A String Of Pearls

The Chariot Ride

"Have you no dignity?!" Bhanumati screamed, as she was lifted off her feet and up on the chariot by Yuvraj Duryodhan. She was ignored.

She could have attempted to jump off but she didn't because she knew that she would only be picked up and put into the chariot again. She could have attempted to slow them down by wasting more time but... she was going to be marrying some random unknown King or Prince anyway. So was there any point really?

And it was entirely possible that even though the other Kings and Princes might come to fight and win her, they wouldn't marry her because she had been alone with and 'touched' by another man.

This way at least they would get a good alliance. But still, that didn't meant she would stop protesting. She was practical, not happy!

"Get us out of here, fast!" The Yuvraj told his charioteer and then he ... and the Angaraj both climbed up behind her?! Where was the Angaraj's chariot?!

The charioteer complied and they raced out of there. Bhanumati turned on Yuvraj Duryodhan.

"Aren't you man enough to accept it when a princess directly rejects you?" She asked him coldly, while the King of Anga stood with his bow at the ready.

"But did you really want to reject me?" he asked, before turning to their sarathi, "If that is your fastest speed man, then please allow me to take the reins."

Bhanumati was left sputtering.

The King of Anga turned to briefly frown at his friend. "There are three of us on a chariot meant for two, Duryodhan. He's going the fastest he safely can. Don't mind him, my friend." He added the last part to the sarathi.

Apparently the charioteer was used to such casual addresses from his lords and proceeded to completely ignore them. Bhanumati still didn't understand why the Angaraj was on this chariot instead of his own, but she chose to put it out of her mind.

"Yuvraj," she said, "Do you think a woman does not know her own mind when she rejects someone?"

"You stepped up to me though." Duryodhan countered. "You came close as if you were going to garland me and then you suddenly whispered that you weren't going to garland me because I wasn't enticing enough. Clearly you were challenging me to prove that I truly wanted to marry you before you did so."

Bhanumati was left gaping. Where was he getting all this nonsense from? Apparently the King of Anga seemed to agree with her because he gave a light swat to the back of the Yuvraj's head.

When the Yuvraj looked at him offended, he exclaimed, "Are you actually serious?! She turned you down. She. Turned. You. Down. Without insulting your birth," He muttered the last part under his breath and what did that mean?

Right at that moment, a thundering of hooves was heard and they saw that the other Kings and Princes had finally gotten past The King of Anga's barricade and were now racing after them. The King of Anga took aim raising his bow and suddenly Bhanumati's heart clammed up in panic as she saw Bhrata Shrutayudha at the lead of the chasing warriors.

"Please don't hurt them!" She exclaimed loudly. "My brother is there!"

Karna shot her a sideways glance before releasing an arrow. Bhanumati watched with her heart in her throat as the arrow flew into the air and multiplied into hundreds and then the barrage of arrows showered upon the incoming warriors.

The arrows knocked the weapons from their hands or meddled with the mechanism of the wheels of the chariots and made some of them go off-kilter but not a single arrow hit the warriors themselves.

"Do you want us to drop you?" The Yuvraj asked and Bhanumati turned to stare at him.

"Drop me?"

"Your brother is here." Yuvraj Duryodhan stared at her intensely. "If you truly do not wish to marry me right now, say so and we'll drop you here and you can go to your brother."