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“You betrayed us.” That was all he said before he swung his sword. Sumedha closed her eyes in fear. The maids shouted. Ishaan Dev stood in utter disbelief as Priyambada’s hand bled on the edge of his sword as she stopped the blade with her bare hands. Blood ran down her hand and dripped on the carpet through her elbow. His sword was red. Priyambada didn’t wince. Instead, she placed herself between him and Sumedha, making the Rani look up at her figure.
“Jyestha!”
“ Are you insane?” Ishaan Dev roared. “You could have gotten killed.”
“She doesn’t deserve to die.” Priyambada’s voice was firm: “She did nothing wrong.”
“Please. Please don’t kill me. Please. I am with child.” Ishaan Dev and Priyambada suddenly froze at her word.
“Whose child is it?” It was Priyambada who spoke up, holding her bleeding hand as she knelt over Sumedha. “Speak up.”
“Oh, must be the devil. Only devil’s children are born out of incest.” Ishaan Dev rebuked. “And deserve to be killed!”
“It can also be yours.” Priyambada snapped as he suddenly looked awkward.
“I don’t know.” Sumedha sobbed, “I don’t know. Please don’t kill me.”
Priyambada picked her up as Kausani appeared back with Urvi.
“My Lady.” Urvi gasped at the blood as Priyambada held a sobbing Sumedha. “Call the medicine lady. We need to know since when she has been with the child.” Urvi nodded as Kausani looked scared.
“But you should get …” Urvi stopped at her stare.
“Just go, now.” She ordered as she turned to Ishaan Dev, who now looked concerned at her hand.
“Whoever this child’s father is, he is the blood of Suryapali.” Priyambada spoke firmly, “I hope you remember that before trying to take her life.” Her words made Ishaan drop his sword as he turned and left the chamber.
The medicine woman was called in discreetly to make sure the news didn’t reach outside the palace walls. Such scandals, though not rare, were often used by enemies. Neelambargarh was on the brink of war now. Anything against the new royals could help instigate a civil rebellion. Urvi sat, doing Priyambada’s bandage as Kausani appeared at her doorstep.
“What is it?” Urvi asked as Kausani looked shaken.
“The medicine lady is here.” She said, “She is asking for an audience with the Maharani.” Priyambada looked up and nodded.
“I… didn’t know…” Kausani fumbled as Priyambada stood up.
“Spare it.” It was Urvi who spoke as Kausani stepped away and Priyambada walked towards Sumedha’s room. Trinayani Devi was already there while Ishaan Dev stopped pacing in the corridor at the sight of Priyambada. Respecting the tradition of Neelambargarh, the medicine woman waited for the queen. She entered the room, followed by Urvi, ignoring Ishaan Dev hovering near the door, a little agitated. He wished with all his heart that the child wasn’t his. It would make Sumedha create a permanent distance from Priyambada over his impulsive mistake.
“It has been about six weeks.” The medicine woman spoke. She didn’t know who the lady she was seeing was, but assumed it was someone from the royal household. Priyambada nodded, a sudden sense of relief reflecting on her face.
“Urvi, pay her.” Urvi led the woman away as Sumedha sobbed.
“I know I have sinned.” She looked scared first at Priyambada, then at Trinayani Devi. “Please don’t kill me.”
“Your child has not sinned. He or she might have just spared your life.” Priyambada looked up at Trinayani Devi’s words. “But the ultimate decision lies with the royals of Neelambargarh.”
Priyambada sighed at her words as Sumedha looked up at her with hope. She had saved her once. Would she not, again? Priyambada walked out of the room to find Ishaan Dev loitering in the corridor. She eyed Mallal. Ishaan Dev dismissed him as he walked away to stand in a corner.
“Six weeks, or so the lady says.” Priyambada looked up at his face. Ishaan Dev sighed in relief. That meant the child wasn’t his. But that meant it was born out of incest. “According to the law of the state, her fate should be decided…” Ishaan Dev shook his head. “It is your choice. You have the last say,” he walked away before Priyambada could speak again.
Trinayani Devi stopped supervising her packed trunks as Priyambada walked into her chambers.
“You are leaving, already?” She frowned. Trinayani Devi smiled. “Suryapali needs its Maharani, now that Neelambargarh has its own back.”
“But… I needed to talk to you about something.” Trinayani Devi dismissed the maids.
“Go on.” She spoke, making Priyambada sit beside her on the bed.
“I was contemplating.” Priyambada cleared her throat. “If we let Sumedha go, and Ravi Varman is informed, will he and Suryapali accept her?” Trinayani Devi smiled.
“You have a heart of gold, my dear. But Ishaan?” Priyambada shook her head,
“I will talk to him after finding out from you.”
“The child is Ravi’s. He has to take responsibility. The authority can make him. And although it is forbidden by law as a sin, with a child involved, the laws make exceptions.” Trinayani Devi spoke. Priyambada stood up.
“Then I will make arrangements for you to take her with you.” Trinayani Devi nodded.
“Believe me, Your Highness.” Vamsi Gupta folded his hands. “I am innocent.”
“How do I believe you when all the evidence says otherwise?” Ishaan Dev rebuked. His voice boomed in the map room.
“Someone gave me that letter.” Vamsi nodded. “I don’t know who…”
“Ever since you arrived here on Father’s recommendation, you have been dead against the Maharani. I kept quiet. You kept the accounts wrong, and I kept quiet. You tried to accuse her, but I kept quiet. There is a limit. You could have had an innocent woman killed because you don’t like her.” Ishaan Dev thumped his fist on the table. It shook. Vamsi Gupta fell to his knees.
“Mercy, please, my King.” He folded his hands “I had no intention to… believe me.”
“You are dismissed from your duties with immediate effect. Pack and leave. Now.” Vamsi Gupta looked up at his words, a little shocked.
“But your father…”
“This is my land, Vamsi Gupta. And nobody framing my wife for treason will be allowed to live in it. I spared your life because you are my father’s friend. Leave.” Adhiraja Ishaan Dev walked away as Vamsi Gupta sat frozen on his knees.
Adhiraja Ishaan Dev stopped at the sight of Maharani Priyambada in the inner courtyard. Her hair was loose over her shoulders, her draped skirt brushed the stone kerb running through the lawn, and her drape fell loosely over one shoulder, exposing a part of her drape wrapped around her upper body. She looked disturbed. Adhiraja Ishaan Dev gulped. He needed to mend a lot of bridges, and the sooner he started, the better. He walked away towards the kitchen area.
Maharani Priyambada sat down as her head felt light. The blood loss had made her weak, and added to that, the stress and lack of food for a week or so. She breathed in. She didn’t know if she did the right thing by letting Rani Sumedha go to Suryapali. She was doubtful of how the law would treat her there. But as much as she had observed Ravi Varman and her, she hoped that he stood by her at least this time. She frowned as blood seemed to seep out of her bandage. She needed to redo it. Then, at dawn, she needed to speak to Ishaan Dev and convince him to let Sumedha go. After all, she was his wife. Suddenly, Priyambada was concerned. What if he tried to kill her, not out of rage but simply because he was hurt and betrayed? Did he feel for her? She suddenly remembered his relieved face when she mentioned the child couldn’t be his. Priyambada shook her head, trying to focus her thoughts elsewhere. In all of this, they had forgotten about someone passing on information to Aswar. Who was it?
Maharani Priyambada was alerted by the sounds of his footsteps, and she stiffened. Although her position needed her to speak to him about Rani Sumedha, any kind of conversation beyond that was out of the question. No matter what she did and how long she stayed, he would always be suspicious of her. How could they co-rule a state that way? Ishaan Dev approached her as she stood up.
“I brought you some balm.” He held out the bowl as she eyed it silently. “I wanted you to know…”
“I decided something about Sumedha.” He looked up at her words. Priyambada was still looking away; she appeared strong, her jaws tight.
“Can we talk about that later?” He asked with a sigh.
“No, she needs your permission to leave for Suryapali with the Maharani at dawn. You need to grant her that and let her go. She is your wife.” Maharani Priyambada stopped. The leaves rustling were the only sound in the silent night. She continued due to his lack of response. “Rani Sumedha didn’t know right from wrong. If anyone let her believe it was right, it would be your brother. He let her believe that they could get away with this. He was too scared to stand up for her, and you were too vain to understand her. She became a pawn in a game she didn’t understand to boost your ego. If anyone is the victim here, it's her; she loved him and trusted him. Blindly.” Ishaan Dev’s eyes sparkled at her last words. Priyambada inhaled so that her face didn’t give away the ache in her heart. “I have been there. I know how it feels to be alienated from your own. To be tossed around like some goods. Sumedha doesn’t deserve it. Her child doesn’t deserve it. He or she is a full royal, the blood of Suryapali.” Ishaan Dev couldn’t help but admire how she advocated for Sumedha; she was probably in trouble herself.
“You don’t need to speak for her. I will let her go.” Ishaan Dev stepped forward as Priyambada stepped back, making him stop.
“How do you not feel any grudge towards her after what you went through?”
Priyambada smiled faintly as she looked up at his face.
“She didn’t cause me any trouble. My pedigree did.” His face fell at her words, as he looked away towards the dimly lit quarters. Priyambada suddenly felt her palm wet with blood. She winced. Ishaan Dev eyed her. Before she could protest, he held her wrist with his left hand and began to undo the wet bandage with his right hand.
“Don’t.” Her protest was firm, but he didn’t bother as he proceeded to reveal the deep cut of the blade. The wintry breeze on it made Priyambada feel pained as he applied the balm with his fingers.
“Something could have happened to you there. What if the blade wound you fatally? How could I forgive myself?” His voice was hoarse as she observed his face. He blew air over the balm gently, lowering his lips to it. Priyambada’s arms erupted in goosebumps as she shuddered and pulled away, making him look up.
“My wounds aren’t bigger than an innocent life.” She turned to leave.
“I dismissed Vamsi Gupta. You were right. I don’t know what he did, but he is in some way involved.” Priyambada stopped at Ishaan Dev’s words with a frown.
“But we need a finance minister.” She spoke in an almost worried tone.
“I have sent for Kumar Viraj. Niranjan Verma would take over finance, and Kumar Viraj would take care of defence.” Priyambada glanced over her shoulder, a little surprised. “It is time to eliminate the rivalry between clans, once and for all.” Ishaan Dev smiled faintly as Priyambada lowered her gaze in contemplation before she walked away.
