~10 years later~

"Dhruv! Krishna! Dhrupad! Get ready all of you. Quickly please. We have to leave soon." I hurried around, ordering maids to place the platters in the carriages that would soon take us to Kaling.

"No mother. I don't want to go." Dhruv folded his arms across his chest reluctantly.

"What do you mean you don't want to go? Of course you have to go. It's your cousin's wedding!"

"I'll just write to Ashwatara and tell her I'm sorry."

"No. Even your father's coming, everyone's going so why don't you want to go?"

"I have sword practice, mother. If we'll be staying there for two weeks, that's too long."

"You can practise in your grandfather's palace, bhaiya." Krishna patted his back in encouragement and he got up lazily.

Soon they were all ready with neatly sown robes.

"Alright. The princes are all ready. Rani Maa, Maharani - let's take a seat in the carriages."

"Ashok, when are you coming?" I turned round to him as he was busy giving a scroll.

"Well, you go on ahead and I'll join you this evening at your father's palace. I have to nip in to the ministry quickly for some urgent letters. I'll see you there."

"Okay - and what about Samrat Sushim?" I asked hesitantly.

"He's not coming. He has some urgent work back in Magadh." Maharani interrupted.

I frowned.

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Soon we had all reached the beautiful palace of Kaling, and as soon as we entered the majestic gates, there was cheering and clapping when the carriages stopped in the vast courtyard which had been the place where I would dance in the rain before my marriage.

Now it had completely transformed into a carpet of flowers and a small path through which people would toss flower petals at us as we walked through. We pressed our palms together and greeted everyone.

At the raised platform in the front, my father stood with my brother's daughter under his arm, wrapping his hands around his shoulder. She really did look beautiful.

I greeted my mother, and hugged my father.

"You're looking so beautiful." I smiled at Ashwatara and placed my palm around her cheek.

She blushed and looked down.

When Krishna bent down to seek my father's blessings, he twitched slightly at the sight of my step-son.

I walked over to him. "He's Krishna. Ashok's son..."

To my relief, my father didn't say much but pretended to smile and blessed him somehow. I didn't want another scene to be created.

Krishna smiled at him, believing he was his true maternal father.

"Prince Ashok hasn't come?" Father asked me.

"Oh, he's coming this evening."

He nodded. "Right, come on in kids and welcome Maharani and Rani Dharma."

"You're beautiful. I hope my grandsons get a wife as beautiful as you." Rani Dharma gazed at Ashwatara. "You have a very lucky husband."

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The palace was elaborately decorated with hung up lanterns and flower garlands roped around pillars which loomed over the marble-floored corridors.

Ashwatara handed us all water and snacks as we sat down in the great hall.

"So. Who are you marrying?" Maharani asked her.

"Prince Rakshat of Tapvasya." She replied.

"Hmm... it's a shame your father isn't alive to see this day..." she taunted.

Our smiles lessened, clearly understanding what she meant to say.

"She may not have a father, but she has someone who loves her as a daughter just as much." An unexpected voice sounded from the doorway.

To my surprise, Ashok had marched in. Ashwatara ran and hugged him. They had been very close.

"Ahh... Ashok my son - come in." My father got up from his royal seat and they greeted each other.

"You're here so early?" I whispered in his ear.

"Job was done quick." He replied back.

"Well, his friends and Ashwatara's friends will be coming round so the children will help with platter decorations and kitchen work for the first ceremony tomorrow." My father said.

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DHRUV'S POV:

"Mother, can I practice my sword fighting now?" I asked my mother.

She looked at me with a smile. "You really are keen on getting this done aren't you?"

I nodded, hoping she would say yes.

"Alright, go on then." She blinked and nodded.

"Thank you mother." I hugged her and clutched my sword tightly.

I brisk walked along the long winding corridors which were undergoing wedding transformations, with servants hanging up flowers, cleaning the pillars and even climbing in corners to try and get the odd spider web to come off, I finally came to the indoor sand pit which was circular. Surrounding it were many guards with lowered heads and I looked around satisfyingly.

Good. It was nice and private.

I began the techniques Mahamatya had taught me, and added some more.

After about five minutes, I saw some faces of girls peeping in secretly and giggling to their friends while watching me practice. As soon as I looked in their direction, they turned away and hid.

I rolled my eyes at the distracting giggling and tried to focus, although it was hard knowing you had a secret audience who were drooling over you.

Impatiently, I stopped and put on my robes again which I had temporarily taken off for my practice. My bare chest suddenly felt very warm and neatly put all the equipment back.

"Excuse me." I said to the big huddle of girls that were waiting by the door.

They blushed and giggled silently, and one accidentally dropped their basket containing many fruits. I sighed and decided it was good manners to help them, however they kept staring at me to such an extent that I had to turn and go the other way.

I shook my head in disbelief. "These girls. They're going to kill me."

Just then, as I was turning the corner, I bumped into a girl who was rushing with a large basket.

She ran right into my chest and the basket flew upwards. I caught it quickly it in front of my face as fast as a bullet.

She stood there - standing in shock. Her eyes were sparkling like a fresh sheen of morning dew in the heated afternoon sun. Her loose hair strands travelled across her face like grains of sand, getting caught in her perfectly curved eyelashes that blinked at me in shock and surprise, although her thin, eyebrows were raised.

The smell of lilacs and Jasmine flowers reached up to my nose, and as she bent down to pick up the dropped items, I bent down as well, not taking my gaze off her.

"I'm - I'm so sorry... I -" I started, not knowing how to react.

"It's alright." She laughed forgivably. That beautiful smile which revealed her pair of pearly whites sent shivers down my spine and made me grin through the corners of my mouth.

"There you go." I breathed heavily as I handed her the objects.

"Thank you." She said quietly, giving me one last smile and heading off past me with a light pink shade to her cheeks.

I turned to watch her until she disappeared round the corner, and faced in my original direction to find Ashwatara.