The Captive Princess

12//~a permanent cure~

Unfinalized (10/12/23)

I scanned the foliage for one certain plant.

It had to be here, in this forest, and close by too because I had recognized the species of wasps that built their nests near the forest's edge—this particular species of wasps commonly built their nest near the Datura plant.

If I could extract their honey, that would be the best-case scenario since their honey was primarily made from the nectar of a Datura flower and if eaten regularly, it would slowly fail the respiratory system and cause the person who eats it to start hallucinating and go mad before a slow, painful death.

 But wasps did not store honey the same way bees did and I did not have the time. I had no intention of continuing this trip. I planned on going right back home after I had gotten my revenge.

So a quick, painful death would have to do.

The soil was soft beneath my feet and I had to be careful not to accidentally step on anything as I looked around. The pinecones around the forest had not opened up even at this time of the year so it was likely going to rain throughout the way to Jaipur.

Not my problem, I thought. 

I let out a small happy squeal as I found a bush of the white flowers I had been searching for. I extracted the seeds and collected them in a small section of my dupatta. Once I had about fifteen, I secured them with a tight knot in my silk dupatta and made my way back to the camp.

"Where were you?" Saraswati questioned.

"I just- I had-"

"Forget it. I have to give you work," she said. "So um...Just grind the dry fruits for the kheer,"

"Kheer?" I asked and then my stomach grumbled as I remembered I had not eaten anything in almost twenty-four hours.

"Yes, just for Yuvraj. So finish that fast and then-"

"Yes, yes," I said quickly seizing the opportunity. I could eat in peace once I heard the news of Abhishrap dying a tragic death. Perhaps, I would celebrate with un-poisoned kheer every year on this very day.

I grabbed the mortar and pestle from where Saraswati pointed and grabbed a handful of dry fruits. I opened the small knot I had made in my dupatta and mixed in the Datura seeds with the dry fruits.

Datura had many beneficial healing properties but if directly consumed, especially in such a high dose death was guaranteed unless the antidote was administered in time. However, I was not too worried about that.

It would take too long for Abhishrap's little puppets to find out which poison I had used and even longer to find the antidote.

The stone pestle felt heavy in my hand and the constant grinding motion left my shoulder sore but I persevered anyway, already dreaming about my life back home.

I will avenge your deaths, Father and Brothers, I promised.

~-~-~

As Shaurya and I sat down for lunch, we talked about the routes and a war strategy.

Then the conversation shifted back to Nandini.

Again.

I could have sworn that it was not me who kept bringing her up but the conversation went something like this:

"I think we should use the guerrilla tactic. The Mughal soldiers have no experience in it," he said taking a spoonful of the kheer. I usually loved Kheer but this one was loaded with Pistachios and I could not stand them.

So as I ate everything else, the bowl of kheer was left untouched on my plate.

"No, the grounds are too big. It won't work. They will not realize we are coming until a maximum of two days in advance so if we block their trade routes and siege, that will force them out within a week. Jaipur does not have tanks," I replied.

He nodded considering my suggestion.

"We will have to move fast then. If we give them an even shorter time to prepare, the citizens will not suffer as much," he added.

"You are correct and then we also have to figure out a way to make Nandini move faster while keeping her mouth shut," I added. 

Shaurya looked at me curiously, his eyebrows knitted together. I took this as an invitation to tell Nandini's little escape story from this morning. I told him the story in vivid detail, adding narration about all the times Nandini accentuated her incompetence.

"You talk about her quite a lot for someone who claims to hate her," he said with a knowing smile.

A smile I hated because I did not know what he knew.

"Shaurya, have you lost your mind? Do you not understand how stupid she is?" I asked.

His smile was wiped off his face suddenly as he clutched his throat. He got up, stumbling and knocking over furniture, and then fell to his knees.

"Are you okay?" I asked rubbing his back.

I signaled for the guards to go call for help. We had not brought along a doctor and that was the biggest oversight on my part. I had never needed a healer before since the helpers knew simple remedies and the maids often tended to the wounded soldiers.

It would not do this time, I needed someone with more knowledge of internal illnesses like this.

He did not respond at all and that made me worried.

He fell backward and stopped moving.

My heart skipped a beat as I checked his pulse and I relaxed for a brief second after I found a pulse, a low one but a pulse nevertheless.

I rushed outside of the tent to interrogate the maids who had cooked the food. Something had to be in that food. Maybe they accidentally added something that caused Shaurya an allergic reaction. The sooner we found out, the more likely we'd be able to save him.

A/N: Next Chapter: Friday @ [7:00 PM IST]/[8:30 AM EST]

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