Rajula should have left.
That was the sensible thing to do.
She had already climbed over a palace wall, trespassed into royal gardens, and casually told the prince that she might be his promised bride.
Any normal person would leave before the guards discovered them.
Rajula stayed.
Prince Malushahi leaned casually against the cedar tree, studying the strange girl who had appeared in his garden like a gust of mountain wind.
"You know," he said, "if the guards find you here, they might assume you're an assassin."
Rajula tilted her head.
"Do assassins usually announce their names?"
Malushahi shrugged.
"Some might."
Rajula crossed her arms.
"Well, if they catch me, I'll just tell them the prince invited me."
Malushahi smirked.
"Oh? Did he?"
Rajula grinned.
"He will."
For a moment the prince simply stared at her.
Then he laughed quietly.
"You're either incredibly brave," he said, "or incredibly foolish."
Rajula thought about it.
"Probably both."
The two of them walked slowly through the garden.
Moonlight reflected off the water in the fountains while fireflies drifted lazily through the air.
Rajula looked around with obvious curiosity.
"So this is how princes live."
Malushahi raised an eyebrow.
"You sound disappointed."
Rajula kicked a small stone along the path.
"I thought there would be more gold."
"There is gold."
"Where?"
"Inside the palace."
Rajula looked toward the large palace building.
"…So you're saying I climbed the wrong wall."
Malushahi laughed again.
For years his life had been filled with formal meetings, royal duties, and carefully planned conversations.
Talking with Rajula felt completely different.
She spoke freely.
She laughed loudly.
She treated him like a normal person instead of a prince.
And strangely… he liked that.
They sat beside a fountain.
For a moment neither of them spoke.
Rajula watched the water while Malushahi looked toward the mountains beyond the palace walls.
"So," Rajula said finally.
"Do you remember the promise?"
Malushahi shook his head.
"I heard about it once when I was younger."
"And?"
"And the ministers told my father it was unrealistic."
Rajula sighed.
"That sounds about right."
Malushahi looked at her.
"You walked across mountains just to see if a childhood promise was real."
Rajula shrugged.
"I was curious."
"That's a long journey for curiosity."
Rajula smiled slightly.
"Well… I also wanted to see if the prince was handsome."
Malushahi blinked.
"…And?"
Rajula studied him thoughtfully.
"…Still deciding."
Malushahi laughed again.
Over the next few nights, Rajula returned to the palace garden.
She had quickly discovered the best places to climb the walls without being seen.
One night she dropped down into the garden and landed directly in front of Malushahi.
He didn't even look surprised anymore.
"You're getting comfortable breaking into the palace," he said.
Rajula brushed dust from her clothes.
"I prefer to think of it as visiting."
"You're not supposed to visit by climbing walls."
Rajula shrugged.
"The gate guards seem unfriendly."
Their conversations lasted for hours.
Rajula told him stories about mountain storms, wild goats, and the long trade routes her father traveled.
Malushahi told her about palace politics, royal expectations, and endless meetings with ministers.
One night Rajula lay back on the grass and looked up at the stars.
"You know," she said, "your life sounds boring."
Malushahi looked offended.
"I'm a prince."
"Yes," Rajula said.
"That's the boring part."
Malushahi chuckled softly.
"You should try ruling a kingdom someday."
Rajula shook her head.
"No thanks."
"Why?"
"I'd rather climb mountains."
But not everyone in the palace was unaware of these nightly meetings.
From a dark balcony above the garden, two ministers quietly watched the prince speaking with the mysterious girl.
One of them frowned.
"Who is she?"
The other shook his head.
"I don't know."
They watched as Rajula laughed loudly at something Malushahi said.
"That girl is not a noble," the first minister said.
"No."
"And yet the prince meets her every night."
The second minister's expression grew darker.
"This could become… problematic."
The next morning, rumors had already begun spreading quietly through the palace.
Servants whispered about a mysterious girl appearing in the gardens at night.
Some believed she was a spy.
Others thought she might be a wandering noblewoman.
But the ministers knew something else.
If the prince grew attached to a common girl from the mountains…
It could disrupt the alliances they had carefully planned.
And powerful men did not like their plans disrupted.
That night, Rajula climbed the palace wall again.
But something felt different.
The garden seemed quieter than usual.
Too quiet.
When she dropped into the grass, Malushahi was already waiting for her.
But his expression looked more serious than before.
"Something wrong?" Rajula asked.
Malushahi nodded slightly.
"The ministers have noticed you."
Rajula sighed.
"Well… that was bound to happen eventually."
Malushahi looked toward the palace windows.
"They won't approve of this."
Rajula smiled slightly.
"Good thing I didn't come here for their approval."
Malushahi looked at her.
For a moment neither of them spoke.
The air between them felt heavier now.
"Rajula," he said quietly.
"What?"
"If the court forces you to leave… would you go?"
Rajula thought about the question.
Then she shook her head.
"I walked across mountains to get here."
She looked up at him with a small smile.
"I'm not leaving that easily."
Malushahi felt something warm stir in his chest.
But somewhere else in the palace…
Dark plans had already begun forming.
And soon, the peaceful nights in the garden would come to an end.