The Ballad Of Nirvana

Chapter 33

Chapter 33

"Tell me, sentinel, did you find my son and daughter?" He crossed his legs with a swagger playing with the ring on his little finger.

"Yes, your highness." He simply nodded his head sternly.

"Great, you may leave now." The king motioned him to leave while he opened a large file of orphanage records.

"My lord," The sentinel dared to speak.

"Yes, Senapati?" He asked not to look up and a crease appeared on his forehead."My... my son." Senapati stammered.

The king looked up, "What?"

"My son, my lord." The sentinel enunciated again a knot was tightening in his chest as his heart drilled its way through his chest.

"Oh, your wife gave birth to a son, beautiful! You can collect the bonus from Maan." He said as he went back.

"No, My lord, my son, my son that you..." He couldn't complete the sentence as sadness took over him at his son's plight.

"Oh, yes, yes, I sent the lad home. Didn't your wife tell you already?" The king suddenly leaned back and smiled.

"He was a lively lad, I'll tell you. We are all going to miss him, Senapati." The king puckered his lips in a mocking sad expression. "Maybe as a father, you will miss him the most."

"My lord? I am afraid I do not understand." The Senapati lowered his eyebrows confused at the king's choice of words. But to his dismay, the king got up from his seat and walked toward him with deft swagger.

He laid a hand upon his armour-clad shoulder and said, "My deepest condolences, Senapati, your son suffered a major accident, we tried our best to save him. I even called the best healers from Bhadra but to no avail. As a father, I feel very deeply sorry for you, Senapati." He sighed and walked away.

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"Bilvani, are you married? Do you love someone?" An old lady asked as they walked back to the cottage tents from the waterfall after collecting water.

"Uh... no Amma, I am not married, but yes I do have someone in my mind." She said, picking up the old woman's pot of water.

"Oh dear, don't bother, I can do it myself." The old woman cackled.

"Oh, I am sure you can Amma, let me do this small favour, you are providing shelter and food to me after all. This is puny compared to what you are doing for me." She grunted and smiled.

"You are kind, my dear. But who is this man you have in mind?" She asked curiously.

"Oh...the Prince of Bhadra. Agni Tamas." She said, smiling bashfully, but the old woman stopped dead in her tracks.

"Bilvani, what are you saying? The Prince of Bhadra? But he is a most wanted convict now. The King has placed a reward of a million gold coins on his son's head, but the kid is a brave one, even after what he had endured at such a young age, tough and strong, yet kind and patient." Something inside Bilvani sank deep into her abdomen.

"What are you saying? What would he do that for?" She asked.

"Oh dear, did you not know this? The rumour has it that the Prince has been charged with treason for bringing the Heir of Nirvana into the realm. But the real reasons are of course unknown. But why do you ask that?" She said in a disappointed tone.

"Oh, never mind me. I am just a curious soul." Bilvani justified. Heir of Nirvana. Agni. Bhadra. Bilvani needed her kingdom, she had to win it to herself.