Thirst of Power (Complete)

Part 21: Blooming love

Grow along with me, the best is yet to be.
-Robert Browning

TO MEET AND GREET

'Ah!' Catching herself in time, she steadied up, holding the rosewood almirah by the entrance as a large troop of woman bustled inside, shoving her as they went.

"Excuse me!" She frowned as almost 20 ladies gathered around her and her husband's bed. 'What is happening?' Her temper was slowly flaring as she watched her privacy being breached and her words being disregarded as if, she hadn't spoken at all.

"Excuse me!" She reiterated this time with a raucous loud tone of voice. "Now that all of you had already barged inside my personal chamber, may I have the privilege to hear what you all have to say....?"

"And then....get out? Maybe?" Devika didn't bother masking the displeasure on her features. She may not be a royal by birth but she was one now as the wife of the prince of this empire and even as the sole heiress of Raichand, she wouldn't let a few vain women to trample upon her in this manner.

"Get out, maybe?" A soft almost nice voice came amongst the flock as the ladies parted in front of her to reveal the most attractive woman Devika had ever laid her eyes on and for a moment her heart tightened in an unknown angst of worry. 'Is she....Is she the one her husband had bedded and abandoned?' For if so..... 'No!' Her insides heaved and twisted.

But then to Devika's great relief her peering eyes caught a few signs on the beautiful lady at the center adorned in nothing but diamonds encrusted in glittering gold. 'Signs of married woman....' She sighed. 'Thank you dear lord!' But then if she isn't the infamous foreign princess, who precisely is she?

"Why maybe Devika? We will get out for sure, wouldn't we ladies?" The beautiful enchantress stepped towards her reprimanding her in the satirical taunt as her ladies-in-waiting broke into loud sniggers. "But not before YOU run for the hills vacating this palace for once and for all!"

The 19 years old heiress would have slacked her tongue off for referring THIS surly discourteous woman 'beautiful' not once but twice and her tone kind, even if only in her thoughts but it was not the time, not since she had a hundred or so smart and 'Very nice' things to say to this lady.

"Sure, not a problem really....." Devika smiled demurely, keeping the opponent speculating. "I will leave right this moment if you insist that this whole palace belongs to you but then my lady you lack two major requirements to own this haveli...." She chewed on her lips still a bit unsure if she should continue....but did nevertheless.

" A mustache and the crown....I believe every emperor possesses these two things, now since, I have excluded the thing between his legs of course.....solely for your sake." There, she smiled watching her work bearing fruit as the lady turned redder than the ruby on her third finger. She watched the twenty or so ladies-in-waiting fighting to bring their urges down and grin and personally she was having a hard time to not to chortle aloud.

Yes, it was funny alright...but then...

"How dare you? Do you even know who she is?" One of the perceptive ones from the throngs of women stepped forth and evidently it was no sweat for Devika to infer who 'this' woman was now that her desire and intentions had been as clear as this morning's blue. "The fifteenth and 'latest empress', I suppose?" She smiled and then bowed, en-kindling the young queen's honor and esteem all at the same time.

'yes, She was the fifteenth wife of the king and yes she was the 'latest empress' as people invoked behind her back but never had a soul dared to besmirch and smear black across her character publicly thus. And yes, it burned inside her like never before but it was not the time...... 'She will leave this new vile addition to the family to spit and polish herself with the natural insults that tends to always be at the tip of her tongue until her opportunity arrives to payback to every cent and dime.'