Redemption of Royals (Royal #1: Book 3) | ✔

21

-• vows and veils •-

The news of their marriage took the social media by storm. Rajawats and Chauhans are coming together again, after a decade long gap, to tie the knot of the youngest successors of the royal families, people could not be more excited. It had happened once, failed, and now it's happening again.

The netizens left no time digging up the past between the families. Old photos and news articles resurfaced the internet. The failed marriage of the Jaigarh's King was back in talks.

As Taranya scrolls through the headlines flooding her google feed, she nibbles on her lower lip worriedly, wondering how her brother is coping up with the past coming so abruptly to stand in front of his eyes. She didn't expect the world to scavenge through his life looking for spicy gossips to talk about. It goes to show even status and power cannot the stop world from looking at you with scrutiny and judgement.

"Princess Taranya," she looks up at Juyi. "The wedding outfits are here."

Taranya nods and looks back down at her phone. She hasn't talked to Yuvraaj properly ever since the dinner with the Rajawats when she had exchanged rings with Shourya. The thought of him clings heavily to her chest. This mistake of hers is going to have consequences for the rest of her life and she has no power to reverse it.

She can't believe this.

She has made countless wrong decisions over the span of twenty three years of her life, yet the one time she wanted to make the right one, wrong stood before her like a wall, unavoidable, and impossible to dodge.

"Princess Taranya," Juyi repeats.

Taranya glances up.

"The dresses are here."

Taranya sighs. "I heard you the first time, Juyi. The dresses are here. Got it. You can go now."

The tone of dismissal makes Juyi fidget. She has more to say. But Princess Taranya looks uninterested in her own marriage preparations. Did she not fight her brothers so they can approve her marriage with the Prince of Rajgarh? That's what the rumours across the palace say. But the more time she spends around Princess, the less she believes those rumours. Her princess looks less and less happy as the day creeps in closer.

Tonight is her Mehendi ceremony. The entire palace is decked up with flowers and lights. Every corner is attended and lit up, a curious amalgam of the traditional and the modern. From the colors of the curtains to the styling of the flowers, everything is done keeping her taste in mind. What suits her, what she prefers, how she likes certain things to be, that's all Juyi has been hearing for the last week.

And yet here her Princess is, uninterested, agitated, and downright bored.

She hasn't even stepped out of her room to see and appreciate the way her brothers has transformed this palace into her own bridal palanquin, let alone participate in the preparations.

"What?" Taranya snaps when Juyi doesn't move.

The timid woman flinches. "The designer said Prince Shourya personally chose the outfits and jewelleries. She wanted you to try them on incase alterations are required."

Taranya clenches her jaw. "Fine, c'mon!" Throwing her phone on the bed, she gets off the bed and storms out past Juyi, who hurriedly grabs the card key from the desk and pulls the door close, rushing after her Princess so she doesn't lose her in this maze of corridors and floors.

Taranya comes to a halt at the end of the staircase. Aisles of lehengas, sarees, blouses and dupattas fill the living room. A stylish woman, wearing an indo-western fusion sits on the couch, drinking a cup of coffee and talking to another woman sitting next to her.