Kitana can't believe her inner thoughts. This is just absurd.

The princess of Edenia was wandering through the royal garden, at this point it was part of her routine to clear her mind due to all her duties of leading the empress army, but this time it was different. Her mind was distracted by thoughts of you, invading her every moment of peace. As an Umgadi, you were always near, a loyal protector and confidante, but there was something more—something she couldn’t quite admit to herself.

"I'm not like Mileena. I’m not… like that." She reminded herself, trying to cling to what she thought was normalcy. They had always been suitable matches, alliances forged through duty rather than desire. But with you, there was something undeniably real, something that reached her very core. She couldn’t deny the warmth that spread through her chest whenever you smiled at her, the way her heart quickened when your eyes met, it was a feeling she had never experienced with any man.

Her thoughts trailed off as she heard footsteps approaching from behind.