The encounter in the pavilion lingered in Alina's mind far longer than it should have.
For days after, she could still hear his voice—low, measured, carrying a weight she could not yet understand. You are not from here. The words had felt more like a revelation than an accusation, and she could not shake the unsettling feeling that he saw through the fragile disguise she had built for herself.
But it was more than that.
There was something else about him. Something she could not ignore.
The whispers about Prince Sheen had only grown since the ceremony. The court's uncertainty had transformed into something more—an unease, an unspoken fear. Alina heard it in passing conversations, saw it in the way the nobles exchanged wary glances whenever his name was spoken too loudly. She heard the murmurs in the servants' quarters, where rumours thrived like wildfire.
"He's always been different," a steward whispered one evening as she prepared trays for the evening meal. "Even as a child, they say he was too quiet.Too detached. The emperor never truly favoured him."
"He was strong once," another added, voice hushed, "but whatever afflicts him now… It is unnatural."
Alina froze mid-step. "Unnatural?" she asked, before she could stop herself.
The others looked at her with a mix of curiosity and caution. One of the older maids leaned in, glancing around before speaking. "You're new, so you wouldn't have heard. But the prince's ailment… it is not of the body alone. Some say it is a curse."
A chill ran through Alina's spine. "A curse?"
"A bloodline curse," the steward corrected in a hushed voice. "A shadow upon the imperial house. Some claim his illness is punishment for the sins of his ancestors."
Others scoffed at the notion, but the words took root in Alina's mind.
She had seen it herself—that flicker of weakness in his stance, the way he had steadied himself before speaking at the ceremony. The way his fingers had trembled ever so slightly before he caught himself. And yet, no one dared to acknowledge it aloud.
Why?
That evening, she found herself walking the palace grounds alone, her thoughts restless. The lanterns along the walkways flickered gently in the evening wind, illuminating the ancient stone paths leading toward the imperial garden. She had no real destination, only the weight of questions she could not shake.
Then, she saw him again.
Prince Sheen stood at the far end of the garden, half-shadowed beneath the branches of a towering cypress tree. He was alone, his posture slightly rigid, as though he were fighting something unseen. His head was bowed, his breathing slow, controlled.
But even from where she stood, she could sense it—
Something was wrong.
Then, suddenly, his form swayed.
Without thinking, Alina moved.
She reached him just as his body gave way, his weight tipping dangerously to one side. Instinctively, she reached out, her hands grasping his arm to steady him. The moment her fingers made contact, a shock ran through her—like touching something both burning hot and ice cold at once.
She gasped but did not let go.
For a single breath, the prince remained still in her grasp, his body tense beneath her hands. Then, as if coming back to himself, he pulled away sharply, straightening despite the strain it clearly caused him.
Alina took a step back, her heart pounding. "Your Highness," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "You—"
"You should not be here."
His tone was even, but there was an edge to it, a warning laced between the words.
Alina hesitated. "You're unwell."
His dark eyes flickered to her—sharp, assessing. "That does not concern you."
But it did. More than it should.
For a long moment, neither of them moved. The night stretched between them, the silence heavy with things unsaid. Then, before she could find the courage to speak again, he turned.
Without another word, Prince Sheen disappeared into the darkness, leaving Alina standing beneath the cypress tree, her fingers still tingling from where they had touched his arm.
And though he had warned her away, she knew one thing for certain—
Whatever illness plagued the prince, whatever curse the court feared…
It was real.
And she would not look away.