Throughout the night, Rihaan tossed and turned on the bed, murmuring the same name over and over.
"Arav..."
It was a name Soren had heard countless times yet there was no face attached to it.
At the corner of the room, he sat at his desk, a lamp dimly lit as he skimmed through a stack of documents.
The thin curtains hanging from the ceiling had been drawn, carefully shielding the bed so the light wouldn’t disturb Rihaan’s sleep.
Exhaling softly, the red-haired man pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and glanced toward the bed.
After a moment, he rose and approached quietly, draping a blanket over Rihaan’s trembling form. The alpha was shivering from the cold, yet he neither stirred nor woke—perhaps exhaustion had dragged him too deep into sleep.
That was when Soren noticed the tears slipping from the corners of Rihaan’s eyes.
His hand lifted instinctively, fingers hovering as if to wipe them away—but he stopped himself just in time.
He had no right to do so.
No reason to care this much for him. For the person who had humiliated him in front of everyone.
Yet, he couldn’t help but feel pity for him.
Soon, Rihaan would leave the palace and return to his own kingdom.
And whatever had happened between them—this strange, fragile closeness—would end then.
For now, he needed to stay away from the place where he had been wounded. Perhaps time would heal his broken heart, allowing him to gather and mend its shattered pieces.
Just as he was about to walk away, Rihaan’s hand closed around his wrist, making Soren jolt.
"Sorry, I was just—" He cut himself off, scrambling for an excuse that no one would hear. When he turned back, he realized Rihaan was still asleep, eyes shut, his breathing uneven but steady.
Soren let out a slow breath of relief. He hadn’t woken him.
Had Rihaan been conscious, he would have certainly made a fuss—teasing Soren for hovering over him, accusing him of suspicious behaviour. The thought almost made him smile, despite himself.
"Arav," Rihaan whispered in his sleep. "What did I do?... Please..." His voice cracked. "Don’t... don’t do this to me... I-I love you. Without you... I-I will die..."
Soren swallowed hard. Chills ran down his spine. Such deep love—he had never witnessed it before.
"To die for someone," he muttered to himself, letting out a hollow laugh.
There was no such thing in real life. No one stopped living after losing their first love.
He was the perfect example of such a love story.
***
The next morning, Soren was summoned by the Emperor to the court.
He took his usual place beside Zaphyr, but his mind kept drifting back to his bedchamber, where Rihaan was still sleeping.
He could only hope the meeting would end before the alpha awoke. Knowing Rihaan, he was certain the moment he realized Soren was gone, he would be up and stepping out to look for him.
For some reason, the court was unusually quiet this morning.
A guard approached the Emperor, greeting him.
"Your Imperial Majesty, there has been an intruder last night," the man reported. "We were unable to apprehend him despite searching the areas throughout the night..."
Soren’s mind immediately wandered back to the previous night.
Could it be... they are still looking for Prince Rihaan?
Before he could dwell on it, the Emperor spoke, his voice sharp and commanding.
"How could that be? Have you searched every corner of the castle?!"
The guard flinched, shaking his head.
"We have yet to inspect the bedchambers of the royal family members."
"Then proceed at once. They may be hiding there, assuming you would never dare inspect such places. Hurry!" the Emperor ordered.
The soldiers bowed and rushed out of the court.
"So, as I was saying..."
The meeting resumed, but Soren paid little attention. His fingers fidgeted anxiously in his lap.
What if the guards found Rihaan in his chambers?
The thought made his chest tighten. If word spread, the rumours alone would shake the continent—especially with emissaries and officials constantly passing through the empire.
Zaphyr noticed his son’s restlessness. Unable to ignore it, he leaned closer, lowering his voice.
"Is something the matter? We are discussing your marriage, yet you seem distracted."
Soren blinked, turning toward his father.
"I—"
"If you are unwell, you may retire," Zaphyr continued, concern flickering across his features. "We can reconvene once you feel better. Your health comes first."
Soren forced a smile and shook his head.
"I am fine, Your Imperial Majes—"
Before he could finish, the massive doors at the far end of the hall swung open.
A familiar figure was escorted inside by several guards—Crown Prince Rihaan. His wrists were bound in handcuffs, his gaze lowered in embarrassment as he was brought forward.
A ripple of gasps broke through the room. Whispers that weren’t ready to stop flustered across the court.
"How dare you! To dare come to our Empire after humiliating our Crown Prince!" one minister exclaimed, pointing a shaking finger.
"Exactly!" a lady gasped, clicking her tongue in disapproval. "You should return to your kingdom, Your Highness."
"Before we decide what to do with an intruder," another minister stated, his gaze turning toward the Emperor, awaiting his response.
Rihaan remained composed, shocking everyone present in the hall. For someone who acted so impulsively and emotionally, he was behaving well—almost too well, to the point that it was doubtful whether he had an ulterior motive behind his unexpected and uninvited visit.
Soren’s gaze stayed calm, almost unnervingly so.
"Father," he said, turning to the Emperor, "I request that Prince Rihaan be allowed to stay for a while. He... needs a change of environment, some time away from the stress he has been under recently."
The ministers erupted again, but this time their shock was mixed with admiration.
"Our Crown Prince is so kind," one whispered to another. "He truly deserves better."
The Emperor raised an eyebrow, confused. He knew his son was kind. Still, to be this gentle toward the man who had rejected him was suspicious.
He doesn’t love him, does he?... Zaphyr pondered, rubbing his chin with his thumb.
"Very well. As you wish. But you must understand—you will need to choose your consort soon. Dominant alphas from several kingdoms will come to be considered. You are expected to select the best candidate."
Rihaan froze, his hazel eyes widening ever so slightly. It hadn’t been that long since their engagement ended and the Emperor was already searching for another candidate.
Of course, Soren will get married. It’s not like he will wait for me or anything. Ha ha ha.
He told himself, laughing inwardly but a strange flutter stirred in his chest, and he immediately rebuked himself for it.
"Well," he muttered under his breath, forcing a small grin, "as long as we remain friends. It’s not like his alpha will stop him from having friends..."
Thankfully, no one in the court heard him; their attention was focused on the Emperor’s words, or else another scandal would surely have erupted that morning.
But why is the Emperor rushing it like this?
Rihaan raised an eyebrow, pondering.