Ruin In Royals (Royal #1: Book 2) | ✔

13

-• my life insurance •-

[the day of his landing]

Rudra

There are two kind of people in this world; one, who have the drive to do something in life but not a plan and two, who have the drive as well as the plan. I'm the kind who has the drive, a plan, and a plan B.

Taranya Singh Chauhan is my plan B. She is my life insurance. And I believe I've already paid my first premium that night. She'll be the one reparing all the damages I might have to endure in future.

After getting down the jet, a sight in red stands by the car, ready to escort me to her boss.

"My lovely grandfather will be hurt if he finds out I met the Chauhans first," I feign a pitiful tone, placing a hand on my chest for extra effects.

She rolls her eyes and opens the door. "Get in the car, Shourya."

I chuckle and slip in, getting comfortable and relaxed. I'm severely jet lagged.

Initially, I was hoping to catch some rest before meeting the Crown Prince of Jaigarh, but since he's so impatient, may as well go and see what he has to say. Zoya, his secretary slash bodyguard settles down on the driver's seat and the door slams shut before the engine revs to life and the car wheels out of the airport.

"Is it so important?"

"It must be." She mutters, driving efficiently through the growing traffic.

"How does it feel to be always out of the loop?" I muse thoughtfully.

"How does it feel to be always used?" She counters, shooting me a victorious smirk from the rear view mirror. I clench my jaw, plastering a sweet, fake smile on my face before I drop the conversation and look outside the window.

The black Mercedes enters the driveway of Chauhan estate, roofed by tall trees, floored with rough gravelly path that forms a Y, the right of which leads to the palace and the left, to the hotel, restaurant and a museum. We take the right and pass multiple gardens, plain vast fields and artfully crafted water fountains before finally stopping at the porch.

An attendee rushes down the flight of stairs to open the door for me. "Good afternoon, your highness," I nod back and step forward, stuffing my hands in the pockets of my jacket as I look up at the palace through my lens.

It's rare for me to step in here from the front doors. I've always sneaked in from the tunnels and secret hideaways, like a rodent. It feels good to enter this place with an identity, with a name that everyone knows, respects, envies. Even if it's not my own, it feels like my own, because I deserve it more than anyone else. I deserve everything that I want.

"C'mon," Zoya instructs and takes the lead. I let her, pretending I haven't been here hundred of times before. Yet the deeper I walk in, the pretense fades. Because I've never been here in a broad daylight before, I've never walked these hallways as confidently as I'm now. I was always worried about getting caught in the CCTV. This place never welcomed me as a guest, rather as a dirty secret, something that cannot be exposed to the world, but cannot be discarded yet, for there's time before it's completely used, exhausted and emptied.

The realisation stops me in the middle of the living room and I look around the rich allure of this place.

She got this so easily.

Despite being abandoned like me, she got this so easily.

Like she always belonged here.

Like she was meant to be here.