𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧

56⚚ Disappear

Authors POV:

"Ruhiii?" Amaira shouted, her voice cracking with fear.

Her heart stopped when she saw her best friend being dragged toward her, her hands bound tightly behind her, a cloth shoved roughly into her mouth to silence her cries.

Ruhi's eyes were wide with terror, and though there were no visible signs of physical harm, Amaira could see the fear in her best friend's eyes, the pain that ran deeper than any bruise could ever go.

Ruhi locked eyes with Amaira, and in that single glance, it was as if her whole soul was screaming, What are you doing here amaira?

The helplessness in her gaze hit Amaira like a blow to the chest. It was unbearable to see the girl who had been nothing but love and light in her life, reduced to this—bound, gagged, terrified.

Amaira's breath hitched in her throat, and her pulse roared in her ears. She turned to Veer, her fury rising like a storm inside her. "It's me you want. Leave her alone!" she spat, her voice laced with raw rage.

Veer merely tsked, shaking his head in that infuriatingly calm way that made her blood boil. With a lazy flick of his wrist, he motioned for his guards to push Ruhi down next to Amaira.

The guards shoved Ruhi, making her stumble and fall hard to the floor beside her, the force of it causing her to wince in pain. Amaira struggled in her seat, her hands bound to the chair, her body unable to protect her best friend.

"Tsk, aren't you known for your calm and gentle nature?" Veer's voice oozed with condescension, his eyes gleaming with false curiosity.

"I don't find that nature of yours right since you came here. So, is it all a mask, Amaira? Are you not as innocent as I thought you were?" He taunted, his smile more like a snarl.

Amaira snapped her head toward him, her fury igniting. Her eyes burned with the heat of a thousand suns, the rage in her chest so powerful it felt like it might explode.

She glared at him, not a single ounce of fear left in her. He wanted to break her, to twist her nature, to make her doubt herself, but he didn't know what kind of fire he was playing with.

Yes, she had always been calm. Kind. Gentle. The sunshine princess that everyone in the kingdom adored. The one who never said no, who helped anyone who came to her with a problem, who shared her warmth and love with the world.

Every soul in the kingdom knew her for her soft heart, her willingness to care for others. That was her reputation—her identity.

But that didn't mean she was weak.

Amaira had faced battles—real ones—that had shaped her into the woman she was today. Her life had been one of trials, each one pushing her to become stronger, more resilient.

Her bhaiyya, had trained her since she was a child, teaching her how to defend herself, how to fight when there was no other option.

And now, those lessons, that strength, had been honed even further under her Viraj's guidance.

She isn't just the gentle princess anymore.

She is a warrior.

Amaira clenched her jaw, the ropes biting into her wrists as she strained against her restraints. "You want to test me, Veer?" she hissed, her voice colder than ice, her eyes burning with unspoken promises of what she was capable of.

"You have no idea what I'm capable of."

Her body trembled, but not from fear. No. It was the fire of her resolve burning hotter than ever, and it was going to be Veer's undoing. She would make sure of it.