Two days later, Nahia passed through the palace gates, covered in sand, her soul floating between two worlds. Her heart felt heavy in her chest, as if she had left a piece of herself in the desert.
Amaya appeared immediately on the steps, running down in surprise to see her sister so early in the morning.
— "Nahia!" she exclaimed, hugging her tightly. "I missed you."
— "Come... to the room," Nahia murmured, her voice strangled.
Amaya instantly sensed that something was wrong. There was a strange distance in Nahia's movements, as if she was no longer truly there.
They climbed the stairs in a heavy silence. Once the door was closed, Amaya gently insisted:
— "So, tell me… How was it? Did you have a good night?"
— "Yes… It was… good," Nahia replied simply, her eyes avoiding hers.
But Amaya wasn't fooled. That voice wasn't one of a woman fulfilled. It was the voice of a soul broken by a goodbye.
— "Was it that witch Rokaya again? Did she hurt you?"
— "No… it wasn't her."
Without another word, Nahia pulled out her phone and dialed a number she knew by heart. Giulietta's voice quickly answered on the other end.
— "Giulietta? It's me… It's done. We're ready. All that's left is to pack."
A silence. Amaya watched her, breath held. Nahia stood straight, eyes lost in the distance, toward the desert she had just left… and the man she had left behind.
---
The sun was already high when Assad mounted his horse, leaving the silent tent. Nahia's scent still seemed to linger around him, etched into his skin.
The desert wind slowly lifted the grains of sand, erasing their tracks. But nothing could erase what they had shared.
He rode in silence, his thoughts spinning in loops, haunted by the memory of their stolen moments.
A day and a half on horseback. An eternity for a torn heart.
He was going to marry Zeyneb. Out of duty. To keep the promise made to a dying father. To preserve the peace of a kingdom on the brink of chaos.
Because a man of honor doesn't get to choose happiness.
But deep down, he already knew: he had chosen Nahia. This marriage would only be a delay. A parenthesis before returning to her… if she was willing to wait.
He tightened the reins, a chill settling in his chest. He could no longer live without her.
That evening, he stopped near an old abandoned well. The starry sky stretched above him, vast and indifferent. He looked up, searching for a sign.
And he thought of Samir. Of that wild promise made over a silent grave.
"I will never fall in love."
He closed his eyes.
— "Forgive me, brother…" he whispered. "I failed to keep my promise."
Tomorrow, he would go ask for forgiveness. Not for having loved. But for understanding that love… cannot be commanded.
---
The wind softly slipped between the palace columns as Nahia found Amira in the small reading room.
The old servant, sitting by the window, was folding still-warm laundry. When she saw Nahia, she stood immediately.
— "You're finally here, my dove."
Nahia threw herself into her arms. A long silence settled before Amira murmured:
— "You've come to say goodbye, haven't you?"
Nahia nodded, unable to answer.
Amira gently caressed her cheek:
— "You carry a fire within you that nothing can extinguish. This is not the place to let it die. Go, Nahia. Go live. Go burn."
Amaya entered the room, arms crossed, still troubled by her sister's sudden return.
— "I'm going to miss both of you."
— "You too, Amira…" murmured Amaya, hugging her.
Nahia's phone vibrated in her pocket. Giulietta.
— "It's done, girls. Everything's ready. I've booked the tickets."
— "Already?" Nahia breathed, torn between relief and vertigo.
— "The flight is tomorrow, at noon sharp. After that, no more flights for a week. And I don't want you changing your mind, sweetheart."
Nahia hung up. A silence filled the room. Amira placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
— "You're still hesitating."
— "I feel like I'm leaving behind something I'll never find again…"
— "What you're leaving here is a gilded cage. What you'll find out there… is freedom. And maybe… love. The true kind."
Amaya wiped her tears, then stood up:
— "We need to pack. Even if we have almost nothing."
— "I'll help you."
Together, they began to fold everything. Dresses, a few pieces of jewelry, notebooks. Amira brought out two old leather suitcases, worn but sturdy.
— "They followed me from Istanbul to Mazar. They'll carry you too, toward your future."
Nahia stopped in front of a box full of letters. She froze for a moment, then grabbed a notebook and a pen.
Amira watched her silently.
Nahia took a deep breath… and began to write.
---
Yasmina,
Forgive me for not saying goodbye. I didn't have the strength.
One word from you, one look… and I would have stayed.
But I have to go.
You're the only friend I've ever had. The only one who never asked me to explain who I was. The only one who looked at me without judging my silences, my outbursts, my cracks.
With you, I laughed like a child, cried without shame, dreamed out loud. You reminded me what it was to be free. To truly exist.
Before I leave, I have to ask you one last thing…
Don't tell him.
I know you've guessed. I know my glances betrayed me sometimes. But what I feel for him, what I keep deep inside me… this secret must stay between us.
He must never know.
Not because I'm ashamed. No. But because some truths, as beautiful as they are, can destroy everything.
And I'd rather love him in silence, in the shadow of my memories, than risk losing what I've already lost.
I'm leaving, but I'll never forget you.
Even thousands of kilometers away, even if we don't write, even if our lives take different paths… you'll remain in my heart.
If one day you wonder why I left, just remember that sometimes, you have to leave everything behind to find yourself.
And if one day you feel an emptiness, a lack, the sense that a part of you is missing… look up at the sky.
I'll do the same. And maybe at that moment, despite the distance, our hearts will meet again.
Thank you for everything, my friend.
— Nahia