Amira looked at her grandma with raised eyebrows.She stood up from the wooden chair and headed to the door to check who was knocking.
"Leonard."She said with a small smile on her face."Please come in."She stepped aside to allow him to enter the house.
"Thank you."Leon said as he walked inside the house. Amira and Leonard looked at each other awkwardly after She had closed the door.
"Leonard."Lady Serena called the young man in excitement when she noticed that he was the one who knocked on the door earlier.
"Grandma."He said with a small smile on his lips."What a surprise visit? Have you already had dinner? Let's go to the dining room and eat together."
Lady Serena nodded towards the dining room door. Leonard turned his head to Amira who nodded with a small smile flashed on her lips.
"Thank you for inviting me to have dinner with you and sorry for the disturbance."Leonard apologised.
"Since when did you start being sorry for visiting at night?"Lady Serena asked with raised eyebrows as she sat on the wooden chair at the dining table.
Amira was silent all along. She already knew the intention of Leonard's visit, so she continued to drink the mushroom soup in silence, laughing at the jokes that Lady Serena and Leonard made.
Leonard was fond of Amira's family because they were like family to him even though they're not related by blood. Lady Serena glanced at the young lady occasionally and she could tell that something was off.
"I will leave the two of you to talk."Lady Serena said as she stood up from the chair."I'm too old to stay up for many hours."She joked.
"Don't say that grandma, you're not that old."Leonard protested as a small frown settled on his handsome features.
"I'm not young either."Lady Serena tilted her head to the side challengingly and raised her eyebrows.
"Have a great time you two."She walked to the other side of the table and planted a butterfly kiss on Amira's hair and patted Leonard on the back.
They both smiled at the old lady as they wished her a silent goodnight.
"Call me in case of anything."She assured them before she left the dining room and they nodded in understanding.
________
A haunting silence reigned in the dining room after lady Serena had left. Both Amira and Leonard didn't know how to start the conversation because each one of them was somehow offended by one other.
"I came here... Let's go..."They talked at the same time which made them stop talking and looked at each other awkwardly.
"You can go first," Leonard said.
"I was suggesting for us to go upstairs so that we won't wake up grandma," Amira said. Leonard listened carefully and nodded his head in agreement.
They walked out of the dining room and ascended the wooden stairs in silence. They stopped at the veranda and sat on the bench which was attached to the wooden wall. The bench fitted the two individuals perfectly.
It was silence on the veranda, Amira looked at the clear sky which was illuminated by the moon and stars. On the other hand, Leonard watched the trees as they swayed to the faint wind.
Amira pulled the white knitted sweater close to her body when the cold breeze brushed her skin, causing goosebumps.
Leon cleared his throat as he tried to get rid of the awkward silence.
"Why Amira?"He turned his head slightly to look at the girl who pretended like she didn't hear anything.
Amira closed her eyes momentarily and exhaled before turning her head to look at Leon, the corner of her lips raised into a small smile.
"Why what?"She asked with raised eyebrows. Amira pretended that she didn't know whatever Leonard was talking about.
"Don't you dare play dumb Amira because you know what I'm talking about?"Leon said with a slightly raised voice which made Amira's eyes widened in surprise.
"Why did you join the competition? Don't you know it's dangerous? What if they find out that you're Commander Adonis's daughter? What will happen?"Leonard decided to go straight to the point.
"Isn't it clear to you? I joined the competition because I want to prove to the entire universe and kingdom that my father is innocent when I get access to the power!"Amira stood up from the bench, she fisted her hands until the knuckles turned white.
"I want justice for my father! He's not supposed to serve life imprisonment! Someone else is supposed to pay for the sins that were pinned on my father!"She said through gritted teeth, her face looked dangerous because of anger.
Leonard was surprised when she heard her words.'How did she find out?'That was the question that crossed Leon's mind.
"Did you know that my father is serving life imprisonment?"Amira asked with a serious face which made Leon's skin crawl because he had never seen the angry side of Amira.
"Did you know that my father is serving life imprisonment, Leon!"Amira asked with a raised voice which jolted Leon's mind back to the present.
"Ye…Yes"He nodded his head."Your, grandma and father, asked me not to mention anything to you because they were afraid that you couldn't handle the truth."Leonard explained briefly.
Amira was dumbstruck when she heard his response,she couldn't believe that she was the only person who was left in darkness.She closed her eyes and tears rolled down her cheeks.
She sat on the bench since her legs became weak.Amira couldn't imagine that her friend has been lying to her for the past two years. She couldn't believe that he had been giving her false hopes despite him knowing the painful truth.
"We were just trying to protect you, Amira."Leonard sat next to Amira who was now sobbing faintly and pulled her into a hug.
However, Amira wriggled from the tight hug and stepped away from him.
"Why? Why did you keep the truth from me, Leon? You could have told me the truth because I believe I could handle it."She wiped tears from her eyes using the sleeve of the sweater.
"It could have been better for me to know the damn truth than having empty hopes that my father would be released someday."She sobbed, even more, when she gave it a thought.
It was so painful for Amira to find out that her friend has been lying to her all this time. It was more painful than walking on the road full of thorns.
"I didn't have a choice because grandma and your father asked not to mention anything to you, Amira."Leonard blinked countless times to hold back tears that threatened to flow from his eyes.
He took a step towards Amira, however, she took two steps away from him. She felt lied to and betrayed.
"I'm sorry for everything, I didn't know it would hurt you this much if you find out."Leon apologised.
Amira didn't say anything, tears continued to flow from her eyes as she stepped away from him. However, she reached the end of the road when her back touched the wooden wall.
She had nowhere to run to.
Leon grabbed her hand gently and gave them a slight squeeze. Amira didn't pull away her hands anymore. All she did was close her eyes as tears flowed from her eyes.
Amira knew that it was not Leon's fault to hide the truth from her. However, that didn't mean that she wasn't mad at Leon for giving her false hopes.
"I'm sorry okay."He apologised once again and Amira nodded her head, accepting his apologies.It was impossible to stay mad at her friend forever.
Leon closed his eyes slightly and a sigh of relief escaped his lips. He was glad that Amira had forgiven him.
They hugged each other tightly and Amira cried in his arms while Leon patted her back, trying to calm her down.
_______
Amira and Leonard sat on the bench when she finally calmed down and they stared at the sky in silence.
"Amira..."Leon turned his head to look at his childhood friend, he grabbed her hands and gave them a slight squeeze.
Amira looked at their hands before raising her head slowly to look at Leon.
"You don't need to be the crown prince's wife to get justice for your father."He paused and sucked in a tight air.
"We can try another way, you know."Leon bit the inside of his cheeks after airing his thoughts.
Leon didn't like the idea of Amira getting involved with the crown prince.Amira shook her head in denial when she heard Leon's words.
"That's the only way, Leonard. I need power so that my father can get the justice he deserves."She paused, pressing her lips into a thin line.
" Do you think they'll listen to you if you tell them that Commander Adonis is innocent?"Amira asked with raised eyebrows,her head tilted to the right challengingly.
"Instead, you'll be killed before you finish your statement."Leon knotted his eyebrows as Amira's words sank into his mind.
"You're right."Leon nodded his head as she agreed with her thoughts. Leonard is a castle soldier who guards the castle,he knows how ruthless the royal family can be.
"You need to be extra careful, Amira."He heaved a deep sigh."The royals are ruthless, they don't care."Leonard said with a worried voice.
"I don't want anything bad to happen to you in the process, promise me that you'll take good care of yourself, that you'll be careful around them."Leon said, searching for Amira's eyes.
A smile settled on her features because she was so happy that her friend had finally understood her decision and respected it.
That was all that she yearned for, a backup of her friend and family was enough to give her the courage to stand the storm that was coming her way.
"I promise."Amira said with a smile on her lips and Leon smiled back at her,giving her hand a small squeeze.
"Thank you." Amira said and laid her head on Leon's shoulder with a smile on her face.
"That doesn't mean I'm supporting the idea of you getting married to the blood-sucker crown prince," Leonard grumbled.
"I'm only doing it for uncle, he has been like a father to me."Leonard clarified.
Amira's father took Leonard under his wing when Leon's father who was a soldier and also Mr. Adonis's friend died in war.She huffed when she heard Leon's words.
Amira stood up from the bench she was sitting on and rushed into her room when she remembered something.
She emerged from the door that she had disappeared to before Leon could even blink his eyes.
"Here..."She handed Leonard the letter she was holding in her hand. Leon creased his eyebrows in confusion.