Thirst of Power (Complete)

Part 22: Approaching end?

People prefer the certainty of misery than the misery of uncertainty.
-John Bradshaw

It hurt and it agonized and left her crushed, yet and still Devika didn't express any of it. She crumpled the bed sheets instead to stop her fingers that itched to get hold of him. Bit the quivering lips to stop them from begging him to stay and not leave her like this....and sucked in a deep breath to stop the tears from flowing free that would reveal her suffering.

But if she had to be honest with herself, she will have to accept that, more than misery and mere hurt to be abandoned by her husband on the dawn after their first night of intimacy. 'It was something else that bothered her even more. Much-much more.'

'Fear!' Indeed, she had put on the facade of bravado when that condescending queen had descended upon her to tear her flesh off. Yes, she had instead left the vulture scraped and wounded for now but she knew it was just for the time being and now that her only amour, her refuge, her husband will be gone....the analogy of 'tearing her flesh off' would take no longer to be molded into a literal fact.

She watched, laying from the edge of the bed, her face obscured underneath the crook of pillow, lest he finds out about her circulating predicaments, as he walked around the room, gathering his things.

The golden dagger went right into the pocket of his belt with a click, a pouch of essentials and what she assumed as medicines and a leather bag of water in one hand while his other hand collected the golden, ruby encrusted sheath that carried the long curved princely sword. His last possession.

She hadn't quite expected him to just get up and leave but he hadn't anticipated what he did either.

"I wouldn't leave you like this right now, in an unfamiliar place and amongst these potential hyenas, if I had a choice....but I don't!
There's something I have to do....to make this palace a better place for both of us, a few sacrifices to make it all right again." He kissed her forehead and nestled his head in the thick tresses of her glazing black locks, breathing in the heady fragrance. "I will be back soon, just stay safe." Before he picked himself up and...left.

~♡♡~

Devika mulled over things...moments...Love and life and all that changed last night and right then, the insecurities and fears that had been terrorizing her for so long, the ghosts of this foreign palace, vanished in thin air.
She was strong, had always been and now that she knew her husband was with her even if not physically present, she can sail this ship alone however rough the ride gets, until he returns.
And rest assured, she should now have no reason to avoid that queen either. Her husband hadn't married that infamous foreign princess, he had married her, loved her and she would no longer hide in this hole of a chamber.
And it didn't felt rushed, instead a feeling of quite peace and giddy happiness bubbled within her as the sun rose higher in the sky.
Yes, her husband was gone...for now but he would return soon and life would change again, in a beautiful way, and Devika could not wait for his homecoming already.

The old lady assigned as her help bustled around the chamber a few moments later, throwing open the curtains and windows as she complained about her knee pain and Devika was snapped out of her precious chain of thoughts. "Navi chacchi, why don't you go and sit in the sun and rest your aching joints, I will call for you if I need."

Right that moment the old woman turned around, scanned the room first and then slowly and cautiously her old eyes sweeped through the rumpled bed and then fell straight on her bare throat and shoulders, simultaneously catching the small heap, where her clothes lay discarded.
And boy, did she smirk....her wrinkled cheeks tightening from all around, eyes twinkling in unbridled mirth. "You could have simply ordered me to leave you alone anyway."
The young bride though was right down flustered and abashed by the way her eyes sweeped over her bare self, it was no wonder she already had the exact idea of what had happened. Yet, to save herself from any further mortification she schooled her cast appearance as something purely innocent, though Navi chacchi was buying none of it anymore.
"Stop looking at me as if you know nothing your highness." The old lady smirked again, going through her wardrobe to pick out a fresh outfit for her mistress before she left.
"I think, I will take your offer to sit in the sun on this fine morning and leave you alone."
"I will bring some warm water later for your bathe." At that statement though Devika looked quizzically at the woman who seemed to be in no hurry to leave. "Oh! You would need a little warm water, believe me." And Devika's face grew even redder if that was humanely possible.

.
.
.
.
Devika laid in bed for a few moments more, breathing in his smell, the pillow, the sheets, even her own body smelled like him right then.
Picking up the dress, the old maid had laid out for her, she changed, the soreness between her legs even lesser now than when she had woken up.
Gathering her apparels of last night and the sheets that now had a few bloody spots, she took them into the washstand to scrub them clean of every notorious sign of last night. As already, that wicked old woman knew everything and if THESE fell into her hands, she won't see the end of this day.

Later she spent her day touring the palace grounds, the fort, the practicing arena, those high towers that had the most beautiful view of the ruler countryside below. The gardens of enchanting roses, tulips and orchids and many-many things more that upheld the incredible beauty of this enormous palace.
Yes, she felt desolated and lonely but she would survive. Just a few days!

The day soon morphed into night and Devika was already in a deep slumber, unaware that someone, somewhere was exactly as much impatient to be back to her as much as she wanted to be reunited with him and except tossing and turning on the makeshift beds he can do nothing but bury the sweet ache that came from this impermanent separation from the woman he wanted to never let out of her sight...or bed. Both of them awaiting a new morning, their fears and insecurities falling quite in the serene lap of night.
Unbeknown, that those very dreadful insecurities were going to come back with a vigour with the first ray of sun.

~∆∆~

It was a quite morning. Quite and lonely as Devika sat on a reading table absentmindedly turning the olden pages of a book she had already read twice. When the chaos started, with a woman barging into her chamber huffing and puffing. The panic was palpable as she repeated the order from the king. 'She had been summoned to the morning court, there's an announcement to be made!'

Devika remembered walking through the corridors as women, men, guards whispered, something was wrong, she knew it then, and with every step she took through the carpeted aisle, it changed from a uneasy feeling to an assured certainty that, 'something was wrong.'

But she didn't know what until, the entrance of the queen was announced, but this fateful morning the vulture wasn't alone, rather her so called molested sister followed right behind but that wasn't what bothered Devika most, but the dazzling smiles on their faces did churn her stomach and she chucked a large amount of air to stop the nausea that threatened to spill forth. 'What is going on?'
Amongst hundreds of unknown, stranger faces she looked around. The king sat on his golden throne at the far end, the women behind the sheer curtains and the only known face was of her brother-in-law, prince Roopak but today even he looked grim and...troubled and not once did his gazed towards her.

'What is....' Her heart galloped at a racing speed as queen sunayna sashayed forward with her sister in tow.

"It is with immense pleasure that I announce my sister Princess Sukanya's wedding that has been officiated last evening with none other but our very own prince....prince Chandra, who had himself went to chitrakoot and asked princess Sukanya's hand in marriage from his majesty himself. The wedding is to happen on the 3rd day of next month, shravan."

There's something I have to do....to make this palace a better place for both of us, a few sacrifices to make it all right again.....There's something I have to do.....
His words from a night ago, swirled in her mind as she let the nausea and darkness overcome her.