I smiled at him, trying to push the warmth I once felt toward him into my expression. All he saw was the strain.
“No, you’re not better.” He turned to Parushi. “You were right. Thank you for telling me the truth about how unwell she is.”
Aru looked back at me, sadness pulling at the corners of his eyes as he scrutinized my face. He ran his finger down my arm, over my hand, and onto my swollen belly. “You need not be so brave, my dearest. You should not strain yourself, especially in your condition.”
“I am fine,” I insisted, and I tried not to look at Thevan, who glowered from the corner every time Aru touched me.
“You are as stubborn as you are lovely,” Aru said with a sigh. At least he understood one part of me. “I will have food and drink sent for all of you. As well as anything else Nallini or your healers need.”
He got up, and Tara immediately stepped to his side, bowing before she spoke. “I apologize for being so forward, Raja, but I wonder if I might impose upon your time. For the rani’s sake.”
“Anything for my rani.”
He followed her toward the windows, next to my despondent aloe plant. I couldn’t see them without craning my neck, so I looked down at the table in front of the sofa and fiddled with my teacup to avoid looking at Thevan.
“Raja, I fear the rani has concealed the extent of her illness from you.” Tara made sure I could hear her even though I wasn’t looking in their direction.
“I knew something was wrong,” Aru said. “Even though Vishwajeet kept insisting she was fine. That’s why I spoke to Parushi and called you here.”
“Very perceptive of you, Raja.” Tara buttered him up. “Her mother had a similar illness when she carried Abbakka. Thankfully, the cure is a simple one: a tea made from paarijaata blossoms.”
I tried to hide my surprise. Nobody had ever spoken of such a cure with me?—not even Chaaya. She would have told me about it if it were true. This lie had to be Tara’s way of getting us out.
Aru turned to the door. “I will send someone to collect the blossoms immediately!”
“Forgive me, Raja, but it’s not so simple.” Tara’s words stopped the raja in his tracks. “The paarijaata blossoms we need are not the common white ones. We need purple paarijaata blossoms. I have seen them grow in only one place: our holy mountainside just beyond the fort in Ullal.”
“I remember my grandmother telling me of the purple paarijaata. I thought it was legend?—a story for children.” He sounded distant and nostalgic, but his voice sharpened again as he continued. “I will have someone get them from Ullal and bring them here.”
“An excellent idea,” Tara said. “Hopefully, they can collect them quickly enough and keep them fresh enough for the tonic to be effective by the time they come back. I will do my best to make sure the rani does not deteriorate too much in the interim.”
Tara had my full attention now. Even though I couldn’t see her, I could hear the way she pushed him with her tone. The undercurrent of doubt and the emphasis on all the possible problems she presented. She was luring him to a solution she’d already found.
“Hope is not enough!” Aru smacked his fist against his palm. “There’s no point in going there and back. Take the rani to Ullal and get her what she needs. I will send a whole company with you to clear the way.”
“Very wise.” Tara sounded appropriately deferential even though she’d led him exactly where she wanted. “But I don’t want to impose upon the raja so much. A whole company is far too generous of you. We can go faster with a small group. With your permission, we’ll pack and leave immediately.”
Aru was silent for a moment before agreeing. “That is true, and speed is of the essence. Go as a small group. I will make sure the stables prepare horses for all of you, and the rani will ride my white stallion.”
“You know best, Raja. Thank you.”
Footsteps shuffled on their way to the door, which closed with a thud. Even so, we could hear Vishwajeet’s voice ringing through the halls as they left.
“Well, that takes care of that,” Tara said. “Let’s get packing. We need to leave as soon as possible.”
Parushi headed for the door. “I’ll go to the stables and make sure they have enough horses for all five of us.”
“Five?” Thevan said. He arched his eyebrow at Nallini and crossed his arms.
Parushi stepped to Nallini’s side, her hands on her hips as she glared at Thevan. “Yes. Five. You have no idea what she’s done for us while we’ve been here.”
“Perhaps you don’t know all she’s done while you’ve been here.” Thevan didn’t break eye contact with Nallini as he volleyed words with Parushi over my head, from one end of the sofa to the other.
Parushi’s hands balled into fists, and she leaned toward Thevan. Thevan shifted his weight to the balls of his feet.
We didn’t have time for this.
I cleared my throat and stood up, placing myself between them. “I don’t presume to know everything about what any of you have done.”
