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SARAFINA.

Regret.... Isn't that what I should feel now? But why do I feel like I have just done the right thing? Why do I feel like this is where I actually belong.

In his arms..

"Rafi" Jamal called, his hands caressing my temples.

"Look at me" he whispered silently, i hesitated for a while before fluttering my eye lids open slowly.

"This won't change anything between us right?" My hands shook beside me.

Why? Why did fate have to bring us back together? I still hold so much resentment towards his mother, how can I love him with such grudge in me.

I lifted my hands and placed it on his own, I then pushed it down from my face and moved away from the desk.

"You are right, it won't change anything between us so let's act like it never happened" I replied avoiding his gaze.

"Rafi__"

"Sarafina" I muttered.

"What?"

"My name is Sarafina" I replied and walked towards the entrance, not without slipping on my underwear with embarassment burning red on my cheeks.

"Why?" He asked as I held on to the doorknob, I stopped.

"Sarafina why?" He asked again.

"If it is my engangement with Ditya, I can call it off" he added frantically.

"Not everything can go as planned, there is no why in a situation like this" I replied, tears prickling my eyes. My eyes caught the key at the keyhole.

Why didn't I notice it the first time before allowing myself to get drowned in the moment. I turned the key and finally opened the door and without waiting for Jamal I fled out of the room.



JAMAL.

I just got rejected, my heart hurts badly. I could not even turn to see her leave, there has to be a reason why she couldn't stay beause I'm sure she feels just the same as me... Only that something is stopping her.

If it is not my engangement to Ditya then what it is it?

I sprang up as a thought hit me, Ammi might know about these. I entered my room and changed into my prince regalia.

I had to meet mother.



DITYA.

Maximus wanted my alliance for his son to beome king? I can't believe I was so stupid to believe him.

Why didn't I notice, nobody is going to have the throne except Jamal and nobody would be his queen except me or I might just have to wipe off the whole Zedora and have Jamal rule with me in my father's kingdom.

It isn't that hard right? All I just have to do bring in my father's men and spare only Jamal.

"My princess someone is here to see you" Sherry said.

"Who?"

"Prince Maximus" she replied.

I sat up instantly. "Maximus !!"

"Should I ask him in or should send him back, though it will impolite not give hearing to an old prince visitin....."

"Keep quiet!" I snapped, what the hell does Maximus want with me? Does he think I have not find out about his evil scheme or maybe I just have to play along.

"Ask him in" I told Sherry.

SARAFINA.

Sullenly, I went back home trying not to dwell on the fact that I have just turned my back on the first man I have ever loves because I can't bear to forgive his mother and let peace reign.

Just what have I done!!

"Are you alright? You seem off" Pooja asks me coming out of the kitchen as I slumped down on the already neatly arranged bed.

"What do you care?" I muttered. "Can I get something to eat?"

She didn't move. "You think I don't care about you huh?"

I roll my eyes and face her. "Why would you care about your revenge tool, oh yeah you probably should so that your plans won't end up collapsing" I said with so much pain in my voice.

Pooja swiped at her eyes and placed her hands on her hip. "You are not even going to listen to my side of the story?" She asked.

"Your side of the story" I scoffed. "All you did was lie, you lied to me.. Your so-called special ability was probably a lie too and you want me to listen to you lie all over again.. What do you even have to say? That you knew I was the Sheba even before that light incident yet you pretended to be oh so surprised, you even took me to the library ac...."

"Sarafina please!" She yelled. "I'm in so much pain already you shouldn't keep hurting me with your words, I know I was wrong there is no excuse for that but please just let me explain why all these happened"

"I need a nap, one regretful decision is enough for me, I won't sit and let you blabber on lies to me" I replied and lay back on the bed.

I should listen to her but my brain is in a kind of confused state right now and I can't but help if I keep acting irrationally.

"Sarafina please" she said, her voice sounded teary. I sighed and sat up.

"Fine, please sit and pray tell me dear friend why I am being used" I replied in an unenthusiastic tone.

"Thank you" she muttered fiddling with her fingers and sat.

I snorted. "Get on with it please, I badly can use a sleep right now"

She nodded, avoiding my haze and looked down. "I grew up in Pecan with a family i assumed was mine... Everything was peaceful until I turned ten, a man came by our house and requested to see me.. It turned out to be Maximus, at that time he didn't tell me who he was, he only told me my story.. How I was born and how Mila killed my father, he told me I didn't deserve a petty life like the one I was living and he enrolled me in the school for nobles in Pecan" she paused and glanced at me.

I gulped and looked away. "Continue" I whispered dryly.

She continued. "At first i didn't want to believe him so I asked the woman I had assumed to be mother and she confirmed it and also told me the whole story about the curse and all... She told me not to trust Maximus because he was very sneaky but I decided to attend the noble school against her orders"

"Who was the woman and how did she know so much?" I asked curiously.

"She was an apprentice to your mother before she left and also a friend to Mila though not really close but close enough for Mila to entrust her child to her, I attended the school and that was where I met Ditya, we were arch enemies from day one.. She was way too proud for my liking and she thought I was too low classed because I always mingled with the commoners."

"When I turned eighteen which was also my last year at nobles, a new guard joined the palace of Pecan, his name was...."

"Chadran" I muttered the picture she was trying to paint already clear to me. Practically Chadran was her lover but was killed because she told him the real truth about herself,just like her father was also killed to hide the truth, that was why when I had asked her to tell me who she really was she had said death was the penalty for anyone to know who she truly is.

"Chadran" she affirmed tears already falling from her eyes. "He was everything I wanted and we even planned to have a family.. I didn't want to keep any secret from him so I told him about me.. Few days later I found him at his house a knife stabbed right into his heart and a letter on his body... It read.."

"You killed him Mohini, because you couldn't keep your mouth shut.. I wonder who you will kill again"

I shivered in fear, my anger against her already breaking to peaces.

"I knew it was her and because of that I craved revenge... I left Pecan and came here, stayed at the inn for six years before coming to work at the palace.. It was then I found about the cure to Jamal's curse. At first I only wanted to punish Mila by making her see my face everyday that alone was enough because her fear that I would say something to Forbes was enough revenge until I met you. My foster mother told me about the Sheba and how she knew that Naja's daughter will be the Sheba... She described Naja to me and even showed me her painting... You look exactly like her so I knew it was you.. I made friends with you and waited for the right time to tell you about your mother."

"After I did I started regretting it... You were a good friend to me and I didn't want to be the villain, all my life nobody was patient with me and kept up with my attitude until you, I made up my mind to tell you about but unfortunately Ditya appeared... I swear Sarafina I already put my plans to a stop... I will not hurt you intentionally.. I am really so..."

I didn't let her finish her statement before I flung my arms around her pylking pulling her into a tight hug. "I'm sorry too, I didn't know your story before casting blames on you... We will fight this together I promise you" I whispered tearfully.

Few minutes after our emotional scene we sat at the table to eat, but I couldn't take even one bite because my mind was pondering over two things— Jamal and Pooja's story.. There was something off about Chadran's death, why would Mila kill him and leave a noticeable trail like a letter? It didn't makes sense.

Except..... And then it clicked. Mila didn't kill Chadran. "Maximus did!" I stated loudly.

Pooja looked at me. "What did Maximus do?" She asked surprised at my sudden out burst.

"If Mila wanted to kill Chadran, she would have left no traces because she is a queen"

"What do you mean?" Pooja asked with a raised brow.

"I mean Mila does not even know about Chadran.... Maximus had a plan to bring you to Zedora as a threat to Mila"

"So Maximus killed Chadran?" Her voice shook as she asked.

I nodded. "Exactly !"

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