Throne

A fear

Manik is enjoying food all of sudden he felt head spinning, he widened his eyes, he tried to gain control on himself but it went in vein, he drowned in darkness. All of sudden whole hall became hustle bustle. King with anger roared "bring vidyuji! Now"

All persons are sent away except family, Manik is taken to his room, doctor checked and told everyone it's poison. King roared in anger. "How the hell his food got poison? Bring everyone here now" king roared. He is now scared, seeing his wife sugandhi crying made it more worse.

All from kitchen came, in them Nandini too present, king frowned, "why are you here with them kumari Nandini?" King asked in dangerous tone he didn't expect her here specially in such situations
"Prabhu! I helped in kitchen today as feast is heavy they needed helping hand" she said in very hoarse tone as if she is controlling crying.
"More new people entered?" He asked
"Just Rajkumar Manik and Giridhar visited kitchen Prabhu" guards said
"Bring Rajkumar Giridhar now?"
"Why are you in kitchen specially today? Do you have any motive? Did you plan something? Are you been blackmailed?" King asked Nandini in dangerous tone
Nandini got tears she gulped them "No Maharaj! I help in kitchen regularly it's part of our training from Maharanisa , today being busy day in kitchen I volunteered nothing more motives added to it, Maharaj! I didn't receive any blackmailing" she said in firm tone with head high. King impressed with her attitude but he is now in worry and anger.

Meanwhile Rajvydyaji gave a medicine which Manik provided him in prior for such situations, when Manik returned from training he met Rajvydyaji "vydyaji! This is medicinal root which can cure poisons deadly poison too, add its powder on the place of poison if it is in stomach give him to swallow, if it is in heart pierce the body and add it, it will cure in minutes"
Vydyaji took the powder added in milk and made Manik gulp it when Manik did he felt relaxed.
"When will he wake up?" Sugandhi asked in worry
"He will wake up soon May be in half an hour as medicine needs to reach the stomach once it reaches he will wake up"
"Dhanyawad" sugandhi said in happiness.

Giridhar came "Pranam pithasri! I heard about bhaisa how is he now?"
"Why did you go to kitchen today?" King asked in dominating tone
"As it's feast I just want to grab some items to eat"
"Dasi will bring it why you needed to step in?" King frowned
"I saw kumari Nandini in kitchen ...... felt to greet her" he said in hesitation
King frowned, he felt inconvenience and odd.

Manik opened his eyes. Sugandhi hugged him in hurry "how dare you make me worry even when you grown up already? How can you?" She cried in his arms
Manik laughed "Masa! You are Queen you should be tough and elegant you can't just cry like this people will laugh"
Sugandhi laughed with her son "let them who cares! How are you feeling?"
"Good"
"You woke up? Fool can't you be careful? How can you always make us worry? You need to be punished for worrying us" king roared
"Pithasri don't tell me you too cried like my mother you are king for god sake" Manik laughed
King got angry "you are such an idiot once you become father you will know what I am going through, not even in bad dream any father should experience such things, now tell me what happened so that I can kill people"
"I think some one poisoned my water not food, they tasted odd and smelled different"
"Water? Why did you visit kitchen?"
Manik gulped hard he looked away "seeing kumari Nandini cooking for common people made me walk to her, I wanted her to cook for me"
Both husband and wife looked at each other, they didn't say anything
"How are you feeling now?"
"Perfect" Manik got up from bed and stood up, he stretched himself
King took deep breath and came back to hall. "Keep everyone in jail for time being" king ordered.
Khanoj gasped heavily, Nandini face went pale, both looked at king with unknown fear.
"Kumari Nandini will not go to jail, she helped, for helping we can't punish her king" Sugandhi who just entered hall said in firm tone "she is girl, just in doubt of crime we can't spoil her life forever. It's my fault that I trained her to help in kitchen" she said in harsh tone
King took deep breath "it's about Manik death and life I can't just neglect a evidence"
"She is innocent" Manik spoke "she just gave me food but poison is in water not food. So how can she be in line of crime? And king let me deal this so that as Yuvaraj this will be my first case to solve"
King frowned "you want to deal with this case? Why?"
"There will be no manipulation in case as I am the victim no biased decision will occur, as it's about my life"
"Ok" king said with good impression
Manik smiled.

Manik looked at Nandini, she is stressed scared. He bit his lips in worry, he never want to see Nandini as such. He looked at khanoj "Mantrisa! Take kumari Nandini home she don't need to be stressed and worry"
"Yuvaraj! She never can do such things she is not as such" khanoj tried to explain
"Mantrisa! Relax nothing happens go home" Manik said in worry.
Nandini looked at Manik her eyes are almost moisten she is worried about Manik when she seeing him this healthy she is overwhelmed with emotions. What she want to do is unknown to him.

Khanoj took deep breath "dhanyvad Rajkumar runi hu hum appki upkar sa"
"Nah Mantri sa! It's my duty you go home we will talk later first take her back and take rest" khanoj nodded and left with his daughter.

Giridhar smirked. Manik narrowed his eyes, his blood boiled in anger but he kept calm face smiled at him "brother! It's unfortunate to see you such what an eventful day today?"
"Really I expected full length drama brother but unfortunately it ended so soon and son useless" he smirked
Manik smirked "don't worry soon we will have drama take proper rest brother we will in court soon" Manik smiled evilly

Manik couldn't sleep, Nandini face with watery eyes made him sleepless. He twisted and turned in bed whole time, he got up in frustration. He dressed up in light dress simple way, came out of his wing came to his horse took him and started to go.

He reached khanoj house but he is clueless where to find Nandini at night time, and he wants to sneak into house and to her room too. Manik came to backside of house found no one he climbed the wall, jumped down waited for anyone to come when no one came he got up from ground and started to go inside through a small door which is meant for some storage. He then came inside found a hall. He then started walking inside everyone are sleeping soundly. He peeked in room found a couple having their lone time, he gulped and passed the room, next room is dark and silent but found a couple so he passed that room too.

Manik passed almost ten rooms and found three rooms in row, he guessed them as Nandini and her sisters room, as she is middle child he slowly entered middle room and found someone else, he got disappointed, he came back and came to left side room which is not Nandini room, he with frustration came back and entered last room which is not as all rooms, light is still present, he peeks and found Nandini sitting on bed thinking something so deep.

Manik entered her room, she frightened and jumped in her place tried to scream but Manik signalled "no it's me" her eyes widened she gasped in fear "Rajkumar? What is this? You are been poisoned you need to recover take rest why are you not sleeping?"
"Shhhhh! Chup" he kept his finger on her lips, it felt so soft and warm, she blushed instantly
"Listen my queen! I am perfect and peachy no need to worry" he sat besides her.
"Still you need to be careful and take rest"
"I will actually I am worried for you, are you ok? Still worried and scared?"
"Yes how did poison come to kitchen or to your food? When everyone are same food drank same water how?"
"Don't think much, you don't need to worry, look this is antidote for all poisons keep this safely with you, whenever you find me or anyone in such situations just add single drop of this medicine in there mouth or on the poisoned place they will recover in few minutes"
"This is not the first time? You have been poisoned before too? But why? And who?" She is more worried
"And this will not be the last time, so stop thinking or worrying, being Rajkumar and that too being elder son to king don't give us easy life, my father too gone through this and next my son too faces this crown and thrown are blood thrust, they demand blood and cruelty, own brothers will kill us every moment, so it's nothing to worry. Get used to it"
"No no that can't be, you just can sit idle when someone is there to kill you, no I can't take this, you just step away from that throne we don't need it"
"Once I am born as elder son I have too, even if I reject people don't get satisfied they want me to be dead it's my fate and now yours too"
She cried "how can someone kill you? How?" She is crying hard, fear engulfed her. He hugged her feeling some weird emotions. He smiled and hugged her more