Page 83 of The Moon's Daughter

Zarian’s hands traced deft patterns along the curve of her back. Layna’s fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss with an urgency that left no room for distance.

Layna pressed her soft curves against Zarian’s hard planes, the intensity of her movements eliciting a deep groan from him. He reluctantly broke the kiss, sighing deeply. “Layna,” he rasped.

Undeterred, she kissed down his neck. Her movements were deliberate as she rolled her hips against him. Zarian’s voice grew hoarse. “Fuck,Layna, please,” he implored more forcefully, his hands tightly gripping her hips to hold her still.

Layna abruptly halted. Climbing off his lap, she stood before him, a storm brewing in her eyes. Her long-simmering frustration finally boiled over.

“Why?” she demanded, her voice thick with anger and hurt. “Why do you always deny me? Is guarding mychastityalso part of your sacred fucking duty?” she cried, the sting of rejection sharp in her heart.

Zarian rose to his feet, towering over her, anger flashing as he met her furious gaze with his own. “No, Layna! I’m guarding myheart,” he retorted sharply.

Layna, taken aback, could only stare. She had expected his anger but was unprepared for the sheer anguish etched into his distraught features. The fury slowly seeped out of her.

Zarian’s voice trembled, straining under the weight of fears long contained, which now spilled forth in earnest. “What if Nizam arrives tomorrow to claim your hand in exchange for theentire armyhe has sent? Would you deny his proposal? Would you allow him to return to Baysaht alongside his men and risk your citizens’ lives?” His questions pierced the silence between them.

“And if not tomorrow, what if he comes after the war? In one month’s time? Two months’ time? Your people have rallied around him. Would you risk massive unrest by rejecting him?” Zarian’s voice cracked slightly as he continued.

He began pacing the room like a caged lion.

“And if not Nizam, then some other royal from a wealthy kingdom. Alzahra will need resources to rebuild, food to replace destroyed crops. Would you choosemeoverthem, Layna?” Zarian demanded.

His questions, a cascade of his deepest fears, filled the room, making the silence that followed even more heartbreaking.

He continued pacing angrily, clutching his head in frustration. Finally, he locked his gaze on Layna, awaiting her response.

But it never came.

Layna’s eyes brimmed with tears as she witnessed the distress that racked him. She wished to reassure him, to swear she was his and only his.

But her heart was not hers to give.

She was the future queen of a war-ravaged kingdom, and so, her reassurances remained stuck in her throat.

Zarian’s posture slowly deflated, anger draining away, leaving behind a man laid bare by his love. “I have nothing to offer you that you don’t already possess,” he said, quiet in his defeat.

His eyes shone with a love so fierce, so powerful, that he would let his own kingdom, the entire world, the verybalanceburn away into nothingness for his beloved.

A resigned sigh escaped him. “I can’t even hold it against you. Your selflessness, your dedication to your people, your goodness…they are the things I love most about you.”

Layna’s heart stopped.

Though she’d always felt his love in his actions, in his embrace, in his kisses, he had never before spoken the words aloud.

“I am deeply in love with you, Layna,” he confessed, the words thick with emotion, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I have been for some time now. And it claws at my soul to think I may lose you to another. At least this way, I might disappear back into the shadows and live out my days. Please…please understand.”

Tears streamed down Layna’s cheeks as she absorbed the depth of his pain. Zarian stepped closer, tenderly wiping them away. He embraced her, kissing her forehead in a whisper of apology.

“I’m sorry, Layna. My heart can’t bear another loss,” he murmured. “I’m so sorry. I know you didn’t ask for any of this. Not your title, not the prophecy. And I know you’re afraid for tomorrow.” He looked deeply into her eyes. “We’ll face the eclipse together. And afterward, I promise I won’t make your choice difficult.” His hand caressed her cheek, a silent plea for her understanding. “Sleep now.”

He pulled away, leaving Layna alone in her chambers, her heart aching with their shared sorrow.

Numb, she stood there for what felt like hours before slowly making her way to bed, her movements mechanical, a ghost haunting her own life. She wrapped herself in cold, comfortless sheets and sobbed and sobbed and sobbed until her tears ran dry.

She sought solace in sleep, but all she saw behind closed eyelids was Zarian’s heartbroken face. It haunted her. His every word had resonated with the harsh ring of truth.

Sleep eluded her, a shadow just beyond reach, until finally, hours later, she drifted into a restless slumber.

Zarian headed back to his chambers, each step heavy with regret. The night air felt suffocating, and a vengeful guilt strangled his heart.

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