled slightly in something that could almost be called a smile, the weight in his stare did not fade.
"Vino."
A brief silence stretched between them, neither breaking their gaze.
Then, Arvin gestured toward the open doors. "The feast is ready."
Without another word, Kian stepped forward.
The halls of the Imperial Castle still buzzed with the remnants of the feast, but Emperor Arvin had retreated to a quieter chamber with his elder brother, General Kian The warm welcome had been given, the formalities exchanged, but now—now was the moment where the conversation would shift to matters that truly mattered.
Arvin studied his brother from across the table, his fingers idly tracing the rim of his wine goblet. Kian had always carried himself with the same air of authority, the same measured stillness that made it impossible to read his thoughts. It was what made him a brilliant general, a formidable leader—and a dangerous man to underestimate.
"You should stay in the Imperial City for a while," Arvin said, leaning back in his chair. "You've spent far too many years in Èvana. It's time you enjoy the luxuries of the capital again."
Kian gave a slow nod as if considering the offer. "Perhaps."
Heman, who stood watchfully behind Arvin, stiffened slightly, his sharp gaze never leaving Kian. He had always been cautious of the Emperor's elder brother—not without reason. Kian had never been the type to desire just enough. He was the kind of man who took what he believed should be his.
Arvin swirled his drink, watching his brother carefully. "You can have any estate within the city walls. Name one, and it's yours."
A flicker of something passed through Kian's expression—too brief to decipher, but just long enough for Arvin to notice.
"Kilima Estate."
The request was so unexpected that for a moment, Arvin merely stared at him.
Kilima.
Their father's favoured estate. The place where he had spent his final years. The place where—
Arvin's grip on his goblet tightened slightly. When their father, The late former Emperor Kilimah, had died, he and Kian had been at odds. Words had been exchanged—words neither of them had taken back. They had never made peace. And now, Kian was asking for that place?
Arvin set his drink down with a quiet clink. "Kilima?" he echoed, searching Kian's face for any hint of his intentions. But as always, Kian was unreadable.
"That is what I want," Kian confirmed, his tone even. "Unless it is too much to ask."
Arvin exhaled slowly, eyes narrowing slightly. He did not know what went on in his brother's mind—no one did. Kian was a man who concealed everything but his ambitions. And this… this choice...felt deliberate.
Still, after a moment of tense silence, Arvin nodded.
"It's yours."
Heman's disapproval was nearly palpable, but he said nothing.
Kian merely inclined his head. "I appreciate your generosity, little brother."
The way he said it made Arvin feel as if he had just given away more than an estate but a part of him.
And he wasn't sure if that should concern him. But for now he was just going to allow his brother chase that peace he might running to,....just for now.
The great banquet hall shimmered under the glow of golden lanterns. Laughter and conversation filled the space, but Gina felt none of it.
She sat stiffly at her place, her fingers curled around the stem of her goblet as she focused on the untouched food before her.
She had been careful all evening, keeping to the far side of the hall, hidden amongst the other attendants. She had convinced herself that in the sea of nobility, she could disappear.
But then she felt it.
A presence.
Her breath stilled.
Slowly, hesitantly, she looked up—
And met Rnzo's gaze.
He stood across the room, half-shadowed in the warm candlelight, his eyes locked onto her with an expression she could not decipher. He didn't move. He didn't call out to her.
But she felt his intention as clearly as if he had spoken it aloud.
There was no running tonight.
The realization sent a quiet ripple of something unnerving through her.
Not fear.
Something else.
Something she wasn't ready to name.
Rnzo, however, seemed perfectly content with the tension that hung between them.
With slow, deliberate steps, he began making his way toward her.
Gina exhaled sharply, gripping the edge of the table. She had spent an entire week avoiding him, yet somehow, the moment he looked at her like this, she forgot every reason why.
He reached her side, his voice smooth and familiar. "I was beginning to think you had disappeared."
Gina didn't look at him. "i had no idea i was worth looking for your grace."
A quiet chuckle. "Of course you are."
The casual certainty in his voice made something in her chest tighten.
Finally, she turned to face him, her expression unreadable. "Why?"
The single word felt heavier than it should.
Rnzo tilted his head slightly as if considering his answer. Then, with a quiet, knowing smile, he said simply—
"Because you want me to."
Gina's breath caught.
For a brief moment, she had no response.
Because the worst part—the part she had tried so hard to deny—was that he wasn't wrong.
But before she could react, before she could let herself feel the weight of those words, the Emperor arrived back to the hall with his brother, his voice rose above the crowd.
"Let us welcome back my brother, Prince Kian!"
The hall erupted in applause, and just like that, the moment was gone.
And as Gina looked back at Rnzo he was gone he seem to have gone to go welcome the General himself.
While Mirha came by to her.
This helped Gina regain her composure but Mirha was shortly stolen from her by some of the gentlemen that wished to dance with her Mirha being the happy spirit never declined. Gina who hated the gaze and attention managed to find her way out and away from the crowd.
She almost forgot about it all but not long after. Rnzo found her near the balcony, sipping from her goblet as she pretended to be deeply interested in the night sky.
"I almost thought you'd escape me again tonight," he mused as he approached.
Gina sighed, setting her cup down on the stone railing. "I wasn't escaping."
"No?" He tilted his head, amusement flickering in his sharp gaze. "Then why is it that for the past week, every time I've come looking for you, Lady Mirha suddenly appears in your place?"
Gina crossed her arms. "I've been busy."
Rnzo arched a brow. "Busy with what if i may ask?"
She hesitated, then lifted her chin. "Learning the royal courtesies. The proper way to curtsy, how to carry myself in court, and—" she paused before adding, "—chess."
Rnzo's interest visibly piqued. "Chess?"
"Yes." She met his gaze. "A lady of status should know such things, should she not?"
A slow, knowing smile spread across Rnzo's lips. "Then why don't we put your new skills to the test?"
Gina frowned. "What do you mean?"
"A game," he said simply. "You and me. A single match."
Gina scoffed. "I have nothing to prove."
"But you do have something to win." His voice dipped slightly, coaxing. "Let's make it interesting—a bet."
She narrowed her eyes. "What kind of bet?"
Rnzo leaned in just a fraction, his presence warm, teasing. "If I lose, I'll do whatever you ask. No exceptions."
Gina studied him carefully. "And if I lose?"
His gaze turned sharper, yet undeniably playful. "You will become my duchess."
Gina's breath caught. "My apologies your grace but.....That's absurd."
"Is it?" He shrugged, feigning innocence. "You're the one learning royal courtesies. Why not put them to good use?"
She shook her head. "Absolutely not."
Rnzo placed a hand over his heart. "I give you my word, Gina. If you win, I will honor whatever request you make." He held her gaze, his voice dropping to something softer, more sincere. "But if I win, you stop running."
The words settled between them, heavy with unspoken meaning.
Gina hesitated. She should refuse. She should walk away.
But something in her—a part she wasn't ready to name—was tempted.
Slowly, she exhaled. "Fine."
Rnzo's smile deepened. "Good."
And now a match