My Enemy, My Love

ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝔉𝔦𝔳𝔢

Prince Ray of Phuket [Pond]

I had not slept or eaten properly in days. The road to the front was endless, stretching across valleys and hills that blurred into each other. Every village smelled of smoke and hunger, every face I passed seemed shadowed by grief and contorted with anger. Nothing but suffering, death, and disease plagued our bloody earth. My men rode in silence behind me, their eyes fixed ahead, each carrying their own burdens and thoughts. 

It should have felt noble. The prince of Phuket riding to war, a married man now, a lieutenant with responsibility on his shoulders. My duty was clear: defend my kingdom at all costs. But beneath all the talk of valor, my heart was elsewhere—buried in the mud and trenches where Anurak fought. I had not seen him since... since before my wedding. Since before I chained myself to a future I never wanted.

Since that letter. 

Every step of the journey was agony. The guilt pressed on my chest until I could hardly breathe. His letters—I wrote so many, begging forgiveness, swearing love, sending every ounce of my soul across the parchment. But what good are words when I had already betrayed him with my actions? It was over. He never wrote back.

I tried to convince myself this journey was duty alone. But I knew the truth. I wasn't just going to the front to fight. I was going to find him. To look him in the eyes and explain myself—or die trying.

By the time we reached the next village, the sun was beginning its slow descent, painting the sky a furious amber. My horse snorted, tossing its head, and I patted its neck to calm it. I scanned the road ahead out of habit, expecting nothing more than corpses, farmers or weary travelers.

Then I saw her.

A lone rider at the far end of the street. Slim figure, cloak pulled tight around her, hair half-hidden by a scarf. But the way she sat in the saddle, the stubborn tilt of her chin—I knew.

"Meili?" I called out, before I could think.

Her head snapped toward me. For a heartbeat, she froze, as though she'd seen a ghost. Then she kicked her horse forward and galloped straight for me, skidding to a halt just short of trampling mine.

"Ray," she said, breathless, eyes wide.

I stared at her in disbelief. "What in God's name are you doing here? Do you have any idea how close you are to the front lines?"

She pulled down her scarf, revealing flushed cheeks and determined eyes. "I know exactly where I am. I came here for Anurak."

The words hit me like a spear to the chest.

"You—" I stammered. "Meili, this is madness. This isn't a game. These roads aren't safe for a lady, least of all you."

"I'm not a lady," she snapped back. "I'm his friend. And he's out there, fighting, bleeding, maybe dying, while I sit at home like a doll waiting to be married off. No more. I won't do it. I'm sick of it. I want to fight."

A woman wished to fight in this war? Was she insane? But her fire stunned me into silence. My men shifted uncomfortably behind me, pretending not to listen.

Finally, I exhaled. "You always were impossible."

"And you always underestimated me." She leaned forward. "So? Are you going to stop me? Drag me back to my parents? Or will you let me ride with you?"

I rubbed a hand over my face. The last thing I needed was to shepherd a noblewoman across war-torn country. And yet... she was here. Determined. Fierce. Not even I could force her back now.

"Fine," I muttered. "Ride with us. But stay close. If anything happens to you, your family will hang me for it."

She smiled faintly, triumphant. "Thank you, Ray."

<<<<>>>>

We stopped at a tavern on the edge of the village as night fell, its lanterns flickering like tired stars. My soldiers claimed the far tables, drinking in silence, their voices low. Meili and I sat apart, bowls of stew steaming before us, mugs of ale untouched.

For a while, we ate in silence. Then she asked, quietly:

"You're really going to find him, aren't you?"

My spoon froze halfway to my mouth. I lowered it slowly, staring into the broth. "Yes," I admitted. "I have to."

Her gaze was steady. "You still love him."

A laugh, bitter and broken, slipped from my throat. "More than I can stand. And yet..." I swallowed hard, words clawing their way out. "I married her. I put a ring on her finger, smiled for the court, let them believe I was proud to be her husband. But all the while, my heart was somewhere else. With him. It always has been."

Meili's eyes softened, but she didn't interrupt.

"I thought I could bury it," I continued, voice low. "Thought if I played the role, if I lived as they wanted, maybe it would go away. But it hasn't. It's eating me alive. Every night I lie beside her and wish I was with him. Every morning I wake and the shame nearly crushes me. I betrayed him, Meili. And I don't know if he'll ever forgive me."

For once, she seemed lost for words. She reached across the table, laid her hand over mine. "Then tell him. That's all you can do. Find him, and tell him the truth."

I wanted to believe her. But the weight of my choices hung heavy, and I knew some wounds could never be undone.

<<<<>>>>

The next morning, we rode on, the air thick with the scent of damp earth and approaching rain. The road stretched endless before us, my men riding in tense silence, Meili at my side, her cloak pulled tight.

That was when we heard it—the frantic pounding of hooves.

A boy on horseback came tearing down the road, his face pale with terror, mud splattered across his tunic. He nearly fell off the saddle as he skidded to a halt before us.

"Your Highness!" he gasped, bowing his head to me. "I bring news from the front—Ban Yung Field has fallen! The western army broke through. Thousands dead—thousands!"

The world tilted beneath me.

My chest constricted as though an iron hand had seized my ribs. "What of the commanders?" I demanded, my voice raw. "What of Lord Anurak?"

The boy shook his head helplessly. "I—I don't know, sire. The lines are in chaos. The message has already been sent to the palace at Bangkok. But the wounded... the dead... it's everywhere."

Meili's hand gripped my arm. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with fear.

I spurred my horse forward without another thought. "We ride now! Faster!"

The hooves thundered against the road as if the world itself urged me on. My heart beat with a single desperate prayer:

Please. Let him be alive.

<<<<>>>>

Hello readers! Yes...I'm finally back with this story. I am determined to finish it so I can focus on Obsessed (And start a few book). Please give these last few chapters all your support and love. Thank-you for your patience! xxx