The soft light of dawn filtered into the chambers. I stirred, sitting up in the quite, the thick silence of the morning wrapping around me. My bed in the changing room was comfortable, far more than I was used to, yet sleep had come and gone in restless waves. My thoughts drifting to him
Prince Davis.
I brushed the sleep from my eyes, and glanced through the door separating my space from his chambers. He had been gone when I retired for the night, I hadn't heard him return.
Curiosity tugged at me, Quietly I slipped out of bed, my bare feet padding softly against the cold stone floor. The door creaked slightly as I opened it, peering into his chambers .
There he was.
Lying on the bed, his dark hair tousled, his face serene in sleep. The tension he carried, the weight of his title seemed to vanish, replaced by something softer, almost boyish.
I lingered by the door, my heart fluttering in my chest. He was beautiful in a way I rarely allowed myself to acknowledge. Here in this quite, unguarded moment, he was no longer the man bound by duties, just Davis. He seemed so peaceful, so different from the man who kept me at arms length, the one who hid his emotions behind cold commands and distant glances.
I moved closer, carefully not to disturb him, drawn to the rare peace etched, tempted to brush the hair from his forehead. One touch, that's all I wanted.
I reached out, my hand hovering inches from his hair, before I could make contact, his eyes opened..... Sharp, alert, our gaze locked. and for a fleeting moment, something soft flickered on his golden eyes.
"Linda..." he murmured, my name a whisper in the stillness.
"I..." my voice faltered. caught on the action, I realized I was closer, I had overstepped again.
His eyes searched mine, I was confused, scared of his next move. And for a moment the space between us shrinked with unspoken tension. It felt like the world outside these chambers didn't exist. there was no crown, no court, no laws to keep us apart. I started wishing on the impossible, if only we had met properly, if only he is not a Prince, I would.. maybe I would.. let him hold me, I would want to be in his World.
Just a few days ago, I could barely breathe. The panic, the doubt, the fear of being here, it all felt too heavy to bear.
But tonight feels different. Something shifted, quietly, like the world exhaled while I wasn't looking.
Was it that moment we shared? That fleeting spark that still hums beneath my skin?
I'd never known what it meant to be held by a man until then, to feel both safe and utterly undone at once.
Maybe it's his eyes... those calm, commanding eyes that see too much.
Or the way his touch lingers, gentle yet certain, as if he already knows I won't pull away.
I don't know what's happening to me.
All I know is that the thought of him won't let me rest.
And yet, a voice inside me keeps whispering
"For heaven's sake, Berl, he's a prince."
But maybe, just maybe... that's why I can't stop falling.
The door swang open, Eldric strode in, urgency written across his face.
"Your highness....!" He started, his eyes flickering between us, taking in the scene, after feeling apologetic, he bowed at Davis and said.
"Forgive me your highness for interrupting... I'm afraid it's urgent...." he stummered.
"She was just waking me up. Go on.." He ignored me as he sat up from the bed. I clenched against the conner of the bed, digrace written all over my face.
"The queen has summoned the council, she's appealing on your appointing Miss Berlinda as the your right hand woman..." Davis expression shifted instantly, the softness shifting like a mask slipping back into place. He went back to being the prince again, stoic, unreadable and distant.
"How did she find out!" his gaze hardened as he watch Eldric.
"I made sure she isn't to find out.. I was buying time.... I needed one more day" He was biting on his teeth
"Forgive me your highness, it seems like the walls of the kingdoms have more ears..." Eldric tried to soothe him.
"Ofcourse not..... and as you can see the Queen wastes no time! I need to make a move now" he started.
"Linda, bring me my royal garments, I need to seek audience with the King." He ordered me. I didn't like it but I loved that he was talking to me.
"The king!?" I slipped the words out of my mouth, my heart heavy with concerns.
"This isn't your concern! Jist do as I say" He told me. his tone cold and measured.
I stood from the bed, slowly walking towards the changing room. The warmth of the moment already fading, replaced by a sinking feeling in my chest. I shouldn't have been here. I shouldn't have let myself believe, even for a moment that I stand a chance here, to be someone, to be by his side.
As I reach the door, I hear him speak to Eldric, his voice low and commanding
"Inform the council to wait, that the King himself will adress them shortly. I have to make him adress them himsef...." He sounded strained.
"How is that going to be possible, he hasn't even seen you since you arrived?" Eldric grew concerned.
"I have cards to play, I have to choose carefully which cards to play.." He insisted
"Make sure she's to remain in here as always, no one approaches my chambers while am gone" that was an order.
"Understood" There was a hesitant moment, Eldrics feet flattered between leaving and staying. And as I leaned against the door, holding his royal garments, my fingers brushed at the edge of it, trembling slightly. What is to be my fate. What is to be of me?
"What's your concern Eldric...." Davis asked him.
"Your highness... will the King will accept your audience?. I am not sure if I should inform the council yet....."
"Just do as I say, They will hear directly from him. Eventually he will listen to me.... Worry not I have a very good plan" Davis spoke. Eyes lingered in air, I didn't know what he was thinking, he remained calm even the whole time I was dressing him. Eldric had already left and the two of us remained, deadly silent, both looking at each other, for few seconds. And I couldn't tell what was on his mind. He smiled softly looking deep at my eyes, I don't know what that meant but I melted.
"Return to your room, Do not come out, I will be back shortly" He spoke to me and turned to leave. I nodded, swallowing the ache in my chest , as I watch him leave, to meet the King, his father, who had abandoned him, who couldn't even embrace him on his return, who couldn't protect him.
The doors to the King's chamber loomed before him, imposing, familiar, and heavy with a tension Prince Davis had not felt in years. For twenty-five years, he had been a prince in name only, an heir cast to the edges of the kingdom, a son exiled not by geography but by his father's will. Now he stood there again, driven not by choice but by necessity, by the weight of unfinished business and the sharp edge of resentment.
A guard waited silently by the door, posture rigid. Memories flickered in Davis's mind, running through these same halls as a boy, the warmth of his father's hand once resting on his shoulder, the echo of laughter like sunlight cutting through winter's chill. Those moments were gone, buried under years of silence and duty.
At his nod, the guard struck the door sharply, the sound reverberating like a drumbeat of fate. "Your Majesty, the Prince requests an audience."
For a moment, nothing. Then came the King's voice... cold, detached. "Let him in."
Those words were meant for a stranger, not a son.
Davis entered, his steps measured, his face composed. The chamber smelled faintly of cedar and parchment. Sunlight caught the edges of the King's silver hair, glinting like frost. The old man remained seated, eyes sharp, a gaze that had never softened, never bent under the weight of affection. He did not rise. He did not welcome him. His silence was deliberate, a reminder of every year he had denied him.
"Your Majesty," Davis began, his tone formal and precise, his lifelong armor.
The King did not look up immediately, though Davis knew he had already seen him. Time had carved deep lines into his face, but not softened them. Finally, the quill stilled. "I wasn't expecting you this morning," he said, his voice unreadable, more statement than question.
Davis held his ground, the ache of old wounds pressing beneath his ribs. "You're right," he said calmly, though defiance simmered beneath the surface. "I came to offer you a deal. It cannot wait."
The King's gaze remained unmoved, but Davis saw it, a flicker of recognition, then the edge of concern.
"Oh... you're aware of it," the King murmured. "I heard you've made quite the impression in court. A woman resides in your chambers. Bold, for a man in your position. What were you thinking, Davis?"
"Keeping her there was for her safety, Your Majesty," Davis replied evenly. "I was controlling the matter. I would have informed you sooner, but the Queen would have turned it into a spectacle either way."
The King leaned back, lips tightening. "Your defense does not excuse your defiance. Do you know how many laws you've broken? You... of royal blood, future King of this realm... and yet a mere woman is...."
"A mere woman?" Davis cut in sharply, his tone like a drawn blade.
He let a faint scoff follow. "Tell me, Your Majesty... what would you have done in my place? To protect the woman you want by your side? What would you have done to protect my mother, if you were in my position?"
He didn't wait for an answer. The silence between them spoke louder than words.
"You already know," he murmured, satisfaction flickering behind his steady gaze. "That's exactly what I'm doing."
The King studied him, his expression a mask of cold judgment. "You risk the stability of the realm," he said. "Tradition, the law... these are not yours to defy."
"I am the future King of this nation," Davis said, his voice hard as iron. "I will protect whom I choose, if it serves justice. I have chosen her, that is my decision."
The King's eyebrow lifted slightly. "And the council? The laws? The Queen?"
"I will face them," Davis said. "The laws of this kingdom were written by men who feared strength, in women, in others. But I will change that. Under my reign, every woman will have the right to stand unshackled by obedience. That is the legacy I intend to forge."
For a moment, something shifted in the King's eyes, a shadow of curiosity, perhaps even apprehension. He saw the resolve in his son, the strength he had tried to bury now burning in full light.
"I offer you a deal" Davis continued, his tone controlled. "Not merely for her title, but for all the women of this kingdom. Let it be written: freedom, protection, recognition. Uphold it, and you honor the kingdom. Deny it, and you deny my legacy."
The King's quill hovered. Silence pressed between them like a blade. This was not a plea. It was a confrontation, a reckoning between two rulers divided by blood and pride.
Davis stepped closer. "You have not been my father for most of my life," he said quietly. "And I am not asking you to start now. I've carried my regrets, but I am no longer that boy. I am a man who bears this kingdom's weight. I begin my reign today, by breaking the chains you built."
Then he leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper meant only for the King.
"I know your favorite son is alive and well. I know where he is. Funny, isn't it? He was supposed to be sent beyond these walls.... like every victim of the Plague of Avarin.... yet you chose to treat him in secret." His tone hardened.
He let a scoff escape. "For a moment, I thought you had finally seen me. But you haven't changed. Not then, not now."
He paused, letting the weight of the truth hang heavy. "Your secret is safe with me... you only need to pass this decree."
When he straightened, the room felt colder. He knew what he held over his father, the truth that his brother, the Crown Prince, still lived. It was his last mercy, his last act of kindness toward a man who had cast him aside. And he knew that mercy would not last forever.
For a heartbeat, the King's mask cracked, eyes widening, jaw tightening, fists curling against the table. The silence that followed was thick with unspoken horror and realization.
"I will give you what you want" the King finally said, his voice low and strained.
A faint, cold smile crossed Davis's lips. "She will no longer be your concern, Your Majesty."
Then he turned to leave, his composure sealing itself like armor. The air behind him was heavy, with power, with pain, and with the bitter truth that mercy, even now, came at a price.
That day would be remembered as his last act of kindness.
*
*
The sound of boots echoed before I even saw him.
Moments earlier, I had been dragged from the chamber like a common thief , two guards pinning my arms so tightly I thought they might break. Their grip left bruises that burned like brands. Still, I refused to struggle. I refused to give them my fear.
The Queen watched, silent and satisfied, her lips curved in victory. She'd found her prey. I kept my eyes low , not in submission, but to keep the fury from spilling out.
Then came his voice.
"Release her. Immediately."
Sharp. Commanding. I would have known that tone anywhere.
The guards froze. I lifted my head. Our eyes met , his steady, mine uncertain. For a heartbeat, I felt something I hadn't in days... safety. But I buried it quickly. Hope was a dangerous thing.
"Prince Davis," the Queen said, her words sweet and venomous. "She's a criminal. She's broken the laws of Ravenvall."
He stood tall, controlled, but I could see the storm in him. "She's no criminal. She's my person , and my concern."
Their voices clashed like blades, each word an edge. The Queen was confident, cruel ... until he drew the scroll. I saw the seal gleam, and I realized ... he'd done it. He'd kept his promise.
By the King's decree.
My heart stuttered.
The Queen's composure cracked; her mask slipped. For the first time, I saw fear in her eyes. Then fury.
Davis's voice filled the space again , steady, dangerous. "Release her now, or you'll answer to me."
The guards obeyed. My knees nearly gave way, but I forced myself upright before he could reach me. I wouldn't fall. Not in front of them.
He stepped closer. "Are you hurt?" His voice was soft, too soft. It hurt worse than the guards' hands.
I wanted to say no. I wanted to tell him to stop looking at me like that. Because if he did, I might break.
Then the Queen's laughter cut through the air. "Are you in love with her?" she questioned.
The words pierced me. I saw him tense. He didn't answer, and that silence said something I couldn't detect .
The Queen left, but the damage remained.
When the doors shut, the strength I'd been holding onto slipped through my fingers. My body trembled, my lungs tight. I hated that he saw me like that , fragile, shaking, undone.
He came to me without hesitation, lifted me as if I weighed nothing. I wanted to fight, to tell him not to touch me, but the warmth of him, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, silenced me.
He laid me gently on the bed, his bed, and pulled the blanket over my shoulders. His hand brushed a strand of hair from my face. I kept my eyes fixed on the wall. I couldn't look at him. If I did, I might cry.
"You should rest," he said, his tone distant, almost cold. But I could hear it beneath: guilt.
When he turned to leave, panic surged through me. I reached for him before I could stop myself.
"Don't," I whispered. "Don't go."
He froze, but didn't turn.
"You're safe now," he said softly. "No one will ever touch you again. I promise."
Safe. I wanted to believe him. But safety in Ravenvall was an illusion.... and standing beside him only painted a larger target on my back.
Still... I didn't let go.
Because the truth was, even when I feared him, even when I hated the power he held, he was the only person who could protect me.
And as he stood there, torn between duty and something deeper, I realized that whatever bound us was no longer protection. It was a curse.
A curse neither of us could undo.
And I wasn't sure if I wanted to.