ANNARIEVETTA

Catching Hearts in a Beat

Veta broke the silence.

"I need to ask you something," she said quietly.

"Go on," Karan replied, turning his full attention to her.

"When did you get in? How?" she asked, her voice soft but curious.

"What do you mean?" he responded, brows slightly furrowed.

"When you returned... there was no welcoming, no drums, no gathering. It's strange."

He gave a small chuckle. "That never happens here—at least not for me."

A pause settled again between them. They each drifted into their own thoughts—of what this new life meant, of the uncertainties ahead, of the effort it would take to truly build something together. Their union may have been arranged, but the path forward would need more than signatures and ceremonies.

The silence grew colder by the second, and Veta found herself praying—not aloud, but deep within—that he would speak again, give her something to hold on to.

As if hearing her thoughts, Karan finally said, “Don’t you think we should do something fun?”

Veta looked up at him, her lips curling slightly. “Like what?”

“That’s right, I don’t know yet.” He shrugged, and she raised a brow, amused.

Without warning, he stood, offering her his hand. She hesitated only a moment before placing hers in his. He gently tugged her to her feet, and they stepped out together, leaving the room and its heaviness behind.

They walked in silence, side by side, until they reached the horse stable. The air smelled of hay and leather, warm and earthy. A few horses neighed softly as they approached, their ears twitching at the sound of footsteps.

“She’s Adomie,” Karan said, resting a hand on the mare’s warm neck. “She’s been with me since I was four… ever since I lost my mother.”

Veta’s eyes lingered on the horse, then on him. He wasn’t looking at her, but the soft tone in his voice gave him away.

“She was my mother’s last gift to me,” he continued.

“I think that’s why I held onto her so tightly. Why I got into horse riding in the first place. I put everything into it... maybe because I didn’t know what to do with everything else.”

He gave a faint smile as Adomie nuzzled his palm.

“It’s the one place I felt in control. And safe, I guess.”

Veta stepped a little closer. “She’s beautiful,” she said gently. “You take care of her well.”

“She takes care of me,” he replied, almost under his breath.

A moment passed before he turned to her. “What about you? Ever tried riding?”

She nodded. “A few times.”

“Did you like it?”

“I did,” she said. “But I was never as committed to it.”

He gave a small shrug. “You must’ve had a happier childhood.”

She gave a light, unreadable smile, then shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not.”

Karan laughed quietly. “Mine was... boring. Cold. I mean, there were people, responsibilities, titles—but it never felt like mine. Just... noise.”

Veta didn’t respond right away. She looked at him, sensing that this was more than small talk. It was something fragile, something honest.

“I don’t know,” he said again. “Sometimes, it just felt like I existed in the spaces other people left behind.”

Veta gently placed her hand on his forearm. “Well… maybe that’s about to change.”

He looked at her.

“Maybe this time, we’ll choose the spaces we want to fill,” she added.

There was a silence between them—but it was no longer cold. No longer empty.

“I could teach you,” he offered suddenly.

“Hm?”

Without giving him any warning, Veta gripped the saddle and swung herself onto Adomie’s back with unexpected ease. In one smooth motion, she nudged the horse forward and rode off at full speed, the wind catching her hair as Adomie galloped down the open path.

Karan stood frozen, completely stunned. He hadn’t even processed what had just happened before she circled back and pulled the horse to a graceful stop in front of him.

“Nice ride,” she said with a breathless chuckle, her eyes gleaming with mischief.

“Wow,” Karan exhaled, his brows raised, lips slightly parted in admiration. “That was… unexpected.”

He stepped closer, still amazed. There was something about her—her spirit, her confidence—that tugged at something deep in him. Getting married had felt like a burden, something done under pressure, a tie knotted by his father’s will and reinforced by the silent nods of his brothers. But now...

Now it didn’t seem so heavy.

Maybe, just maybe, he hadn’t been dragged into something terrible after all. Maybe he was being led toward something worthwhile. Something surprising. Something real.

Still, it was early. He knew that. They were only just starting to peel back the layers, to discover who they were beneath the titles and silence.

But as he watched her ride with ease and laugh like she’d stolen a moment from the sky, he couldn’t help but think—

If this was the beginning, then perhaps the rest of the story could be beautiful too.

"Make space," Karan said.

Veta shifted forward slightly, and without hesitation, he swung himself up behind her. The warmth of his presence settled close, steady. He reached forward, gripping the cloth looped around the horse’s neck, then gave it a tug.

"Let’s go," he whispered.

With a soft nudge, Adomie sprang into motion, hooves beating against the earth as they rode into the crisp, chilly night. The wind pressed against them, cold but exhilarating.

Veta’s hair danced wildly, swaying left and right, caught in the same rhythm as Karan’s. Even Adomie’s mane—long and dark—flowed in harmony with hers, like three beings moving as one through the open dark. There was something unspoken in the way they moved together, like the night had made room just for them.

"You should show me around the kingdom, don’t you think?" Veta asked, a soft smile playing on her lips.

"Do you really need that?" Karan whispered huskily into her ear.

"If you think so," she replied, nodding gently.

"We could do that some other time," he said, and this time, she nodded back.

A beat of silence passed before Veta perked up again. "What if we got some Strikas?" she asked, pouting like a child.

Karan chuckled. He could never resist—no matter how much he disliked Strikas, her face made it impossible to say no.

"Then, you have it your way," he said, and tugged gently on the reins, bringing the horse to a stop beside a small stand where a commoner sold the sweet treats.

"Your Royal Majesty," the man greeted with a bow.

Karan gave a nod in return, and neither he nor Veta dismounted.

"Strikas worth fifty lintels," Veta said, cheerful. The man nodded and quickly fetched the wrapped sweets.

"Are you joking?" Karan leaned in and whispered. "No lintels with me."

"Then what do we do?" she whispered back, eyes wide in mock worry.

"Bring it... and keep the change," Karan said to the man, handing him a much higher note with a faint smirk.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" the man said, his voice bright with disbelief.

Then with a swift flick of the reins, they took off once more, galloping into the wind.

“We should head back now,” Karan said eventually. “Even Adomie will be tired.”

“I don’t want to go back,” Veta whispered. “I just... love it outside. If only my husband would stop being so overprotective—like my brothers.” Her voice cracked a little.

Karan laughed softly, then steered the horse in a new direction without a word. The breeze whistled around them, carrying their silence like a secret between the stars.

“Karan,” she said quietly, “about the other night... I’m sorry.”

“I should be the one apologizing,” he replied, his tone sincere. “It’s not your fault.”

“I’m just not ready to consummate the marriage,” she said, voice barely audible. “I’m nineteen.”

Karan nodded, understanding settling in his eyes. Without saying anything else, he reached forward and gently patted her head, letting her know she was safe—without pressure, without judgment.