“And I’ll be sure not to tell them you let me in,” Durkhanai said. “Your other option, of course, is that I tell them you did let me in, to which I am sure you can gauge the reaction. Your decision, boys.”

The two guards exchanged a glance, then begrudgingly stepped aside. They opened the doors for her, and she sauntered in. Durkhanai smiled.

“My sincerest thanks to you brave men,” she said. They closed the door behind her.

She walked down the corridor, past doors for maids and baths, making her way to the largest room. Durkhanai released an anxious breath, not knowing what would await her on the other side of that door.

Finally, Durkhanai opened it.

“Durkhanai!” Zarmina cried, seeing her. “I knew you would come. Only you can do the impossible.”

She hopped off the bed, running to the door to meet her.

“Zarmina, so much has happened,” Durkhanai said, voice catching.

“Why did you stray so far?” Zarmina asked her. Suddenly a hard look covered Zarmina’s countenance. Almost as though Zarmina remembered everything in that moment.

“I didn’t realize,” Durkhanai replied, voice soft. “Zarmina—”

“I told you,” Zarmina interjected, voice full of spite. “And now look where we are. You, debased, and me, with the chances of marrying a man I detest.”

“Zarmina, why would you do this?” Durkhanai asked, heart hurting. “If he is innocent and you marry him—”

Durkhanai couldn’t finish the thought. It filled her with jealousy and betrayal, hot and sticky.

“Don’t you see?” Zarmina seethed. “You drove me to this! How else would you realize the severity of what you’ve done!”

Zarmina chose this. Durkhanai had thought it had been her grandparents’ idea, as a means to punish her, but Zarmina had chosen this. There would be no persuading her, now.

“How could you?” Durkhanai asked.

“How could I?” Zarmina repeated. “Dear cousin, how could you?”

Durkhanai turned her cheek, but Zarmina stood in front of her, her hands on Durkhanai’s shoulders. “How could you have been so blind? He is our enemy.”

“He is not. You do not know him,” Durkhanai insisted, but she wasn’t so sure. Zarmina shook her head sadly.

“He has been our enemy since the moment he stepped foot into this palace,” she said. “You just cannot see. Love blinds you. In more ways than one.”

“No,” Durkhanai insisted. “Zarmina, I had come hoping to convince you from being the lady, hoping we could somehow work together to get Agha-Jaan to stop all of this. But now I see you are as determined as I am, though on the opposing side.”

“I wish it were not so,” Zarmina replied. “But yes, I am. You cannot persuade me from this. The trial must happen. It is for your own good. Only then can things be righted.”

“But why you as the lady? Royalty is always exempt from being chosen.”