The Emperor's Journey

9. Regret

"Hmm....Dad I want to speak something to you and mom you also, why don't you come in my palace?" He asked. "Not now son, tomorrow early morning before court. Good night and ya for now, your wife can stay with you." The king replied sternly and walked away, so did the queen. He shook his head and turned to his new bride, "Come." He said. And led the way, she followed him. When in he looked at her and asked, "Now this is your home, won't you remove your veil even here?" She turned around to the soldiers there. He got the cue.

"OK...don't worry, I will recruit some Veeranganas, so you don't have to remain veiled in my palace...um...no..our home." He said and smiled. The veiled beauty couldn't make out much of the palace because her mind was occupied by his second marriage issue. She trusted him but something tugged at her heart. She knew only this much that the palace was big.....they had to walk a decent distance before reaching his chamber. But when they did, he immediately sent everyone out and ordered them to guard thoroughly. Anybody's entry was restricted.

After that, he slowly removed his wife's veil and let it fall, he was only mesmerized more after seeing her enchanting face again. He gathered her in his arms and whispered in her ear, sensing her uneasiness, "Love, what is it that is troubling my beautiful wife." She replied, "My Lord, I was thinking about what the King said." He immediately put some distance between them and stared at her, "What did dad say such that its troubling you so much?" Then realization hit him, "Wait are you talking about the marriage thing? You don't trust me?" He asked angrily.

She shook her head terrified of the upcoming misunderstanding, "No my Lord, no how can I? But..." He took her by arm and both sat on the bed, "But what?" She took a sharp breath and said with absolute calmness, "My Lord, I am a very average Brahmin girl, poor, my dreams belong to my small world. But...but....a King is not like that, he has certain responsibilities and marrying many women is a tradition. I in my small thinking have bounded you in such a difficult situation." She completed. He was dumbfound. He stared at her, not only in your silly wish but also your beauty. Now he was angry, she was right.

He for once looked at her with a general eye, and that moment he realized, she looked so young. "How old are you?" He snapped, he was very scared. She flinched at his tone and the way he was gazing her. Though the prince was not blessed with the most pleasant attitude, but for her, she had seen anything but that. "Fou....Fourteen" she stammered as his hold on her tightened.

How can he be so blinded by lust? He had went on and performed gandharva type marriage? That to with a brahmin girl? Gave her a promise of being married only to her?
And she was underage to even marry and he went to consummate it? He was in pure mess. He walked to balcony and stood there watching moon processing all his problems. He was blaming his lust, if not till then, then right there at that moment he regretted his decision. Little did he know that not only his lust but also destiny had a role to play in the happenings.

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