Yuvaraja Ishaan Dev walked into the tent and splashed water on his face and arms from the basin kept on the side. He then quickly changed his clothes and looked around. A carpet was laid down on the ground, with a single mattress to act as a bed for the night. He sighed. He then walked outside to find Priyambada sitting on the bank of the river in the darkness. He walked up behind her and stopped carefully at a distance, hearing her sobbing. His voice of authority was back.
“Go to the tent, clean up and have dinner. My men need to rest, and we have to leave at dawn.” She wiped away her tears and stood up. Without glancing at him, she moved away towards the tent.
“There is a single tent.” He spoke again. “We have to manage for the night.” His words made her stop in her tracks as her heart skipped a beat. Did he take her cordiality and cooperation as an invitation? Priyambada’s jaws tightened. Could she save herself here? Amidst his men? She checked the dagger in her waistband and left.
Rajkumari Priyambada had managed to change into a fresh set of clothes from her bundle, as the guard outside announced Ishaan Dev’s arrival. She folded the bundle back and watched the men alongside him lay down dinner on the carpet. She realised how hungry she was the moment the aroma filled the room. Priyambada watched them lay down the plates as Ishaan Dev sat down to eat.
“You… are eating here?” She asked as he completely ignored her presence in a most unroyal manner and started eating while she stood there.
“You expect me to eat with the troops under the sky?” His taunting voice was back. Priyambada silently walked up to her plate, set it up across from him, and took her first morsel. Ishaan Dev finished his meal when she was halfway through and got up and walked over to his couch. Priyambada’s guards were automatically up and alert as he moved across the tent almost nonchalantly. She had just finished her food and was about to get up when a wrapped piece of cloth landed on her lap. She looked up with questioning eyes as he walked away towards the empty part of the carpet and lay down on the floor, using his arm as a pillow. She opened the cloth and found the ring she had given to the horseman and the bangle from the Den.
“How did you…”
“ Found them on your trail.” Ishaan Dev spoke almost to himself as he turned his back on her.
Priyambada waited for the men to clear away the plates and looked around with a sigh. Her gaze fixed on the empty bed and then back at Ishaan Dev. Was he sleeping? Was it safe for her to put her guard down? She sat down on the bed, her mind and body struggling between tired and unsure. She had fallen asleep in that half-sitting position she was in, resting her head against the pillow. Her hair fell across the bedspread as she fell into a deep sleep. Ishaan Dev woke up in the middle of the night, coughing, and looked for the jug of water in the dark. The starlight made the inside of the tent barely visible as he managed to find the jug. His eyes fell on her half-situated sleeping figure as he finished quenching his thirst. A small lamp was lit on the side of her bed. He walked up to the side of the bed and stared at her uncomfortable position. It felt weird to see the sleeping Priyambada. She looked so timid. His gaze followed the strands of ebony black hair spread across the bedspread to her face, and she looked sad. Her lips quivered a little as though she were talking to someone. Priyambada was dreaming. Ishaan Dev suddenly felt conscious of himself as his stare at her sleeping figure made him realise she had a black mole on her upper lip line. He looked away and sighed. He turned to go back to his sleep when he heard her murmur in her sleep. It sounded like she was sobbing and speaking to someone.
“Please. Please. Please.” She murmured, “Spare him. He is my elder brother. Spare him.” Her words became more than just a mumble as Ishaan Dev froze. “No. No. No.” Tears streamed down her cheeks as she sat up with a jolt. Her eyes were still half closed. Ishaan Dev immediately reached her side as she placed her head on his chest and sobbed inconsolably. Her hands covered her face as she kept fumbling “They mutilated him. I pleaded. I … they didn’t listen to me. They killed Prithvi.” Ishaan Dev froze for a moment as her tears wet his attire. He didn’t know what to say. Emotions toward women were not his forte. He had seen worse than mutilated bodies. Priyambada kept sobbing. “Why? Why?” Ishaan Dev didn’t know what to do to pacify her sobs. He uncomfortably placed his hand over her head. The moment his rough hands touched her head, Priyambada regained her senses. She was seeking comfort from the very man who caused this. A sudden anger rushed through her veins. What was she thinking? She jolted immediately, pushing him away as she moved two inches away, still seated on the mattress. She looked away and wiped her tears. Her jaws tightened.
Ishaan Dev understood what she was feeling. He got up and moved away, giving her space to pacify her emotions. He understood the hatred in her eyes was very much justified. No amount of cordiality or her mother's harshness could change that. She held him responsible for everything. He walked out of the tent towards the burning campfire. Priyambada watched him leave as she sat numb and sleepless.
Ishaan Dev yawned as they approached the borders. Priyambada eyed him. He hadn’t walked back into the tent the entire night, as she sat awake. She felt tired and restless. Worse, she was still unsure how she would be treated once they reached Siyori. A captive who ran away was mostly beheaded. Not that she was scared of death, but she knew it would cause further damage to her people. Naive as she was to think of herself and trust her mother above her people. Priyambada felt she had failed her father.
“Subjects over everything else, Priyambada.” He used to say.
Maharani Trinayani Devi’s hug set all her fears to rest. For the first time, she appreciated the queen’s motherly gesture fully. She sobbed in her arms as Ishaan Dev walked past them into the inner palace. It was only after they had rested that Ishaan Dev was called into the chambers of his father. The queen paced the room as Trikal Dev sat leaning on a couch on the bed.
“I have something to discuss with you.” The king spoke as he bowed.
“As you know, the law of the land says any captive who tries to escape should be tried in court, in front of all the ministers, and the ministers judge whether they should be punished.” Ishaan Dev eyed his mother’s grim face at his father’s words.
“Most of them are executed.” Trinayani Devi added, almost like a reminder.
“Yes, but the ministers are well aware of the political influence this girl holds. Especially with the rebels.” The king shrugged, “I can’t change the law or make exceptions.”
“She didn’t escape.” Ishaan Dev watched his parents exchange a glance at his words.
“Pardon?” Trinayani Devi frowned as though she had heard wrong.
“She didn’t escape. She went to find her mother. She was going to come back.” Ishaan Dev looked up at his father.
“What? Are you sure?” The king asked as he nodded.
“Mother said she is not a captive. So her going anywhere shouldn’t be held against her.” Ishaan Dev turned to his mother, who nodded in agreement.
“Okay, so be it. I was thinking you would want her tried.” The king spoke almost intentionally to Ishaan Dev, who looked away. He bowed and took their leave in silence.
“He looked tired. Is he unwell?” The king frowned “I didn’t expect him to…”
“Something has changed.” Trinayani Devi looked hopeful. “They haven’t tried to kill each other in two days.” Her words met the King’s amused smile.
“I was thinking… of keeping the Fire sacrifice.” She smiled.
“THE Fire sacrifice?” Trikal Dev raised his bushy eyebrows in surprise. “He will never agree. Conducting the Fire sacrifice means accepting her fully as a wife. And why will she…” Trinayani Devi smiled at her husband. “Leave all that to me.”
Priyambada had no face to refuse the queen. She needed to stay and survive in the palace, and she had no other place to go. Moreover, the queen was particularly good with her. What harm could sitting in a Fire sacrifice beside him be? The Queen had conveyed the message to Suryapali that upon their arrival, the Fire sacrifice would take place.
Rajkumari Mandakini read the message twice over aloud as Nayantara looked excited.
“I will inform Gulabi Bai.” She gushed.
Rani Ratnawati waited for her to leave before she spoke.
“You think he accepted her as a wife? The enemy’s daughter?” She spoke almost in rebuke.
“I have no idea. But something must have happened. Otherwise, the queen…” Mandakini stopped. She had to follow orders. But it would be a hard pill for her to swallow. She also wanted an heir for Ishaan Dev. The heir that would seal his lineage. But never in her wildest dreams had she expected the blood of Neelambargarh in the heir of Suryapali. But she loved her nephew enough to accept the difficult truth. Rani Ratnawati’s mind raced. This was trouble. For her. And for Ravi Varman. Ishaan Dev alone could be dealt with. But a lineage? An heir or two? That would push Ravi Varman’s chances back further away from the throne. Something needed to be done.
