Destined Across Time | LadaEarn

Chapter 9

For Fahlada, each passing hour without Earn felt like a cruel eternity, stretching endlessly as though time itself conspired against her. Every tick of the clock, every chime echoing through the palace walls served as a reminder that Earn was gone, leaving behind an unbearable void. Fahlada wandered the halls aimlessly, hoping against hope that each corner she turned would somehow bring her face-to-face with the maid who had stolen her heart. The emptiness weighed on her with a suffocating heaviness, one she could neither shake nor escape.

Meals became torturous routines. The once-familiar comfort of breakfast turned to ashes in her mouth, the vibrant flavors and fragrant teas doing nothing to stir her appetite. Servants hovered around her, casting worried glances as she barely touched her food, listlessly pushing it around her plate. The palace, once a place of routine and order, now felt like a gilded prison, trapping her in her grief and loneliness. She clung to memories of Earn-the way her mischievous grin lit up even the dullest day, the gentle way she touched Fahlada's hand, as if conveying a thousand unspoken words.

Fahlada's mind was a tempest of memories, each one more painful than the last. She could almost feel Earn's presence, a phantom touch lingering on her skin. Every shared glance, every whispered word came rushing back to her, vivid and piercing. How Earn had coaxed her out of her shell, had dared to take her hand and lead her beyond the palace walls, gifting her with stolen moments of freedom that no one else could have given her. Fahlada could still feel the thrill of those moments, the feeling of being seen and cherished by someone who saw beyond her title, who loved her as Fahlada, not as the princess.

A soft knock on the door shattered her reverie, her heart leaping in a desperate, irrational hope. She stumbled to her feet, crossing the room with a speed that belied her exhaustion. She wrenched the door open, breath caught in her throat.

Her loyal guard, Tan, stood before her, his face etched with sympathy and sorrow. In that instant, Fahlada's fragile hope wavered, and she knew before she even asked that the news would not be what she longed to hear. But still, she clung to hope, a thread so delicate it seemed it would break at the slightest touch.

"Have you found her?" Her voice trembled, barely above a whisper.

Tan's silence spoke volumes, and Fahlada felt her heart splintering anew. Tears welled in her eyes, blurring her vision as she raised a trembling hand to her mouth, trying to hold back the sobs that clawed their way up her throat. But her resolve crumbled, and the tears spilled over, cascading down her cheeks as her body shook with silent sobs.

"I've taken my men to every nearby village," Tan said softly, his voice heavy with regret. "We even searched the lake... But there's no sign of her."

The mention of the lake made Fahlada's knees weaken, and she felt herself sway. Tan, ever vigilant, stepped forward, catching her before she could fall. She clung to his arm as if it were the only thing keeping her tethered to reality, her vision blurred with a torrent of grief that felt as though it would consume her entirely. "Please," she managed, her voice choked and raw. "Please, keep looking for her. Don't give up. She could still be out there, somewhere..."

Tan's gaze softened, his expression filled with a fierce determination. "I won't stop, Your Highness. If I cannot find a trace of her body, then there is still hope that she's alive."

Fahlada nodded, though her heart ached with the doubt that gnawed at the edges of her mind. Every dark possibility she had tried to bury resurfaced, haunting her with questions she could not bear to answer. What if Earn had been taken, trapped somewhere far beyond her reach? What if... No. She silenced the thought, refusing to allow despair to take root.

As Tan departed, Fahlada retreated to her chambers, the quiet solitude only amplifying her sorrow. She curled up on her bed. Fahlada whispered a prayer to the heavens, her voice a faint plea, begging the gods to watch over her beloved, to guide Earn back to her somehow, someway. Her heart ached with a longing so deep, it felt as if a part of her soul had been torn away.