A Heart Entwined

Morning stroll

Kiara stirred before the first light kissed the sky. Her lashes fluttered open slowly, and the ceiling above greeted her with the same cold, lifeless expression it had worn the night before. Her body ached slightly from the way she had slept.

Then she noticed it.

A blanket.

It hadn’t been there when she fell asleep. She had chosen not to ask the maid for one, unwilling to be fussed over, and yet now it covered her like a silent whisper. Her brows furrowed in thought, but the sound of movement outside her window tugged her attention away.

She rose, and went outside. The breeze met her first, crisp and cool against her skin. She slipped out quietly, the stone floor cool beneath her feet. The servants were already busy. They moved like clockwork, swift and quiet, their focus buried in their tasks.

She watched for a moment, unseen.

And then one of them saw her.

Gasps echoed softly, barely audible, as all movement stilled. The servants bowed, low and deep. Kiara blinked in surprise.

She bowed slightly in return. “Good morning, everyone. I hope you’re having a good morning.”

They froze again.

Did she just bow, they wondered.

Her voice, though warm, must have startled them. Kiara smiled, though she knew they couldn’t see it clearly in the dimness.

“Please,” she added gently, “don’t mind me. Go back to work.”

Still, they stood frozen. She turned, ignoring their reaction. Of course, they would mind her. She wasn’t just any noble lady anymore. She was the consort of the second prince—a man whose name alone drew silence in halls. And more than that, she was the King’s ward. If anything happened to her, heads would roll.

From behind the gathered servants, a young maid stepped forward, timid and hesitant.

“M-My lady,” she stammered. “Do you need anything?”

Kiara turned to her, surprised by the bravery. The maid looked terrified.

“It’s cold out here,” Kiara said softly. “Could I have a blanket?”

The maid nodded quickly and ran off. Moments later, she returned, holding a soft shawl. Her hands trembled slightly as she handed it over.

“Thank you,” Kiara said, wrapping it around her shoulders.

The maid bowed again and hurried away. Kiara tilted her head, her mind quietly turning. Why had they suddenly gone so quiet? Moments ago, they’d been rushing about like mice in a storm.

She shrugged the thought off.

As she wandered further into the estate, her steps led her toward a quiet corner of the grounds. There, nestled between carefully manicured hedges and stone paths, were small pet houses and a pond, its surface still and glassy.

She paused.

The pet houses looked cared for, clean, there were white rabbits and tiny little bunnies, jumping around. Something tugged at her memory. Years ago, these had been filled with animals. Cats, puppies, even a small hawk once. But then they had started dying.

Her hands curled tightly into the blanket.

She had been in the palace when it happened. The Empress's servants had stormed into the hall, holding lifeless kittens and puppies, their small mouths stuffed with flowers. She could still hear the shrill voice blaming Rihan. Accusing him of cruelty.

She had cried that night. Cried and screamed.

But not because she believed it.

Because no one else did.

He had told her he didn’t do it, and she had believed him. Without a doubt.

But now, standing here as a woman, not a child—she wondered.

Could it really have been him?

She shook her head violently, forcing the thought away. No.

Not him.

She moved on, deeper into the garden. The breeze teased her hair, lifting strands off her shoulders. Flowers bloomed in riotous color, their fragrance painting the air. Her fingers brushed across petals as she walked, each step light, thoughtful.

The garden was vast. Larger than she imagined. She hadn’t known such beauty could hide in a place so heavy with silence.

Then the feeling came.

That instinct.

Someone was following her.

She stopped. Slowly, her hand went to her side. Her body shifted into a stance taught to her by the crown prince himself. Her eyes scanned the space.

No one.

But the feeling didn’t vanish.

She began walking again, faster this time. The fog was lifting now. The estate was beginning to reveal itself fully in the rising sun.

She felt eyes.

Her gaze snapped up to the balcony.

Nothing.

Still, she couldn’t shake it.

A rustle of movement made her turn. Her new maid, Anna, was approaching in a half-run, relief breaking across her face.

“My lady!” she called, panting. “I have been looking everywhere for you.”

Kiara offered a soft smile. “I went for a stroll.”

Anna blinked a few times, still catching her breath. “Your bath is ready, my lady.”

Kiara followed her back.

The bathing chamber was warm and scented. As her hair was washed, Kiara let her thoughts drift.

“Why do the servants work so early?” she asked casually.

Anna, clearly a talker, perked up immediately. “ His Highness......He prefers not to have many people around. So they do everything before he wakes.”

Kiara hummed.

“Only two people are always near him,” Anna continued. “His men. And there’s a woman too.”

Kiara’s interest sharpened. “A woman?”

“Yes,” Anna said. “They say she is beautiful and Dresses like a man. Some say she’s a soldier.”

Kiara waited, but Anna had no more details.

Something twisted in her stomach , Why did she care anyways .

After her bath, Anna selected a gown for her—a pale lavender dress embroidered with silver vines that shimmered when it caught the light. Her hair was pulled into a half-braid, woven with tiny crystal pins. A faint dusting of rouge colored her cheeks, her lips tinted with rose.

"You are very beautiful, my lady," Anna commented.

When she looked in the mirror, she felt something stir. She looked lovely.

Anna led her through a corridor into a wide field, surrounded by flower hedges and climbing ivy. A canopy had been set up, beneath which a low table stood adorned with breakfast dishes and delicate teacups.

Kiara smiled.

Then she saw him.

Rihan.

Sitting like a dark jewel among flowers, his silver robe catching the breeze. His expression was unreadable. Unmoving.

Her smile faded.

She bowed slightly from a distance. “Good morning your highness "

She did not wait for a response. She took her seat, eyes averted, heart bracing

she knew her morning had gone too smoothly.

As Kiara settled into her seat beneath the ornate canopy, a gentle breeze danced through the field, carrying the scent of jasmine and morning dew. Before her sat a covered porcelain plate, its polished silver lid catching the sun. But across from her, where the Second Prince sat, there was nothing. No food. No utensils. Just him—distant, unreadable, and still.

She frowned slightly and,nudged a few plates in his direction, sliding them along the polished table between them. The gentle scrape of ceramic echoed too loudly in the quiet. Still, Rihan didn’t look up. His fingers drummed once against the armrest of his chair, then stilled.

Kiara sighed, then lifted her hand subtly, signaling Anna, her maid. Anna flinched at the gesture. Kiara could feel her tremble slightly even from where she sat. Still, the girl gathered her composure and approached Rihan’s side carefully, clutching a serving spoon like it was a blade.

She reached forward to serve him.

Without lifting his eyes from the ground, Rihan’s hand shot out, gripping around Anna’s wrist.

She froze. The spoon tilted. Hot broth spilled over her hand, and the clatter of porcelain hitting porcelain rang out as she dropped the small dish in her panic.

Kiara’s eyes widened. She sat forward instinctively.

But Rihan let go of Anna almost immediately, his expression unreadable. He reached for a cloth and wiped his fingers slowly, methodically, as if brushing off something foul.

From the corner of the estate, a small group of servants approached carrying covered trays. They placed them in front of him quickly—two steps away, like they dared not come closer. None of them met his gaze.

Kiara’s brows pulled together. This wasn’t just respect. It was fear.

Rihan selected a spoon from the tray, opened the cover, and scooped out a small portion of food, placing it into another dish. Without a word, he handed it off to one of the waiting maids, who bowed and carried it away to the pet house. The same was done with the meat—offered to the fish in the pond.

Minutes passed. The maids returned, empty-handed. One gave a subtle nod.

Only then did he begin to eat.

Still, he didn’t glance at Anna, who remained bent in a bow, trembling. No acknowledgment. No words.

The tension in the air was suffocating.

Kiara felt her chest tighten. Her stomach turned. She hadn’t even touched her food.

Finally, she waved at Anna. “That’s enough,” she said softly.

Anna hurried back, almost tripping over her own steps. The maids from earlier quietly cleaned up the shattered pieces of broken plate and the food spilled on the marble floor, working like shadows.

The silence was thick.

Rihan ate sparingly—barely a mouthful or two—before dabbing at his lips, rising from his seat, and walking away without so much as a nod in her direction.

Good. Let him leave, Kiara thought. But as his figure disappeared into the archway, she let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding.

She was thankful for the silence. For the lack of words.

But something inside her ached.

What did he think of himself.

she frowned.