Warrior Hearts

Cake Bake

"Perhaps I should adorn the silver-buttoned shirt," I suggest. Shifting my gaze towards Celeste's reflection, I raise my eyebrows at her questioningly. Wringing her hands in front of her navel, my lady-in-waiting begins to shift uncomfortably from foot to foot under the scrutiny of my gaze. Has Celeste heard my query? When I voiced my thoughts out loud, my own voice sounded foreign to me, almost as if I was attempting to speak out loud underwater. However, I am well aware this was because of the frantic drumming that is insistently playing out in my ears. Can Celeste hear the crescendo of my heartbeat as well? I'm unsure. Nowadays, I'm not certain about a lot.

"If you don't mind me asking, Your Highness," Celeste begins, her tone hesitant. "Whatever in the world is the matter with your current outfit?" Before she's managed to so much as complete her sentence, Celeste's gaze flies down towards the floor. Sighing, I lock eyes with my own reflection, allowing my gaze to pass over the length of my frame in the floor-length mirror. I can tell that Celeste fears having offended me. However, she's right. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the attire I am currently in, and neither will there be anything different about the outfit that is resting in my wardrobe. I'm simply trying to waste away the hours, hidden behind the safe doors of my chamber. What difference will a few more minutes make? Eventually, I will still have to exit and face what lies beyond the locked, mahogany doors.

"I-Is it the strings, Your Highness?" Celeste asks, an undercurrent of panic entering her tone. "Shall I re-tie them? Perhaps I have not done the task as properly as I should have, and they're loose?" Clearly comprehending my silences in the rightful manner is not one of the many talents that Celeste possesses. Without awaiting an answer from me, she steps forward, her hands reaching out towards the entwined strings at my back. Sighing, I shake my head, as I raise my right hand in a dismissal to her worries.

"The strings are quite alright, Celeste." I say, my shoulders drooping forwards in resignation. "You may take your leave now."

"Yes, Your Highness." Offering me a small nod of her head, Celeste scuttles out of my chamber. I'm hiding. That's the truth I've been trying to avoid since I woke up this morning. It is why I have spent a whole hour sitting at my dressing table, doing anything and everything in my power to prolong my exit. For crying out loud, I even got Celeste to curl the ends of my hair. Never before have I seen such a simple request shake another person's entire being in this manner. Truth be told, for a handful of seconds I began to grow quite afraid for Celeste's life.

The muffled sound of a door slamming shut enters my chambers, reminding me that I, too, need to step out through my mine. On instinct, I reach out towards the dressing table, my fingers hovering in midair as my eyes desperately search for something that will further delay me. Alas, I have exhausted any and every means of escape from my upcoming fate. Regardless of whether I want to or not, I will have to exit the safe perimeter of my bedchamber and face Malhotra.

Perhaps I should find Rohit and challenge him to a mock duel. After all, I'm not in the mood to cater to any kind of official work today. Liar! Frowning, I glare at my reflection. My mind knows it as well as I do that I am merely trying to avoid Malhotra by not tending to the official work which awaits my presence in his study.

"Oh for God's sake," I murmur. With a jerk, I rise to my feet. This hide-and-seek game is purely nonsensical. I'm not a criminal of some sort that I must hide from Malhotra. If anything, he should be the one to shy away from me after last night. After all, he cannot go around saying such atrocious words to me, especially when his claims are utterly baseless, and he has no intention of following through with them.

Defiantly, I square my shoulders as I raise my chin ever so slightly. To the dungeons with Malhotra! I'm sure he isn't scampering around the palace like a timid mouse, so why in the world should I sentence myself to such stupidity?

*****

"You and Manik refuse to tire out, don't you?" Rohit manages to gasp out through gritted teeth. Every single hair on my skin grows alert at the mention of Malhotra's name. With the same care that one would show a sack of potatoes, Rohit drops himself to the ground. Amused, I watch as he stretches himself until he's spread-eagled across it. "And then there's me," Rohit sighs with resignation.

"Did you two duel as well?" I question, as I replace my sword into its rightful place in the rack on the wall.

"Duel?" Rohit repeats. "No, I'm referring to his baking shenanigans. Only Manik would return from war and bury himself elbow-high in flour the very next day."

"Rohit, you're making no sense, whatsoever, to me," I declare. Although he has managed to capture my interest with his words, I am unable to comprehend them. Turning around, I watch as Rohit sits up straight. Shaking his head in disbelief, he draws his knee up to his chest, wrapping an arm around it.

"Oh trust me, I'm well aware that Manik and baking do not sit well together in one sentence." Although I am trying to make sense of Rohit's words, I seem to be missing out on a key piece of this jigsaw puzzle. "I guess ever since you came around, Nandini, a lot of miracles have been happening here."

"Rohit, I don't wish to sound dense, but what are you talking about?" Furrowing my brows, I stare at Rohit for answers. Frowning, he mirrors my expression.

"I'm talking about Manik baking since morning," Rohit tries his hand at explaining his words to me yet again. "Hold on, Nandini...you don't know?" Clearly something in my expression must have portrayed my ignorance to the man in front of me because I doubt my words were getting through to him. With renewed energy, I watch as Rohit leaps to his feet.

"Manik didn't tell you, did he?" Rohit questions, the corners of his lips tugging upwards into a knowing grin. "Nandini, he's been cooped up in the kitchen since this morning, baking a cake for your birthday. The man has either already burnt, and made a recipe blunder with two cakes now and he's currently working on his third."

"Birthday..." I murmur. As I recall the date, realisation slams into me causing my eyes to widen with surprise.

Good Lord, I completely forgot! Truth be told, I never remember my birthday. However, every year Noel is the one who dutifully reminds me of the upcoming date from a month in advance up until the actual day, itself. She's the one who religiously makes it a big ordeal, and ensures that it is properly celebrated. No wonder this year I truly did forget the date, since my personal reminder isn't here with me. A wave of emotion slams into me at the thought. Regardless of my complaints and resistance, I always did enjoy the lengths she went to in order to make me feel special. I treasured the handmade gifts she'd shower me with, ranging from bracelets made from twine to odd looking objects which I used to fail to recognise until she aided me in doing so.

"Ay, only that bastard can go to such lengths for you and fail to clue you in." Rohit says, his tone laced with disbelief. Although I have a lot that I wish to say and ask, I decide to voice the first thought that's poking the forefront of my mind.

"How in the world does Malhotra know my date of birth?" I question, as a scoff of amazement escapes my lips. Leaning in towards me conspiratorially, Rohit's lips tug upwards into a sly smile.

"He's aware of a lot more than you think, Nandini." Rohit whispers, offering me a wink. Momentarily, I'm taken aback by this admission that Rohit's made on his friend's behalf. Taking a step away from him, I clear my throat in a hopeless attempt that doing so will somehow dispel the disarrayed thoughts in my head as well. 

"Come to think of it," Rohit says, wagging his index finger in my direction. "You should go and help Manik. Heaven knows that he needs it," Rohit adds as an afterthought. "And although he has turned all the kitchen staff away because he wishes to do this himself for you, I'm sure he won't be able to give you the same treatment."

"I'm sure Malhotra wouldn't appreciate my interference either," I argue. Oh for crying out loud, my voice doesn't sound convincing to my own ears.

"Maybe you should just go and take a peek at the fool Manik's making of himself." Rohit suggests, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. "I surely would not like to miss such a once in a lifetime opportunity." I'm well aware that Rohit's words aren't convincing enough. However, they present me with just the right excuse to make my way towards the kitchen.

"You're right." I concede, without putting up a fight, simply because I don't wish to.