Vihaan stood beside Aradhya as they watched the whole palace being rearranged. Every nook and corner was changed and every detail was never as what it was before.
Vihaan had made the thoughtful decision of taking Aradhya's advice. Aradhya knew how Amar would plan attacks, how he would deceive. Being with him for that long was a benefit.
"Are you sure that he knows the layout of our palace?" Vihaan asked as he checked his things being shifted to the other room. Aradhya hummed.
"He has been to your palace many times now. He already has the sketched out map to your palace." Aradhya said.
"Wait, how do you know that?"
"He has shown it to me a couple of times. And has hinted at the thought of taking over your kingdom."
"He can try."
"Don't be too confident. He can succeed if he tries. He holds too much wit not to"
"Again, he can try. Now that I have his weakness on my side," Vihaan glanced at her, "I don't think he can win."
"He can. I can be killed easily you see. Maybe even by my mother."
"Stop saying that. You have just healed, for god's sake. He won't be attacking you again. I have to protect you."
Aradhya for once did not like the sound of his words. She felt like she was an obligation again. She sighed.
"I'll be going. And I think both of our rooms are the same now, so I guess I'll be there." Aradhya said and turned to walk away.
"Be ready by the night. We have somewhere to be."
"Really, can you not take Rihit with you. I don't want to come."
"Stop whining. Just come."
. . . .
Aradhya and Vihaan stepped out of the palace with disguises on. Cloaks and normal attire.
"Stay close," Vihaan spoke.
"Whatever. I can handle it on my own." Aradhya whispered showing off her daggers. She said and turned around but...almost ended up on the ground, but had her wrists caught by Vihaan's hand. She turned around, embarrassed.
"Well, you can handle it on your own once you stop tripping literally over the air." Vihaan rolled his eyes.
"We'll have to wait here. The gang members will be here but at what time? I didn't know."
The two were out, tracking the "Jasmine gang" as Aradhya knew. A team Amar uses to spy and steal from Ashokdhar.
The night was silent yet really beautiful. Vihaan and Aradhya stood by the compound of houses of the kingdom. Crammed in that little space, they had nothing else they could do except avoid awkward gazes and accidental touching.
The vicinity was maddening. They could hear each other's breathing. It was evident to them that both of them were not very sure of the position they were in.
Vihaan glanced at Aradhya as she gazed away from him looking at the other end of the little space. Her hair was pulled into a simple, unadorned braid. She had a shawl wrapped around her shoulder and head. Her eyes glowed as she looked at a burning fire at a distance. Her light brown complexion and her features were piercing.
It was around the first time, Vihaan noticed Aradhya that close. Noticed her every feature.
Aradhya turned to look at Vihaan to find him staring at her. A sense of intrigue in his eyes. A bit of surprise and a bit of turmoil.
She without her will, involuntarily, caught Vihaan's cedar eyes. She felt the same she had felt when he had first laid his hands on her, preventing her from burning her hands. This time, she didn't want to fight it but still wanted to fight it. She let it get to her this time.
A loud sound from behind them pulled them out of their trance. Both of them turned away from each other.
Vihaan silently ducked out of their little space. Inside a fairly well-maintained house was where four people with scrolls in their hands were found. Vihaan motioned Aradhya to follow. The two stealthily walked by and house and throwing no caution to the receivers inside, they burst in with swords and dagger ready.
Their face left colours. They dropped the sheets of information in their hand and went on their knees. It was obvious that they were indeed caught and they now were vulnerable.
"Who sent you?" Vihaan asked aiming the sword at the person's neck. Sweat formed on the man's forehead.
"We do not know what you are talking about Maharaj..." One let out.
"I don't think there's a need for confirmation. Their arms," Aradhya mentioned, addressing a brown stamp on their arm, "That is the sign of Jasmine gang."
"You," one person rose, and stared at Aradhya with hatred filled eyes, "you will regret this."
Vihaan took a step forward shielding Aradhya. The thoughts of failing to protect her ran around his mind.
"No. No, she won't. I don't want this to get bloody so, put down your weapons and surrender." Vihaan cautioned.
All the four, trying to save their undesirable reveal, lashed out. Vihaan blocked two swords at his neck while Aradhya, with her back to Vihaan, fought off two, pulling the spare sword out of Vihaan's scabbard.
"You owe, the sword" Vihaan blurted out, straining to hold his stance.
"Shut up," Aradhya said and with much ease than Vihaan, pushed two grown men off of her. As they still fought with their back to each other, neither of them saw each other's swordplay.
Though Vihaan was still unsure of letting Aradhya fight alone, he had to do his part. He constantly tried to get to Aradhya not knowing the quality of tactics and wit she had.
If he had trouble parrying Vikram's attack, he might as well know about his teacher's skills later on.
.  .  .  .
Sending a warning to Amar by sending his lackeys' severed head to him, Vihaan had marked his territory. Through Aradhya was too against the idea, Vihaan wasn't the kind to care about her opinions in any matter that showcased his strength.
"You didn't have to do that," Aradhya spoke clutching an open wound on her arm caused by one of the people who had their heads onside and the bodies on another.
"Why not. They were criminals."
"They were made criminals. They didn't ask to be what they were."
"But they still did what they were said to do. It still was them who were responsible for letting information out to our enemies."
Aradhya let out a sigh. She leaned back against the thick trunk of the tree, peeking a glance at the wound on her bicep.
"Are you okay? Getting cut and all after healing for a month. Must be a stretch, huh?" Vihaan teased.
"Jerk. Stop acting like Vikram. Okay? I know you know nothing about him but know it's serious when I take his name." Aradhya spoke which almost came out like a threat. Vihaan swerving the threatening words, walked over and sat a good few feet away from her while a few soldiers checked the house of the Jasmine gang.
"What...I know I'm in no position to ask but...what was he like? Your brother?" Vihaan asked as obvious guilt took over him. He did not like the fact that he was reminded of his killing but felt as though it were necessary for him to be reminded. To stay in check.
Aradhya squinted her eyes at Vihaan, trying to comprehend the motives behind his words. She somehow felt comfortable just for the fact that the person who killed her brother was the one wanting to know him.
"He was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. He was the only one who actually treated me like a human. He broke the rules set by our father and came to see me."
"What rules did Maharaj make?"
"No one in the royal family was allowed to have any connections to me. No one was supposed to even look at me. Tough I was a royal I was just a slave who was born to the king."
She looked at Vihaan and felt better. No one had asked her before about her whereabouts but the small gesture from the person she disliked was surprising.
"Vikram didn't treat me like a slave nor did he treat me like his elder sister. He took care of me like I was his little sister. He used to freak out whenever I got hurt. He used to protect me from the world. He used to take the blame for things I did."
"Did you two sneak out?"
"Did we? That is all we did. He used to bring me to places he had previously stumbled across. He used to sit me down in the starry nights like these," Aradhya motioned to the stars of Ashokdhar, "and we would talk and sing for hours. We would have all the fun we could in our own little world. It was all fine and it was always like that until all went downhill..."
Vihaan noticed the sorrow in her eyes. Aradhya looked up stopping her tears from falling. She breathed in sharply.
"We should probably get going. The sun will be up in a few hours, I need some sleep."
The route back home was nothing but silence. Both of them neither wanted to exchange words nor wanted to talk about what happened.
Aradhya stood before the closed doors of the palace and shot a strong look at Vihaan.
"Just because I told you about my deepest feelings does not mean you are forgiven."
Vihaan gently nodded. Not wanting to push the matter any further. He accepted his fault. He accepted her words more openly than he ever did any of her words.
Aradhya stepped into the palace and stopped while Vihaan was about to go-rounds around the kingdom again.
"And...," Aradhya looked over her shoulder at Vihaan, "just because you aren't forgiven does not mean your hearing to me meant nothing. Thank you."
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