A Glance That Changed Everything
936 Words
The day should have continued like any other, but it didn’t.
Hodan had met thousands of eyes in the marketplace—merchants sizing up her bargaining skills, customers glancing over her goods, children laughing as they ran past her stall. But never before had she met a gaze like his.
Prince Raage.
Even now, as she hurried through the market, pretending the encounter had meant nothing, her heart stubbornly refused to settle. What had she seen in his eyes? Curiosity? Amusement? Or was it something else—something she dared not name?
Warsame walked beside her, humming to himself as he nibbled on a date from her basket. “You’re quiet,” he remarked.
“I’m thinking.”
“You always think too much.”
Hodan huffed, nudging him playfully. “And you never think enough.”
They made their way through the winding alleys that led home, past sun-bleached walls covered in faded paintings of Waq’s history. The scent of roasting goat and fresh bread filled the air as women sat outside their doorways, pounding millet and gossiping.
Just as they turned a corner, a sharp voice cut through the street.
“Hodan!”
She winced before turning to see Halima, one of the older market women, standing with her hands on her hips. “You forgot your change,” Halima said, tossing a small coin her way.
“Ah, thank you,” Hodan replied, catching it mid-air.
Halima narrowed her eyes. “You’re distracted today.”
“I am not.”
“Yes, you are. And I think I know why.”
Hodan froze. “What do you mean?”
Halima smirked. “I saw the way you were looking at the prince.”
Heat rushed to Hodan’s face. “I was not looking at the prince.”
Halima cackled. “Deny it all you want, girl. But be careful. A royal gaze is not meant for people like us.”
Hodan swallowed hard, nodding quickly before turning away. She walked faster, eager to escape the prying eyes of the market women.
But Halima’s words stayed with her long after she returned home.
---
Inside the Palace
Raage couldn’t stop thinking about the girl.
It was ridiculous. He had only glanced at her for a brief moment, but something about her had struck him—something raw, something real.
She wasn’t like the women of the court, draped in gold and speaking in rehearsed tones. She was different, a part of the world he had always been told was beneath him.
And yet, he found himself restless that evening, standing on his balcony as the city lights flickered below. The scent of jasmine from the palace gardens filled the air, but it did nothing to calm him.
“You’re troubled.”
Raage turned to see Suldaan leaning against the doorway, arms crossed.
“I am not troubled,” Raage said, though even he wasn’t convinced.
Suldaan smirked. “Then why have you been staring at the marketplace for the past hour?”
Raage sighed, rubbing his temples. “Do you ever wonder what it’s like to live beyond these walls?”
Suldaan’s smirk faded. “No, because I know what it’s like.”
That was true. Suldaan had not been born into nobility—he had earned his place through skill and loyalty. He had seen both worlds, yet he had chosen to remain by Raage’s side.
“You don’t belong out there,” Suldaan said carefully. “And she doesn’t belong in here.”
Raage shot him a sharp look. “Who said anything about ‘her’?”
Suldaan chuckled. “You did, just now.”
Raage exhaled heavily. “It doesn’t matter. The king wants me to marry someone of noble blood. That is my fate.”
Suldaan studied him for a long moment before shaking his head. “Fate is a tricky thing, my friend. It doesn’t always follow the path we expect.”
Raage turned back to the city, the marketplace still alive with distant music and laughter. He should have forgotten about the girl by now.
But deep down, he knew—this was only the beginning.
A Twist of Fate
Hodan thought that after a night’s rest, her mind would clear. That she would wake up, go to the market, and the prince would become nothing more than a fleeting memory.
But fate had other plans.
The next morning, as she arranged her baskets in the marketplace, a hush fell over the crowd.
A group of palace guards had entered, moving with quiet authority. At first, Hodan paid no attention—royal patrols were not uncommon. But when one of them stopped directly in front of her, she felt the air leave her lungs.
“You,” the guard said. “Come with us.”
Her heart slammed against her ribs. “What? Why?”
“You have been summoned to the palace.”
Murmurs rippled through the marketplace. Warsame clutched her arm, his small fingers digging into her skin.
Halima’s voice rang out from somewhere in the crowd. “I warned you, girl!”
Hodan’s mind raced. This had to be a mistake. A cruel joke. The palace had no reason to summon her.
Unless…
Unless the prince had something to do with it.
Her legs felt like they belonged to someone else as she stepped forward, her pulse hammering in her ears. The guards escorted her away, the whispers of the market following her like shadows.
As she passed through the grand gates of the palace, one thought echoed in her mind.
What have I done?
- Writer
