In the dead of night, when the town lay silent except for the distant cries of birds, Imnal rose without having slept a wink. He quietly retrieved some black clothing, covered his face with a dark scarf, and wore soft leather shoes that would make no sound on the ground. He did not take even a single weapon.
Instead of opening the house door normally, he leapt like a monkey onto the outer wall, despite it being over sixty feet tall. Before leaving, he prepared a small bundle containing his belongings and left the bed in a position resembling a person lying down to avoid suspicion. He left his horse tied at the gate, knowing he would need it later that night.
After landing from the wall, he mounted his horse and rode silently toward the royal palace. He had already decided in his heart that he would go halfway through the journey before returning. Moving swiftly, Imnal skirted the back of the palace, hiding among thick shadows and dense trees. He carefully observed the walls and guards, plotting a route inside without being seen.
After some time, a clever plan formed in his mind. He climbed a tree, pulled down branches, and arranged them into a human-like shape, which he placed atop his horse. The horse ran past the guards, who, seeing what they thought was a man, chased after it. Taking advantage of the confusion, Imnal slipped from the shadows.
As he approached the palace wall, he leapt like a bird to grasp the top. The surface was slippery, nearly causing him to fall, but he recovered and swung himself over. Peering inside, he realized the courtyard was very deep; a fall could have been fatal. At that moment, he heard the guards returning, having chased his horse, and his heart pounded—he had to move quickly to avoid detection.
Imnal continued along the wall until he saw a small pool inside. He leapt in, disappearing beneath the water just as twelve guards were approaching. Surprised, the commander ordered his men to search the pool. Imnal took advantage of the chaos: he subdued a guard, donned his uniform, and swapped clothes with him, blending in seamlessly since all the guards wore identical outfits.
When the commander and his men emerged from the water, they found no trace of him. Imnal slipped quietly into another section of the palace. He navigated rooftops and corridors, careful to avoid detection, ducking behind walls and windows as guards patrolled.
Eventually, he spotted a room with an open door and a lit lamp. Two palace attendants were inside, sitting silently with eyes wide open. Imnal stealthily entered, closing the door behind him. The attendants, startled, extinguished the lamp. One whispered, amazed at how he had bypassed all the palace’s internal and external defenses. Imnal simply replied that he did not have time for questions and asked them to guide him to Princess Mulaifa.
Reluctantly, the attendants drew a map for him on dried parchment, showing the princess’s location. Imnal thanked them, promising a reward once his love with Mulaifa was fulfilled. Before they could react further, Imnal leapt onto the roof and continued running across the palace. Arrows whizzed past him, but his speed kept him safe.
At a bathhouse pool, he finally saw Princess Mulaifa standing across from him, gazing into a mirror. Confident there were no guards nearby, he leapt into the pool. She mirrored his jump, following him, and led him through a series of small pools inside the palace. Two attendants pursued them briefly, attempting to block their path, but Mulaifa ignored them, her face stern and unreadable.
Finally, once safely inside her private chamber, Mulaifa struck Imnal lightly, then hugged him tightly, crying:
“Why must you risk your life to come see me tonight? Are we to be separated forever? You could have been killed, and I almost… I almost killed myself in worry.”
Imnal shivered at her words, his love for her swelling further. He embraced her in return, saying:
“Do not worry. When I learned of the danger you were in because of my punishment, my heart could not rest. I could do nothing until I came to you—my greatest desire is to see you with my own eyes. Even if a thousand arrows fell upon me, I would still reach you.”
Mulaifa, overjoyed, held him close:
“Truly, you will be my lifelong companion.”
Suddenly, King Maharaz knocked at the door, startling both Imnal and the attendants. Mulaifa pressed Imnal’s hand into a golden cup, a hidden magical vessel, before instructing the attendants to open the door. Maharaz entered, visibly angry, inspecting every corner. Mulaifa, however, calmly reassured him:
“No outsider has entered my chamber.”
Maharaz smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder:
“I have never been deceived, yet today I see that love between you and Imnal is real. That is why I suspected the intrusion at the palace. My soldiers have been sent to the commander’s palace. The judgment will fall on him, not on you, Mulaifa.”
Mulaifa’s heart raced, but she calmly replied:
“I assure you, Imnal is safely in the house.”
Her eyes fell on the golden cup, which Maharaz examined curiously. When he learned she had acquired it from Shamrun city, he became intrigued. Mulaifa later cast a secret spell on the cup, shattering it into dust. Only then did she rest on her bed, her heart finally calm.
Imnal, meanwhile, found himself back in his room, overhearing a heated conversation between Hibru and the palace guards at the door. Hibru explained to Imnal that he had been awake all night, monitoring the house for any disturbances. Realizing his father’s concern, Imnal bowed his head in apology:
“Father, forgive me. This was not done in disobedience, but my heart compelled me. Without Mulaifa, neither of us can truly live.”
In the dead of night, when the town lay silent except for the distant cries of birds, Imnal rose without having slept a wink. He quietly retrieved some black clothing, covered his face with a dark scarf, and wore soft leather shoes that would make no sound on the ground. He did not take even a single weapon.
Instead of opening the house door normally, he leapt like a monkey onto the outer wall, despite it being over sixty feet tall. Before leaving, he prepared a small bundle containing his belongings and left the bed in a position resembling a person lying down to avoid suspicion. He left his horse tied at the gate, knowing he would need it later that night.
After landing from the wall, he mounted his horse and rode silently toward the royal palace. He had already decided in his heart that he would go halfway through the journey before returning. Moving swiftly, Imnal skirted the back of the palace, hiding among thick shadows and dense trees. He carefully observed the walls and guards, plotting a route inside without being seen.
After some time, a clever plan formed in his mind. He climbed a tree, pulled down branches, and arranged them into a human-like shape, which he placed atop his horse. The horse ran past the guards, who, seeing what they thought was a man, chased after it. Taking advantage of the confusion, Imnal slipped from the shadows.
As he approached the palace wall, he leapt like a bird to grasp the top. The surface was slippery, nearly causing him to fall, but he recovered and swung himself over. Peering inside, he realized the courtyard was very deep; a fall could have been fatal. At that moment, he heard the guards returning, having chased his horse, and his heart pounded—he had to move quickly to avoid detection.
Imnal continued along the wall until he saw a small pool inside. He leapt in, disappearing beneath the water just as twelve guards were approaching. Surprised, the commander ordered his men to search the pool. Imnal took advantage of the chaos: he subdued a guard, donned his uniform, and swapped clothes with him, blending in seamlessly since all the guards wore identical outfits.
When the commander and his men emerged from the water, they found no trace of him. Imnal slipped quietly into another section of the palace. He navigated rooftops and corridors, careful to avoid detection, ducking behind walls and windows as guards patrolled.
Eventually, he spotted a room with an open door and a lit lamp. Two palace attendants were inside, sitting silently with eyes wide open. Imnal stealthily entered, closing the door behind him. The attendants, startled, extinguished the lamp. One whispered, amazed at how he had bypassed all the palace’s internal and external defenses. Imnal simply replied that he did not have time for questions and asked them to guide him to Princess Mulaifa.
Reluctantly, the attendants drew a map for him on dried parchment, showing the princess’s location. Imnal thanked them, promising a reward once his love with Mulaifa was fulfilled. Before they could react further, Imnal leapt onto the roof and continued running across the palace. Arrows whizzed past him, but his speed kept him safe.
At a bathhouse pool, he finally saw Princess Mulaifa standing across from him, gazing into a mirror. Confident there were no guards nearby, he leapt into the pool. She mirrored his jump, following him, and led him through a series of small pools inside the palace. Two attendants pursued them briefly, attempting to block their path, but Mulaifa ignored them, her face stern and unreadable.
Finally, once safely inside her private chamber, Mulaifa struck Imnal lightly, then hugged him tightly, crying:
“Why must you risk your life to come see me tonight? Are we to be separated forever? You could have been killed, and I almost… I almost killed myself in worry.”
Imnal shivered at her words, his love for her swelling further. He embraced her in return, saying:
“Do not worry. When I learned of the danger you were in because of my punishment, my heart could not rest. I could do nothing until I came to you—my greatest desire is to see you with my own eyes. Even if a thousand arrows fell upon me, I would still reach you.”
Mulaifa, overjoyed, held him close:
“Truly, you will be my lifelong companion.”
Suddenly, King Maharaz knocked at the door, startling both Imnal and the attendants. Mulaifa pressed Imnal’s hand into a golden cup, a hidden magical vessel, before instructing the attendants to open the door. Maharaz entered, visibly angry, inspecting every corner. Mulaifa, however, calmly reassured him:
“No outsider has entered my chamber.”
Maharaz smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder:
“I have never been deceived, yet today I see that love between you and Imnal is real. That is why I suspected the intrusion at the palace. My soldiers have been sent to the commander’s palace. The judgment will fall on him, not on you, Mulaifa.”
Mulaifa’s heart raced, but she calmly replied:
“I assure you, Imnal is safely in the house.”
Her eyes fell on the golden cup, which Maharaz examined curiously. When he learned she had acquired it from Shamrun city, he became intrigued. Mulaifa later cast a secret spell on the cup, shattering it into dust. Only then did she rest on her bed, her heart finally calm.
Imnal, meanwhile, found himself back in his room, overhearing a heated conversation between Hibru and the palace guards at the door. Hibru explained to Imnal that he had been awake all night, monitoring the house for any disturbances. Realizing his father’s concern, Imnal bowed his head in apology:
“Father, forgive me. This was not done in disobedience, but my heart compelled me. Without Mulaifa, neither of us can truly live.”