It felt like more than a slap across the face. It felt like a stab in the heart... and after stabbing, they twisted the hooked knife within me, while for some reason I refused to die to end the pain.
Lakshmanan was sitting on his desk in front of me, looking down at me intently and worriedly as I sat and stared straight ahead. To my right was Aayuraavanan.
My exiled brother had managed to sneak back into Aathikara just to share this news with me. Of course, he was moments too late. Lakshmanan and his spy had gotten to me first. Or maybe, in that case, he was just on time. Though I trusted Lakshmanan, I think I would not have believed it. Hearing it from Aayu, however, was different.
And now, those secret meetings my father was having suddenly made sense.
"What do you think?" I asked Lakshmanan.
My friend narrowed his eyes, as if disappointed that I would even ask. "I will not serve Aaruraavanan. Not even if it meant my death."
"You have a child."
"And if my child knows Aaruraavanan, then my child will sing me praises when old enough to understand."
That was a good enough promise of loyalty to me, though I hoped it would never come to that.
When I looked at Aayu, he let out a breath. "If I have not already proved my loyalty to you, brother, then I don't know what will."
He was right. I did trust him, especially after seeing the effort he took to return to Aathikara.
Lakshmanan got up from his seat on the desk and walked around it, taking his place behind it. We were at the fort, in his office... and there was no place in the nation where we could get more privacy than her. "The question now is what are we going to do."
Thinking about that is what sent the flash of rage through me. It was overwhelming.
It hurt.
"The time for appeasement of these nobles is over," I said, firmly. I had already sworn to my father that any threat to my position would lead to people needing to answer to my blade. I was serious. "I will take my throne. I will take it with force, if necessary. And once that is done, we kill them."
"Brother..."
"We kill them all."
---
Hey everyone!
THIS IS AN INTENTIONALLY SHORT CHAPTER :D
Another update coming up later today!
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-Luckycharms!!
YOU ARE READING
The Village Girl
Historical FictionWhen the young and intelligent village girl named Seetha catches the eye of the powerful Warrior Prince Aaryaraavanan, the two of them soon convince themselves that they were meant to be together. Ignoring the despicable nature of Aaryan's mother, s...
