Maheen had waited for long by the lake. She firmly believed that Dev would surly come, he couldn't be upset with her about nothing, but few minutes of waiting turned to an hour and an hour into two.
As the moon rose higher in the sky and the darkness grew darker Maheen decided to give up on her optimism and return back.
She walked back to the palace, the grounds now quieter as most of the residents had gone to bed.
Maheen noticed that she had spent a lot of time by the lake today as the patrol had changed for the night too. She let out a tired yawn and cracked her bones, walking her lazy feet to her room.
She entered her bedroom to find her brother sitting in her balcony, watching the dark start sky.
"Has the king nothing better to do than star gaze ?" She said playfully breaking Abeer's light of thoughts.
"As much pride I take in the safety of our kingdom let alone the palace ground, I do not appreciate you being out so late with no company at all." Abeer said sternly to his sister.
Maheen walked towards him and wrapped herself around her brother's tall frame, her cheeks resting on his broad chest. She took in the comforting scent of her brother and let out a sigh.
"What's wrong ?" He said holding her shoulder and pushing her away from her to look at her in the eye.
"Nothing. Nothing really. I just-I miss you." She said. "I liked it when Baba had to work and you and I had all the time in our hand to enjoy and have fun."
"Oh Maheen." Abeer said pulling his sister again in an embrace and let out a throaty laugh. "You could try taking Baba on your adventures now, I mean he isn't as fun as I am but I'm sure he isn't a total bore." Abeer said smiling down at his sister.
"I think I will." Maheen laughed.
"Coming back to the previous topic, I don't appreciate you wandering around at this hour." Abeer said. "Go wherever you must under the sun but -."
"Okay bhai okay. You know I'm not a child anymore right ?"
"You are still a child, you are my responsibility Maheen." Abeer said making Maheen sit on the patio chair kept in her balcony.
"Yeh yeh." She said pulling him down beside her into the next chair.
"Also.. I .. I don't like Aditya's brother, Dev is it ?" He said looking at Maheen closely. "I've seen you talk to him, and I understand you are friends but I don't find him fit to be your friend even. You should -."
"Bhai you think I'm a child, I'm not one. I know what's good for me and what isn't. I'm capable to take my own decisions let alone make friends."
"Maheen I'm just wor-."
"How we'll do you know Dev ? Seen him a couple of times maybe ? I have spoken to him and he seems decent enough to be friends with, you don't have to tell me what I should be doing and what I shouldn't."
"Maheen aap batameeze kar rahi hai." (Maheen you are misbehaving.)
"Sach bolna batameeze kab se hone lagi ? If Dev is so bad why don't you stay away from his brother too, the so called emperor of Awadh Aditya Raj Suryavanshi, why would he be any different from Dev."
"Maheen you are blowing things out of proportion here in just asking you to-."
"Don't ask me for anything bhai. Please. You have taken Baba's place don't become like him because I for sure am not like Maa to let people walk all over me." Maheen spat regretting the words the instant they left her lips.
"Maheen." Abeer bellowed, his hand raised to deliver a blow across his sister's face.
"I didn't I -."
"Enough." He said silencing her, a shiver passed down her spine looking at her furious brother. She knew she had crossed a line she wasn't meant to, speaking of their father's wrong doings were never appreciated by their mother but speaking ill of their mother in front of Abeer was the worst thing she could do, she had called her mother weak while she knew there was no lady stronger than Meera.
"Bhai please I'm sorry." She said taking a step towards Abeer, she placed her hand on his. "I didn't mean t-."
Abeer took her hand from under hers, he looked at her with rage, his eyes had turned bloodshot, Maheen knew that one more word and a dam of wrath would break.
Abeer walked past Maheen, shutting the door of her room with a loud bang .
•••
The loud clank and a thud later the king of Kathmandu lay on the sand filled pit on his back.
"One time Aditya, just once let me win for gods sake." He said getting up gracefully from the floor.
"Khairat mai mili hui cheezo ki wasf nahi hoti." (You don't value things you get for free.)
"Fine, Prithvi you duel with him next, you'll be better than me for sure." Srijan said.
"I'd love to whoop him as well but I'm late for my meeting with Abeer Ali. If we both come to agree on the terms of the treaty today it's going to be an alliance strengthening both our lands."
"I don't think he will object to it. For one it will help him establish his rule firmly over his land and two his sister is getting married to me." Prithvi said. "I don't think he'd want to spoil terms with -."
"You are getting married to Mrunal not me, he isn't obligated me in any way and if you try to use your finance as leverage for a deal I'm going to have to hit you hard to knock some sense into you I'm afraid my friend." Aditya said narrowing his eyes at Prithvi.
"I'm not using Mrunal as any leverage, I like her very much. I'm just saying since he are trusting us with his sister he will with this as well."
"He is trusting you with his sister not me."
"So ? You too get married to the other one." Prithvi said with a chuckle.
"Very funny." Aditya said rolling his eyes. "Mangal stay with Prithvi and Sri bhai, learn how to fight properly." Aditya said to him handing over his sword Agni.
"Okay Adi bhaiya." Mangal pout while a chuckling Prithvi and Srijan took the sulking Mangal into the pit.
Aditya made his way to his room to freshen up before meeting Abeer Ali for their meeting over breakfast in his study.
In his room Balram Shastri his prime minister stood, waiting for him to return.
"Purohit ji." Aditya said as he entered his chamber.
"My lord. The detailed agreement is ready. All clauses and terms have been added from our side and theirs." He informed Aditya.
"Great."
"I still don't find it a fair bargain Aditya. We are giving too much." Balram said looking concerned.
"A little piece of land is nothing for the trust they are bestowing on us Purohit Ji, and Galotpur is an abandoned barren land, has been for decades now."
"I have nothing to say, you are the king you know better." Balram said half hearty. The Mughals had failed to break his hard shell and create a soft spot for themselves in his heart, he had lost half of his family to war against the Mughals went he was but just a child and life thanks to the Mughal initiated war had been filled with thorns for him. He could never forgive or trust them he new for sure.
Aditya had worn his simple black kurta after a quick shower, the black in complete contrast with his stormy grey eyes. He looked at the agreement drawn between the two kingdoms quickly and took them from Balram Shastri.
"Thank you." He said giving him a quick nod and walking towards Abeer's study with the documents.
They had spent quite some time in the Mughal palace and the first thing Aditya had done after reaching Agra was memorise all the entires and exits of the palace. The route to Abeer's study was went past the inner courtyard via the Royal garden.
Aditya watched the hustle of the people working for the Mughals, doing their daily chores, people stopped by to great him, he hadn't known the extent of his fame till he had come to Agra.
"And wham you are dead." The voice of a man with his back towards Aditya came from the courtyard. He was dressed in a simple cotton kurta with a wooden sword in his hand.
"You didn't have to hit me that hard Farhad." The known voice made Aditya walk closer towards the two people.
"You will never learn. I have told Abhishek Uncle time and again that his daughter can't even hold a wooden sword correctly let alone a real one." The young boy with a laugh.
"I'm sure she will learn to fight let alone hold a sword if you teach her correctly." Aditya said interrupting the two.
Gehna who had fallen on the floor looked at Aditya with wide eyes and Farhad who had a smug grin plastered on his lips had forgotten how to speak.
The daunting presence of the King of Awadh had the two tongue tied.
Gehna quickly got up from the ground and dusted hers clothes.
"Good morning your grace." She said.
"Show me how you hold your sword Miss Gehna." Aditya said trusting his chin towards the sword lying on the floor.
"Huh ?"
"Pick the wooden sword." He said giving her a nod.
Gehna picked the sword in her hand and waited for Aditya to continue.
Aditya looked her hand wrapped in all the wrong way possible around the hilt of the sword.
Aditya took the other wooden sword from her teacher and held it in his hand, the sword becoming a part of him arm.
"You never tuck your thumb in, use it to create a firmer grip, like this." Aditya showed Gehna holding out his hand for her to see which was wrapped around the sword hilt.
Gehna adjusted her hand to hold the sword better and in an instant she understood the difference a simple grip could make.
"Great." Aditya said giving her a smile. He turned around and threw the sword in his hand towards Farhad who caught it clumsily.
"The problem isn't her, she is a good student, perhaps if you tried to be better teacher she would learn faster." He said before walking towards the study again.
AN: I was planning of making the updates twice a week because I feel it will take forever to complete the book otherwise and I need to keep the tempo high. However the votes are soooooo disappointing that I don't feel motivated at all to write.
Give me my votes and I'll give you your chapters, it takes me almost 4 hours to write and rewrite a chapter, 4 hours !! That's basically one day of my sleep 😭
Gimme votes 👹
180 for the bi weekly update.