The Promised Queen

𝓉𝓌𝑒𝓃𝓉𝓎 𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑒

HRUDAY

I heard it first. Ridhima and I were standing there, the tension still thick between us when a voice suddenly cut through the quiet. 

Rani Sa's voice, sharp and unmistakable, echoed through the night air.

My heart skipped a beat. The words hit me like a slap, and for a moment, time seemed to slow. We were caught. This wasn't supposed to happen. 

We were supposed to avoid each other until the wedding—until the ritual allowed us to meet, but here we were, standing in the same garden like a pair of reckless fools.

I glanced at Ridhima, and I saw it in her eyes before she even said a word—panic. Her gaze shifted rapidly, darting around the garden as if searching for some way out. 

The faintest hint of worry crept onto her face, and that was enough to make me act. She wouldn't be able to think clearly in that state. Neither would I.

"We need to move," I whispered sharply, my voice low and urgent.

"I know!" she hissed back, her eyes darting toward the sound. "But where? We're not supposed to be here!"

"Yes, I'm aware," I replied, sarcasm dripping from my voice. "Thank you for pointing out the obvious."

"Do you have any idea how bad this is?" she whispered, her words coming out in a frantic rush. "We're getting married tomorrow! They specifically said we're not supposed to see each other until the ceremony. It's bad luck. And tradition! And—"

"Ridhima." I cut her off, my patience wearing thin, but she was too far gone in her panic.

"—and if Rani-Sa finds us, she'll have a field day! She'll think we're sneaking around! Oh my god, we're sneaking around! What if she tells everyone? What if—"

I'd had enough. Her babbling was going to get us caught.

Without a second thought, I stepped forward and pressed my hand gently but firmly over her mouth. Her words cut off instantly.

Her eyes widened in shock, and for a brief second, we just stood there—her lips soft against my palm, her breath warm against my skin.

"Shh," I whispered, my voice low and steady. "You're going to get us caught if you keep talking."

She blinked up at me, her wide eyes full of surprise—and something else. I ignored it. Or at least, I tried to.

"Come on," I said softly, pulling her with me as I moved toward the shadows of a nearby corner. We slipped into the narrow space, hidden from view as the footsteps grew louder. I pressed my body against hers, shielding us both from sight.

Her back was against the cold stone wall, and my hand was still over her lips. We were far too close.

Too close.

I could feel the soft curve of her body against mine, her heart beating just as fast as mine. My mind, despite the circumstances, betrayed me—flashes of the kiss we shared flooded my thoughts. The warmth of her lips, the way she had tasted, the way she had felt in my arms...

Stop. Focus.

But it was impossible to ignore the way her eyes were locked on mine, wide and shimmering in the dim light. Her gaze pulled me in, as if we were caught in some unspoken gravity, and for a moment, the rest of the world fell away.

The footsteps stopped.

Rani-Sa's voice.

I stiffened, listening carefully as she spoke over the phone, her tone clipped and businesslike. She was close—but not close enough to see us.