Queenly Values (Completed)

14 As a friend

"Mmm... you are right"

"Will meet you later" he left the place.

Within a few seconds, Kiran came.

"Do you want anything?" she asked.

"No... nothing... (She paused for a few seconds) Shall I go out?"

"Why not? You can go anywhere you want?"

Khushi nodded ok and came out. She stood at the long balcony-like corridor and looked at the surroundings. The palace premises looked so lovely. A few swans were swimming in the artificial pond in which a few lotus flowers were there. A canal was running behind the palace in which a few royal girls were playing with their friends. The front side garden had full of flower plants that spread a pleasant smell on the premises. There was a SWING hanging in the big size tree that had many bunches of RED flowers in its branches. A girl was happily swinging in it and the flowers from the tree were withering on her like a flower shower. She stood forgetting herself, looking at all of them.

The evening breeze that carried the pleasant smell of flowers caressed her face soothingly. Khushi liked it very much. She could not get such an environment in present India. That reality made her feel sad.

..........

Arnav came to Zenana to meet his mother, Queen Medha. She smiled at him.

"I'm glad you remembered your mother at least now," she said.

Arnav touched her feet.

"At last now you came to the palace..." she sighed.

"How won't I have come to the palace when you are here?"

"Are you upset with me, Arnav?"

"No Mother, I can never be upset with you because I know you won't be WRONG"

Medha smiled proudly.

"I won't force you if you don't want to marry Chandrika. Please don't leave the palace"

"I'm glad if you don't force me. Of course, I left the palace not wanting to give hope to anyone. But, after leaving the capital only I got to know something serious about our kingdom"

"What's that?"

"There is a BIG issue going on at our border. It took me long to conclude about the issue. That's why I could not return back"

"What issue?"

"A person is spoiling many girls' lives to quench his lust"

"What do you mean, Arnav?" she was shocked.

"Yes, mother. Many girls killed themselves after losing themselves to him. He forcefully takes girls to his bed"

"Why didn't anyone bring this message to the king?"

"It's because the person is an important authority in our kingdom," Arnav said reading his mother's expression.

"What? Who the hell that black sheep is? How dare he ruin our kingdom's reputation...! We should not leave that leech...! He should be punished. No matter who the hell he is"

"Are you sure about your words?"

Medha looked at Arnav shockingly.

"What are you asking Arnav? Someone is spoiling girls' lives... He is forcing girls... Then he must be punished. What's there to think?"

"But he is our main authority..."

"Then, he must be more disciplined than anyone. He should be an ideal person for our country's people. But he is not. He misused his power. He ruined King's name."

"But, it happens at the border..."

"So what? Everyone is equal to the king. Protecting them is his duty. Just think how the girls would have felt...! They have even given their lives...! The ruler is your father. History will slander your father and his governance"

"What do you want me to do?"

"Go and tell your father about it. Recommend to punish the person severely... no matter who the person is..."

"What if the person is your brother?" Arnav asked and saw an extreme level of shock on his mother's face.

Arnav looked at her with a penetrating gaze. Medha understood the meaning of the GAZE.

"It can't be true..." she stammered.

"It is... Khushi is the eyewitness. People at borders are scared to even talk about the commander. Khushi saved a girl from his man. Being a foreigner she is ready to take the issue to the king on behalf of the border people"

Medha sat on the coach and cried bitterly.

"What do you want me to do NOW(he stressed), Mother?"

She looked that him painfully.

"I am not crying because my brother is at fault. I'm crying because he took birth as my brother... How could he do this?"

"I wanted to take this issue straight to the king. At the same time, being your son, I want you to understand the issue. That's why I came here. Because I want to give you my shoulder to lean on when you struggle to stand" he said the same that Khushi told him.

Medha smiled in between her tears.

"I'm glad to hear this, Arnav. Your words give me strength. It seems you have learned a lot of things recently... I can see many changes in you... Fortunately, it's all good changes. Is the foreigner reason?"

Arnav was struck. No wonder his mother caught him. This was not his style of handling things. He was a prince more than a son. His first preference was his kingdom. He never cared about anything when it came to the kingdom.

Arnav nodded yes without thinking.

"She is so brilliant. I have never seen such a skillful mind in my life. I don't know how she thinks differently"

"That's why you gave her the honor to be your friend?"

"I got the honor of being her friend, making her my friend"

"Interesting"

"Not only that, she saved me from a poisoned arrow"

"Whaaaat? Poisoned arrow?"

"Yes, if she had not been there, I might have died..."

"Thank the Lord"

"Mmm... Shall I meet Father?"

"Of course... Take server action against Hemadri. It will be a lesson to all the authorities. They should think before making any step"

Arnav nodded yes smiling with satisfaction. He was happy because he solved the issue without hurting his mother with the help of Khushi.

To be continued...