Veiled Desires of the Crown

Chapter Eighteen

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I regret deceiving you but

I don't regret making you mine

~Burhan

"Burhan?!" The disbelief in my voice hung in the air, echoing my shock. How could this be? I had just married the sultan, and now, in the intimacy of the wedding night, it was Burhan who sat before me.I blinked once then twice, not understanding what Burhan is doing in front of me.

He met my gaze with eyes that held guilt, acknowledging the unspoken tension in the room. "Noor," He spoke no further.

"What are you doing here?" I let out and moved to get away from him.

"Noor," he began, a conflicted expression on his face. "I know this is unexpected, and I am sorry, but..." his words trailed off, the weight of the situation settling between us.

I felt a mix of emotions — betrayal, confusion, and a tinge of anger. "What, Burhan?" My voice trembled as I confronted him. "What are you doing here? What game are you playing?"

He stayed quiet increasing my confusion.

"Get out!" I got off the bed and deadpanned.

"What?" I wanted to slap his shocked expression.

Moving towards him I pushed him away towards the exit. "I said get out! Do you even know what you are doing? I just got married to the sultan! Do you even realise what is going to happen if he finds you standing here in his chamber?!"

"Noor stop!" He turned and held me by my shoulders firmly as I squirmed to get away.

"It's me. I am the sultan you got married to." He spoke as I felt the everything around me stop.

"Are you crazy? What are you even saying. You are not the sultan. I got married to Sultan Haider Ali!" Is this man going mad?

"Noor," He gulped and ran a hand through his hair. "That's me. I am Sultan Haider Burhan Ali."

My mind reeled, refusing to accept the gravity of Burhan's words. I stared at him, searching for any sign that this was some twisted joke, but the sincerity in his eyes contradicted any possibility of deceit. The room seemed to sway around me, and I felt a knot tightening in my stomach.

"You're the sultan?" I repeated, my voice a mere whisper. Disbelief and shock mingled with the rising tide of emotions within me.

Burhan nodded, his eyes reflecting the weight of the revelation. "Yes, Noor. I am Sultan Haider Burhan Ali."

The pieces of the puzzle began to click into place, forming a picture I never could have imagined. The Sultan I had married, the man I was supposed to spend my life with, was Burhan – the one who had held my heart in his hands, the one who had convinced me to accept this union.

A surge of anger, confusion, and betrayal coursed through my veins. I took a step back, needing some distance to process the truth that unfolded before me. "How could you?" The words escaped my lips, laced with a mix of accusation and hurt.

Burhan approached me cautiously, his eyes pleading for understanding. "Noor, I didn't plan for things to unfold this way. I never intended to deceive you, but circumstances forced my hand."

I scoffed, unable to contain the anger welling within me. "Circumstances? Deception? You played with my life, Burhan. What kind of circumstances forced you to deceive me like that?!"

He sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Noor, I never wanted to complicate your life.I liked you since our first interaction. You are the first woman I have seen in my life who forced me to think about her in her absence. I wanted to make you my wife, my Malika, but since the very first day you made it clear that you didn't want to do anything with the palace, and I assumed that by hiding my identity I could make you mine. I did all this because I didn't want to let you go."

His words, meant to explain, only fueled the fire of my indignation. "You assumed? You decided my fate without my consent. How could you think that was right?"

Burhan's gaze softened, and he reached out as if wanting to comfort me, but I recoiled, needing to process the turmoil within. "I should have been honest with you from the beginning," he admitted, remorse in his eyes.

I shook my head, a bitter laugh escaping me. "Honesty now doesn't change what you've done. You are the last person I thought could have betrayed me. Do you even have a little bit of regret"

"Noor, I almost hate doing this to you but not really. I regret deceiving you but I don't regret making you my wife."

"You're impossible!" I breathed harshly.

"I can't believe i actually thought i liked you. I was close to falling in love with you! I came to you that day but you made me believe that you had no interest in me. You could have talked to me about it but you chose to lie to me. Over and over again!" He proceeded to give more of his stupid explanations but i signalled with my hand to stop him.

The room felt suffocating, and I couldn't breathe. I didn't say anything more; I just walked away from him and left the room, The palace, which used to feel grand, now seemed like a confusing maze of lies and shattered trust.

As I walked through the twisting hallways, the weight of my wedding clothes matched the heavy ache in my heart. The way forward looked unclear, and the decisions in front of me were way more complicated than I ever thought.

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