Page 74 of A King's Oath

“You heard me.”

He swallowed.

“I am not going to wait here all day, Kunwar.”

“I did it for you, Papa.”

His father looked like he wanted to strangle him and also like he wanted to cry. Samarth hated this look on his face. In a second it was gone, replaced by the strangling look.

“Alright. Then take it back for me.”

Samarth’s mouth dropped open.

“Kunwar.”

“Yes, Rawal?”

“Take it back.”

He did not move.

“I will not repeat myself.”

“I am sorry, I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“I swore that oath for Maarani, her parents. I swore it to water. It was a sankalp, taken with aachman. I…”

“The one who made you swear it can also make you take it back.”

“It doesn’t matter to me, Papa. I am so relieved to pursue polo…”

His father turned and strode out of his chambers.

“Papa?” Samarth called out. He did not stop or turn back, kept striding towards the Queen’s chambers. Samarth took a deep shuddering breath. Then another. Then another. It would be alright. He just had to let the storm pass.

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“Kunwar?” Ajatshatru Kaka found him in the stables that evening. Brushing the horses always got him to calm down. Samarth patted Chickoo’s neck and turned — “Yes, Kaka?”

“Rawal has asked you to go and see him in his office.”

Samarth immediately passed the brush to a groom and turned and strode out. When he was out of eyesight of people, he ran. Down the road to the main palace grounds and up the stairs. There he stopped, and strode, pushing his hair back from his forehead and checking his clothes. His T-shirt was dirty and had horse hair stuck to it. His jeans were stained. Nothing his father did not know about him anyway.

Samarth reached the King’s office and knocked on the closed door — “Rawal?”

“Come.”

He slowly opened the door and stepped in, keeping his head held high even if he did not meet his father’s gaze. If he cowered now, Papa would barrel on full force and flatten him. Make him do something drastic.

“Shut the door,” Papa clipped.

He clicked the door shut and came and stood in front of his desk, hands clasped in front of him.

“You are a minor,” Papa stated without preamble. “I still make your decisions, and will continue to do so as your father until you are a major and then as your king after that, until I amconvinced that you can make them yourself. This oath you swore does not stand any grounds therefore, so you will forget about it and move on. You are the heir to Nawanagar’s throne, and I am announcing your Yuvrajabhishek tomorrow. Once that is done this month, we will put this behind us.”

“Rawal, I am sorry, I cannot accept that,” Samarth held his ground. As he had expected — something drastic.

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