"Akan? Oh no!" Moremi rushed to his side as she lowered herself to the ground.
She could feel her breath hitch, her heart shattering in million pieces.
Akan looked nothing like the steadfast guardian she had always known—the one person who could deal with her darkest sides and still act tough, even willing to die for her.
It had not even been a day since he was dumped here and yet the disturbing stench of blood and metal filled the air.
Akan had been beaten and starved on it.
Though she had been here before by order of her father, the guards didn't dare lay hands on her.
As suffocating as this place had been, she knew that the guardsmen placed in the dungeon were always careful to not harm her as the only princess of Mandinga.
They would feed her and unchain her, even giving her leverage and checking on her to make sure she was fine.
In contrast, however, Akan looked like he was about to be set in a coma. His cloth was torn and soaked in blood, wounds all over his taut body.
It had barely even been a day!
Moremi's eyes were wide with shock as she surveyed him.
He was bleeding...badly. She couldn't even tell where exactly his injuries were coming from.
It was just...a mess.
She pressed her trembling lips together and moved closer, her increasing shadow catching Akan's attention.
Akan stirred, his eyes fluttering open.
For a moment, his gaze was clouded with confusion before recognition dawned. "Princess?" he rasped, his voice raw from disuse.
He attempted to raise his hand up and touch her, certain it was her and not some hallucination but every inch of his body felt numb.
He couldn't even move.
"Heavens, Akan, what have they done to you?" She whispered in tears as her eyes narrowed, picking his head from the floor and placing it on her lap.
She tried to use his torn clothes to clean off some of the blood but even she was confused. How did it get so bad?
Did he perhaps do something to provoke them? They couldn't just hit him like this without reason!
She could feel her blood boil but knowing her predicaments, she couldn't act on her anger.
"Princess, what are you doing here?" Akan managed to form the words and Moremi's eyes softened when she looked at him.
"A-akan I-" she raised her hand to form an explanation but the words didn't surface.
Slowly, she placed her cold hand on his warm cheek, "I'm so sorry." She said shaking her head and Akan furrowed his brows at her. Though in pain, he could still understand her words.
Moremi continued ranting, "This...this is all my fault, I-I put you in this position. If only I had been cautious and not reckless-"
"Stop." Akan's voice suddenly came out firm even in his weakness, halting her ramble.
She looked at him, a tear slipping out of her eyes when he abruptly pushed himself up to sit straighter, wincing at the movement.
"What are you talking about, princess?" He moved closer to her and Moremi's heart skipped a beat when she felt his breath close to her face.
"You did nothing wrong. This is my duty... to protect you, no matter the cost and that is what-" he winced when he started to feel the pain close to his abdomen again and Moremi immediately pulled away from her trance.
"Don't move, please. Stay still. You're badly injured!" She scolded him and went back to holding him as he continued groaning in pain. "I should have brought pain killers, I didn't know you'd be in such a bad condition-" she face palmed at herself but Akan wasn't one bit bothered about that.
"You shouldn't be here, Moremi," he said between breaths, calling her by her name.
Moremi knew this was something he did whenever he needed her to pay urgent attention to his words.
He was clearly not happy with her presence here with him and she knew the reason was because of her safety.
Ignoring him, she dipped her hand into her dress pocket before pulling out a cloth and unwrapping it, revealing the medium-sized bread she had brought along with her.
Akan continued speaking, "Your father would be angry again if he found out you-"
"I brought food for you," she interrupted him. Cutting the bread, she brought a piece to his mouth, "Here, eat." She said but Akan turned his mouth away.
From the fresh scent of the bread, he knew she had probably baked it herself but he needed her to leave.
The night guards would not keep a secret if they ever found out she came here to see him.
"Princess, you need to leave now."
"No." She deadpanned. "I would not leave...not until you eat," she quickly brought the bread back to his mouth. "You need your strength, Akan. I do not know when my father would show you mercy and I do not want you dead! These people don't care about you," she pointed her fingers to the gates, clearly referring to the night guards, "They would drain every bit of your strength and heaven knows if you'd survive it. You need to eat something."
This was the least she could do for being such a horrible person to him. Despite his warnings, he ended up being the one to suffer her disobedience. Something that should never had happened in the first place.
"Please." She added.
Her breath suddenly hitched when Akan reached out, his calloused fingers trembling as they brushed her cheek. The touch was hesitant, lingering, and it sent a jolt through her.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. They only kept silent in the stillness and Moremi could feel the rising tension.
His thumb traced the path of her tears, and her lips parted as she fought the urge to lean into him, to cross the barrier that both set them in their boundary.
...
The air between them was thick with unspoken words, with something that shouldn't be but was undeniably there.
"I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you," he said finally, his voice low, sending a feeling Moremi didn't understand. "You must go. Please."
"I can't," she replied, her voice trembling. "I can't leave you here like this. Not alone."
Akan's gaze flickered, a mix of longing and fear as he studied her. "You defy the King for me, and you'll only make things worse. Don't you see? He'll use me against you, Moremi. You have to leave."
She hesitated, the weight of his words sinking in. But as she looked at him, saw the fear not for himself but for her, she felt her resolve waver. "Akan..." she whispered, her voice breaking as her hands tightened around his. "Please, just let me do something for you. Anything." Her gaze fell on the bread she held.
He sighed, his head bowing for a moment before he looked back at her. "If you truly care for me," he said softly, "then go. Stay safe. That's all I ask."
Her tears fell harder, but she nodded reluctantly. Before pulling away, she pressed his hand more firmly against her cheek, as if committing the warmth of his touch to memory. Then she pushed the bread toward him again.
"You have to eat," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "Promise me you'll eat this. I won't leave until you do."
Akan looked at her resignedly.
He stared at the bread for a long moment before taking it, his fingers brushing hers. He broke off a piece and ate it, his eyes never leaving hers.
"Thank you," he murmured, his voice heavy with gratitude and something deeper.
As she rose to leave, her heart ached with every step that took her farther from him. But before she disappeared into the shadows, she turned back one last time, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'll get you out of here, Akan. I swear it." She said with certainty and Akan closed his eyes in exasperation.
With that, she vanished into the night, her tears falling silently as her heart warred with the forbidden truth she couldn't deny.
She didn't exactly know until now.