The river was their secret.

Nestled beneath the shade of the tall, ancient trees, the water flowed gently, as if it understood the weight of the promises made there. Sunlight filtered through the dense leaves, casting dappled shadows on the soft grass, creating a place that was hidden from the world—just like their love.

VikramAaditya had always known that there was something special about the riverbank. From the first day he had stumbled upon it as a boy, with the sun beating down on his back and the scent of wildflowers in the air, he felt drawn to it. It had become his sanctuary, his place of peace, long before he ever met her. And then she had arrived—quiet, mysterious, and unearthly in her grace. She had turned his sanctuary into something much more.

Avantika.

Even now, her name whispered in his thoughts like the breeze that danced along the river. He could almost see her, the way she had been when they first met—barefoot, her silk skirts billowing around her, a soft smile playing on her lips as she looked at him with eyes that spoke of secrets. Her voice had been soft then, a mere echo of the confident woman she would become, but even as children, they had understood each other in a way words could not explain.

For years, their meetings had been innocent. They had been nothing more than two children escaping the pressures of their royal lives—Vikramaaditya, the second prince of Ujjain, and Avantika, the hidden princess of Madan. No one knew of her existence, not even the people of her own empire. She was a secret, known only to her family and a select few. And to him.

He had never questioned her secrecy. It was a part of who she was, a part of what made her so different from anyone he had ever known. She was free in a way that he was not—free from the eyes of the court, free from the expectations that weighed on his shoulders. She had been the one person who saw him not as a prince, but as Aaditya. That was what she called him, and only her. To the world, he was Vikramaaditya, a name heavy with history and responsibility. But to her, he was Aaditya—the boy who laughed too loud, who dreamed too big, and who loved her in ways he could never fully explain.

But love was not simple. It never was.

Not when you were a prince, and she was a princess hidden from the world. Not when duty pulled at you from every side, demanding that you become something more—something greater.

He still remembered the day he had left her, five years ago.

It had been at the same riverbank, beneath the same trees, with the same sunlight filtering through the leaves. But everything had felt different that day. The air had been heavy, thick with the weight of their unspoken words. He had known that he had to leave, that he had to go to the ashram with his brother to learn the ways of kingship. It was his duty—his responsibility to his people, to his kingdom.

But leaving her... it had felt like tearing out a piece of his soul.

"I'll come back," he had promised, his voice barely a whisper as he cupped her face in his hands. Her skin had been warm beneath his fingers, her eyes bright with unshed tears. "After five years, when my training is done, I'll return to you. I swear it."

She had nodded, her lips trembling as she fought to hold back her emotions. "And I'll wait for you, Aaditya. I won't see you until then. I won't let anything distract you from becoming the king you're meant to be. But when you come back—when you come back, we'll meet here. At this place. Just you and me."

He had kissed her then, softly, gently, as if trying to memorize the feel of her lips before they were torn apart by time and duty. It had been a kiss filled with all the love, all the longing, all the promises they had yet to make. And then he had walked away, leaving her standing by the river, her figure a blur in the distance as he turned his back on her.

Five years.

Five long years had passed since that day, and not a moment had gone by when he hadn't thought of her. Through the grueling lessons, the endless hours of training, the weight of his father's expectations pressing down on him—she had been there, in his thoughts, in his heart. Her voice had whispered to him in the quiet moments, her laughter had echoed in the back of his mind when things grew too hard, and the memory of her touch had kept him grounded when everything else seemed to slip away.

But now... now the five years were over.

Now, it was time.

He stood at the edge of the riverbank, his heart pounding in his chest as he looked out at the water. The sun was setting, casting a warm golden glow over the landscape, and the air was filled with the sweet scent of jasmine. It was exactly as he remembered it, exactly as it had been the day he left her.

But where was she?

He had expected her to be here, waiting for him as she had promised. He had imagined her standing beneath the trees, her hair flowing in the breeze, her eyes lighting up when she saw him. But the riverbank was empty.

A knot of worry twisted in his stomach. Had something happened? Had she changed her mind? Was she even still the same woman he had left behind?

He took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions swirling inside him. He had waited five years for this moment—he could wait a little longer.

"Aaditya."

Her voice was like a melody, soft and sweet, yet filled with an intensity that sent shivers down his spine. He turned, his breath catching in his throat as he saw her standing at the edge of the trees, her figure illuminated by the fading light of the sun.

She hadn't changed—not in the ways that mattered. She was still as beautiful as ever, her dark hair cascading down her back, her eyes as bright and full of life as they had been five years ago. But there was something different about her now—something stronger, more resolute.

"Avantika," he breathed, his voice barely audible as he took a step toward her.

She smiled, that same soft smile that had always made his heart skip a beat, and closed the distance between them. "I thought you might have forgotten about me," she teased, her tone light, but her eyes searching his.

"Never," he whispered, reaching out to take her hand. Her skin was warm, just as he remembered, and the feel of her touch sent a jolt of electricity through him. "I could never forget you."

For a moment, they stood there in silence, their hands intertwined as they looked at each other, neither of them daring to speak. There was so much to say, so much to ask, but words seemed inadequate. All that mattered was that they were here—together again, just as they had promised.

But promises were fragile things, and time had a way of testing them.

"I heard about the alliance," Avantika said softly, her voice barely a whisper as she looked away, her gaze fixed on the water.

Vikramaditya's heart sank. He had known this would come up—had known that the rumors would reach her. The alliance. The marriage proposal from the neighboring empire, meant to strengthen the ties between their kingdoms. It had been his father's idea, a political move to ensure peace and stability.

But how could he think of marrying someone else when his heart belonged to Avantika?

"I didn't agree to it," he said quickly, his grip tightening on her hand. "I never would."

She looked back at him, her eyes filled with a mixture of relief and uncertainty. "But can you refuse? Can you really choose me over your kingdom?"

His chest tightened as he searched for the right words. He wanted to say yes—to promise her that nothing would come between them, that he would fight for their love no matter the cost. But he couldn't lie to her. Not when the weight of his duty hung over him like a shadow.

"I don't know," he admitted, his voice thick with emotion. "I don't know what the future holds, Avantika. But I know one thing—I love you. And I will fight for us, for as long as I can."

Her eyes softened, and she stepped closer, her free hand resting gently on his cheek. "Then that's enough for me," she whispered.

But as they stood there, wrapped in each other's arms, the weight of the world pressing down on them, both of them knew that love alone might not be enough.

Not in the world they lived in.

Not with the responsibilities that awaited them.

And as the sun finally dipped below the horizon, casting the river in darkness, they both realized that this was just the beginning of their trials.

Because love was never simple.

And their story was far from over.