Fated Mate (A Taehyung's FanFiction) || Wattpad ✓

Chapter 08 Bluntness

Author's perspective:

Harin's heart raced, but she didn't flinch under his gaze. His smirk was fueling her anger, and the weight of her past grievances was bubbling on the surface. She straightened her posture, refusing to be intimidated by him, despite the authority he held.

"Yes," she replied, her voice was steady. "I am the princess."

His smirk widened as if he found the situation amusing, his grip on her chin was tightening slightly. "You really believe that, don't you? That you're more than a simple maid?"

Harin narrowed her eyes, pushing back the wave of doubt creeping into her mind. "It's not about belief—it's the truth. Whether you choose to accept it or not, doesn't change who I am."

For a moment, there was silence. His gaze darkened, and the amusement which was on his face awhile ago, faded from his face. He leaned in closer, he whispered in her ear, "You're walking on dangerous ground, Harin. Don't forget your place. I can break you with a single word."

Her pulse quickened, but she wasn't about to let him see her falter. Summoning all her courage, she whispered back, "Then say the word."

The tension hung thick in the air, and for a split second, neither of them moved. But Harin could see it—the flicker of hesitation in his eyes. He might have power, but in that moment, he was just as caught in this dangerous game as she was. 

Prince's Perspective:

Her bluntness left me speechless, stinging my pride. What does she think of herself? Does she not realize the line she's crossing? In the dining room, she played the innocent—meek, obedient. But here, she dared to defy me. Such a traitor.

I tried to control the frustration brewing within. Why does she not know her place? She has no idea how close she is to being destroyed. And yet, I hesitate. For a reason I can't fully comprehend, I don't say the word that would end this power struggle, that would put her back in her rightful place. It's as if... something in her gaze holds me back.

 Harin's perspective:

I didn't know what I was saying. There was no magic I felt the first time... May be I felt that because I literally saw a man whose painting I saw in a chamber of our castle. I knew I was dragging myself in fire, and I knew I was crossing lines though I had no authority to cross , for me I was right but for him I was wrong and extremely wrong, of course! My heart was beating so fast but I was trying to hold my nervousness, I was not scared of him but I had no authority to take a step, I don't know why I was forcing myself that I was not scared of him. My heart thudded in my chest, my legs felt weak, but I refused to show it.

Author's perspective:

Then, just as quickly as it had come, the moment passed. The prince released her chin abruptly, stepping back with an unreadable expression. He stared at her for a moment longer, as if weighing his next move, before turning on his heel and walking away, his footsteps were echoing down the hall.

Harin exhaled a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, her heart was still racing from the confrontation. She wasn't sure what just happened between them—whether it was a victory or a dangerous escalation. But one thing was certain: this wasn't the end of their fight.

She had stood her ground today, but in the grand scheme of palace politics, that was only the beginning. Her thoughts were spinning. Her entire body was trembling—not from the confrontation, but from the weight of what she had just said. She had dared to challenge him, the prince, a man whose power could crush her with a single command. And yet, despite everything, she had stood her ground.