The Village Girl

Chapter Eleven - [Aaryan]

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-Luckycharms

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Handling a peasant or warrior or servant that committed the treasonous act of rallying against the king was actually an easy feat. It was easy to throw a few nobodies into a prison, or to execute them.

Having that same act be committed by a family member, let alone your own son, made everything much more complicated.

Though Seetha had thoroughly succeeded in uprooting old traditions, upsetting my father and winning the disapproval of every noble in this room, she had not necessarily done anything that would warrant punishment. Feelings were hurt, people were upset, it may come and bite us back in the future, but she committed no crime.

Aayu was confessing to a crime.

"Aayuraavanan, it would be wise to not joke about this," my father said sternly. When I looked at him I saw him wearing an expression that I was not too familiar with. My father had always been known for maintaining his composure during tough times... it seems my brother has really crossed a line.

I looked at Seetha, who chose not to look at me, or at least, not to look me in the eye. A thought flashed through my mind that made me uncomfortable. I wondered if she herself had anything to do with this. They spent a lot of time together, mostly when I was gone. Could they have planned something? Or at the very least, did he maybe run the idea by her?

And if he did, was he going to sell her out as well?

"I'm not joking, father," he continued, shrugging. "I saw the displeasure that these people were feeling and so I threw around a few suggestions-"

"Do you realize what you are saying?" My father shouted, startling many in the room, many of whom had possibly never heard him shout like that before. "Rallying up folk against the King's law is treason! Prince or not!"

His brows furrowed though he smiled. "Father, it would be silly to call the decision for maids and servants to care for your grandson over his mother law."

"Aayu," I called, "I would suggest you keep your mouth shut." To be honest, it felt strange to be the one advising Aayu. Usually he was the one advising me, despite me being the older one.

Aayu looked at me. "I have done nothing wrong-"

"Did you think you could get away with such a thing?" My father asked, sternly, making his way down the dias and towards Aayu. "Forget the child, forget the girl, forget who you think you are helping and think about what you are confessing to."

Aayu stood his ground. "I'm the smart one father, you know I've already thought all of that through-"

When my father reached Aayu, he cut him off by slapping him hard across the face. The sound was loud enough to cause an overwhelming number of gasps in the spectators and even made my mother stand up in shock. Even Seetha recoiled.

She had mentioned once that there was only one time in her life that she could remember her father ever beating his children. One of her brothers, as a child, had rallied his friends up and gone after a sickly village boy with a limp and a hunchback. When her father had found out, he beat her brother so badly he bled and all the others cried as they watched.