Aradhya's feet gave out. She saw Aagneya being brought in with huge shackles strung around his defeated body. A dozen of other military chiefs came in again but nothing caught Aradhya's eyes except the white veil draped over a corpse on the bier. She dropped to the ground imaging the worse or to say imagining what actually was.
Her heart all but dropped as a gentle puff of wind pushed the veil off and revealed the pale face of Vikram from whose lips, a single stream of blood had dried up. Her floodgates opened as her breath caught up in her throat. The air grew heavier around her as her whole body shivered. She could not comprehend what was happening though she knew exactly what was happening.
She took shaken steps towards where everyone was standing. Aagneya with his head down, the ministers and the royal family mourning the death of their favourite prince. Chaya was nowhere to be found and Aradhya wondered if her womb felt any sorrow towards her son or not.
Aadrika tried holding Aradhya back but could not stop her strong-willed steps. Aadrika held Abhik in her arms tightly, very insecure by the scene before her.
Aradhya plopped down beside the dead carcass of Vikram' body and not a single word was she able to speak. She took Vikram's hand in hers and pressed it against her forehead as her tears moistened the pale yellow Haldi sari of hers.
In a moment, her desperate and sorrow filled cry brought tears to every soul in that room. The enemy soldiers too were on the verge of crying.
"Vikram..." A shallow voice left her mouth besides her screeching cries. Something changed in her at that moment. Something she never thought of having. Vengeance and hatred stirred within her. Aradhya lost her humble, quiet side with the tears she spent on the person that meant the most to her. The person whose dreams meant more than anything the whole kingdom had.
Though with revenge in her heart, Aradhya's eyes still wouldn't stop tearing. Her wails wouldn't calm down. Her head couldn't accept the fact that her brother, Vikram, was truly no more. Aagneya sat down beside Aradhya and laid a hand on her back which to her was the most fatherly he could become. To that, the sorrow in her turned again to a level that actually made people in the court cry.
"Aradhya..." Aagneya uttered with a choked voice, "don't let them see your weakness."
That was the first lesson she ever learnt from her father. That was what her mother always used to say as Bhairavi portrayed it. Aradhya's sobs calmed down and she hesitantly let go of Vikram's hand wishing him the place in heaven he deserved.
She stood up and wiped her tears. She drew in a sharp breath and closed her eyes for a minute.
The moment she opened her eyes, she let go of who she was before. She now had to be cunning and wise. She had to be strong. She remembered what Vikram had taught her years ago.
"You don't know how strong you are until being strong is the only thing you can do."
With that, Aradhya changed. Unlike any other.
.  .  .  .
The wails and sobs erupting out of the courtroom reached Vihaan's ears as he walked down the hall. The sound of it made him shudder. He never had thought that an enemies cries would make him weak when their swords couldn't.
That grief-filled voice brought back wild memories of his father's death. Aradhya's cry was what seemed so very close to how Rajmata Bhadra had wailed over Vihaan's father's corpse.
As Vihaan thought about the scene at the back of his head, the wails stopped. They became completely silent. He entered the courtroom and the aura hit him in the face, of sorrow, grief and hatred altogether. Every eye in the court was glaring at him.
Out of all the people, a woman dressed in place haldi sari and her eyes swollen with a red nose caught his attention. Her eyes were the only ones that tamed fire within them. Her murky brown eyes were nowhere near comforting as they should be.
Vihaan too flushed all his feelings out. He was the king that defeated the kingdom that had taken his father away from him. That was all he was right then. That was what he wanted to be.
He pulled his stoic mask up and walked in with steps filled with morale. He saw the woman's face red with fury as he walked past her as Aradhya held in her urge to plunge a dagger into his heart. As Vihaan passed her, a man who seemed to be in his forties, dressed in yellow and orange with a shaven head with a small patch of hair at the back of his head followed behind. He was clearly a brahmin but he who also showed every bit of discipline and morale, he seemed like a teacher, Vihaan's guru for that matter.
Vihaan walked straight up to the throne and sat triumphantly over it looking down at Aagneya. Chitrabhanu looked at Vihaan with pride and a bit of disappointment. He knew Vihaan just needed a reason to avenge Panchasheel's death and the attack on the villages were just fuel.
"This was the throne you stole from my father, isn't it?" Vihaan questioned while running his hand along with the throne's armrest.
"You stole our kingdom and made it yours and when asked for a piece of land to rule, you threw at us a village and look now, Aagneya. That village has been increased a hundred times over your kingdom." Chitrabhanu said gesturing at Vihaan. Aagneya stared at his feet unable to answer and Aradhya still, glared at Vihaan. Before even anyone could react or think, Vihaan bellowed.
"Now on, Shiladhika falls under my reign. Every member of the former royal family will serve as slaves under us."
Something clicked within Aradhya. She walked out of the side and stood in front of the king, the centre of the courtroom.
"Just to make it clear, Maharaj Vihaan, the king of this kingdom isn't dead yet and we do not accept slavery, not me of all."
"Oh, do you want me to kill your king too?" Vihaan said as a hush fell over the crowd. Aradhya scoffed disappointment in her eyes as she looked at Guru Chitrabhanu.
"This is who you've made the king, Acharya. A heartless, pathetic thing. Now, I really doubt your decision and your wit. I thought my father was the worst and yet he was a really good ruler, but I don't think your student understands what being a king means."
Chitrabhanu was taken aback by the way Aradhya spoke. It was the greatest of times when someone spoke about him in that way before Vihaan. More than surprised he was impressed.
Vihaan shot up from his throne and glared at Aradhya who didn't flinch at his glare. The whole royal family of Shiladhika was utterly surprised at Aradhya's boldness before people. It seemed as though she left that part, that kind, shy part of herself with Vikram's corpse.
"Now, a mere peasant will talk about Acharya? How many risks is your kingdom willing to take, Maharaj Aagneya?"
Aradhya scoffed at that. A peasant. A mere peasant. Not that she felt anything different. Not something that she's not been called by her stepmother and sister.
"Pathetic, really. I believed so much that the guru of Ashokdhar was way too witty and wise, but I don't see any of your qualities in your student. Why is that? Did you fail so miserable in training your disciple in morals and excelled so well in teaching him about bloodshed?" Aradhya kept on speaking not noticing Vihaan coming down the stairs hungrily.
Chitrabhanu knew that Vihaan was indeed a short-tempered king. He would do things that would make people question his morals while he was angry.
Vihaan grabbed Aradhya by her arm that silenced her as well as the court. He stared at her right in the eye.
"Don't dare say another word to Acharya."
Aradhya stared back at him, dead in the eye and smirked. "Why? Afraid?"
"This just makes me question your upbringing. Of course, a peasant would talk like this before a king and that is why you're a maid."
"Don't worry, the person who was supposed to raise me, abandoned me the moment I took my first breath. And I don't feel any less than a maid here too."
Vihaan was shocked now. More surprised and confused than angry. Just as Vihaan opened his mouth to talk back at Aradhya, a soldier came at the court door, knocking.
"Maharaj, everything has been prepared for the Rajkumar's funeral."
Vihaan noticed the speck of spark in Aradhya's eyes, die. He saw sorrow overcome her strong form. Her arms in his hand relaxed as he heard what was told. She slumped almost.
Vihaan let go of her hand, still mad at her careless words towards his teacher.
"Maharaj and his firstborn are requested to come as soon as possible," the soldier addressed and left the scene.
Vihaan backed away and found Chitrabhanu by his side, dismay evident in his eyes. Vihaan didn't know how to apologise or didn't want to apologise.
"Aradhya..." Aagneya called softly as he turned to head out. Vihaan's eyes turned to the woman she argued with seconds ago, she shot the king a sad look.
"We need to go," Aagneya said and Aradhya drew in a deep breath. Vihaan stared at her with a confused look. Why would a peasant go with the king?
Aradhya shot him one last glare and followed her father behind.
"She is not a maid or a peasant, Vihaan. The firstborn of Aagneya. The Rajkumari of Shiladhika." Guru Chitrabhanu uttered as the court started to empty.
Vihaan's breath caught up in his throat. He looked over at his Guru who looked at him with a defeated expression and followed the others out of the room.
"Shouldn't have spoken if you didn't know." Rihit patted Vihaan on his back. He noticed the change in his mood. The sudden disturbance in his emotions.
"What did she mean the person who was to raise her, abandoned her?" Vihaan questioned in almost a curious tone. Rihit clapped his back again.
"Why do you think she feels like a maid when Aagneya wouldn't treat her as his firstborn," Rihit said, "come, we do need to honour the prince."
.  .  .  .
Vihaan had his eyes on Aradhya, a sudden feeling of sympathy springing up in his heart.
Aradhya collapsed down by the flames. The flames, fueled by the wood on the prince's corpse. Her eyes looked miserable. Her tears, not taking a moment to stop, or her sniffles. Her hair was completely shuffled.
Vihaan felt like he was watching the scene of his father's massacre again.
The whole amphitheatre was filled with her misery. Her misery seemed heavier than that of the misery that he felt by the prince's mother who cried at the end of the hall. Her pale daughter with minimal tears in her eyes. He wondered why it was so.
.  .  .  .
Vihaan and Chitrabhanu talked furiously at a corner of the room while Rihit leaned on a door frame listening to their bickering.
"I cannot marry her, Acharya!"Â Vihaan exclaimed.
"You should think about your kingdom as of now. It is beneficial to marry for leverage in politics." Acharya tried hiding his real intentions. He was utterly impressed by Aradhya.
"But why do we need leverage? We already are the most powerful kingdom in the whole of Bharath."
Chitrabhanu sighed this time.
"Fine, think about that princess at least."
"What?"
"Do you not feel guilty at all? Do you not feel like you've snatched her of her only support on the palace?"
"But why her? Why not the other princess? She has been abandoned and probably does not know the kingdom. Doesn't know kingship."
"I think you've had your fair share of experience underestimating her. Besides, I feel like what you said implies to the other princess. She reeks of cunningness."
"But I don't need another queen, Acharya. I have Sadhana. She's enough."
"But, I want you to pull this princess out of her misery."
Vihaan sighed, knowing he would never win against his Guru. He ran his hand on his face and drew in a deep breath.
A sudden thought hit his head. Amar was the one marrying the princess. Though no one knew what his motives are, Vihaan and Rihit knew exactly what he wanted. Rihit caught Vihaan's eyes and nodded. He already mentioned his approval.
"She's just a pawn."
Amar's words summed up. Vihaan knew Aradhya was bad. He knew she wasn't the best. But the sympathy that fueled his heart by now. The sympathy that she was abandoned. That sympathy got the best of him.
"Fine. I agree to marry the firstborn of Maharaj Aagneya."
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Hey, I hope you all are healthy and fine.
If you liked this part, kindly drop a vote and share your opinion in the comments. It would mean a lot to me to hear your thoughts.
(And should I add some images in the beginning of the chapter? Just to make it a bit colorful at least?)
And I hope you all stay safe in this pandemic situation. Be safe y'all.
Until next time.
With love.
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