The air crackled with a tension so thick, it felt like it could be cut with a knife. Every breath Kazi took seemed to echo through the drawing room, every step she took felt like it reverberated across the chamber. She forced herself to remain still, to stand tall and proud despite the trembling in her limbs.
Azrael remained rooted to the spot, his eyes locked on Kazi in a mixture of shock and disbelief.
"K..." he breathed out, the name a hesitant whisper. "Is this some kind of sick joke?"
Kazi shook her head, her voice trembling slightly. "Surprise?" she said, the word sounding empty even in her own ears.
Azrael's face hardened, his expression turning from shock to anger. "This is not a surprise, K. This is a betrayal!" he spat, taking a step forward. "You... you are a woman?"
Kazi flinched but held her ground. "Yes, Azrael," she said, her voice firm. "I can explain—"
"Explain?!" Azrael cut her off, his voice rising. "What do you need to explain? Months of deception, of making me trust you, of... of confessing things I never thought I would reveal? Did any of that matter to you, K? I mean Kaz-," he stumbled over her name, "-I mean, did you ever think about how this would affect me?"
A pang of guilt stabbed through Kazi's heart. "It mattered, Azrael," she said earnestly. "It mattered very much."
"Then why?" Azrael shouted, his voice cracking with emotion. "Why did you do this? Why did you deceive me? Why put me through so much pain, so much confusion? You broke me, K. You made me question everything about myself."
Shame flooded Kazi. "I apologize," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I never meant to hurt you."
"But you did, Kazi!" Azrael shouted, tears streaming down his face. He quickly wiped them away, trying to regain his composure. "Why?" he demanded, his voice raw with pain. "Why did you finally decide to 'accept' this marriage after all this time? After months of leading me on?"
Kazi met his gaze. "Because Azrael," she began, "I was an idiot. When I first met you... as K," she amended awkwardly, "I thought you were just some arrogant princes, living off your family's wealth and status. I never thought to look beyond that."
"And did you?" Azrael asked, his voice barely audible. "Did you ever look beyond that?"
"Yes," Kazi admitted, her voice gaining strength. "Over time, I got to know you, the real you. The kind, the funny, the surprisingly vulnerable you. And somewhere along the way, I fell for you, Azrael. For the person beneath the title."
A flicker of surprise crossed Azrael's face. "What exactly did you fall for, Kazi? Because it seems you weren't listening very closely." He said, "What did I tell you I despised the most?" His voice wavered, and for a moment, he seemed to lose his composure again.
"You...you...said...you hated...deception..." Kazi stammered.
"Exactly! And what did you do, Kazi? You deceived me!" Azrael shouted, his voice cracking as he struggled to maintain control. "You lied to me, played games with my heart!"
His anger crackled in the air, a stark contrast to the nervous anticipation that had filled Kazi moments before. She flinched under his gaze but forced herself to meet his eyes.
"I know," she whispered, her voice barely audible above his anger. "I was wrong, Azrael. I shouldn't have lied."
"You shouldn't have lied?" Azrael roared, throwing his hands up in frustration. "What did you expect, Kazi? For me to fall into your arms after all this? Did you think deception was the key to winning my heart?"
"No, Azrael, of course not," she stammered. "I... I never thought that far ahead. I just... I wanted to know you, the real you."
Azrael's anger simmered, but a flicker of something else flickered in his eyes – a flicker of hurt that mirrored the ache in Kazi's heart.
"Well, you know me now, Kazi," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "And you know what I hate. Guess what...I heard you, outside your chambers, the on day you left."
Kazi's breath hitched. How could he have heard? Shame washed over her again, hotter and more intense than before.
"W-what," she stammered, "t-tha- that was foolish talk. I was...and I did not know what I was saying." She took a shaky breath, forcing herself to meet his gaze.
"Confused?" Azrael asked, "You told your aun- I mean your sister, you thought I was confused! That you would never have feelings for me!"
"I was wrong, Azrael! I was deceiving myself as much as I was deceiving you," Kazi pleaded. "I refused to marry you because of... because of rumours, whispers about your arrogance."
"Rumours?" Azrael scoffed. "Maybe there was some truth to them when we first met. I admit, I was not exactly Prince Charming back then."
"You were insufferable," Kazi muttered, a hint of defiance creeping into her voice.
Azrael gave a humourless laugh. "Perhaps. But people change, Kazi. And apparently, so do first impressions."
He took a step closer to her, "But one thing remains constant – I cannot be in a marriage built on lies, Kazi. Not after everything you put me through."
Kazi felt a tear roll down her cheek, but she quickly wiped it away, refusing to let Azrael see her weakness. "I hate the thought of marriage, Azrael! It is a cage, a trap. In Niameda, a wife is expected to be submissive, to cater to her husband's every whim. In Althea, it is worse! Women are expected to stay at home, to churn out babies, to be silent shadows. That is not who I am, Azrael. I am a warrior, a leader. I crave freedom, not some man's leash!"
Silence descended upon the room, heavy and suffocating. Kazi had never seen Azrael look so hurt, so angry. His usually arrogant and confident demeanour was gone, replaced by an emotion she had never seen in him before.
Kazi had revealed her soul, anxieties, and deepest wishes. Now all she could do was wait, her heart thumping frantically against her ribs.
Azrael looked at her, his expression unreadable. Finally, he spoke, "What now, Kazi?" he asked, the question hanging heavy in the air.