Page 6 of The Burning Mountain
“You barred me from your bed, Princess,” he said silkily. “Sentencing me into forced celibacy. What would callthatif not an inconvenience?”
Chandra felt her cheeks warm in a blush. “You sound like my friend, Sameera. She loves bargains too,” she said, changing the topic. Privately she wondered why she was so pleased that he had been celibate. She hadn’t demanded that, but that was howhe chose to interpret it, and heaven help her, she found it quite touching.
“And how’d you know to do all this stuff?” She waved a hand toward the now clean pots and pans that were resting against the wall. “Isn’t it beneath a prince to learn menial labor?”
“I was a soldier first, before I became a general. The prince status is by birth, but I much prefer my title of Rajgarh’s general over it,” he said, washing his hands. “Had to learn all sorts of things.”
Chandra was stumped at his answer. There was still so much she didn’t know about him. But before she could question him further, he asked, “Why did Thianvelli separate from Amaravathi in the first place? They were both once a large kingdom. Was there a conflict?”
Chandra shook her head. “Not at all. In fact, it was the opposite. One of Amaravathi’s ancestors had twin sons. They grew up close and when they were of age, the eldest granted half his kingdom to his younger brother, which became Thianvelli. He also gifted him thepanch-pashuthrone.”
“Thepanch-pashuthrone?”
“Yes. One of the magical artifacts of Amaravathi. It is a throne decorated with the figurines of five signature animals fashioned along the armrests and back.”
“What could be magical about a throne?” asked Veer, baffled, wiping his hands on a cloth that hung around his neck.
“It is said that when a ruler of the kingdom faces a dilemma about what is right or wrong, the throne provides guidance by ‘showing’ them the truth. Truly, a worthy gift for a king who was just establishing a new kingdom. He must’ve loved his younger brother a lot.”
Chandra took a deep breath and continued. “So Thianvelli was born, and unlike most of the sister kingdoms in history, the partition happened peacefully. Ever since, the royal families ofboth kingdoms maintained cordial relations and have come to expect unshakeable loyalty from the other.”
“Until now,” said Veer, leaning against the wall and folding his arms.
“Yes. It’s unfortunate what happened to King Harideva, and I wish he had asked for our help before it was too late, but he had his pride.”
“I heard Harideva was also common born?” asked Veer as he tied their modest cloth bundle of belongings.
Chandra nodded. “The last king of Thianvelli, before Harideva, had two daughters but no sons. He conducted a contest to find a husband for his eldest daughter, Namata Devi, and then appoint him as his successor. But he opened the competition to everyone, not just people with royal blood. Harideva won the competition. But instead of marrying the eldest like everyone expected, he instead requested the hand of the younger princess, Gauri Devi, as his wife.”
“And the king agreed to it?” Veer frowned.
“He did, after Namata Devi convinced him.” She got up and turned down the lone lamp that was giving light. The sky was steadily lightening outside. It was time for them to leave.
“But doesn’t tradition say the husband of the eldest born would be made the king?”
“Namata Devi solved that dilemma by making a vow, forsaking marriage altogether. She wanted her sister’s happiness and wanted the lovers to be together. And when Prince Aditya was born, he was made the crown prince, securing the line of inheritance. Namata Devi agreed to be the regent until Aditya came of age.”
“What happened then?” asked Veer. “It sounds like fortune smiled on Harideva. Where did it go wrong?”
“Harideva’s predecessor was a very trusting king. He had made many indiscriminate appointments to the court withoutproperly vetting people. Harideva was attempting to clean up that mistake, but one of the high officials hatched a coup, knowing that he was close to losing his position. Unfortunately, while Harideva was able to get his queen and son to safety, he lost his life in the process.”
Veer was silent for a while. “And now Gauri Devi and Prince Aditya are in hiding and Namata Devi is trapped with the usurping rulers.” Veer shook his head with genuine regret. “Harideva was a thorn in Rajgarh’s side for so long that I actually admired his grit and obstinacy in the battlefield. It’s sad to know the end he has come to, even though he was an enemy.”
Chandra winced. “I don’t think it was personal, Veer. He aligned himself to Amaravathi’s cause because Thianvelli has always done so.”
“How close are you with the current ruler of Thianvelli, King Naga Bhairava?” asked Veer contemplatively, as he laid the cot vertically against one wall. Together they cleaned the dwelling as best as they could.
Chandra crouched over the stove. “Not close at all. They are distant relations by marriage, but…I don’t remember them from my visit to Thianvelli before.”
She sighed, poking the embers to make sure the fire was entirely out. “It’s sad that such a misfortune befell Gauri Devi, who is quite unsuited to the rigors of life on the road and hated violence of any kind. I met her at Prince Aditya’s naming ceremony. She is a sweet-and-trusting person. I could see why Harideva fell in love with her instead of her sister.”
“And what of Namata Devi?” asked Veer. “From what you are telling me, she isn’t like Gauri Devi?”
“Hardly. Namata Devi has an acid tongue. She is said to be extremely intelligent but can be abrasive if she takes a disliking to you.”
“She sounds more interesting than Gauri Devi, that’s for sure,” said Veer, rubbing his chin.
“Not everyone has your preferences, Veer,” said Chandra, a tad heatedly. She paused a beat, thinking. “Is that why you married me? That day when we met for the first time in the Navari Woods, I thought for sure you were intent on my sister, Aswini.”
