The Enemy's Daughter

Chapter Twenty-Two

 Harshvardhan threw another glance at the empty seat beside him. The Princess had been gone for some time now. Where was she, he wondered. Did she not like the performance, to walk out of the hall like this? He needed to find out, for he was missing her presence even though she couldn't have been gone for that long.

He rose quietly, noticing that the others were still engrossed in the mesmerizing movements of the dance, and strode out of the hall. Hearing footsteps behind him, he turned to find Lalita following him.

"She said that she was only going for a breath of fresh air. I, too was wondering what is taking her so long, my lord."

"Come, let us look for her. She must be out in the courtyard. That bench below the Champak tree is her favorite spot," Harshvardhan nodded.

The guards too had been alerted and now they came running to accompany the prince. Leading the way, Harshvardhan called out for her but received no reply. The maze of passageways was in semi-darkness, the sconces burning low.

"Bring a taper," he shouted, and a servant ran to fetch a burning torch. In its light, the group proceeded, making their way toward the courtyard. As they neared the courtyard, a faint smell greeted his nose. The sickly sweet smell disturbed him, for he could not place it. A few paces away, the scene which greeted his eyes, made the blood roar in his ears, and his heart to sink to his feet.

Pieces of colorful bangles were littered in the passageway. With trembling fingers, Harshvardhan bent down and picked up a small piece of cloth that appeared to have been torn from the veil his princess had been wearing. It did not take him long to deduce that something calamitous had taken place.

The revelry was brought to an abrupt stop and the guards were all assembled. A quick and thorough search of the palace revealed that Princess Priyadarshini was nowhere in its precincts. Clearly, she had been abducted and carried away from the palace.

*****

"Who could have done such a dastardly act? Whoever it is, has challenged our honor. They must pay for it dearly." King Yashvardhan scratched his beard in confusion, a fresh wave of anger coursing through him.

"I cannot think of anyone who would hate her so much as to do such a thing, Father." His voice trembling with fury, Harshvardhan could hardly sit still. He was itching to pick up his sword and go after the abductors, but first, he had to find out just who had carried out the daring deed.

"Are we just going to sit and conjecture on it? Who knows what trials must have befallen her in the meantime," Queen Devnandini suppressed a sob to remark, her face clearly showing her distress.

Harshvardhan squeezed her hand in comfort. "My men are out in all directions. As soon as I get a word on her whereabouts, I shall ride out with a group of warriors." With that, he walked out, too keyed up and impatient to sit still for long. A feeling of helplessness was assailing him. Out in the veranda, he stood gazing out into the distance, the torturous thought flitting through his mind that even at that very moment, his beloved must be facing untold dangers.

His reverie was broken by a hand on his arm. He turned to find a pair of deep blue eyes looking at him, the emotions flitting through them, difficult to decipher.

"What are you doing here, Neelanjana?" he bit out, not in the mood to interact with anyone.

She leaned her head against his shoulder, putting her arms around his waist. "I know that you are distraught at the events of last night, my lord. I too have been worried sick, but what can one hope to achieve by fretting over it? For all we know, the abductors could have done anything to her, sold her into slavery, or worse, god forbid. It would be wiser to accept the inevitable that our princess is lost to us."