Chapter 17 Beneath the ashes
The moonlight crept through Sana’s new chamber—the one Hatim had given her. The air was soft, filled with the scent of sandalwood and jasmine. But her heart?
Her heart was thundering.
She hadn't spoken much to Hatim since the night he took a stand against Roshni. Since the moment he placed her ribboned wrist in front of the court and said,
> “She is mine. That is all they need to know.”
That voice—steady, proud, defiant—still echoed in her chest.
But she knew. The more he pulled her in, the more Roshni would try to break her.
And the countdown had begun.
---
In the royal garden, Hatim stood beside a willow tree. His sword was sheathed, his body calm—but his mind was ablaze.
He didn’t sleep anymore. Not much, at least. Since Sana had moved closer, his nights were a battlefield of restraint.
He wanted to hold her.
He wanted to protect her.
But mostly… he wanted to ask her one question:
> “Why do I feel like I’ve waited lifetimes for you?”
His hand clenched the tree trunk.
“Why does love feel like war?”
---
Elsewhere, Roshni knelt in the inner sanctum of the Temple of Anjra.
The priests circled her, chanting in the old tongue.
On the stone before them: a doll woven of cloth, dipped in ink, bound by thorned thread.
Sana’s name was carved onto its chest.
> “Let her spirit weaken. Let her powers break. Let her love be cursed,” Roshni whispered.
But the doll didn’t burn.
It glowed.
Silver, soft, defiant.
The spell snapped in the priest’s hands, bursting into white flame.
Everyone staggered back.
One priest muttered, trembling:
> “She’s being protected… by something older than magic.”
---
The next morning, Sana walked through the library with a scroll in hand when she found Hatim—reading nothing, staring into space.
“You haven’t touched your tea,” she said gently.
Hatim looked up. His voice was rough with exhaustion.
> “I’m afraid if I fall asleep, you’ll disappear.”
Her breath caught.
She stepped closer. “I’m not going anywhere.”
> “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”
He reached forward, and this time, he didn’t hesitate.
He held her hand.
His thumb brushed the edge of her wrist where the ribbon had once been tied.
> “If they try to take you from me again,” he said, “I will burn this palace to the ground.”
Sana didn’t speak. But her fingers curled around his.
Not in fear.
In trust.
---
Later that day, Meher came running into her room, hair flying, cheeks red.
> “Sana. It’s happening.” “The Queen is summoning the Circle of Trial.”
Sana froze. “What’s that?”
> “It’s an ancient judgment. For those accused of hiding power. Or truth.”
“She’s going to force your identity into light.”
Sana’s heart pounded. “But I haven’t—”
> “Doesn’t matter. She knows something’s waking in you. And she’s going to force it out.”
---
That night, a letter appeared on Hatim’s desk.
He opened it and froze.
Inside: a drawing.
Of Sana.
Veil torn. Bloodied. Chained.
A warning.
A threat.
At the bottom: the seal of the Temple Elders.
Hatim gritted his teeth and stormed out of his chamber.
---
He found Roshni on the temple steps.
“Enough,” he growled.
“You will not hurt her. You will not summon any Council. And if you do—I will take her away from this place. I swear it.”
Roshni narrowed her eyes. “You would abandon your kingdom for a servant?”
Hatim stepped closer.
> “No. I would leave this kingdom for the only person who ever made me feel like more than a crown.”
She slapped him.
He didn’t flinch.
> “This throne has made you cruel,” he said coldly. “But it hasn’t made you wise.”
He turned his back on her.
And for the first time in years… Roshni felt fear.
Not of Sana.
But of losing her son forever.
---
That same night, Sana stood on the balcony.
The stars whispered again. The breeze curled around her. Her skin shimmered faintly under moonlight.
And then—he appeared.
The shadow.
> “They will not stop,” he said. “Even if you bow. Even if you bleed.”
“What do I do?” she whispered.
> “You remember who you are.”
> “You remember what she died for.”
> “And you remember this: The storm may forget its name, but the flame always knows what started the fire.”
He vanished.
And in the silence that followed, Sana whispered back:
> “I won’t run anymore.”
---
?? Author’s Note:
HELLO?? Hatim saying “I’ll burn this palace to the ground” ???? AND THEN taking a stand?? KING BEHAVIOUR.
Also, Sana glowing again, Roshni pulling curses, and the Circle of Trial?? The stakes are SKY-HIGH y’all. And the shadow?? He's not just spooky—he’s guiding her toward destiny.
Drop a comment if you’re screaming, crying, and punching your pillow like I am. See you in Chapter 18, starchild ????