Chapter 7

• KELILAH’S POV
• After the long time shopping with Faith, I decided to check up on Loveth at her office, so that we could get back home together. And luckily for me, she was still at her office when I got there.
• The atmosphere was still fun, and happy, until she changed everything.
• “Nathan came by the office today,” she began quietly.
• My stomach twisted. Had he told her about our earlier conversation?
• “He talked to me about the marriage. Tried to convince me to accept it.”
• “Loveth…” I tried to say, guilt pressing on my chest, but she continued.
• “He mentioned you visited him, too. I just wanted to say thank you for trying.”
• I swallowed hard. “I… I failed you.”
• “You tried,” she said softly, resignation in her tone. “Maybe I just have to accept it.”
• I met her gaze, refusing to give up. “No. There’s still time. We can find a way.”
• She shook her head, sadness in her eyes. “Like what?”
• I had no answer, and the ache in my chest deepened.
• What could we possibly do?.
• Not knowing what my response would be, I dashed out of her room and went to my room, deciding to take a shower and think properly.
• Even after the shower, no idea could be made. But while dressing up for bed, I finally thought of a plan that I felt like would be of great help. So I went back to Loveth’s room.
• She was laying on her bed when I walked in, so I slipped into her room, crawling under the covers beside her as we lay in a comforting silence. She finally spoke, her voice small and trembling.
• “I’m scared, Spare”
• Helplessness washed over me, and I hated it. I wanted to do something, anything, to protect her, so I brought up my perfect idea.
• “What if we ran away?” I whispered, a mad idea forming.
• Her gaze snapped at me
• “What!!, we??. What about you wedding? What about Jackson?”,
• That name again!!. I so much hated the mention of that name. The sound of his name ignited a storm within me, but I held it back, so helpless that I couldn’t show it to anyone.
• “He’ll understand”,
• “So, you’re willing to leave everything and run away with me, Spare?”
• “You underestimate how much I love you and what I’ll do for you, Loveth”
• She looked at me with tear-filled eyes, her hands squeezing mine.
• “What of our family? What happens to them when we run away”
• “Nothing will happen. The king would only get angry for a short while, and after that he would take his fucking ass back to his kingdom and find his stupid bride there”
• Loveth chuckled, but I could sense her worry hadn’t disappeared.
• “Running away isn’t the answer.”
• I sighed, pulling her closer as we both stared into the darkness.
• The morning sunlight filtered through my window as I woke up to an empty bed. Something about the stillness unsettled me, but I shook it off.
• After a light breakfast with Mom, she suggested I take the afternoon off since work had ended early. Betty, one of the palace maids, had been eager to visit the market for some fresh produce, so I decided to join her. A little break wouldn’t hurt.
• The market was bustling with life. As the day progressed, the market was its usual cacophony of sounds—vendors shouting, buyers haggling, and children running about.
• The scent of ripe fruits mingled with the aroma of freshly baked bread, and merchants shouted over one another to advertise their goods.
• Betty was ahead of me, skillfully negotiating the price of some vegetables, while I wandered to a fabric stall, my mind preoccupied.
• Betty, always the efficient one, led the way through the crowd, her basket already half-full. I followed closely behind, dodging a young boy sprinting with a tray of oranges.
• As I ran my fingers over the soft material of a patterned cloth, my phone buzzed in my bag. Pulling it out, I saw Mom’s name flashing on the screen.
• “Yes, Mom?” I answered, pressing the phone tightly against my ear to block out the noise around me.
• “Kelilah, have you spoken to Loveth today?” Mom’s voice was almost drowned out by the clamor of the market.
• “What?” I cupped my other hand around my ear. “I can barely hear you, Mom!” I answered weaving through a group of women arguing over fabric prices.
• “Loveth!” she said louder, her voice strained with worry. “She’s not answering her phone. Your father needs to speak with her urgently!”
• I frowned, stepping away from the crowded area to find a quieter spot. “She’s probably busy, Mom. Did you try texting her?”
• “She’s not responding to anything, and Zara said she didn’t see her around the palace this morning.”
• “Maybe she left early,” I suggested, though unease was beginning to creep in.
• “She didn’t tell me anything, Kelilah,” Mom said. “That’s not like her.”
• Betty approached with a bag full of vegetables, giving me a questioning look. I gestured that I needed a moment, stepping further into an alley away from the noise.
• “Mom, I’ll call her when I get back, okay?” I said.
• “You don’t understand,” Mom’s voice cracked. “I think something’s wrong.”
• The call ended abruptly as my signal faltered. I sighed, staring at the screen. Something about Mom’s tone unsettled me, but I forced myself to stay calm.
• As I hung up, a mirror vendor passed in front of me, holding a large ornate frame. I glanced at my reflection out of habit, but something else caught my eye.
• Over the vendor’s shoulder, I saw her—a figure that looked exactly like me, hurriedly weaving through the crowd.
• “Loveth?” I whispered, my heart racing.
• I spun around, searching frantically, but the crowd was too thick. The figure was gone, swallowed by the sea of people.
• Shaking my head, I tried to convince myself it was just my imagination. After all, what would Loveth be doing in the marketplace at this hour?
• “Kelilah, are you okay?” Betty’s voice pulled me back. She was standing a few steps ahead, her brow furrowed.
• “I thought I saw…” I hesitated, forcing a smile. “Never mind. Let’s keep moving.”
• “Everything okay?” Betty asked, concern evident in her eyes.
• “I hope so,” I muttered, pocketing my phone. “Let’s finish up here. I need to get home soon.”
• Back at the palace, the tension was palpable the moment I stepped through the door. Servants whispered in hushed tones, their faces somber. Father was pacing the room, his phone pressed to his ear. Mom sat on the couch, her face buried in her hands.
• “Mom?” I called out, rushing to her side.
• Her head shot up, and when she saw me, fresh tears streamed down her face.
• “Kelilah!” she cried, wrapping her arms around me tightly.
• “Mom, what’s going on? Where’s Loveth?” I asked, my voice rising in panic.
• She couldn’t answer, only sobbing harder.
• “Father?” I turned to him, but he shook his head, his jaw tight as he ended his call.
• “Where is Loveth?” I demanded. “Did something happen to her?”
• Mom tried to pull me into a calming embrace, but I broke free and ran up the stairs to Loveth’s room.
• “Loveth!” I called, throwing open her door.
• The room was eerily empty. Her bed was untouched, and her wardrobe doors were ajar. As I stepped closer, I saw several of her clothes were missing.
• My heart sank.
• Mom appeared behind me, her eyes brimming with fresh tears.
• “She’s gone, Kelilah.” She said as she held a piece of paper in her hand
• “What do you mean gone?” I asked, my voice trembling.
• “She left the palace,” Zara spoke up from the doorway. “I overheard her talking last week. She mentioned a safe house.”
• “A safe house?” I whipped around to face her. “Where? Tell me where!”
• “I don’t know,” Zara stammered, shrinking back. “She didn’t give any details.”
• My knees buckled, and I sank onto the floor. The memory of the marketplace flashed in my mind.
• Was it really her? Had she been so close, yet so far?
• Mom knelt beside me, wrapping her arms around me as I broke down. “We’ll find her,” she whispered. “We’ll bring her back home.”
• “You’re speaking nonsense, Zara. Loveth would never do that,” I said, shaking my head as disbelief settled in.
• “I’m serious, princess Kelilah. She even left a note,” Zara replied.
• In a swift movement, I took the paper from Mom’s hand and skimmed through the write up.
• “I can’t help but be selfish now. It’s time for me to put myself first. Our family has been chosen to produce a bride, and with me gone, you my spare would be my substitute. Think of it as a payment for all the time I had your back. Love you, Spare. Loveth”,
• I read her words over and over again as it echoed, raw and relentless. The sting of her betrayal fresh in my heart. She’d left, thinking only of her own escape. I would have dropped everything to help her run, to keep her safe, but she’d gone without a single warning.
• She betrayed me.
• She betrayed our sisterhood.
• She has practically sold me out
• I stood outside the palace, hoping that in any second she’d appear. Hours slipped by, and the silence of my long wait grew heavy.
• Desperation took over, and I started calling her friends, voice shaky as I choked back tears. I was already a weeping mess.
• “Hello. Tyra, how are you doing” I asked as I wiped the tears from my eyes.
• “Fine honey. How are you?”
• “Good. Please have you by any chance seen Loveth today?”, I asked, trying to sound composed.
• “Yeah, earlier this morning. She seemed to be in a rush, though. Why? Is something wrong?” Tyra’s concern only deepened my own dread.
• Fuck!! No!!!
• “Tyra. I..i think Loveth has ran away”, I whispered, hearing my own broken tone as the phone slipped from my grasp. I sank to the ground, my body racked with sobs.
• “What!!!”, she screamed out into the phone.
• “Hello!! Kelilah are you there!! Hello!! Kelilah, say something!!”, she kept yelling, her voice so loud that the servants could hear with easy.
• I sank to the ground, my body racked with sobs.
• The next morning, I didn’t even bother to get out of bed even after several knocks on my door.
• After I had told myself I wouldn’t cry again, I still cried.
• “Princess Kelilah. I order you to come down here this minute!!!”, father’s voice echoed through our the entire walls of the palace.
• I finally forced myself up, making my way to the living room where the family was gathered.
• Father’s face was tight with tension, and when he motioned me to sit beside him, but I chose a separate chair.
• “It’s unfortunate, what Loveth has done,” he began. “But, Kelilah, our family was chosen, and we have a duty to fulfill. You’ll go in her place.”
• I scoffed as a bitter laugh escaped me.
• “If you think I’ll just take Loveth’s place, then you don’t know me at all, father “, I deadpanned.
• “Kelilah, listen to your father…” Mom started, but I cut her off.
• “I’m engaged, remember?” I countered, clinging to that excuse as my only shield. “I’m not leaving Jackson. It’s best you tell Nathan the truth and deal with the consequences.”
• Although I knew I was lying about still being In good terms with Jackson. But I didn’t really mind this time. This was the only excuse I could use to protect myself.
• Father’s face hardened.
• “Enough!!. This isn’t a matter of choice!!”, he yelled.
• “I’ve watched the two of you spit rubbish from your mouth since the selection. The last time a family refused to send a bride, the bloodshed was catastrophic. We’ve been safe all these years because other families complied. It’s our turn now and you want to risk the Safety of our kingdom and well as the other kingdoms”
• I met his gaze.
• “So what will you have me do then? Leave my fiancée and get married to the ruthless tyrant?. I am no savior dad”, I yelled back at him.
• “No, Kelilah. There’s a month until the wedding. You’ll stand in for Loveth while we search for her. Once she’s found, she would have to finish up from where you stopped.” Mum chipped in.
• “And if she isn’t?”, I asked with a raised brow, my focus on mom who couldn’t even ulter a single word.
• “Then you will marry king Korvus and end things with Jackson”, father replied with no single remorse.
• “No. Never,” I said, standing and storming off to my room,
• Mom’s plan was never going to happen. I was going to make sure I find Loveth before the month runs out.