The birds chirped and flew across the morning sky, letting the world know of the kingdom's endless beauty. The gardens of the palace, freshly planted with the newer plants of the winter season to adorn the place with flowers when winter graces its way into the kingdom.
Ruh sat on the lush green grass, while jihan fed on the greenery. She patted him occasionally, feeling his soft fur beneath her palm.
She looked around, when suddenly......
"So how is my favourite lady, my best friend, my sister, doing today?".....anuj jumped out of the bushes, scaring ruh to the extent, she put her hands to her chest and was a millisecond away from screaming.
"Wow, stop scaring me like this anuj. You can just come from the front like a normal person."....she scolded him.
"Well if everyone is just normal, someone has to be special no? Consider me to be that special person. Humara andaaz samjho."...he winked playfully.
Ruh tried to keep on the stern expression but failed badly when she broke out laughing.
"Oh hello my buddy jihan, you seem to be enjoying the grass so much, is the grass good? Should I have it too?"...he joked as ruh looked at him while shaking her head in disbelief.
"Oh you can. In case you're a cow, you'll enjoy it more."....the deep voice came from behind them, making the both of them jump.
Agastya stood behind them, talking to anuj but his gaze was fixed on the female beside anuj.
Anuj looked at agastya and followed his gaze to find ruh looking down and fiddling with the grass. He was quick to assess the situation and badly for ruh, he wasn't going to just leave it like that.
"oh yes my brother, well at least I'm a cow, not a simp."....he smirked while looking at ruh who creased her brows to look at him.
Agastya chuckled to himself slowly.
"right."...he said.
And oh how the tables had turned. Now anuj stood wide-eyed, lower jaw almost touching the ground as he ran to agastya, putting the back of his hand on his forehead.
"My brother, don't tell me you have a fever. Let me check."....he dramatically checked agastya's temperature and put his palm back on his own forehead to check himself too.
All this while, agastya stood smiling stupidly, looking at ruh.
"What the actual shit? I just called you a simp and you're smiling? And not beating me to death? What happened to my brother? Oh god, save my brother. Are you suffering from serious illness? Like brain damage or something? I cannot live without you agastya. What will I do without you, i love you so much my brother, let's go to the doctor now. Right now."........ruh looked at anuj strangely as he carried out his period drama, wiping his non-existent tears from his eyes.
Agastya looked at him with a glare and pushed him as anuj tried to go and hug him.
"Noooo.....oh my brother what has happened to you. You're so different. I called you a simp..Why are you not beating me? Beat me c'mon."...he carried on.
Agastya looked at him and raised his eyebrows in amusement.
"Okay, since you're insisting so much, come here my dear brother, let me beat you."...as he tried proceeding towards anuj, he ran away like a man running for his life.
"wtf ..ahhhhh..nooooooooooo!!".......the voice faded as he got away from them.
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.
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As agastya was about to approach ruh again, aksh appeared. His face carried a look of worry and his behaviour indicated the urgency of the situation.
"My lord, we've a problem"..He said as he swiftly glanced at ruh, acknowledging her presence before turning back to agastya.
Agastya glanced once at ruh before he proceeded to leave for the court.
Aksh however, kept glancing at Ruh in a strange way before he stopped abruptly. Ruh looked at him in a questioning way as Agastya turned back, annoyed at aksh's unpredictability.
"Aksh .didn't you just say we had an emergency?"...Agastya growled out of frustration.
"Yes, but it requires someone else too. Ruh."...ruh looked at him confusedly.
"Me...?What do you mean?"
Aksh took a deep breath.
"Yes you. I thought I would restrain from involving you in this, but the whole thing is about you so I guess I can't just keep you out."
"It's her mother, your majesty. She suddenly appeared in the court today and said she wanted to meet you. She has something urgent to tell you."
Ruh's eyes widened before she hurried towards the court leaving aksh and Agastya behind. Her mother was never this sudden in anything and her appearing in the court without any prior notice had to mean something was wrong. Very wrong.
(At the court)
"Mom..?Are you okay? what happened? Everything is okay, right?"...ruh ran towards he mother, hugging her tightly before bombarding her with an array of questions.
Agastya appeared, followed by aksh trying to keep up with Ruh's pace.
She loosened the hug before she approached agastya, bowing in honour of the crown prince.
"Your majesty, Forgive me for troubling you without any prior notice but the situation forces me to do the same."
"It's okay. However, what is the issue?"...agastya said before looking at aksh with uncertainty.
"About that majesty, I think its best if the issue is discussed in private." ....she requested.
Agastya nodded before signaling for the court to be emptied.
"Your majesty, I request you to please free my daughter and leave her to go back with me."......and the bomb was dropped.
Agastya was now attentive more than ever, looking at Ruh's mother with a look of disbelief in his eyes.
"Please hear me out majesty; I know my demand is ungrateful and absurd given how good the position you've given to ruh is. But I'm forced."
"Forced how? I will not leave her unless you give me a good enough reason. Please justify your request properly."
Aksh held agastya hand, signaling him to calm his nerves.
"Yes, your majesty."...she said, evidently scared of agastya's scary demeanour. She looked at ruh once before looking down.
........
"Ruh is promised to the crown prince of the Rajvanshi Empire."
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"What?"...came a faint whisper from the female, beside the speaker.
Her eyes were wide, mouth open and limbs numb.
"What do you even mean? This is ridiculous."
The veins popping out of agastya forehead clearly displayed his state of mind if not his tone of voice.
"My lord, calm down. Please let her finish her words."...aksh held agastya.
Ruh, on the other hand stood shocked, absolutely out of mind and sight. It was as if she wasn't there.
"My lord, I realise how ridiculous I sound. But I wasn't aware of any of these. It came as a shock to me when the sudden arrival of the royal messenger to my doorstep was accompanied by a royal commotion, full of bridal necessities."
"But how did any of that happen? Are you aware, ma'am?"...aksh said, handling the situation efficiently.
"your majesty, Ruh's late father, my husband....he was a courtier at the Rajvanshi empire, handling the position of the chief advisor before he died when the Rajvanshi's were attacked by the neighbouring empire."
She breathed in, uncontrollably shivering.
"The messenger told me that Arjun Singh Rajvanshi, the king of the great Rajvanshi Empire had chosen my ruh to be the next queen, the wife of the crown prince Aadhrit Singh Rajvanshi. He showed me a treaty that was signed by my husband, agreeing to the arrangement."
"The coronation of the prince is near, and now the marriage ceremony is crucial to welcome the new king of the Rajvanshi Empire. They now want ruh to leave with them, and fulfil her duties as the Queen of Aadhrit Singh Rajvanshi."...she finished.
"Queen of ...?"....agastya mumbled to himself, his eyes turning red.
Aksh interfered suddenly.
"Miss, we understand. We will think about it and let you know our decision soon enough. Till then, why don't you take rest at the guest quarters? I'm sure the journey from sikri is long and tiring."
The woman nodded quietly. Aksh looked at ruh; however ruh was lost, not acknowledging her surroundings.
"Ruh, why don't you take your mother to your chamber? It will be more comfortable for her if she stays with you. Spend some time with her; I'm sure you must've missed your mother."
Ruh was brought out of her trance. She nodded mindlessly and started to go out of the court and towards the adjoining hallway which led to her chamber.
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So hey guy's how's the twist. Also, please comment and tell me if you want the character aesthetics of Aadhrit Singh Rajvanshi ...i mean he's hot. 😉😂
Stay tuned for the next update. Though it could be late as I'm busy nowadays with things. But i will surely try my best to make it as quick as i can. Thanks!