Aradatta had been a man in his prime during the war seven years ago. If not for his duty to the temple, he would have participated in the war. But rumors about the Rajgarh prince had reached even here.
Of his cunning and bloodthirstiness. The scourge of the north.
Aradatta didn’t know the reason this group of strangers were here. But he knew that Prince Veer was their leader, and knew his appeal had to go to him.
Princess Chandrasena, despite her deadly arrows, was infinitely more approachable. She had such an innate kindness that it was easy to open up to her. He still couldn’t believe that she had been allowed to go on such a dangerous mission. Letalone with a man who professed to dislike her intensely. What had King Chandraketu been thinking?
“We need help,” he stated baldly, knowing no way to dress up the simple fact.
Prince Veer didn’t blink an eye.
“Are you sure you would accept help from the scourge of the north?” he asked after a long pause.
Aradatta flushed. He was aware that he had used the word once in his hearing before. It wasn’t an excuse, but he didn’t know the prince’s identity at that time. “Seems to me that the bandits and the troops from Thianvelli have come for the same thing that you have. And you refuse to tell us what that is.”
“Believe me, the less you know, the better it’s going to be,” said the prince.
“But maybe if we know the cause, we could remove it permanently and make our temple safe.”
“And what would you say if I told you that it’s the idol they are coming for?” taunted Veer. “Are you going to get rid of it as well?”
A bead of sweat tracked from Aradatta’s temple to his jaw in a cold line, inducing shivers. Apprehension rolled off him. The other members of the prince’s party avoided his eyes. Princess Chandrasena was immersed in numbering her arrows inBrahmi. Her lowered face had a slight frown, but she kept silent too.
Suddenly Aradatta was reminded of all the times Prince Veer, in the guise of a blacksmith, had applied for employment and he had rejected him for the lack of references. Maybe he had been holding a grudge since that time? He gritted his teeth. He would eat crow and beg for help if that was what it took to move this man.
“Are you saying it’s the idol?” Aradatta forced the question out of a tight throat.
Veer gave a noncommittal smile. Supercilious bastard, thought Aradatta, trying not to let his personal dislike of the man affect his judgment.
Veer’s smile only broadened, his eyes hard as ice, as if he could guess at the unspoken words. But what he said next gave Aradatta hope.
“Fear not, Captain. I have not defended this city to see it fall to Thianvelli. Though the people of your city haven’t openly accepted the sovereignty of my father’s rule, Rajgarh is willing to be broad-minded and deliver help.”
Breath wheezing out of his lungs, Aradatta rushed to deliver his gratitude. “Thank you. This means a lot to us. We shall not forget it.”
Prince Veer held up his hand. “Don’t thank me quite yet. Have you given thought to how you are going to let us help you?”
Aradatta blinked in confusion. “I was under the impression that you would be staying here for the time being…”
“Until the threat passes away? And how long is that going to take? A few days? A month? A year?” Veer shook his head. “We can’t do that. We have our own concerns, our tasks. We need to be back on our journey soon.”
Aradatta wondered again at the reason the prince was so far from his kingdom, and in the company of his estranged wife, no less. No doubt it must be of great importance. Curiosity niggled at him to find how the temple and the idol were involved in all this. But he had more pressing concerns at hand, and if the prince said it was better for him not to know, he would accept that.
Agrani also had a private word with him, previously, regarding the idol. They had known their Lord’s idol was the hiding place for some significant artifact, but it was a closely guarded secret that no one other than Agrani and a few other people knew about. Aradatta didn’t really care about that and ifthe artifact was gone, all the better, as it made ensuring the city’s safety a bit easier.
“And even if we were to stay,” continued Prince Veer, “there’s no telling how many more soldiers are going to be sent next time. Thianvelli has better resources than what we have, even if we count all the men you can spare and the bandits that have helped.”
Aradatta nodded slowly, going over the logistics and realizing the truth of his words. “So, what do you propose, Prince Veer?”
Veer spoke to Billadev, and he nodded and left.
“Kalpeet is near,” said Veer. “I can have a garrison come here in two days, if you agree.”
“Two days!” said Aradatta in astonishment. “It would take at least three days of hard journey to reach Kalpeet and return. And as much, if not longer, to mobilize the army, and have them reach here.”
“Do you doubt my word?”
“No! I just…wondered how it is humanly possible to get troops here in half the time it typically takes, that’s all.”
