Cittaja || Indian Historical Romance

12.

Shakra returned with blood on him. Leaving one captured with Karma to be used later, Shakra returned to look for Mayurakshi when he spotted her with Rajkumari Valli.
"I really believe that Yuvraj and I are a great fit." Valli instigated Mayurakshi.
Shakra took a deep breath not to push the knife into Valli. She made it increasingly difficult for Shakra to keep that knife away from her. Then again, it was his own fault to let his weakness be known to Valli who was looking for a prey to lure him.
Seeing him, Valli instantly ran to him and hugged him. "I got really worried for you!!" She exclaimed and suddenly moved away, acting a little shy, "I apologise. I'm a silly girl who is poured into emotions. I heard about assassins behind you and got worried for a moment." She excused the act of hugging him just like. All of it being a show for others.
Shakra threw his knife to Karma who caught it and went to clean it.
The soldiers brought a bowl of water and he washed his hands. Night was beginning to settle in. Dinner was served. "You're messing with the wrong person, Rajkumari Valli." Shakra warned her. She chuckled.
"Shouldn't you know better than to express your weakness to me? After all, you said it yourself that I am quite a bit like you."
Valli increasingly gave him a sweet smile. Especially when Mayurakshi was around.
"How is Krishneri doing, Rajkumari?" Aaditya asked her.
Mayurakshi smiled.
"It is doing great. My father is very careful about it."
"I've heard that Yuvraj Shakrajit desires to conquer it." Valli pointed out.
Mayurakshi smiled, "I'm sure Yuvraj desires to capture the whole world. Who knows if he can capture the whole world?"
"I'd say that you're not very worried about whether or not he gets to conquer Krishneri." Valli chuckled, slightly taunting.
Mayurakshi was not a little naive girl who can miss taunts. Especially those which end up coming out of the mouth of Princesses like her sister. "For someone who is supposed to go away to some other country after marriage, my main idea is not who sits on the throne. It is to take care of the people I call my own. My priority is the people, not the rulers. Kings change. Today it is my father, tomorrow it will be my brother, maybe the day after tomorrow someone else. It is silly to think that one family can forever hold. It changes as per the people leading it. I focus on people being taken care of rather than the rulers. I will be happy to support anyone who thinks in favor of the people. My Dharma reminds me to think about praja not the Raja. If the Raja is incompetent then he will easily be replaced by another. How many Kings have come and how many have gone. They're all temporary. Praja is permanently the ones who will live on. Praja can live without a Raja but there is no Raja without Praja."
Valli looked at the girl. She had her own mindsets. While Valli couldn't exactly agree with her viewpoint, she had to admit that her viewpoint wasn't exactly wrong. She prioritized people rather than who became the King. She didn't stress about wanting to make her brother a better King.
When they finished dinner, they left the tent. Shakra walked into his own tent. He had to find a way to explain to Mayurakshi that he had no interest in Valli and that Valli was being crafty. He laid back on the bed and remembered her captured within his arms.
Karma walked in and pretended to arrange his things, "Seems that even Yuvraj Aaditya has taken an interest in Rajkumari Mayurakshi."
"No. Not happening." Shakra got up quickly and went around looking for Mayurakshi. That's when he found her by the lake. Rajkumar Aaditya was sitting next to her.
Even if Mayurakshi didn't act any differently to Aaditya then she did to him, he felt slightly jealous.
Shakra walked towards them with a knife and started to sharpen it by a rock. He then saw her holding flowers.
"You accept flowers from people?" Shakra asked her. Mayurakshi chuckled.
"It is from me, Yuvraj. Who can say no to me?" Aaditya asked with a grin. Shakra could move his knife and cut that grin off his face.
"Oh. These are medicinal flowers. Quite useful in medicine to help against poisons. So, I guess it will be a great addition to my poison medicines. I saw it as a worthy reason to accept flowers." Mayurakshi answered.
"Ouch. Here I was thinking that my charm couldn't help but make you take the flowers."
She looked at Shakra. Shakra looked at her. "It is a surprise that you did not demand for a boat yet. You love boat rides." She noted.
"Do you know each other for long?" Aaditya asked.
"We have the same Guru. Met each other at our Gurukul. You could say that we have known each other for a long time." She answered.
"I did think of going but what kind of friend would I be to leave you alone here with a man well known among women?" Shakra answered. The look in his eyes was a message she received accurately. She chuckled.
"Ever so kind to me, Yuvraj but I wonder if I'm depriving you of the opportunity to have a boat ride with Rajkumari Valli. After the last interruption of an interesting conversation you were having..." Shakra raised an eye at her suggestion.
In a moment, a maid came to request for Aaditya's presence. Aaditya sighed and left. "This is why I think I might forever remain a spinster. Should I find myself some place with the royal vaid of Krishneri?"
"Aaditya is a bad choice on all accounts. The man knowns no loyalty. You'll suffer for eternity." She sighed, "I do not have any interest in him. A general courtesy extends that I cannot ask him to leave me alone. I don't want your beloved to go tattle on me to Akka. Akka then tattle about it to Maharani Raashi."
He offered her a hand as Karma left a boat by the lake. Mayurakshi smiled. "You did want to go on a boat ride. I was just doubting if I still remember anything about the little Rajkumar Shakrajit."
"Just take my hand." She got up and gave her hand to him. He led her ahead into the boat and rowed it ahead.
When they got to the middle, he stopped rowing.
"You don't plan to kill me, right?" She asked.
"Wow. After knowing exactly what I think about you, all you can worry about is me trying to kill you!!"
"Don't blame me. You're quite infamous for being crazy. No one can tell what mood you are in." "The only way I wish to make you feel even close to experiencing heaven is my chamber alone with me to do whatever I please to you."
"You should rethink this position of yours, Yuvraj. I assume that I'm allowed to give at least some opinion. You will be bringing a whole lot of troubles in your direction while letting your weakness for me known to everyone. It would be good practice to not let people know I interest you to that level."
"Then what is the point in loving at all? Not to let everyone know that you're all I desire."
"Your mother doesn't really like me."
"Then Amma Saatvika can just simply not associate with you. She can ignore you like she ignores all of my father's concubines. The current one too."
"A Queen cannot ignore the woman her son might want to marry. I think of it as worthy advice."
"It might be but I just cannot get you out of my mind."

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