Page 29 of A Royal Deception

“I could throw you over my shoulder again, Rani Sa. Think of the grand entrance you’ll make upside down over your new husband’s shoulder,” I threatened, and she picked up speed with a glare nasty enough to match mine.

I grabbed her hand and led her firmly down the red carpet as Veer finally caught up with his demented wife.

“I’ve got Basanti in the car,” she called out. “Give me a shout if you need her.”

For fuck’s sake!

As we walked down the red carpet, and I saw Ma and Kaki Sa’s expectant faces waiting for us at the other end, the reality of what I had done began to sink in. I had brought home the wrong wife! How on earth was I going to explain my actions?

Shivina’s hand began to tremble in mine, and I remembered that if I was in trouble, so was she. And she was terrified. Good, I thought viciously. She deserved it. And yet, quite against mybetter judgment, I squeezed her hand in support. And turned her palm to face mine as I wound my fingers around hers.

She exhaled sharply but did stop shaking.

“I’m putting an end to this farce,” she whispered, pulling her hand out of mine.

Kumudini Kaki Sa was preparing to do the traditional aarti, but before she could begin, Shivina raised her hands and folded her veil back. My aunt gasped in surprise.

“Haye haye, who’s this?” she asked.

“This is my wife, Shivina,” I replied, bracing myself for the shitstorm that was to follow.

“Ranvijay, explain yourself at once,” said Ma sharply.

“It’s all my fault, Rani Ma,” said Shivina before I could speak. “His Highness had nothing to do with it. I stood in for Kavya Baisa at the wedding.”

“But why?” asked Ma.

For money, I opened my mouth to say snidely. But what came out was completely different.

“Because the bride was held up with something more important. And this is the Dodiyas’ idea of honour. They preferred to scam us instead of owning up to the truth.”

Still snide, but not against Shivina. What the hell was wrong with me? I wanted to make her squirm and suffer and pay for her sins, didn’t I? Then I had no business heading the uncomfortable questions away from her.

“I don’t understand what’s happening,” exclaimed Kaki Sa.

“He married the wrong woman, Mom,” said Sangram with a smirk.

Immediately, there was a buzz of whispers around the courtyard. I could see my relatives and the staff casting judgmental looks at Shivina. She stood with her head bowed and her shoulders braced. As if she knew she deserved all thejudgment and hate she was about to receive for deceiving me and my family.

It should have given me a lot of pleasure to see her punished for her actions. Yet, for some reason, it didn’t.

All I could think of was that she was all alone in a strange palace, and every member of the household was about to turn against her because my people were nothing if not loyal. If they turned on her before she even entered the palace, they’d make her life very difficult. And I didn’t know why, but I couldn’t stand that.

She had wrongedme. Only me. Which meant that only I had the right to punish her.

Maybe that’s why I said what I said. And maybe it had something to do with the slimy way Sangram was looking at the woman I had just married. I wanted to pluck his fucking eyes out and stuff them down his throat.

I drew myself to my full height and stared him down until he looked away uneasily.

Then I held my hand up until there was complete silence in the courtyard before I spoke loud and clear.

“You’re wrong, Sangram Singh. Through a strange stroke of fate, I actually married the right woman. Rani Ma, may I present the new Maharani of Mirpur?Her Highness Shivina Singh Rathore.”

CHAPTER 12

SHIVINA

An uneasy silence followed His Highness’s words. Even the nagada and tutari fell silent. And I didn’t blame them.

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