Morning sunlight spilled across the white marble like gold. Maya sat on the cushioned seat near the grand window, flipping through a stack of palace documents that had been discreetly sent to her chambers.

They weren’t meant for her.

Not technically.

But ever since the reception, when Zayed had dismissed a servant for a breach in protocol and declared Maya his queen, the palace had started treating her differently.

With reverence.
With fear.
With silence.

She noticed it in the lowered eyes, in the careful greetings, in the way her presence was announced now. The outsider girl was becoming someone impossible to ignore.

And Zayed hadn’t said a word since.

Not one.

Until now.

The heavy oak door opened without a knock—he never knocked—and Zayed entered. Not in ceremonial robes or a designer suit. But in a simple white kurta, sleeves rolled to his forearms, barefoot on the cold floor.

Maya blinked. She had never seen him like this.

“Reading my files, wife?” His voice was quieter than usual—teasing, almost.

“I didn’t know they were yours. They were addressed to ‘Her Highness’.”

A slow smile touched his lips. “And that is who you are, isn’t it?”

She set the papers down carefully. “I want to help. Not just wear jewelry and smile at guests.”

Zayed walked to her, pulling a chair across from her and sitting down—level with her, eye to eye. It was the first time they’d ever spoken like this… without tension in the air, without power crowding between them.

“I know you do,” he said softly. “And that terrifies me.”

Maya stared. “You’re not afraid of anything.”

“I am afraid of losing control.”

“Of me?”

“Of what you might become, Maya… if I don’t hold you close enough.”

There it was.

Not dominance. Not anger.

Fear.

And it caught her so off guard, she forgot how to respond.

Zayed leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “I was raised to believe power must never bend. That vulnerability is weakness. But then you walked in, wearing the name I gave you, carrying the crown I handed you… and now the court bows to you. You’re changing the very fabric of this palace.”

Maya lowered her eyes. “And does that offend you?”

“It seduces me.”

Silence. Then—

“I don’t want to be your weakness, Zayed,” she whispered.

“You’re not. You are my mirror. And sometimes… I hate what I see.”

She looked up.

That mask he always wore—the one carved from ice and fire—was gone.

She saw a man now. Still powerful. Still dangerous. But human. And that scared her more than the cold ever did.

Zayed rose then, his control returning like a cloak over his shoulders.

“Continue reading. Tomorrow, I will have the palace treasurer sit with you. You’ll begin overseeing the women’s council budget.”

Maya’s eyes widened. “You’re giving me power?”

“I’m giving you what you already took.”

He moved to the door but paused, glancing back.

“And Maya… if anyone tries to stop you… let me know.”

There was no smile on his lips. But the promise in his voice was enough to set fire to stone.

She watched him disappear down the corridor, heart pounding, lips trembling with thoughts unspoken.

He was obsessed, yes. Controlling, always.

But today, she’d seen something else.

Something that made her wonder if love—real love—might exist beneath all that darkness.

And if it did…

She would find it.

Even if it destroyed her.