"You performed well today, Princess Shyra," a warm voice said behind her. Shyra frowned at the unrecognizable voice and spun around to face the stranger.

Her breath stilled when her eyes met Prince Mahi's playful doe eyes. He smiled graciously at her and bowed deeply, embarrassing her to the core. Her cheeks turned red as she glanced around to see if anyone was looking at them, but luckily the crowded street was too indulged in their world to pay attention to them.

She then pulled him up hastily and smoothed her clothes to distract him from her burning cheeks.

"Prince Mahi!" she said in an extremely flustered tone. "Thank you for your compliments, but it wasn't me alone who made our team win. Tuhin was a great strategist and partner, and conributed equally in our victory"

"Ah, I see," he said with an amused chuckle. "But it's you I want to talk to, not Tuhin."

"Talk?" she said squeakily, then cleared her throat quickly. What's happening to me? I never behave like this around anyone. "What did you want to talk about, Prince?"

"Nothing specific" he replied bemusedly. "But now that you mention it, I did want to talk about how you avoided my eyes throughout the Games. After our eyes met, you seemed determined to avoid looking at me."

Shyra's eyes widened, and she was just about ready for the ground to open up and swallow her whole, like it did for Sita. She stammered and fidgeted with her hands, looking anywhere but into Mahi's eyes.

"It's quite alright," Mahi said when she didn't reply to his comments. When she glanced at him, his eyes had a strange twinkle, like he'd gotten the answer he wanted. "Are you heading back to the Palace for the day?"

Shyra nodded, happy to avoid the topic and move on. "I don't know my way around here, and I generally don't go sightseeing."

His charming smile appeared on his face and he offered his hand to Shyra. "Well, if you change your mind, I can accompany you and give you a tour of Valencia. Rest assured, I know my way around here, and we'll hopefully not get lost on the way," he winked, with a smile suggesting that they were sharing an inside joke. "What do you say?"

Shyra looked at his hand doubtfully. Every part of her was tempted to go and explore the city with him, but the question of her daily practice hung over her head.

"I can go with you, but we need to be back in an hour or so. I can't skip my daily practice, especially when I have the Games to compete in," she said, holding her hand right over his open palm.

He cocked his head at her words and agreed to them without a second thought.

"I'll bring you back on time, milady. Just trust me," he said. Shyra raised her eyebrows at his endearing way of being chivalrous, and nodded and placed her hand in his. He clasped her hand tightly and pulled her along, expertly navigating through the thick crowd.

He took her on a tour of the street first, pointing out the various shops and stalls that bound the wide road. She was impressed at the variety and specialized services that people offered. Mahi hastened to procure as many goods as he could, quickly paying for them before Shyra could protest.

She was soon loaded with sweets and delicacies that had heavenly scent. Both of them got matching temporary tattoos done, which they showed off as they wandered into various shops and munched on their sweets.

They clicked together surprisingly well, talking about their life as royals and the pressure they faced as heirs to their thrones.

Shyra even revealed her exploits and the various marches she'd led, and the changes she'd achieved from them. Mahi was an incredibly active listener, keeping his eyes on her and nodding empathetically whenever he agreed with her.

In turn, he revealed his life as the next Emperor and the tiny rebellions he'd done during his teenage years. They giggled over embarrassing moments that were luckily kept in the family, and bad decisions they regretted later.

"Alright, I think we've toured the streets enough. Let's go somewhere else, shall we?" Mahi said, peering around him. Shyra nodded vigorously and Mahi led her to a narrow street that zigzagged through the city, and slowly led them to the outskirts and wilderness. Shyra glanced around repeatedly, but Mahi forged forward with a vigor that reassured her and sent her scrambling after him.

"So this place is very special to me. I come here every time I need a break from everything, and need to relax." Mahi whispered, as though he didn't want to break the sacred peace around them.

"Let me guess," Shyra replied before he could continue. "This is your secret spot, and you've never brought anyone here with you, right? And you wanted to show me this place because of the connection we felt together."

Mahi giggled and shook his head, confusing her.

"But that's what happens in all the stories..." she mumbled, surprised by his response. She'd certainly hoped that he would say yes. Not that it mattered.

"Well, then this story has its own twist, Princess. Because I've brought just about everybody here, from my parents to Ayaan and Zora and..."

"Zora?" Shyra interrupted with a slight bitterness twinging her tone. "Who's that?"

"Zora," Mahi replied bemusedly, "is my childhood friend. She recently married a courtier from my father's court."

"Oh," Shyra replied. "That's... nice." She wasn't sure why she felt irritated towards Zora, a girl she's never met before, and who had no connection with her except for Mahi.

Mahi stared at her with an incomprehensible expression on his face before shaking his head endearingly and taking her to the edge of the rolling meadow. Beyond them, green, green, green meadows meandered across the bumpy surface and tapered into the horizon. The sunlight suffused their surroundings with a soft, golden glow that made the skies blush in a delicate pink.

He led her to a stone fort that jutted out on the edge of the meadows. They climbed the wall of the fort by gripping stones that broke from the main structure and formed handholds. Mahi climbed behind her and guided her from time to time, occasionally stabilizing her when she tilted precariously to the side.

Shyra wasn't sure if her heart was racing from the climb or his low, encouraging whispers by the time they made it to the top, but those thoughts were soon blown away when she beheld the sight in front of her.

The stone wall's height enabled them to view the meadow from a different angle, giving it a new glow and perspective. The low-hanging clouds crept through the blushing skies as a soft breeze blew everything around them and set their environment in a delicate dance that Shyra was itching to join into.

Her fingers began moving in the dance formations she'd learned, and by the time Mahi made it beside her, she was waving her arms in lazy patterns in the breeze.

"Do you want to dance?" Mahi asked, creeping up behind her and copying her steps. She turned around in surprise and grinned when she saw him partnering her dance masterfully.

"I do," she admitted. "But will it be okay to do it here?"

"Yeah, why not?" he asked, tapping his toes in rhythm to the song playing in his head.

"Probably because... what is this place anyways?" Shyra asked, folding her legs in sync with his steps and tapping her ankles on the stone floor, creating a harmonious tune.

"This is one of our historical monuments," Mahi said, intending his arm and twisting his fingers in accordance with the traditional steps.

"This fort covered the first settlement that our people made when they landed in Alza. When they realized that the land inwards was more advantageous to them, they dismantled this settlement and took all the resources with them to the heart of Alza. This fort was the only landmark they left behind, to symbolize their humble beginnings."

Shyra hummed, bending her torso and folding her arms to him. Mahi repeated the action, and they spun in a circle, tapping their legs with each other.

"I see that you're well-versed with Bharatanatyam," Shyra commented as he followed her steps smoothly, guiding her occasionally. Nobody had danced with as much mastery over Bharatanatyam as Mahi. Nobody had been in such a level of sync with her. Even with Tuhin, his movements had been hurried and clumsy with no respect for the art.

Mahi's dance was filled with grace and elegance, and his respect for Bharatanatyam was evident in every tilt of his head and tap of his feet. It was something Shyra greatly admired. She smiled and increased the difficulty of the dance, uttering a silent challenge to him. Mahi raised his eyebrows and smirked, quickening his pace to match hers.

Shyra danced faster to increase the tempo of her rhythm, and Mahi raised his hands above his head and complimented her steps. Shyra smiled at the way they fit together, and went beyond her usual constraint.

Mahi seemed to feel the same way, infusing his steps with an intensity and passion that ignited a fire inside her.

They kept going faster and faster until Shyra tripped and fell forward. Mahi was there in an instant, catching her in his arms to prevent her from falling. The air that had been ripe with the incessant melodies of their tapping was replaced by the sounds of their heavy breathing.

Shyra stared into his mesmerizing eyes as he stared back at her. Neither of them dared to disturb the weighty silence piercing through the serene evening air. Their laborious breathing became lighter as they caught their breath. Shyra was about to extract herself from his arms when he winced and groaned.

She immediately pulled back and steadied him, concern burning in her heart. "Are you okay? Oh, I'm so sorry Prince. I didn't..."

"It's alright. Completely fine," he grunted, clutching his arms. "My arm sprained slightly from holding you for so long. I'm fine now."

Shyra nodded quietly, staring at his arms in mortification. Am I so heavy? Is his arm hurting that much?

"Princess," he interrupted her train of thought. "It's time for us to head back to the Palace. You wanted to make it back on time for practice, right?"

Shyra pursed her lips and nodded. She didn't want to leave his company just yet, but practice was more important right now. Mahi helped her back down the fort and they strode the way back to the Palace with decidedly more silence than before.

Mahi walked her back to the entrance of the Palace and saw her off with a small bow. Shyra caught her breath when she realized that they were already standing in front of the stone-hewn steps.

"This is where I leave you, Princess. I'll see you tomorrow, I hope?"

Shyra smiled and nodded, stepping backward into the Palace. Her last image of Prince Mahi was his charming grin breaking across his cute face.