Page 102 of A King's Oath

She wanted to strangle him with the concierge’s phone chord as well as hug him tight.

“Bye-bye, Samarth.”

19. J For Jealous

“Please tell me there’s snacks, Ave,” Ivor grumbled, walking beside her down the VIP stands. She showed her pass and the one she had bought later to accommodate her plus one.

“Par ici, madame[43],” the usher held her arm out.

“Merci,” she weaved her way through the cream picnic chairs artfully arranged in rows. Samarth had dropped a pass for the first row.

“You just polished off my box of macaroons,” Avantika pointed.

“To help you. You did not like them.”

“Too almondy…” she caught the chair with her name on it. Her eyes widened.

HH Avantika Kumari Raje

She glanced at Ivor but he was busy scanning their surroundings, pushing his sunglasses up into his head. Avantika quickly swiped the thick place card and dumped it under her chair before lowering herself on the seat. She adjusted her wide pant legs as she crossed one leg over the other. Her first instinct had been to choose a dress. But then she had thrust her chin up and picked an Ava-classic. Pants were her thing. She loved them. Why would she trade them to show somebody something?

In a cream pair of wide-legged pants that skimmed the earth, a ribbed cream polo shirt tucked into it and her wide sunglasses,she knew she was making heads turn, like she always did. It wasn’t really in the clothes but in her walk. She also knew that. Had been trained in it since childhood. That was the reason Ivor had been hovering around her all week.

Little did he know…

“His Highness Giriraj Singh Mewad of India.”

The loud, booming announcement was made in heavily French-accented English. Avantika immediately stood to her feet. And there was the Steward of Mewad, the king beyond all kings of India. He didn’t age. Or was it that her momentary girlhood crush on him made her immune to his ageing?

Avantika blinked in the bright sun, admiring the tall, broad man he was, even in his fifties if she wasn’t mistaken. Giriraj Singh Mewad broke rules wherever he went. Here, today, in the French Open, he wore a jet-black bandhgala and a bright leheriya safa in the colours of his kingdom — orange, pink and yellow. He walked like he was still thirty, and smiled at everybody. She was sure he didn’t know half of the people he was smiling at. Or did he? After all, Giriraj Singh Mewad was known to possess knowledge of half of Indian royals. The other half were either his friends or relatives.

He walked to the front row and paused in front of her. His public smile broadened into a private one. Avantika beamed back. His gaze flitted to Ivor by her side, he smiled at him too, then returned to her.

“Hukum, I…” she began but was cut off by his — “Kaisi hai, Raje saheb?[44]”

So he didn’t want Ivor to decipher their exchange?

“Aapke ashirwad hai, Hukum,[45]” she folded her hands and bowed her head.

“Paris mein kya kar rahi hai?[46]” He rounded to the empty seat beside her. Avantika saw his entourage fumble, eyeing the guest of honour seats where the Indian High Commissioner was already standing and waiting for him with French biggies.

“Hukum… shayad aapka wahan intezaar kar rahe hai.[47]”

“Toh karne dijiye,” he smiled, then turned and nodded at the group awaiting him. “Ab baith bhi jaaiye, Raje. Aapka priyatam sunn hokar khada hai.[48]”

Avantika’s gaze went to the tents in the distance. Then realising Hukum meant Ivor, she quickly glanced at him.

A sputter left her mouth but she held it back, schooling her features — “Yeh mera priyatam nahi hai[49]… Ivor, this is the King of Mewad, one of the most opulent regions of India. Hukum, this is Ivor, my colleague from Van Cleef & Arpels.”

Ivor was tongue-tied and confused. “How do I greet him?” He muttered into her ear.

“Fold your hands together.”

He did, looking comical with his 6 foot 3 frame bending forward like she had to Hukum. Hukum smiled and nodded at him, not saying anything else. That was her cue to settle down.

“You go girl,” Ivor whispered to her. “You know royalty?”

“I am… kind of royalty,” she confessed.

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