Shadow and Light

05

-Author-

"She has entered the library, your highness" the guard said bowing his head as he reported the minute-to-minute update about the Shadow to the king.

"Why is she there? Of all places?" the king questioned, "We have no clue your highness, she was seen sitting on the floor with a spread of books in front of her, it seemed like she was reading" the guard replied, "Ok? Anything else?" "No, your highness" the king nodded and asked the guard to leave, "report me any sort of suspicious activity from her side." the King said while the guard was at the door.

"Your highness, may I come in?" The head servant asked in her polite and delicate voice.

She was in her mid-thirties, rose to her current title by working long tedious hours, she is feared by many and everybody knows how much she adores the king.

She was as beautiful as the night, her face as bright as the moon.

Every man has fallen for her pretty face, mannered personality and her elegance. Whenever she passes hallways, every worker stops to catch a sight of her beauty, every man wants her, except the king.

All he sees her as is a member of his late wife's family.

"Yes, Meera, come in" the King said while flipping through the reports of the financial changes proposed by the committee.

The financial committee was the biggest change King Ranvijay made to his council and gave them autonomy, but the king had the power to dissolve them, so they really had limited power.

"Your Highness, I am sorry" Meera said in her sweet voice.

The King looked up with confusion written on his face closing the report he took a long stride towards her, "Why are you sorry Meera? What happened?" he asked her in a concerned voice,

"My security plans were not tight enough, and she could enter your room, I am sorry" she said looking down, "She? Are you talking about the Queen-to-be? You don't have to worry Meera; it was her mistake and she will be punished accordingly for the breakage of your rules" he told her.

A smile played at her face, "But I am really sorry" she said while walking towards his chair where a pile of clothes was kept and started picking them up, "I am telling you, don't be sorry, she has made you sad Meera, she will pay for her mistake" saying this the King left to fulfil his promise.

He was fuming with anger as he went out and that gave Meera a satisfaction deep in her heart, it told her she was still important.

"What do you think you are doing?" Ranvijay said in a stern voice to the Shadow, she looked up and stared for 2 seconds before getting back to her reading, "Stop reading and answer my questions" "You already know I am reading because you have eyes and you just told me to stop, so I really don't have anything to answer, King" she retaliated, standing up to get closer to his face, "I want to know why did you get inside my room when it was clearly prohibited" he barked,

"It wasn't a direct order from you, so I didn't care" she said, "It was the order of the head servant and her word is my word"

His mouth set in a hard line, "I don't care, I only take your orders seriously that too because I don't want you meddling with me, and why are you getting so angry? She is your girlfriend or something?" a smirk formed on her face.

Ranvijay saw red, he raised his hand in an attempt to hit her, but she stopped it right on time, "Let go off my hand" He snapped, jerking his hand out of her grip, "Think a hundred times before speaking such nonsense next time, because I won't let it pass. Meera is a respectable member of the council, she is a hard worker and she is like my family, you will not disobey her, I hope I am clear." With that he started to take his leave, "No" her hard voice made him stop in his tracks, "I wont obey her rules, I don't care who she is, what she is to you, I wont obey her, I don't obey people" her jaw clenched, her eyebrows furrowed out of annoyance "and I will say this the last time, never in your sane mind try to hit me again, because I am not going to just stop you, I will stop you for good" she closed her book and walked passed him, nudging him on the side.