The throne hall did not erupt into chaos the way I expected. No one shouted nor protested. Instead, the silence grew heavier, It pressed against my chest until breathing felt difficult. "I wish to marry your daughter." Prince Rashad's words still echoed faintly in my ears. I stood where I was, unable to move, my hands clasped tightly in front of me to keep them from trembling. All around us, the nobles whispered quietly among themselves, their hushed voices rippling through the grand chamber like distant wind moving across water. But the man responsible for it all looked perfectly calm.
Prince Rashad stood with his hands folded behind his back, as though he had simply asked my father for permission to borrow a horse. My gaze drifted toward him again despite myself, the sunlight pouring through the high windows struck his dark hair, turning it almost blue-black. The long strands rested loosely against the dark velvet of his coat, and the silver clasps across his chest glinted faintly whenever he moved.
Every seam of his coat fit his body precisely, outlining broad shoulders and a narrow waist. The cloak resting across his back was trimmed with dark fur, heavy enough that it barely shifted as he moved nothing about him looked soft. Everything about him looked deliberate, like a weapon disguised as nobility.
My father leaned slightly forward on the imperial throne, the movement alone was enough to silence the entire hall. "You speak boldly, Crown Prince," my father said.
His voice remained calm, but I could hear the weight behind it. "This is not a small request." Prince Rashad did not seem intimidated. "Of course not, Your Majesty," he replied smoothly. "That is precisely why I wished to discuss it in person." His grey eyes flickered toward me again the look lasted only a second but it felt far longer.
My father watched him carefully "you have only met my daughter moments ago," he said. "That is true," Rashad admitted then a faint smile appeared on his lips. "But I have heard about her long before today." A quiet murmur spread again among the nobles I felt heat rise to my cheeks. "My daughter's reputation reaches Sahramir?" my father asked. "It does," Rashad said simply. "A princess known for her beauty, kindness, and gentle nature." His gaze settled on me again. "And I find the rumors were not exaggerated." I lowered my eyes quickly.
Compliments were not unusual at court, but the way he said it made me uncomfortable. It did not feel like admiration, It felt like assessment.
My father remained silent for several moments. When he finally spoke again, his voice was slower. "Marriage between our kingdoms would indeed strengthen relations." A quiet wave of tension moved through the court. Everyone understood what he meant.
An alliance with Sahramir would make our empire nearly untouchable, two powerful nations bound by blood. But my father was not finished. "However," he continued, "my daughter's life is not a matter I treat lightly." Hope flickered faintly in my chest. "My daughter will leave her homeland if she marries into Sahramir," the emperor said. "She would live far from her family and her people." His gaze shifted briefly to me, for a moment, the stern ruler vanished and I saw my father. The man who had once carried me on his shoulders through the palace gardens when I was small. "She would become your crown princess," he said. Rashad inclined his head slightly. "Yes." My father studied him for another long moment. "Tell me, Crown Prince," he said. "If she becomes your wife, how will she be treated in Sahramir?" he asked and the question hung heavily in the air.
For the first time, Prince Rashad seemed to consider his answer carefully then he spoke. "She will be treated as the future queen of Sahramir." His voice was steady and confident. "She will live in the palace of the Padishah, surrounded by wealth and honor." He paused briefly before adding, "And she will belong to the most powerful royal house in the eastern kingdoms."
Belong? The word struck something uneasy inside my chest. My father's gaze sharpened slightly. "And as a husband?" Rashad's expression barely changed. "I will ensure she lacks nothing." The answer sounded polished but something about it felt… incomplete. As though he had answered the question without truly addressing it. My father leaned back slightly against the throne.
The movement made the gold embroidery on his robes shimmer beneath the light. The hall waited I could feel every noble watching us. My heart pounded loudly in my chest I knew what was coming. Politics, alliances, duty. Those things had always come before personal wishes within royal families. But still... Somewhere deep inside me, a fragile hope remained.
My father looked at me again just briefly, his expression was unreadable. Then he turned back to Prince Rashad. "Sahramir is a great kingdom," the emperor said slowly. "And peace between our nations is valuable." My stomach twisted and I lowered my gaze to the marble floor. The polished stone reflected faint fragments of color from the surrounding robes.
For the first time in my life, the palace felt strangely unfamiliar. Like a place I no longer belonged. "My answer," my father finally said, "will be delivered tomorrow." The court erupted into murmurs again. Prince Rashad did not look surprised Instead, he inclined his head slightly in acknowledgment. "A wise decision, Your Majesty." My father rose from the throne.
The entire hall immediately fell silent once more. "This audience is concluded." The nobles bowed, the meeting was over. But as the court slowly began to disperse, I felt Prince Rashad's gaze lingering on me again. Like a man who had already claimed victory and deep inside my chest a quiet sense of dread began to grow.