The room was shrouded in the scent of rain, it left with it only the mournful howl of the wind as it swept around the castle walls.
Inside, the dim light of a single candle flickered as it casted long wavering shadows across the walls and the white marbled floor.
Its light illuminated Selene's delicate features in an eerie golden glow as she sat by her window. It was her favorite place to lose herself in her thoughts and there she sat and gazed at the night sky after letting Sameer into her room.
She could feel the tension in her own body, it was like a tight coil of emotions that she fought to keep hidden beneath her usual mask of calm indifference.
In the midst of it all, she couldn't help but wonder why Sameer had sought her out by this time of the night.
Although he stood before her with a stiff posture he broke the tension filled silence. "Thank you for agreeing to see me so urgently, my lady," he bowed his head as his voice was low yet steady but there was another type of tension beneath; the kind that comes from knowing you're about to say something that cannot be unsaid.
Selene didn't respond immediately because she wanted him to apologize for unfairly denying her what she had wanted to do the other day. He had stopped her from seeing Andreas.
But a big part of her knew it was just her act and that his refusal had been a blessing in disguise. If it weren't for him she might never have discovered Andreas's true colours. She had to put up a show else, he would be suspicious as to why she didn't try to bring up Andreas again.
And for her sake, she preferred him not knowing.
It would be too embarrassing to admit that he was right and if Sameer knew he will kill him.
The silence stretched on heavy and palpable, it filled the space between them like it were a physical presence.
Sameer shifted but his eyes never left her as he tried to decipher what could cause this silence.
He had known her long enough to understand that when she was this quiet, something was terribly wrong.
And at that moment she was too still, too guarded. This was not the Selene he knew, the one who wore her heart on her sleeve and carried with her a sharp tongue ready to air her opinions if need be.
"My lady," he said finally after letting out a heavy sigh while his voice was carefully measured. "I would like to apologize for any irritation my actions may have caused you. I was only looking out for and I didn't want us getting in trouble with the king." He slowly took a deliberate step forward as if he were approaching a wild hare. "But I beg of you..."
He then dropped to one knee and Selene's eyes widened briefly before she quickly schooled her expression. She remained silent with her lips pressed tightly together.
She didn't trust herself to speak just yet, her emotions were still raw from all her crying earlier.
"Please," Sameer continued, "allow me to resign from my position as your guard. I do not wish to relocate with you, my lady," his voice was thick with emotion, "Because I must return home to my family. They need me now more than ever, especially my mother. I received word that her health has worsened."
Outside, the wind howled a mournful sound that seemed to echo the grief in his words. Selene turned her back to him choosing to stare out the window once more.
She didn't want him to see the sadness in her eyes and the tears that threatened to fall.
Sameer had been more than just a guard to her. Despite the twelve years that separated them, he had become her friend.
He had always been there for her, always took the blame when she sneaks out or defied orders. It was through his acts of loyalty that he had earned her trust.
"All things must come to an end, that's what they say, isn't it?" she murmured barely above a whisper. "And so, I guess my marriage will bring an end to your… service here."
Sameer felt a pang in his chest at her cold distant words. This wasn't like her at all. The Selene he knew was warm on most days, passionate every other day and quick to anger but also quick to laugh and forgive.
And so he rose from his kneeling position, concern etched into the lines of his forehead as he studied Selene's profile.
He knew her all too well to be deceived by her feigned indifference. She could wear that damn mask of cold detachment all she liked but her silence was a language he had long since learned to understand.
He took a step closer, his was voice low yet it was insistent, "My lady, something is troubling you. This silence... it's not like you."
The wind howled a lonely sound that filled the space between them, Selene however, remained unmoved. "I am fine, Sameer," she said with a clipped tone. "There is nothing to discuss about me."
But Sameer wasn't easily swayed by her intimidation. He crossed his arms over his chest as his gaze was sharp and probing as he studied her with frustration and concern. "No," he said each word deliberately and slowly. "You're being quiet, too quiet. This isn't the Selene I know. What's the matter?"
Selene whirled around to face him with her blue eyes that sparked with defiance and irritation. "And what exactly do you know, Sameer? Hmmm?" she challenged. "You presume too much."
Sameer returned her gaze with a soft and calm steadiness, despite the tension between them. "I know as much as you've allowed me to know," he replied. "And from what I do know, something is clearly troubling you. Deny it all you want but remember you can't lie to me. I'll always know."
Her silence spoke volumes as her lips pressed into a tight line as she tried to grapple her emotions.
She desperately wanted to keep her walls up but Sameer had always been able to see her truth.
He took another tentative step closer and his voice dropped to a near intimate yet probing whisper. "Is it because I didn't let you see Andreas?" his words were careful as if he treaded on delicate ground. "Or is it about the prince? Did he force your hand, my lady? Is that why you've decided to leave so suddenly?"
Selene's eyes widened just enough to reveal a flash of vulnerability. Then as if caught off guard by her own turbulent emotions, she erupted into laughter.
It was a sharp and unexpected sound that filled the room and cut through the tension like a blade.
Sameer was caught off guard, his stoic demeanor broke as he tried to make sense of her reaction. He had braced himself for her anger even her tears or stubbornness but laughter?
No, that was something he hadn't seen coming.
Her laughter rang out, it was a release of all the feelings she'd kept bottled up. But even as she laughed, Sameer could see a shadow of sadness in her eyes.
For a moment, he couldn't help but think she had gone mad. No one would blame him for such thought because the sound was jagged and unsettling.
He watched her with a mixture of confusion and concern while his mind raced to understand the source of her sudden mirth.
How ironic it all seemed to her, Andreas, the man she had foolishly sought was nothing but a public toilet, jumping from one woman to the other like he were playing hopscotch.
A man who took away the very safety he gave her after he made her believe he were her haven.
And here stood Sameer, who could have exploited her innocence countless times but he never did.
Instead, he was constantly her silent guardian who had always been there for her with a loyalty as unyielding as stone.
The laughter slowly faded and left a heavy silence hanging between them.
Selene allowed her gaze to be locked with his with a newfound intensity.
She realised how she had always admired how striking his hazel eyes were, this was something she had never fully appreciated until now.
Those eyes had seen her at her best and her worst, they had witnessed her countless rebellions and had always looked at her with something that seemed almost... tender.
She recalled how often he had taken punishment on her behalf whenever he covered for her when she disobeyed her father's orders.
The memories stirred something deep within her, it was a complex mix of gratitude, admiration and something she could not quite name.
"Why did you do it?" she suddenly asked with a voice cool and steady, all traces of her amusement gone.
Sameer tilted his head slightly with his expression puzzled. "Do what, my lady?"
"Why did you always take the flogging for me instead of just telling the truth or reporting to my father?"
He blinked once and then twice, taken aback by her bluntness.
For a moment, he said nothing as his eyes searched hers as if trying to gauge how much of the truth she could handle. If she knew why. "Why would I report you to the king? You know how he is," he finally replied.
She nodded but there was a persistence in her gaze, he knew then she wouldn't let the matter rest. "Yes… but he would have locked me up in my room instead. That way, you would have had an easier job of keeping me safe within the palace walls. Instead, you always chose to endure the flogging. I think my father knew and that's why he never dismissed you."
Sameer's silence was palpable, even his face wore a mask of stoicism. Yet, his eyes, those expressive hazel eyes, betrayed a flicker of something deeper that had long been kept hidden.
Selene began to fidget under his scrutiny, her fingers nervously twisted a loose thread on her robe's sleeve.
She could not read him and that always frustrated her to no end. He was always so guarded and so controlled, even now when she could sense there was so much he wanted to say but couldn't or rather wouldn't.
After what felt like an eternity, he sighed heavily. "My lady, you should rest. Tomorrow is your wedding and you will need all your strength. I only came to ask for your permission to relieve me from my duties so that I may return to my village."
Selene's heart ached at his words, this was a loss she hadn't anticipated. "So, this is it huh?" she asked softly. He remained silent and so she pressed on with her voice thick with emotion. "Eleven years of you by my side, gone just like that."
She smiled fondly at him then, a small wistful smile and then she slowly opened her arms in a gesture that felt both foreign and entirely necessary to her. Sameer looked at her bewildered and frozen in place as if he didn't quite understand what she was doing.
"I think it's time to say goodbye," she murmured as she closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around him.
"My lady, what are you doing?" Sameer stammered with shock evident in his stiff body.
In all their years together, they had never shared a hug. This felt improper, a breach of the unsaid rules that had always governed them.
"Oh, in the name of Zeus, will you just shut up and hug me back?" she chided with a mix of playfulness and sadness.
Sameer hesitated for a moment longer but then, as if surrendering to the inevitable, he finally relaxed and returned her embrace.
They stood there holding each other in a silence that spoke volumes. Selene felt the strength of his large muscled arms around her and she realized just how much she had come to rely on him.
As they parted, she looked up into his eyes again and for a brief moment, she saw something raw and unguarded there. It made her heart clench. "I'm going to miss you, Sameer. Truly."
He took a step back, his expression remained unreadable.
With a deep bow he placed his right fist over his heart in a formal salute reserved for the king only.
The gesture was almost too much, it was a stark reminder of the roles they were expected to play. Yet, in that moment, it felt like so much more. A final acknowledgment of everything they had shared and perhaps everything they would never say.
Selene's smile was bittersweet as she watched him turn and leave her room.
And just like that, the most constant presence in her life slipped away like a shadow into the night.