Princess of the dawn

Chapter 19

Amer - Jodha's chambers

Suddenly Jodha felt an urgent need to take the ring out of its hiding place!

"What happens with me?" she thought.

At first she ignored the feeling. But it became more and more urgent! She couldn't explain it and she began to get restless.

Moti noticed and asked: "Jodha, what about you? Everything fine with you?"

"I don't know, Moti. I feel very weak."

On no account she didn't want to tell Moti about the ring and the sudden need to get it out of its hiding place.

"Have you eaten anything today, Jodha?" Moti asked worried?

"Mhh, some fruit this morning" replied Jodha.

"Oh, I'll go quickly to the kitchen and get you something to eat. You have to take more care of yourself!" scolded Moti and set off.

No sooner had she left the room than Jodha hurried to the chest where the box with the ring was hidden. She hastily opened the box and took out the ring. The need to put on the ring on became overwhelming. Without thinking, she put him on. Immediately she calmed down. The ring felt strangely warm on her finger. It seemed like the ring was trying to notify something to her. She was confused. She couldn't place the feelings. She tried to find an answer to what happened. But before she could think about it any further, she heard Moti coming and quickly pulled the ring off again and stowed it in its box and in the chest. Not a second too early! Moti entered.

"Here Jodha, I brought you some kheer. And I was able to convince the kitchen maids to give me a couple of Jalebis. You like them so much."

"Mhh, thank you Moti. The kheer is wonderful. I'm feeling much better." She said after eating the keer. „I was probably just a little hungry. Come on, let's eat the Jalebis."

After they had eaten the sweets, Moti returned the bowls to the kitchen. Jodha sat thoughtfully on her bed. She thought of the strange feeling that had come over her. She went to the chest and fetched the box with the ring again and took it out. Again she put him on. It felt perfectly normal. Confused, Jodha looked at the ring on her finger. Where did the urgent need to put the ring on come from? Could the ring actually weave an invisible bond? Had she wronged the young ruler by wanting to give back the ring? Did he though feel the same bond as she did? She just couldn't figure it out. She glanced at the ring again. "Do you want to tell me something?" she muttered to herself and sighed in frustration.

Delhi

Din Panah - By the stables

After Fadhil had exchanged his soldier clothes for simple ones and fetched the pigeons with Abdul, they went to the stables. Abdul was allowed to take a horse out of the stables at any time. He chose a horse and brought it to Fadhil, who was waiting in front of the stables. He watched as Fadhil had safely fasten the box with the pigeons and reminded him again to hand everything over only to Moti Bai. Then they said goodbye and Fadhil trotted to Bada Darwaza gate and made his way out of the fort.

Adham Khan had just come back from a ride, and happen to be at the stables. He watched Abdul come out of the stable with a horse. He thought nothing of it and was about to turn to leave when he looked out of the corner of his eye that Abdul was bringing the horse to a simply dressed man who was waiting in front of the stable. His curiosity was aroused and he watched the scene attentively. The young man fastened a box to the horse and Abdul spoke to him. Unfortunately he was too far away to understand what was being said. Shortly afterwards the man rode off. "Why did the little toad give a stranger a horse from the royal stables?" Adham wondered. There was surely something behind it. He decided to tell his mother about it. He hurried away.

Maham Anga's chambers

Breathless he reached his mother. "Ammi jaan, ammi jaan!"

"Adham, what's wrong? asked Maham Anga in amazement.

"I was just watching Abdul by the stables give a man a horse out of the stables. He was simply dressed and had a box with him" Adham said breathlessly.

"Abdul gave a horse to an unknown common man? How did he come to give a horse from the royal stables to a stranger?" exclaimed Maham angrily. "Did you see where the man went?"

"No, I came to you immediately."

"Hmmm, try to find out in which direction the man rode."

"Ji, ammi jaan". Adham ran from the room. He ran to the Bada Darwaza gate and asked the guards which way the plainly dressed man with the dark brown horse had ridden.

"Huzoor, he rode southwest. He seemed to be in a great hurry."

"Southwest ..." Adham muttered. He couldn't figure it out. He slowly went back to his mother.

"Ammi jaan, he rode southwest and seemed to be in a great hurry. What did Abdul do?"

"I don't know, but I'll find out," Maham replied grimly. "Something is going on. And I bet Jalal is behind it."

"Jalal?" asked Adham incredulous.

"Yes, Jalal! Abdul doesn't just go into the stable, get a horse and give it to a stranger! The two stick together all the time. He's up to something. He's hiding something" she said grimly lost in thought. The rides with the Rajputs came to her mind. Amer was to the south-west. Had he sent a messenger to Amer? But why? And why hadn't he taken an official messenger and asked Abdul to fetch a horse? What was he up to? She knew what crazy ideas the lad sometimes had and his self-confident demeanor over the past few days made her very thoughtful.

"Resham!" Maham Anga snapped at her loyal eunuch. „Bring Abdul to me!"

"Ji, huzoor!" He hurried away.

A short time later he came back with Abdul. Maham Anga put on a fake smile.

"Salam Aleikum Maham Anga, you called for me?" said Abdul politely and bowed his head. He knew that Maham Anga didn't like him and was on his guard. He wasn't fooled by her sweet smile.

"Wa Alaikum salam! Abdul, you were seen by the stables, giving a horse to a stranger. How did you come to give a stranger a horse from the royal stables?" She asked sharply. The sweet smile had left her face.

"Oh, that was an assignment from Jalal. He asked me to bring something to the mahouts of his elephants." answered Abdul in a calm, firm voice.

"Then why did the messenger ride in a completely different direction?" She asked more sharply.

"I do not know that." He shrugged his shouldes. „Jalal just gave me the order, to give the man a horse." Abdul was careful. He was surprised that she thought it important to ask him about the horse.

"Are you sure you haven't sent the man elsewhere?" She tried to corner him. Her eyes pierced Abdul.

"Yes!" Said Abdul steadfastly and returned her gaze.

"You can go!" She growled. She had learned what she wanted. Jalal had given the order. She wasn't going to get any more out of Abdul. He wasn't going to betray Jalal. But where had the stranger ridden?

After Abdul left, he wondered why Maham Anga had asked about the horse. He had noticed her lurking gaze and couldn't figure it out. Everyone knew that Jalal was everything to her. Why did she questioned him? The next time he went to Jalal, he would tell him. It would be some time before he could tell Jalal about the conversation.

To be continued...