✔️Rise to Eminence (Ugly Duckling Princess III) (completed )

Chapter 38:War or not?

Princess Adiya (Diya's) POV

I entered my mother's chamber to be greeted by the giggling sounds of hers and my grandmother. Let me tell you, they both are kind of close friends. They share everything with each other.

"Greetings grandmother! Greetings mother!" I greeted them as I entered the chamber.

"Oh don't be so formal young lady, you are not in the court! Come sit!" Said my grandmother.

"What are you both doing here?" I asked them curious. Many times they both just disappear together and talk for hours during my grandmother's stay.

"It's between both of us." Giggled my grandmother.

"We both love to talk about our personal life whenever we have time." Clarified my mother.

I wondered what kind of personal lives they talk about. I guess they kind of had sessions of grown up talks.

"I am glad you too joined! Actually I was thinking that now you too are growing up so we both should definitely include you in our conversations. The grown up ones." Said my mother.

"You have no idea how much she has grown up" whispered my grandmother and winked at me. I had never ever seen that side of hers. And now I was seriously scared. My mother would catch our little secret if she continued behaving like this. However my mother ignored us as she was busy watering a rose plant.

"So I just wondered if I could join you both. I too am a grown up now you know.." I tried to make my objective of visit clear.

"Sure! So you want to talk about something?" Asked my mother. Now all her attention was on me.

"No. I was just wondering if it is possible to fall in love with your rival." I spoke up.

My mother took a seat beside my grandmother so that they both were sitting opposite to me. We were sitting on a cosy mattress with a small table between us.

"Why this sudden question?" Laughed my mother. However my grandmother was looking at me curiously.

"Just like that. Has it ever happened in the history?" I asked trying to sound very nonchalant.

"History? Look at your mother! She is the best example of the situation!" Laughed my grandmother while my mother simply blushed.

"When I met your father for the first time, I literally wanted to kill him since he was a threat to Harsha Kingdom." Said my mother, remembering her days.

"And then?" I asked.

"Your father was smart enough to find out my true intentions and identity. However we both were in love. So decided to find a middle ground. Marriage was one of the middle ground and a final route to our love ." She said.

I was shocked.

"But mother, if father would not have fallen for you, and if it would have been one sided love, would you have killed him?" I asked her.

"Maybe not. I would still have tried to find a middle ground. But thankfully that didn't happen. Besides, no one gains from war. It's a political obligation that we Royals have. Otherwise, I would rather ban the "war" from the world. Also, it's impossible to lift your weapon against someone whom you love dearly. I tried it a few times but I couldn't even think of harming your father. Maybe I would have opted for it. For the sake of my motherland. But trust me, it would have been the toughest task of my life." Said my mum.

"Your Highness, His Majesty wants you to accept his token of love!" Said a maid who entered into our chambers. It was again my mother's turn to blush.

There were two beautifully potted flowers plants of some species which I failed to identify.

"Wow they are so beautiful!" Exclaimed my mother.

"What's so beautiful about these two potted plants?" My Grandmother too failed to understand her fascination towards those two baby plants. Actually we all never understood her fascination towards gardening.

"These are the rare plants from Persia! They aren't easily available in ours as well as neighbouring kingdom! I had been searching for them since a year! Your father is so thoughtful!" Blushed my mother as she rushed to thank my father.

"Well how did you know that Sahil was our King Dhruv?" Asked my grandmother!

"How did you know?" I asked my Grandmother.

"It's so easy to read you! Your mother I tough nut to crack, but you, are just like your grandfather!" She laughed.

"What should I do now grandmother?" I asked her.

"You started it. Now it's high time that you end it. There are many other ways than you waging a war. Trust me!" She said.

But what? I didn't want to cease the war and appear weak in front of my countrymen. Even if I cease the war, King Dhruv would definitely attack our Kingdom and I am sure he must have not yet cracked the mystery of my identity. That Adiya and Diya are the same person.

Suddenly I came up with an idea. Grandmother was sitting nearby. Knitting a wool sweater for my grandfather for the upcoming cold season. Little did she know that grandfather, King Adiya was planning to take her for a trip to Saransh Kingdom, known for it's hot weather. I decided not to spoil her excitement.

While I exited the room, my grandmother was grinning at me. Queen Naintara must be a generous yet a fierce women for the world but for me, she was my best friend. But it was tough to predict her moves sometimes. I wondered what she would do now.