Seconds passed.
Minutes passed.
Neither man moved.
The room was silent.
Not the peaceful kind of silence - the heavy kind. The kind that pressed down on the chest and made breathing difficult.
Outside, the world continued as normal.
Inside the room, everything had changed.
Both men were lost in their own thoughts.
Questions. Betrayal. Shock.
Adrian was the first to break the silence.
His voice came out weak.
"...Is that why you kept following me?"
William looked up immediately.
Tears were already sliding down Adrian's face. The sight stabbed straight through William's heart.
"Is that why.." Adrian continued, his voice trembling, "no matter how many times I chased you away... you kept coming back?"
William shook his head quickly.
"Temi-"
"Because you knew I was the prince!" Adrian shouted suddenly. "You made me fall in love with you so you could use it against me! That was your plan, wasn't it?!"
William felt something inside him break.
"Temi, no! I swear-"
He reached for Adrian's hands.
Adrian shoved them away immediately.
"Don't touch me!"
His voice cracked.
"You liar! You tricked me! I'm your rival and you still decided to trick me into loving you!"
His breathing became uneven.
"How could I have been so stupid...?"
He hit the floor weakly with his fist.
"How... how... how?!"
The pain in his chest flared again.
He grabbed his shirt tightly.
William's heart dropped.
"Temi please-please calm down." William begged and tried to hold him but Adrian was stubborn.
He was already spiraling.
He struggled violently, trying to push William away, kicking and hitting blindly.
Blood suddenly began to drip from Adrian's nose.
William froze for half a second.
Then his expression hardened.
'Forget being gentle. He's too stubborn.'
William thought and The next second he grabbed Adrian and pinned him to the floor, sitting on top of him and trapping his wrists.
Adrian struggled wildly beneath him but William was too strong for him.
"Let go of me!"
"Calm down! Will you just calm down!! " William shouted.
It was the first time he had ever raised his voice at Adrian.
The sound stunned Adrian.
He went still.
Both of them were breathing heavily.
William's voice softened immediately.
" You..You're hurting yourself." he said quietly.
His grip loosened slightly.
"Please... I'm begging you. Stop."
Adrian turned his face away.
Tears continued falling silently.
"You liar." he whispered.
His voice was broken now.
"You bloody liar... you tricked me."
William swallowed painfully.
"I never intended to trick you. I promise."
Adrian said nothing.
"I didn't know you were the second prince." William continued desperately. "I swear to you. If I had known-"
Adrian laughed bitterly.
"If you had known, you would have killed me?"
"No!" William said immediately.
Silence returned again.
Then Adrian felt something warm drop onto his cheek.
He frowned slightly and turned his head.
Another drop followed.
William was crying.
Adrian had never seen him cry before.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was the first prince." William said hoarsely. "I... I wanted to tell you when the time was right."
His voice broke.
"I thought... if I told you too early... you would run away."
More tears fell.
"But right now I don't care about that anymore."
His hands trembled slightly.
"Yell at me later. Hate me later. Do whatever you want later."
His voice cracked again.
"But right now... I can't lose you. I can't leave you."
He lowered his head slightly.
"I love you."
Adrian felt his heart pound painfully in his chest.
"I love you and I can't lose you, Temi."
William took a shaky breath.
"Please... let's get you treated first."
He wiped his eyes roughly.
"Please."
Adrian stared at him quietly.
The pain in his chest was still there.
The betrayal was still there.
Nothing had been solved.
But one thing was clear.
William's fear... was real.
His love... Was real.
Adrian looked away slowly.
"...This doesn't mean I forgive you," he muttered weakly.
William nodded quickly. "I know."
A pause.
"...Okay," Adrian finally whispered.
.
.
.
Meanwhile..
Dada walked quietly beside Idowu.
The two guards followed several steps behind them, keeping a respectful distance.
Neither of them spoke.
The silence between them felt awkward.
Earlier that day, Idowu had stood proudly before the other princes - fearless and arrogant.
But now... .Now..,
He was like a puppy scared of what it's owner would do. He kept stealing nervous glances at Dada.
He chewed on his fingernail absentmindedly.
Like a child waiting to be scolded.
Eventually they stopped at a small inn far away from the others.
Idowu cleared his throat.
"We'll pass the night here." he said.
Then he added more quietly,
"I also think... we need to talk."
Dada studied him for a moment.
"...Okay."
Idowu relaxed slightly and smiled.
They quickly settled into their rooms.
After lunch, they sat facing each other inside one quiet room.
Idowu fidgeted with his fingers.
"Erm... yeah..." Idowu started.
He scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"About what happened today..." He looked down.
"I'm sorry."
Silence filled the room.
"I should have told you I was a prince."
He slowly reached for Dada's hand and held it.
"But I never lied about everything," he said softly.
"My feelings for you are real."
His grip tightened slightly.
"I want you by my side."
He hesitated.
"And... about what I did to Adrian..."
His eyes darkened briefly.
"...he deserved it."
He forced a weak smile.
"I'm not a bad person."
Dada sighed quietly.
Then he gently turned Idowu's hand over in his palm.
His thumb brushed softly across the back of it.
"I actually have something to tell you too."
Idowu looked up immediately.
"And... I hope you won't hate me for it."
"I promise." Idowu said quickly.
Dada took a slow breath.
"I knew you were the third prince."
Idowu blinked.
"...Eh?"
"From the first day we met at the festival."
Idowu frowned.
"Wait... how would you even know that? Ordinary people don't know what we look like."
Dada nodded.
"Exactly. Ordinary people."
Idowu's frown deepened.
"What do you mean?"
Dada's fingers tightened slightly around his hand.
"Have you ever heard of the Emperor's Forehand?"
Idowu tilted his head.
"Of course. Everyone has heard of him."
"The Emperor's assassin."
"The one who handles his dirty work."
"No one has ever seen him though."
He looked back at Dada curiously.
"Why?"
Dada didn't answer.
He only stared back.
Then slowly...
Idowu's eyes widened.
He pulled his hands away suddenly.
"No..."
His voice shook.
"No way."
Dada said quietly. "I am the Emperor's assassin."
Idowu stared at him in shock.
"What?!"
He stood up abruptly.
"Why are you here?!"
Dada raised his hands slightly.
"Calm down. Let me explain."
After a moment, Idowu slowly sat back down.
Dada reached for his hand again.
This time...
Idowu did not pull away.
"The Emperor sent me." Dada said.
Idowu's heart began pounding faster.
"To spy on us?" he asked carefully.
Dada shook his head.
"Worse."
Idowu swallowed.
"...You mean murder..?"
Dada nodded once. "Yes."
Fear flashed across Idowu's face. His eyes widened ever so much. He swallowed.
He was a prince, he feared no one. No one except for the Emperor and especially his assassin who was sitting right in front of him and holding his hands.
He had grown up hearing stories about this man.
The Emperor's most dangerous weapon.
And now that man was sitting right in front of him.
Holding his hand.
"But I'm not going through with it." Dada said firmly.
"Not after learning the truth."
His grip tightened slightly.
"...Not after falling in love with you."
Idowu stared at him.
"You... love me? Do..do you really" Idowu questioned.
He never imagined. The most feared man in the country after the Emperor was in love with him.
Dada lifted Idowu's hand slowly.
Then he pressed a soft kiss against it.
"I do."
Idowu felt heat rush into his face.
Despite everything.
Despite the danger.
Despite the shock.
He still blushed.
" And I'm sorry for approaching you with the wrong intentions. Meeting you is the best thing that ever happened to me. You came into my life and brought your spark and light with it." He continued.
" But..you can't be so sure. I poisoned a prince," Idowu said quietly. " I'm not as good as you think." he didn't like saying that out loud but he had to.
Dada shook his head slowly.
"I've taken countless lives for the Emperor."
"Innocent people too."
His voice was calm but heavy.
"So I have no right to judge you."
Idowu looked at him carefully.
"...So you're not going to kill me?"
Idowu asked hopefully because if the man decides to take him right then , neither him nor his guards in the other room would be able to do anything.
Dada's answer came immediately.
"Never."
He kissed Idowu's hand again. "I promised."
Then he looked into Idowu's eyes.
"There's one more thing you need to know... something I have to tell you."
Idowu leaned forward slightly.
"...What?"
Dada inhaled slowly and began to speak while Adrian stared at him curiously then his eyes widened out of surprise.
( If you're reading this chapter, thank you so much for reaching this far. Thank you ❤️)