The Royal Explorer (Completed)

Chapter 31

(This is a double update of the day. Make sure you have read chapter 30 before this)

We had shopped for the richest of the jewelries, heaviest of the clothes for the engagement. I wanted to prepare for a dance, but I cannot dance to these traditional songs, I didn't know how to. 

Aarini's engagement was day after tomorrow and she was already loaded with riches.

Yug's mother had come here one week earlier, to help with the rituals. We knew Queen mother wouldn't be kind to her so Neel had asked me to keep her company and not let her interact a lot with Shravya. 

There were kings, and princes of various kingdoms attending the ceremony. Most of them frowning upon the choice of groom.

"He isn't your type" "He doesn't match your class." "Your daughter won't be happy." "You had better options."

There were all sorts of comments, also rumors that Aarini must be having some issues: mental or physical, therefore they had to 'settle for less'. But Neel's dad did a wonderful job of shutting the mouths of these people with only one statement of his:

"At an age where most of the daughters are still reluctant to get married, regardless of the 'mighty man' parents bring for them; my daughter herself came up to me, imagine the potential of her groom."

Aarini couldn't care less, and I loved her for that. Yug was kind of yet bothered, which was obvious. It was him who was being compared all the time. He was called 'lucky' 'extra smart to have paved his way to the royal family' and what not. Not only the ministers outside the nation, but even the ministers of the palace were either cutting off from him, or trying to get in his good books, either ways: being fake.

"It would be worse if you had to see her forcefully getting married to some other man, wouldn't it?" I had tried being supportive, and it was working.

"None of it is going to affect the royal friendships and professional lives, therefore none of it should affect your personal life too. They don't really care, they'll forget all of it one day. Soon." I reassured.

"Hopefully" Yug sighed. "I just hope I have the potential to make Aarini happy. That is all that bothers me"

"Oh you will!"

---

There were just 2 days left for the engagement, today and tomorrow and I hadn't prepared any gift I had to give to the newly engaged couple.

I opened my Q cart to check if there was anything on the list that I could download and give them. I did have designer shoes, the one I had spent an eternity on. But I did not know if shoes were a polite thing to gift. I mean in 2069, people would take them without hesitation. Also even if I did gift them to Aarini, what about Yug, what should I gift him?

This is confusing.. and I didn't want to ask Neel for help here. He is giving everything to his sister. I wanted my gift to be a little different.

I was scrolling the cart, sitting on the bed in my room, with the screen of my Q floating right ahead of me.

It was not until she spoke, that I realized someone entered my room.

"What. Is. That?" I heard her voice.

I quickly pushed down the screen, turning around , holding my Q in my hand and facing her. It was her; the Queen Mother. 

Taken aback, horrified and making my blood run equally cold.

"What is that in your hand." She managed to speak, but her fear was evident.

"Uhh...." I was breathing heavily. This is not what I wanted. "I.." I tried speaking again.

"Just who are you.." she started taking her steps back. "what is this deadly gadget that you own"

"It is not deadly. It's just.." What was it. How can I explain it to her. To anyone.

"Guards" she shouted, and immediately 2 of them appeared as if on cue. "This lady is dangerous, tie her hands. Be careful of this device, it's deadly."

My Q tab locked itself after minutes of no use, and so the light from the device stopped appearing. This possibly made Queen mother think that it was now safe to touch it.

As the guards were tying my hands, she snatched my Q and turned it around. Intrigued by it. Inspecting it.

"This needs to be burnt." She said to herself but audibly loud.

"What? No!" I shouted. "You cannot do that. I need it."

"Why do you need this. What is this?" she pinched my face, hurting my cheeks. The guards were holding me by my arm.

"No. I won't burn it yet" she said again, loosening her grip from my face. "Neel needs to see these. He needs to know what a goon, a vicious, a treacherous girl he was wasting his time on."

Maybe it was better getting it burnt. Atleast there would be no proof.

---

"All the royal courtiers can leave, except Yug." Shravya announced as soon as we entered the royal court.

Immediately following her announcement everyone stood up to leave.

Neel was sitting on his throne, confused, passive, until he saw me. He stood up as soon as he saw me, making Yug following the gesture in return.

"What do you think you are doing mother?" he was angry. He sounded like it. He did not want to shout, misbehave with his mother in the fit of his anger but he was raged.

"You won't be talking to me like this if you knew the identity of the female you are trying to side with." She mocked at him.

"What do you mean. Be clear."

"Here." She put forth the Q tab giving it to Neel. "This is a deadly device she is carrying along. It was dancing in front of her, and she was doing something with it. There were bright lights coming out of it. Luckily it is shut now, but.." she went quiet as Neel took the tab to inspect it.

He then looked at me and then back at device. confused, as he inspected it closely. He tapped on various places, but it only took two taps on the screen to wake the device up. 

I had put a picture in the first dress that Neel had given me, as my wallpaper.

He did not really smile, but he was definitely fascinated by it.

"It's scary. And she wouldn't even tell what is it." The lady spoke again. 

I was ready to be questioned for the rest of the investigation, for the rest of the day, for the rest of the time I had in this world. I would have explained it maybe, if I weren't framed as a criminal and if it was just Neel asking me.

But he did not ask me anything. I was afraid he was buying all of it what Shravya was speaking. She wasn't making any sense, but if I were to think from their point of view, it was convincing.

"I can't believe you were mesmerized by her. Is she that irresistible that she could easily make a fool out of you?" she was harsh. The queen mother. 

I was trying not to be bothered by her words, but I was failing at it miserably.

There was still nothing from Neel's end.

"Fine!" she scoffed. "If you're going to stay mute all this while I am going to make a decision here. You have recklessly given my daughter in the hands of someone unacceptable. But I won't let the throne of the Queen of the Ambar Dynasty, just go to anyone. Especially a scary, murderous women like her. I am announcing, she should be put behind the bars, a thorough investigation of this device needs to be done, after which we can give her a death sentence, or throw her out of this kingdom for good. And she can go to whatever kingdom had sent her here as a murderer."

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Maybe things are taking a turn now. 

we'll see 

Until then, see ya!