Dark Knight [A Wattpad Featured Story]

Chapter 15: The Paths of the Righteous (Part 1)

"Why have you sent the rest of my sons to an uncertain mission?" Suchitra looked agitated, as did Surekha. "These so called reports; they are probably the usual roving bandits. Do two royal princes from an already beleaguered line need to go?" Surekha murmured her assent at this accusatory question.

"Suchitra, Surekha! It is best if you both don't forget your place and start interceding in matters of state. Jaimal is the crown prince; he has to lead the men sometimes. And Raunak insisted on going, rightly so. I need to know where Aaryan is so I can at least control one royal mess. I want you to tell me!"

Suchitra smiled a tight, cold smile.

"I do not know where he is, but even if I did know, I would not tell you."

"You would protect a traitor?" Ratan Singh was truly hurt by his wife's words.

"He cannot be a traitor!" Suchitra almost shouted, causing Ratan Singh to start at this loss of control from his supremely restrained wife. "He is our son. How can you believe he would do something so heinous?"

Surekha softly sobbed, something angry and very hurt in the glare she gave her imposing brother-in-law.

"He is a traitor. What else can I think? You think it doesn't destroy me to know that my boy, who was my pride, did this? He must be found, don't you see?"

"He will be found, Bhai Saa, one way or the other." Suchitra and Ratan Singh both turned in shock to see Amar Singh, wearing an uncharacteristically strained look on his face, interject. They immediately felt contrite and Ratan Singh quickly spoke.

"I am sorry, Amar, I should not have spoken so. I forget sometimes that he is your son. Suchitra and I were always so attached to him we ..." he trailed off.

"Why are you sorry, Bhai Saa?" Amar Singh was stoic again, but his eyes and voice were still pained. "After all, you are not the traitor." Saying this, he hesitated, as if struggling to control himself, but in the next instant, abruptly left the room. His sobbing wife followed him. Suchitra and Ratan Singh looked at each other, sadness and remorse tinged on their noble faces.

EHSAAS NAGAR

Siya's eyes fluttered open reluctantly. It was still almost dark outside but the faintest tinges of pink fought to break through the confines of the night. Siya woke with a sense of deep contentment. This time when she noticed the dip in the mattresses next to her, she was relaxed. It was coming to be a habit, she reasoned, that she wake and find him already risen. She immediately blushed at the reminder of the familiarity of their unprecedented situation. Siya knew she should be resistant to their pattern of lying down to rest all night in this chamber instead of retiring to their own rooms, but she couldn't bring herself to find this reprehensible, knowing their new-found bond had nothing illicit about it. Siya blearily rubbed her eyes, and in the next instant a small scream escaped her as she saw the stranger who silently entered. Her peripheral vision fooled her into thinking it was Aaryan, but the man was bearded and in a traveller's home spun clothes, with his head covered in a traditional 'pagadh'. Fright gripped Siya but as he came closer and she saw his eyes, her mouth fell open.

It was Aaryan as she had originally thought. However, his disguise was effective enough to fool even her on cursory inspection, although she could never mistake those deep eyes and the way his presence filled any room he was in. There was also the telltale throbbing of her senses to his proximity, which no one else ever inspired in her. When he spoke, the last of her bewilderment was dispelled; no one else had his voice that was becoming as familiar to her as her own.

"Siya, it's only me. Don't be scared. We need to get ready quickly and leave as soon as possible. I didn't want to wake you but I am afraid we cannot wait much longer."