“So, you slept with that woman before?” I asked hesitantly.“Was it for pleasure or to gain information?”
His smile faded slightly as he lowered his gaze.
My eyes landed on his bare chest, biceps, and muscles. He wasn’t as bulky as Ranaji. While all the brothers were the same height, he was leaner than they were.
He lightly sucked his lip and took a sharp breath.“Will it hurt you?” he asked, his voice low.
I gulped nervously, unsure why it was already causing me pain.“Why would it hurt me? I mean, you’re getting married to the Princess of Mehrangarh,” I preached, and he lifted his gaze to meet mine.
“But we’re kind of married too,” he intoned.
I shook my head.“That’s good for fun and delusion to keep us happy, perhaps, but in reality, there is no‘us.’You are a prince, and I am just a maid. While I may be in a stronger position than other maids, well-respected and loved, I’m still a maid. I’m thinking about going back to Mahabaleshgarh because it’s clear that I’m causing problems in your life,” I expressed, looking at him, his gaze intensifying as he shook his head.
“You can’t go,” he stated, and I shook my head.
“It’s good for us. Perhaps we’ll forget each other,” I wished, but he shook his head.
“Do you want to stay away from me?” he inquired, and I didn’t know how to respond. I was in a dilemma. A war raged in my head.
“I don’t know,”
“Then, don’t go,” he requested, voice tinged with authority.
I gulped nervously.“But, you are getting—”
“I am already married, Suman,” he sighed tiredly.“Bhai-sa will never allow me to marry another woman. Can’t you understand that? My life is fu… messed up. You don’t want to be with me. I can’t be with another woman. I’ll die longing for a relationship with… love,” he said with agony.
My heart suddenly felt heavier.“But you love the princess, right? No one will ever know what happened between us.”
He shook his head.“No, we don’t love each other. She loves someone else,” he stated in a low, frustrated voice, and I couldn’t stop tears rolling down my cheek.
“So, why are you marrying her?” I asked, unable to understand. He inhaled deeply.
“You’ll not understand,” he said.
Gulping, I pleaded softly,“At least try,”
I didn’t know what was happening to me.
He bit his lower lip slightly and lowered his gaze.“There’s an army waiting on the other side of Him, waiting for all the Indira. It’s enormous, and Mehrangarh is aiding that by supplying some explosive powder.”
“The one you were making the other night?” I asked.
He nodded.“Yes, that one. However, that powder requires something substantial—perhaps equipment as large as a full-grown elephant. You know, it’s massive. I still don’t know how they will get it across to this side. Gigantic mountains separate us. I learned about this before Rudra Bhai-sa’s wedding, and since then, I’ve been gathering information. It seems Mehrangarh might be preparing as well. I mean, we didn’t have any contacts, and I wasn’t suspicious until I discovered Songarh was selling yellow sand in large quantities to Mehrangarh. Therefore, Songarh’s connection with Mehrangarh made me feel uneasy.”
“Why don’t you tell Ranaji anything? And does Princess Aishwarya know about it? What about Prince Ranvijay?” I asked immediately.
He gulped, shaking his head.“Rudra Bhai-sa had bigger problems back then. He had just won the kingdom, and our troubles were just beginning. Another issue could’ve broken us, so I kept it to myself until I had the full story. But when Ranvijay Bhai-sa married Aishwarya Bhabhi-sa, I saw an opportunity to investigate further. When he visited Songarh after their wedding on Teej27, he learned about it. Since then, it has been confirmed,” he said, and I felt my mind racing at the revelation.
“So, does Ranaji know about Mehrangarh’s involvement?” I asked.
He nodded slowly.“But not much. He’s just suspicious. I didn’t tell him anything because a baby had just arrived at the palace. The other kingdoms in Indira aren’t ready for a war like that either. Mahabaleshgarh is still recovering from the loss of King Rajvardhan, and Pratapgarh is under Mahabaleshgarh. Suryagarh is working hard to strengthen its ties with southern Indira. It’s family everywhere. And that army is almost twice the size of ours.”
“What are you thinking?” I asked worriedly, and he lifted his gaze to meet mine. He stared at me for a moment before crashing into a smile.
“Nothing. There’s still time. I mean, maybe a year. By then, our roots will strengthen,” he said, and I exhaled in relief. He nodded, but I still felt he was hiding something.
“Did you play any role in the alliance between Prince Ranvijay and Princess Aishwarya?” I asked, struggling to believe that Prince Ranvijay’s marriage to Princess Aishwarya was coincidental, especially since this state was abundant in that sand.
