Page 10 of A Royal Deception

She sat up in bed as soon as I opened the door and bombarded me with questions.

“How was it? Is the dulha handsome? How was the food?” she asked excitedly.

“Awful, yes and I have no idea,” I mumbled before I stumbled into the bathroom to change out of the awful outfit I had been forced to wear.

She sighed dramatically.

“I had high hopes for this wedding, Di,” she groaned.

“Why? It’s not my wedding or yours,” I replied around a mouthful of toothpaste.

“It’s still a wedding. I was hoping to dance a little, eat some good food and maybe flirt with some boys,” she said, clutching a pillow to her chest.

I spat my toothpaste out in alarm. Boys??? What boys? She was only fourteen!

If I had my way, no boy would ever come near my sister until she turned thirty-five, but I knew that wasn’t a realistic goal. Zarna was going to grow up and discover boys whether I liked itor not. If I kept treating her like a child, she would rebel sooner or later, and I’d lose her forever.

Because, like it or not, I was her sister, not her mother. I might have raised her ever since our mother died, but I could never replace Ma. I had to accept that. And I had to accept that my sister was not a child anymore. All the same, I had to keep her safe. My stomach churned again at the thought of the dangers that lurked in every corner. My experience with Sangram tonight was a prime example of that. I couldn’t count on a prince coming to my rescue every time. And neither could my sister.

“The only boys at this wedding are going to be entitled royals who think they can use and discard women like tissue paper,” I said carefully. “And we’re not going to the wedding as guests. In fact, you’re not invited to the wedding at all, babe.”

She sat up and threw the pillow at me. I caught it and plumped it up again while she ranted.

“What! Why? That’s so unfair! I live here too,” she cried.

She was such a child sometimes, I thought frustratedly.

“You live here because of me, Zarna! Because I work for the Dodiyas. We’re not part of the family. I’m little more than a servant in the palace,” I said bluntly.

“So what?” she mumbled, not meeting my eyes.

“So we have to remember our place. If Rani Sa fires me tomorrow, we have to move out of the palace and believe me, if we’re not working for them, we’re as good as dead to the family. They won’t even acknowledge us if they meet us again.”

“But they’ve known us for years,” she argued. “Baba served them for so many years. I was born in this palace. Does that mean nothing?”

“Yes, it means nothing,” I replied brutally. “Maybe there are other, kinder royals who care about their employees, but theDodiyas aren’t like that. Do you know how much Rani Sa pays me?”

I named a salary that was less than the bare minimum required to survive. Zarna gasped in horror.

“The girls at my school spend more than that on skincare and outings every month,” she cried.

“Well, Rani Sa gets away with exploiting me because she knows we need this roof over our heads. She pays me much less than she pays the other staff because she’s paying your school fees. Sure, I can earn more if we leave here, but it won’t be enough for your fees as well as rent,” I explained.

Zarna’s face fell as she realised the extent to which we were indebted to the royal family.

“It’s all because of me, Di. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have to put up with their nastiness,” she said, beginning to cry. “It’s all my fault.”

I walked over to her bed and held her tightly.

“If it weren’t for you, Zarna, my life would have no meaning. You’re the only bit of light in my life. The only person who loves me. And I regret nothing. I don’t care how they treat me. I’ll do it happily for as long as I have to,” I declared, dropping a kiss on the top of her head.

“I’ll get a job,” she announced.

“No, you won’t,” I said sharply. “You will study really hard and fulfil all your dreams. Don’t forget the plan, Zarna. You’re going to become an astronaut and fly me to the moon, Rocket Girl.”

“Fine,” she said with a sigh.

“And stay away from rich boys, especially royals. They will only break your heart, Zarna. I mean it,” I said seriously.

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