The Queen's king |✔️

5.The crying princess

Thin white drapes of the window fluttered at the calm breeze forcing Arjuna to grab one of them to get a clear view of the crying woman who sat by the swing. Her face glistened under the sleek moonlight as she wiped her cheeks with her palm, when her cries deepened with pain he almost felt an urge to jump down the window to help her.

The conversation he overhead made his skin burn with anger, how can anyone treat a royal Princess with no regard? Every Princess always has the right to choose her suitor and has the freedom to reject one, or at least that was the principle their kingdom follows.

But here, this Princess was being married off to a man with no rank or status.

Arjuna squinted his eyes as he saw the princess stand up slowly making him wonder what will her next step be? Will she protest against this marriage or will she give up?

The silhouette of the princess slowly disappeared making him ponder over how different both the princesses' weddings were arranged. If things worked for good, one daughter will marry a king and become Queen of a nation but on the other hand, this princess would marry a man who was already married with no status.

Arjuna rubbed behind his neck jerking those thoughts out of his brain, his worry and contemplation about the situation won't get him anywhere. But for some reason, he stood at the same spot wondering if that princess might come back.

The crying shadow of the princess played in front of him as he kept wondering about. Maybe, all his thoughts are just a spec of his curiosity about how she looks in person.

Arjuna slowly walked away from the window trying to divert his thoughts, anything but that woman. He should have a discussion with Vikram before he goes to dinner regarding the issue they had come here for. 

"Good evening, your Majesty," Vikram's croaky voice greeted Arjuna as he stood by the entrance of the room bowing down greeting.

"Vikram," Arjuna nodded, acknowledging Vikram's greetings, "I just thought about you. Were you able to gather any information regarding the bandits?" Arjuna asked, sitting on a cushioned wood chair. The chambers were brightly lit with several oil lamps and huge oil stands around the room almost, creating an illusion of a bright mid-day.

"Yes my king, our spies in Ramapur asserted that a few villagers were recruited about some work in the neighbouring kingdom."

Arjuna moved forward from his stiff position leaning forward as his golden bracelets clinked together, "What kind of work?" He asked, raising his left eyebrow with suspicion.

"That my Lord," Vikram drew a breath,  taking slow steps towards his chair, "Is not clear."

"What?" Arjuna's eyebrows furrowed together as his palms fisted up in anger.

"It seems like those men who were hired never came back." Vikram chose his words carefully, trying not to anger his king even more, he slowly picked up the water pot on the tiny table keeping it aside as he knew what was about to happen.

"What about their families?" Arjuna asked folding his hands leaning back in the chair, the expression of annoyance deepened with the fact that his spies were not able to find enough information to give them a head start.

"Well, there is no trace about the men, but according to our sources their families receive a few silver coins once every two months."

And that sentence triggered his rage. Arjuna stood up pushing the table in front of him. All the things on the table fell down making a loud sound.

The water jug was saved at least. 

"How could they not trace even one person when their families have some contact with them?"