“We have no fear of fighting.” Parushi jutted out her chin. “As I said, Ullal prospers.”
“What is the point of these meetings if you offer no specifics?” Vishwajeet slammed his index finger onto a map on the table. “You are determined to make a mockery of the union of Banghervari and Ullal.”
Aru put his hand on his forehead and slumped back into his chair. He always seemed to withdraw at the first sign of conflict, and I still wasn’t quite sure how to manage it. Growing up, I’d been constantly challenged by my uncle, Parushi, Thevan, and countless others, so I was used to having to defend my position. But it seemed my husband needed some practice.
Parushi wasn’t about to let Vishwajeet have the last word. “Says the man who wants us to pay a murderous lover to join us in our beds. You should be ashamed! Our kingdoms deserve better than cowardice.”
“Enough!” I said. Even if I agreed with Parushi, I had to put an end to this or their argument would only escalate, and we’d never come to an agreement. “These accusations get us nowhere.”
Neither Parushi nor Vishwajeet even pretended to look repentant. They had tried to fake civility when these meetings first started, but those days were long gone. Now I was grateful for their silence.
“Let’s get something to eat before we continue,” I suggested.
“An excellent idea.” Aru finally spoke up. “I’m famished.”
Vishwajeet stepped out of the door, and a servant hurried to his side. She sprinted back to the kitchens after hearing his instructions.
Like him or not, Vishwajeet knew how to manage the palace. Staff came running at his command, and his word was law if any of them placed a toe out of line. It was part of why I didn’t trust my maids. I was sure at least some of them reported to him, and it was impossible to know how much they said.
After only a few moments, a cluster of servants appeared, carrying plates of idli and bowls of sambar. Normally I loved dunking the fluffy steamed cakes into the delicious soup that was both spicy and sour, but today something was off. My stomach heaved as they placed the steaming-hot food in front of me. The idli smelled too sour and strong, as if the fermented batter had gone bad.
Aru had already taken one and was bringing it up to his mouth, but I pushed his hand away, and he ended up biting into the air. He blinked at me in surprise.
“Smell the idli,” I said. “The batter’s gone off.”
Aru sniffed the steam coming off his plate and then mine. “It’s fine to me...”
Parushi brought her plate up to her nose, inhaled deeply, and then shook her head.
“It’s off,” I insisted. “But if you want to risk the stomachache, I won’t stand in your way.”
“No need for that,” Vishwajeet said. He clapped his hands again and pointed at one of the servers that had brought in the food. The bearded man hurried to his side.
Vishwajeet picked up his plate and held it out. “Try this. Tell us if something is off.”
There wasn’t even time for me to protest or to wave the servant away. He dunked an idli into the sambar and took a large bite. He chewed it slowly. “Delicious.”
“Good,” Vishwajeet said. He thrust the plate into the man’s hands. “Take this away and bring me a new one.”
I stared at my plate. The idlis looked soft, and their fluffy texture had just the right amount of give between my fingers. But even after I dipped them in the sambar, I couldn’t stop myself from gagging when I lifted the bite to my mouth.
Aru leaped out of his chair. He chewed frantically and tried to swallow so he could speak, but he’d taken far too large a bite.
“Excuse me.” I rose abruptly and, before he could reach me, ran back to my room with Parushi following close behind.
She called out to someone and told them to summon Chaaya as I ran through the halls and up the stairs?—the people milling through the palace were so surprised to see me that most started to bow long after I’d passed. At least I was still fast.
Not ladylike, though. I could practically hear Ektha’s voice admonishing me. Still, even though she’d never broached the subject of vomit, I was fairly certain she’d want me to keep the event to myself.
I kept my lips clamped shut and continued to run until I reached my chambers and slammed the doors behind me. After grabbing a nearby bowl, I finally allowed my stomach to release.
I heaved into the bowl until nothing was left. But that was not enough. My body demanded that I expel more as my stomach flipped and clenched. Chaaya appeared by my side and took the bowl from my hand as she held my hair away from my face.
My stomach finally stopped heaving, and I stood straighter, inhaling deeply through my nose. The acrid smell made me gag again, but I pushed it down, refusing to throw up anymore. Chaaya hurried away with the bowl, and Parushi inched forward. She offered me a wet cloth with an outstretched arm.
“Thank you.” I took the cloth from Parushi and wiped off my face and mouth. There was no saving my hair. I’d need Chaaya to take care of that later, but I tried to get the bulk of it clean.
“I’ll take blood over vomit any day.” Parushi gagged and turned away. “What happened?”
