The cheers shook the hall, yet to Aaron it all felt muffled, like sound underwater. His heart was pounding too loudly to hear anything else. Isebella. She was there, radiant, untouchable—yet when her gaze passed over him, it was as if she'd never known his name. Ishaan's hand closed around his sleeve, anchoring him, but his brother's knuckles were just as white as his own.
As the girls stood there above the balcony, the boys below just barely found a place to sit. The world around them had just turned, and they weren't sure what they should do.
Their parents were also in shock, but before they could process anything else, they saw how their children's colours had faded and realised that they were as shocked as they were, if not more.
Mr Banerjee leaned forward, his voice low, almost awkward "Boys… listen, maybe this is… maybe it's just part of the ceremony. You know how royalty is. They have to act a certain way in front of the crowd."
Mrs Banerjee touched Ishaan's shoulder gently, but when he didn't react, her hand lingered, uncertain "Beta, don't look so broken. You don't even know the full story yet. There could be… explanations. Reasons."
Neither Aaron nor Ishaan spoke. Aaron's eyes stayed fixed on the balcony, his face unreadable. Ishaan's lips pressed into a thin line, his jaw tight, but he didn't move.
Mr Banerjee cleared his throat, trying again, though the words felt clumsy even to him "It doesn't erase what you shared with them. That was still real. Whatever this is… doesn't take that away."
Mrs Banerjee glanced at her husband, then back to the boys, her voice soft but strained, "Say something, at least. Don't sit there like… like you've lost everything."
But the boys said nothing. Their silence weighed heavier than the cheers of the crowd, their blank expressions carved deeper than any words could reach.
As the boys stared right into the abyss, the king declared that it was now the time for the traditional ball.
The girls in all their royalty came down, giving an air of royalty, but as soon as they came down, they went in only one direction.
Although many had gathered around them to ask their hand in the dance but it was as if they knew who they wanted.
They walked right past the crowd, and now, as they approached Aaron and Ishaan, their eyes met with Mr and Mrs Banerjee. Although no words were spoken, their eyes did all the talking. It was evident that the girls were apologetic and wanted to say a lot more, but they couldn't right now.
As the girls approached the boys, who looked like literal zombies, they extended their hands and asked.
"Sir, would you honour me with this dance tonight?"
The boys lifted their gaze at last, and in their eyes burned a raw mix of sadness, hopelessness, and betrayal—laid bare for the princesses to see. For the briefest instant, the girls faltered, the practised calm on their faces cracking as though the sight had struck them unguarded. Yet, almost immediately, their royal composure returned, their expressions smoothing into elegance as if nothing had happened.
The crowd from behind were all in murmurs and gossip.
"Who are these boys?"
"Why are the princesses so interested in them?"
"Is there some kind of a scandal going on?"
All these questions filled the room, yet the girls stood their as if their resolve was made right there and then.
The boys were hesitant; they had no more energy left, having searched throughout the entire day, and at the moment, they had no motivation to do it. However, a rational thought came to both of their minds that it would be rude if they refused this offer. It might come to hurt their family, so they extended their hands in agreement.
As the girls took them and guided them to the main stage and the music started to play, the boys were met with disdain.
"Just look at those two, they look like dead fish"
"Such ungrateful brats"
The boys heard every word but still didn't retaliate, more like they couldn't.
The music swelled, violins weaving through the air as the pairs circled one another with measured grace. Yet for Aaron and Ishaan, every step felt heavier than the last. Their hands were locked with theirs—the very hands they had once held so casually by the lakeside—but now wrapped in silk gloves, cold with formality. The distance between them seemed infinite, even in the closeness of the dance.
Aaron felt Isebella lean in, her breath brushing against his ear, her voice trembling just beneath the polished surface of her words.
"I'm sorry, Aaron… truly. I never meant to hurt you like this."
Across the floor, Estella's lips moved just as carefully, her whisper threading between the notes of the orchestra.
"All we wanted was more time with you. But…"
Aaron's chest tightened, and he pulled her gaze back to his, his whisper sharp and low.
"Then why? Why do this? Were we so untrustworthy—or just guinea pigs in your experiment to study the common folk?"
Ishaan's words mirrored the bitterness, breathed against Estella's ear as his grip faltered on her waist.
"Tell me, was all of it pretend?"
Both girls faltered, their steps stuttering for just a heartbeat before smoothing back into the rhythm. Their eyes flickered, torn between duty and truth. Isabella's whisper came softer, almost breaking.
"No, Aaron. It wasn't like that. If anything… we trusted you more than anyone. It wasn't our choice, you don't understand, we were being watched."
Estella's hand tightened over Ishaan's, her whisper urgent, pleading.
"If you give us a chance, we'll explain it all. Please… wait at your inn tonight. We'll send an escort to bring you to the palace. Everything—everything—will make sense then."
The orchestra surged toward its final flourish, forcing the pairs into their final bow. Aaron and Ishaan bent stiffly, their bodies obeying the form, but their faces betrayed the storm beneath. The instant the strings fell silent and applause broke out, the brothers could take no more. Without waiting for another word, they broke from the formation, sprinting through the sea of startled nobles, the weight of betrayal chasing them out into the corridor.
Behind them, their parents exchanged startled glances before quickly following, their footsteps echoing in the vaulted hall, chasing after their sons who had fled into the night.
As the boys slowly approached the inn, each of them looked at their hands. Aaron was wearing the gloves Isebella had given him, and Ishaan was fidgeting with his bracelet.
They did not speak a single word and just came back into the inn and lay there, wondering what they should do; they were confused.
On one hand, they just want to tear apart the gifts, the drawings and the memories, but on the other hand, they couldn't, as these were some things that they had always wanted to cherish.
As they were sulking in despair, their parents came around and, looking at the boys, they just couldn't help but feel pity for them.
"Look, I know you guys are heartbroken and confused, but I do think you guys should really listen to what the girls were willing to say", Mrs Banerjee patting Aaron's head.
"How do you guys know that they wanted to talk ?" Ishaan, although gloomy, still tried to look up.
"Because we are your parents, idiots and know why you guys feel so frustrated, also we noticed how the girls were being crushed with a sense of guilt and were trying to communicate to you through the dance", Mr Banerjee stroked Ishaan's back.
"But what should we do, like, can we really trust them?" Aaron finally spoke, his voice etched with sadness and pain.
"Listen, I'll tell you something, since coming here, you guys have changed and changed for the better." Mrs Banerjee speaking
"We both were worried that you would be like you were, Aaron, you socially awkward with trust issues and no connection to anyone else, and Ishaan was always trying to cheer him up and just ignoring how you feel so that you can feel important, we were genuinely worried", Mr Banerjee added.
Mrs Banerjee now patting both of their head with a warmth only mothers can produce, "But since you met those girls, you guys have finally overcome many of those problems, and well also formed a very close bond, and I know you guys also cherish it, or else you would have thrown those gifts from them"
As the boys were looking at the gifts they received from the girls. Mr Banerjee now placed his hands on the boy's lap as he bent in front of them to look into their eyes "And I just know like you idiots those two really also cherish you and they wouldn't do anything like this without reason"
The boys were finally calmed a bit, even though they were still completely broken and didn't know what to do, they still decided to follow their gut and at least here what the girls had to say.
As the boys were all prepared to face the truth, a knock came on their room door.
"Aaron and Ishaan Banerjee and their parents, you have been summoned to the royal palace to meet with the king"
As the boys and parents entered the carriage and it started to move towards the palace, the boys were still confused and unsure, but they still decided to at least hear them out, although they were still torn with a sense of betrayal and sadness. The palace gates loomed above them, heavy and unyielding. Beyond them waited answers—but perhaps not the ones they wanted.