Dawn

Adhiraja Ishaan Dev was at the Lord’s feet in the temple shrine through the night as Neelambargarh prayed for their queen. Maharani Priyambada had fainted in the arena and has been attended to by the medicine men since then. It was Vrinda who rushed out of the inner palace towards the temple in urgency, looking for the Adhiraja to hold her breath and declare, “The Maharani is awake and looking for you. The heir is unharmed.” Adhiraja Ishaan Dev said a soft prayer of gratitude, wiped his eyes discreetly and followed Vrinda into the palace in urgency.

Maharani Priyambada clutched the pillow to her chest as she let out a wail. What had she done? She killed her mother. Would the gods forgive her for such a sin? Her mother! She looked at her now clean hands and beat her forehead with them, almost like a mad woman, making Urvi intervene.

“What are you doing, Maharani? You will hurt yourself.”

“What did I do, Urvi? Did you see that? That is not me. That is not…” She hid her face in the pillow and cried. Urvi wiped her tears and stood up as she heard the Adhiraja approach.

“Leave us alone.” He commanded as the maids and nurses flocked out of the chambers. Priyambada looked up at him as he rushed to hug her, and she sobbed again.

“Oh, what have I done! I didn’t ever mean to kill her.”

“I know. But she meant to kill you.” Ishaan Dev placed his hand on her head and reminded her gently as Priyambada looked up at his face, still horrified. “And if you don’t kill who harms you, you will be killed. That is the law of war.”

“She was my mother!’ Priyambada shook her head and cried again as Ishaan Dev held her. “I know Priya. I understand.”

“And yet, I feel sorry for myself for having experienced this rather than being sad at her demise,” Priyambada confessed as though her voice was distant. “She was my mother, yet all I feel is sorry for myself, worried for my sin, my image and my state.”

“You are now a true queen.” Ishaan Dev reminded her. “It is never wrong to think of yourself first.”

“But what about my child? If I am so self-centred, do I deserve to be a mother? What if I end up like…”

“You will be nothing like your mother, Priya.” Ishaan Dev spoke firmly. “I wanted to let you know, while you were unconscious, I took the liberty of allowing Priyam Dev to do the last rites at the banks of Maya. He was escorted by the guards and would be locked up again, at dawn, hopefully for the rest of his life.” Priyambada nodded, wiping away her tears.

“We couldn’t do Father or Prithvi’s last rites.” Her eyes filled with tears again. “Oh, is Prithvi hating me right now? And father?”

“No, Priya. They are not. They were kings and princes. They know the price of the throne. If Prithvi were on the throne today and Priyam rebelled against him, he would have gotten Priyam executed. That is how it is. I am sorry you have to learn it this way.” Something in Ishaan Dev’s voice calmed Priyambada as she gasped for breath, tired of crying, as she clutched onto his clothes for dear life. Ishaan Dev tried to pacify her by patting her gently, and when she was calm enough, he ordered Urvi to bring food and water. Priyambada reluctantly let him feed her as the image of her mother’s blood-soaked body suddenly reappeared in her mind’s eyes, making her feel nauseated. Ishaan Dev stayed awake by her side all night, refusing the constant help Vrinda and Urvi offered as she vomited in disgust, slept tired and cried awake from nightmares.

Ishaan Dev didn’t know when he had fallen asleep beside her when her movement alerted him. When Ishaan Dev opened his eyes, he found the first rays of dawn lit up Priyambada’s pale face as she sat up on the bed, looking out at the sky turning a shade brighter. At least she wasn’t crying. Ishaan Dev noticed her rubbing her hand over her womb absentmindedly as he smiled faintly, placing his hand over hers. Priyambada jolted a little as he sat up beside her and placed her head silently on his shoulder.

“Will we be able to keep the child safe?” Her question made him frown.

“Of course, we will.”

“What if he rebels against you for the throne? Will you kill him then?” Adhiraja Ishaan Dev stared at his wife, a little taken aback by her question. “Of course, you will.”

“Or we will give him the throne and retire to Siyori for the rest of our lives. Like you once told me, your grandfather did.” Ishaan Dev tightened his grip on her hand, reassuringly trying to smile faintly. Priyambada shook her head.

“And what will you do there? Farm animals?”

“Why not? I am good with horses, ask Vidyut!” Ishaan Dev hoped to make her smile. Instead, Priyambada sighed. “A king is nothing without a throne.” She said firmly. “Grandmother always said so… but then father used to argue that it is the people who make a king, not the throne or the crown.” Ishaan Dev sat up and cleared his throat.

“I will agree with your father on that one. A true king is always a king wherever he goes.”

“I thought about something.” Her words made Ishaan Dev stare at her intently as she looked up at him, “About what you said about Prithvi…”

“I apologise.” Ishaan Dev shook his head. “I didn’t know how to calm you…”

“You were right.” Priyambada made him stop. “He would have done so. Once, when we were playing in the garden, Priyam took his dagger and ran. That dagger was given by Father on Prithvi’s declaration as heir. He was so mad he threatened to hurt Priyam with it.” Priyambada shook her head. “Kumar Viraj had intervened.” For the first time, Ishaan Dev observed Priyambada open up about her otherwise “perfect” brother’s flaws. He was a bit taken aback because Priyambada, subconsciously through her words and stories, had painted in his mind the picture of a perfect prince.

“Brothers fight like that.” Ishaan Dev shook his head. “Whatever I had, Ravi always wanted the same one. If he got the same one, he always thought mine was better.” He smiled a little at memories of his childhood, which he had long forgotten in the turmoil of kingship. Memories of Trishaan Dev, Ravi Varman and himself being a unit, stronger than everyone around them, once upon a time. The bond of the boys often made Rajadhiraja Trikal Dev say that they would be invincible when Ishaan becomes king, Ravi Varman his prime minister and Trishaan Dev his advisor. He wasn’t sure anymore.

“I have something to tell you.” Priyambada interrupted his chain of thoughts as he nodded.

“I also have something to ask, about General Unmukt saying…” Ishaan Dev was unsure if the scars were too raw to discuss, but he wanted to know.

‘I was going to talk about that only. I met him in the prison cell.”

“Alone?’ Ishaan Dev gasped. “That is not safe for you, Priya.”

“Devdoot was with me.” She reassured him as she continued. “He said the person he met for aid wasn’t Trishaan Dev. Or at least him alone.”

“Who else was it then?” Ishaan Dev sat up with a frown.

“Rajputra Ravi Varman.” Priyambada studied Ishaan Dev’s face as soon as she uttered the name. She perhaps anticipated surprise, but Ishaan Dev showed none. Instead, he smiled, shook his head and sighed.

“I expected that of him. It is Trishaan’s actions that hurt me more. But what can we say? You were right, Priya. Kingship knows no kinship.” He looked up at her. “I am all alone in the place I call home and among the people I call family. I can trust nobody and…” Priyambada made him stop by putting her cold hand over his lips.

“The place you call home is here, and your family is us.” She placed his hand over her womb. “And we are here with you.”

“You are.” Ishaan Dev agreed and appeared to be thinking.

“What is the next course of action?” Priyambada seemed to read his mind.

“I will inform Father of this treason. He will do the needful with the bastard.”

Trishaan Dev held the letter with the broken seal of Neelambargarh over the burning lamp and watched it turn to ashes with a smile. He had read the contents of the letter, from Ishaan Dev to the Rajadhiraja, accusing Ravi Varman and him of treason against the crown prince of Suryapali and an attempt at assassination on his wife, for which he mentioned there was proof. He heard footsteps outside his chamber and was quick enough to sweep the ashes under the rug before Rajkumari Mandakini Devi appeared before him at his threshold.

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RAABTA

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