The Girl and The Stone

03. A Thief ?

"Me?"
"I stole it?"
"What's this drama about?"

Ankul raised an eyebrow, clearly suspicious. "You've been acting strange lately. Don't tell me you've lost your memory, too."

Zia's heart raced. "I didn't steal anything. This is all a mistake!"

Ankul's eyes narrowed, but before he could press further, Vyhan stepped forward, his presence commanding.

"Mistake?" Vyhan's voice was cold. "The Soulstone is missing, and you were found near the vault. Care to explain?"

Zia straightened up, trying to stay calm. "Mistake or not, I don't think you have the right to question me like this. Who are you, anyway? And why are you even here?"

Ankul glanced at Zia, shaking his head. "What are you-" He turned to Vyhan. "Don't mind her. I think she's lost her mind."

Vyhan's eyes darkened, his tone low but powerful. "I am Vyhan, Minister of Justice. And as for why I'm here, it's simple-you're the prime suspect in the theft of the Soulstone."

Zia swallowed hard, feeling confused. "I don't know what's going on, but I didn't steal the Soulstone!"

Vyhan's gaze didn't change. "We'll see."

Before Zia could gather her thoughts, a voice interrupted from the shadows.

"Vyhan!"

Naman
The Defense Minister's son and Vyhan's close companion
Age: 24

His gaze moved between them, sharp and curious. "Do we have a situation here?"

Vyhan remained cold. "What is it?"

"The king has summoned Dara to the palace."

Vyhan's brow furrowed. "Dara?"

Ankul cut in, smirking, "Why? Did she steal again?"

Naman shrugged and glanced at Zia. "Who knows? Maybe the king's just worried about the thief."

Vyhan scoffed. "Worried? About what? Next, she'll steal the crown?"

The three exchanged teasing glances, and Zia muttered under her breath, "These guys really get on my nerves."

But before anyone could respond, her stomach growled loud enough to interrupt. Zia quickly added, "Alright, before we rush off, can we eat? I'm starving!"

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Breakfast

Soon, they all gathered for breakfast. Zia devoured everything in front of her, unaware of the stunned silence as everyone watched her clean her plate at lightning speed.

Ankul raised an eyebrow. "Were you starving for days? At this rate, I won't have any food left!"

Their father silenced the room with a glance at Ankul, who immediately straightened in his chair.

Ankul coughed. "Never mind."

Turning to Vyhan, the Finance Minister asked, "Son, why has the king summoned Dara? Is it punishment?"

Zia thought sarcastically, Now he's calling the officer "son" to save his own skin?

Vyhan opened his mouth to answer, but Ankul dramatically interrupted, "Oh, we'll all be beheaded for her mistake! What a way to die! I haven't even married or eaten my favorite foods yet!" He groaned theatrically, earning eye rolls from everyone.

Zia, stifling a laugh, leaned toward Ankul. "Relax. I think we are safe."

Naman chuckled. "You're not in trouble. Besides, you're connected to the king's family. He won't punish you."

Zia blinked. "Connected? How?"

Naman smirked, his eyes pointing at Vyhan. "A marriage alliance with the second prince."

Zia's jaw dropped. "Wait, since when did I have a sister who's marrying the prince?"

Her father looked baffled. "You don't have a sister. Just you and Ankul."

Zia gasped dramatically. "Oh no! Don't tell me Ankul's marrying the prince! Is it even legal here?"

Ankul shot her a withering look. "It's you who's supposed to marry the prince."

Zia recoiled. "No way! I'm not marrying your prince! But... by the way, is he handsome?"

The room fell silent before everyone burst into laughter.

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On the way

As they prepared to leave for the palace, Zia asked, "How are we getting there? Horse? Elephant? Chariot?"

Vyhan smirked. "We're walking."

Zia frowned. "Walking? I'm the future princess! This is cruel and unusual punishment!"

Vyhan shot back, "Princess or thief? Didn't you just say you didn't want to marry?"

Zia huffed and followed him. "Whose thief? I want to break the engagement! But until then, shouldn't I be treated like royalty, officer?"

Vyhan chuckled. "Sure, princess. But even royalty walks sometimes."

Zia rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but usually they're not walking on their own two feet."

Naman, Ankul, and the Finance Minister trailed behind, entertained by the banter.

While they made their way, Zia admired everything-the streets, the buildings, the colors. It was like a dream come true for an archaeologist!

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At the palace gates

As they approached the grand palace gates, Zia felt a strange chill crawl up her spine. Something was off.

Just before stepping through, Vyhan stopped abruptly and turned to her, his expression unreadable.

"Before we go in," he said in a low voice, "there's something you should know."

Zia blinked, her heart skipping a beat. "What?"

Vyhan's eyes locked on hers. "The king and we already know... everything."

Zia's heart raced. Everything?

"Your name isn't Dara, is it?" Vyhan's tone softened slightly. "And you don't belong here."

Zia's mind spun with panic. W-What? Do they really know? But how? What's happening?

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Zia felt the ground slip from beneath her, and one thing was clear: if they knew her secret, things were about to get really weird. A whole new chapter of chaos was about to begin.

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End of Chapter Three