Page 53 of The Burning Mountain
The merchant noticed Chandra’s interested glance. “Would madam like something too?”
“Do you make them all yourself?” she couldn’t help asking.
“Some I make. Some designs I buy for my customers who can’t make the journey by themselves.”
“And where do these come from?” asked Chandra, gazing at a pair of glass-patterned bangles, reluctantly fascinated by the intricate pieces. Matangi had asked her for a nose ring the day she had died at Ketuvahana’s hands. Her wish was forever destined to remain unfulfilled.
“Thianvelli.”
She froze and her hand faltered as she was about to take the pair.
The bangle seller’s face fell.
“What news from Thianvelli?” asked her aunt, oblivious to Chandra’s distress. “I heard Namata Devi’s marriage is going to take place with the crown prince?”
The seller’s face went alive as he shared in the latest gossip.
“Yes, it’s still going ahead.” His voice dipped conspiratorially. “Even though the third prince, Ketuvahana, was found seriously injured.”
“Injured?”
The bangle seller nodded vigorously. “He was found with his tongue and fingers cut, but the ordeal itself seemed to have broken his mind. No one could figure out what he was trying to say. Can’t even hold a pen to write anything.”
Her aunt gave a dramatic shudder. “Isn’t he the one with the nasty reputation? Do you know who did it?”
“That’s the mystery, though. No one knows who did it. Some think it’s the Resistance, but they’ve made no claims.” He lowered his tone further. “If you ask me, I’d say he was visited by a vengeful spirit of a woman he must’ve killed. And good riddance too.”
Her aunt made a commiserating noise while Chandra listened wide-eyed. The seller noticed her rapt attention and tried to gain her interest again.
“Er, madam, maybe if the bangles don’t interest you, perhaps I can show you this very special nose ring I got from Thianvelli. They are known for their skilled craftsmanship. This is an offer that can’t be missed.”
Before Chandra could deny his request, he pulled out the piece from a cloth-tied bundle and held it up.
About to refuse, she closed her mouth when the glint of the emerald stud caught her eye. The color was brilliant. The workmanship exquisite—a ruby surrounded by emeralds in the shape of a parrot she remembered seeing once before. Hardly daring to believe her eyes, she took the delicate piece.
“Where did you get this?” asked Chandra in an urgent voice.
“A lady in Thianvelli’s capital sold it to me. She said that I may fetch a nice price for it if I go to Sumedh. She even gave me directions to this home.”
“Dhatri,” thought Chandra. “Had to be her.”
She focused on the trader to see if he was speaking the truth, but saw no guile there. He really had no knowledge of the nose ring or what it signified.
“Chandra, do you want that ring?” asked her aunt, making her startle. Chandra had forgotten her presence.
She nodded and got up, her heart beating fast in excitement. An impossible hope seemed to burgeon, but she still needed confirmation. “Where is Veer?”
Her aunt looked surprised. “He is with your uncle. Why?”
“I need to see him. Now. Er…would you mind very much if I asked you to pay for this ring? It’s important to me.”
“Of course,” she said. “But Chandra, wait…”
But Chandra was already hastening away into the house, the object clutched securely in her hand. “He is with an important guest…” she heard from a distance.
24
THE KING OF SUMEDH
