Yuvaraja Ishaan Dev eyed the dancers and the wine and turned to his brother.
“What is all this?” he asked, raising one of his eyebrows. Rajputra Ravi Varman smirked.
“Well, now that you are soon going to be crowned, I think it is time we make some memories together. So I took the liberty of arranging for this evening. Just like old times.” He clapped his hands, and the musicians started playing. Yuvaraja Ishaan Dev could spot his friends. There was his best friend, Trishaan Dev. He was merely a few months younger than himself and had grown up together. And there was also the son of his father’s friend, Vamri. Vamri had also grown up alongside the princes of Suryapali and attended the same classes. His father, Vamsi, had also fought the war alongside the king and even saved him. If things went well, his father would soon be joining Yuvaraja Ishaan Dev’s ministry, while he would remain in Suryapali to fill in his father’s shoes. Yuvaraja Ishaan Dev was duly congratulated on his success, and the men proceeded to pick up the wine glasses to revel in the arrangements of the evening.
Rajkumari Priyambada tried to walk out of her chamber and was stopped by the guard in waiting.
“We apologise, but the Maharani has ordered us not to let you step out of your chamber.” She inhaled in indignation. The Maharani, who was probably the nicest of the people she had met till now, was also treating her as a captive. Rajkumari Priyambada’s jaws flexed. If the enemies expected her to let her guard down, they had underestimated her intelligence. She knew better.
“I just need some fresh air.” She managed politely. The guard silently eyed the open area attached to the edge of her window. Urvi walked up to her quickly before things escalated.
“At least let her roam this corridor.” She pleaded, “I am here with her. You can see us.” She reasoned. The guards exchanged glances and nodded reluctantly. Urvi knew Priyambada wanted to be left alone with her thoughts. She had been with the princess ever since she was brought to Neelambargarh Palace by her father. The thought of her father made her heart skip a beat. He had probably perished in the war, too. She, too, had nobody else left except for the princess. She looked up at the princess. But then, ever since she had been in Neelambargarh, she had been with the princess all day, and she barely ever saw her father. She couldn’t mourn the loss she didn’t feel.
Rajkumari Priyambada walked through the empty corridor, eyeing the gates of the exit. They were all chained and locked. She inhaled as she eyed the open side of the corridor. She was on the fourth or fifth floor. There was no way she could survive a jump from here. She eyed the guards still watching her. The maids who had been appointed for her had dispersed after dinner, leaving her and Urvi with the space to breathe. She eyed the lit-up rooms in the private wing of the palace in the distance. The sound of music suddenly grabbed her attention. It was then that she heard the men applaud. She stopped, alarmed. Never in her home had dancers entertained her father. Neelambargarh’s culture was far superior to theirs. She suddenly felt disgusted.
The night was long, and the wine made Rajputra Ravi Varman doze off in his seat. Trishaan Dev seemed fascinated with a dancing girl who was offering him a private display, while Yuvaraja Ishaan Dev kept his wine cup aside and finally relaxed his senses. He was exhausted by the turbulent war and its aftermath. He closed his eyes, a little sleepy and decided to call it a day. He got up to leave when Vamri stopped him, a little drunk on his way.
“Where do you think you are going, Yuvaraja?” He asked with a sly smile. “You can’t leave your party early.”
“It’s nearly dawn, Vamri.” Ishaan Dev managed a chuckle. “You should go home, too.”
“Oh, I won’t keep you if you are going to the Captive.” Vamri smiled as Ishaan Dev frowned a little at his words. “You have every right to enjoy your prize.”
“Oh, there is enough time for that, my friend. I am just tired.” Ishaan Dev shook his head with a chuckle.
“Someday I will go to war and get one for myself.” Vamri smiled almost as if he was thinking aloud. “That would be nice.”
“I am sure.” Ishaan Dev nodded before leaving.
Vamri Gupta had followed him through the corridor until he had lost his way. His intoxicated head felt dizzy, and his vision was blurry as he roamed the corridor from one pillar to another. Before he knew it, he had left the private wing and wandered into the other parts of the palace. The guards knew Trishaan Dev and Vamri Gupta were close aides of their heir apparent. None of them dared to stop these two from going around the premises. After all, the wrath of their prince was hard to forget. Vamri Gupta stopped in the corridor at the sight of a lady in the darkness. He eyed the drape falling loosely over her shoulder, her uncombed hair and her innocent face. He had never seen this girl. The intoxication aroused his senses as he approached the girl.
Priyambada was alarmed as she turned to find a man stumbling towards her. Her hand instinctively reached for her dagger band. Before the guards were alarmed, Vamri had caught her wrist, and he attempted to push her against a pillar as Priyambada had managed to draw out the dagger sticking out of her waistband and slash his hand with it. Urvi shrieked as the guards rushed there, and Vamri Gupta fell back in pain. In a moment, all his intoxication was gone as he looked up at his attacker; her white robe now had spots of his blood on it. She looked fierce as she stepped back with the dagger dripping blood in her hand, pointing threateningly at anyone who attempted to approach her.
“Get Yuvaraja here. I command you. She attacked me. I command you.” Vamri shouted at the guard who tried pulling him up. Urvi turned pale at the words and rushed to Rajkumari’s side as she held on to the dagger handle.
Maharani Trinayani Devi was woken up by Gulabi Bai’s calls. She frowned at the time. What could be wrong? She had managed to wrap the shawl around herself and walk down the corridor. The king was with his concubines and not to be disturbed, she had commanded. She reached the corridor where Vamri Gupta still sat with the blood spatter on the floor, and Yuvaraja Ishaan Dev looked furious. Trishaan Dev and Rajputra Ravi Dev stood eyeing the princess, who was by now chained, and Vamri, from the looks of it, was narrating that he was heading home when the princess attacked him.
Ishaan Dev was about to say something when his eyes fell on Trinayani Devi, and the others, along with him, bowed to her.
“You shouldn’t be here, Maharani. I am dealing with this.”Yuvaraja Ishaan Dev glanced over at the Neelambargarhi princess and muttered, gritting his teeth. “She just needs to be taught a lesson.”
Maharani Trinayani Devi ignored his words as she walked across to Rajkumari Priyambada, who looked away.
“What happened?” She asked the princess as Yuvaraja Ishaan Dev frowned at the interruption. Vamri Gupta looked flushed at the queen's interrogation.
“Oh. It hurts! Get me help before I bleed out and die.” He wailed.
“I asked what happened.” Maharani Trinayani Devi made Rajkumari Priyambada look up as Urvi sniffed.
“Why are you asking me?” Priyambada retorted as the men gasped at her tone. “You will believe him anyway.” A slap resounded across her cheek, and she lost her balance, but Urvi caught her. The corner of her lower lip was bleeding, and the imprints of his fingers marked her left cheek.
“How dare you talk to the Maharani like that?” Yuvaraja Ishaan Dev fumed as he was about to hold Rajkumari Priyambada up by her hair.
“Enough. Ishaan!” Maharani Trinayani Devi made him stop. “I am talking to her.” Yuvaraja Ishaan Dev exhaled as she stepped forward, and he moved away.
“Tell me what happened, Rajkumari.”
“He… he attacked me.”Rajkumari Priyambada eyed the man and managed with her trembling and swollen lip. “So I stabbed him in self-defence.”
“She is lying!” Vamri Gupta retorted as Yuvaraja Ishaan Dev looked a little taken aback. He eyed the Rajkumari’s impish appearance and Vamri Gupta’s well-built structure.
“Send him home.” Maharani Trinayani Devi clenched her jaw. “What was he doing in this wing anyway?” She asked as Yuvaraja Ishaan Dev looked puzzled. “Unchain her.”
“But…” he protested. His mother eyed him, prompting him to instruct the guards.
“Take her to the room.”Maharani Trinayani Devi ordered Urvi as Rajkumari Priyambada eyed Yuvaraja Ishaan Dev and the others one last time in aversion.
“Nobody will visit or come near this wing without my permission.” Trinayani Devi said sternly and eyed Vamri in particular as a warning, while Ishaan Dev picked up Vamri Gupta by his arm
“Did you touch her?” he asked as Vamri Gupta felt silent.
“How dare you do that to Yuvaraja's concubine?” Trishaan Dev spoke before Yuvaraja Ishaan Dev could. “Don’t you know the protocol?”
“She is not a concubine.” Maharani Trinayani Devi snapped as Trishaan Dev fell silent. “Get that into all of your little heads. And I am reinstating my private guards near her chamber, dare anyone come near her dignity!” She walked away as Yuvaraja Ishaan Dev grimaced.
“I want justice. I will take this to court.” Vamri spoke under his breath as Rajputra Ravi Dev Varman led him away.
