Author's note:

Wholeheartedly dedicating the entire chapter 14 to ErzaLockhart, MishaSahu7, Prathi1412, rathideepti, Sriram_Gudimella and enthralledreader. I'm having such a fabulous time with you all on wattpad and knowing your insights. Let's find out together what in the world this Pride really is. Here we go!

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I bit my lip with disappointment when the High King delivered the verdict. It was grossly unjust.

"With the videotaped confession by the alleged King Bhupathi Garg, it is proved that the Codicil of Will, written by the late King Harsh Thribhuvan, is absolutely genuine and unaltered. The case lodged by Bhupathi Garg stating that the properties signed off to him by Late Queen Premila Thribhuvan were out of necessity and a matter of personal choice, is now confirmed to be a false statement and has now been canceled. Hayden Mackay is chosen as the rightful successor of the Rawat's property as per the Act of Nirnaya is concerned.

With all the evidence exposing the sins of King Bhupathi Garg, it is only justifiable for the King to agree to abdicate from the responsibility of ruling the Narula Dynasty and in favor of the next in line for the throne. The King has committed a highly offensive crime by following the teachings of Almourah, as well as forcing the men in his family to perform the atrocity. Taking everything into consideration, Bhupathi Garg, being a member of the High Clan of Rajya and under the Act of Throne Regeneration, is sentenced to five-year solitary punishment in the correctional facility and a fine of one crore Rupals shall be deposited in Panchayat as soon as possible. If the convict displays satisfactory behavior within the first two years, the punishment is entirely pardonable in the view of a good-natured attitude and is later free to spend the remaining three years in solitary at home.

The following case regarding the appeal filed by the Samagraha of the generation under the Official sanction Act 1965 shall be commenced around two o'clock. Case adjourned."

There was no time to sit distressing for the injustice that was done. The plan, Pruthvi and I had thought of, was needed to be executed within the given three-hour time gap. Informing King Aghasthya and Ashwant that we were off to have lunch, we detoured off together to get to it. However, all through the process Bhupathi's sardonic smirk, Archit getting puffed up with conceit and Nazira's disheartened expression that said "it's not enough" were imprinted in my mind as though with a branding iron. This made me act more robust and in an aggressive manner than I'd meant to be.

"Why can't you ask Ashwant or King Aghasthya to help?" Leena asked, "They always help."

"They will not allow us to be tough, that's the whole point," Pruthvi replied. "Bhupathi's a cocky egomaniac. Why will he want to spill the secrets?"

"And I think King Aghasthya is already mad at me," I said, "for posting the letter without seeking permission. So yeah, it has to be done this way."

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The knight shrieked with his googly eyes nearly popping out of his sockets. He slid backward and scratched the concrete wall- a hopeless, mindless attempt to build himself an emergency exit. His cry for help attracted a couple of more knights on duty. Too bad for being on the other side of the barrier that disallowed anyone from entering or exiting. They stood stiffened at the spot, and then getting a grasp of the situation they scurried away further inside screaming their lungs out. Their piercing scream created a thundering effect all the way through in the dimly lit passageway.

"Open the gate," I said, my voice forceful and threatening. A steely-eyed death stare made the knight shudder with terror. "Give me permission to enter. Do as I tell you, and I promise no one will get hurt."

His limbs shivered as a caged squirrel. He continued scratching against the wall and pretended merely to consider my demand. I sighed unable to blame him for ignoring me. This wasn't the first time I was regarded as someone worth bothering about.

"Open the damn gate!" I yelled, making him aware of my presence. I couldn't afford to waste another second.

He was startled at my enraged voice. Shaking with fear, he removed the keys dangling down from his leather belt. His white knightly woolen robes crinkled a bit in the process. The bunch of keys jingled when he inserted in the knob and twisted it. The gate finally opened with a screech.

Holding the sickly abominations tightly in my grip, I pulled the knight with me as I stepped inside. And made sure to lock the gate back.

"Walk with me," I said, coldly, "Take me to the cell where the king is staying. And absolutely no shenanigans, I mean it."

There was a mocking grunt. I ignored it.

The passageway we stepped into seemed to be designed keeping the precious Clan of Rajya in mind. No matter the freezing temperatures outside, here it was warm and cozy, as though the weather during the Fest of Vrindahina was captured within this correctional facility built a couple of streets away from the Panchayat's building. The walls on both sides were straight and shiny with regular intervals of bright glow from the lanterns. The rich, distinctive aroma of sandalwood wafted as we walked further inside.

The cells were the worst part of this facility, comforting in all senses and the more I watched, the more I detested it. Apart from the bars concealed with silky curtains, nothing of it described a typical prison cell as that of Sharad's. These cells were a five-star luxury suite equipped at great expense. Marble flooring. Fluffy plush sofa. A king-size bed with pillows and comforters. Windows, so high that a full-grown man would easily fit in. They were festooned with silvery velour curtains. And how I could miss the panoramic, stunning view of Madhyakshetra village. There was another door off the side of the cell, which I guessed was a washroom. A comfortable dining table was laid with cutlery. A bottle of Uilani and a glass mug on the table. What the...heaven?!

I felt a pang of annoyance. Bhupathi Garg was supposed to rot in a gas chamber. Leena and every one of us hadn't gone through so much trouble to let a pretentious king lead a fancy, sophisticated life like this, had we?

The scream of a woman grabbed my attention. She was dressed like any other maids I had seen working in the Sharad Palace. Panic-struck, she dropped a tray filled with snacks. I looked at her carefully-her attire was slightly lopsided and face tired, guilty and sweaty. It was darn clear. The women were allowed to enter the correctional facility to offer more than just snacks.

The annoyance turned into rage. "Out! Get out!"

Screaming, she ran past us, towards the entrance gate.

I snapped an angry look at the knight. He wasn't shivering as much as he had a minute ago. However, he dropped his face down in shame and embarrassment.

"Where is he?" I asked.

"Down there." He pointed to the left.

Walking a further distance the lanterns seemed to get lesser in number, spaced much apart forming thick darkness. I turned around at the required cell. The sun's rays filtered in through the window, glistening the marble floor. I squinted for a better look. There was no sight of him, but the splattering sound of the shower coming from the washroom confirmed his presence.

"Unlock the door," I asked the knight, "You do keep the key secured with you, right? Or do you hand it over to the kings in the name of giving respect?"

The knight wiped his sweat and tears before obliging to my say. He jiggled with the key in the lock and with a click, the door opened. At once, I snatched the keys from him. The knight gasped at my instant reaction, a horrific expression plastered on his face. Only a single way to escape from this correctional facility which I'd locked and the keys were now in my hands. There was no way out for these knights and be a tattletale to screw up my plan. The other knights guarding the correctional facility were all trapped as well, hiding somewhere inside. And oh that poor woman...

I stepped inside alone into the damned cell and stood by the door in the dark. Despite the time being the essence, I patiently waited. I needed to get back to my final and significant hearing in the Panchayat in less than an hour. This another meeting with the High King would be the deciding factor. I'd waited for this day for a while and now waiting for few more minutes seemed hard to put up with. I felt losing my calm energy yet I focussed to remain patient. Nevertheless, the one with the sense of grown impatience was wandering at the other side of the cell bar, all geared up to explode.

I suddenly felt a prickly sensation in my head.

"Pruthvi?" I asked.

"Yes, I'm here." His instant reply now was clearly voiced in my brain. "Did you get him?"

"Almost," I whispered, shifting the crap I was holding from one hand to the other.

"Hurry up. This looney tune is getting out of control."

"Just hang on a little bit more."

The running water of the shower stopped, followed by the sound of clothes sliding off the hanger. The door opened and I let my fists remain firm on the sides, wanting to keep my anger in check as I watched the old man walking out wiping his bald shiny head.

My first instinct was to get a handful of his neck. To squeeze it and burn him down- right there, right at that moment. The contented relaxed look on his face added fuel to my anger. How easily he had escaped the punishment I'd wished for him, the justice she had been wanting to give my grandmother. Everything drowned in the gutter just because he belonged to the High Clan.

He blinked and gazed through the darkness. "Who's there?" he asked, throwing his towel aside.

I took a step into the angled afternoon sunlight to reveal my face, the brightness made my eyes shrink.

"Oh, it's you," he reproached, slumping his shoulders down. "You don't seem to have manners to not to nose around in your host's place. They say it right, you are so similar to Harsh."

"Wrong," I said, "we are the two different sides of the same shield. You don't even want to have this useless talk with me, seeing that you have no way out of this prison. Let's just get to the point, alright?"

"What do you want?" he asked, succumbing, "You've proved me guilty. Everyone knows the truth. What's left to know?"

"What was Doctor doing in Uttarameer?" I asked, straightaway. "I know you know everything. So just tell me and I'll leave."

His lips curled into a sardonic smile. "You wish, Mackay, you wish. I give you the information and you simply leave? Naah, that's not how it works in this country."

I sighed frustrated. "Don't tell me you want something in return. You're lucky to be alive today. Just be thankful for that."

He let out a mocking laugh. "Kings of Dakshinpur don't kill, Mackay. They only have the vigor to die like a rat in a hole."

I shook my head losing my patience. "I was so trying to avoid it but you leave me no choice." I turned around and said, "Go ahead."

Grrrrr...

His wait to show the mettle, to prove who the real King standing in the prison, finally came to an end. Singh put forth his careful and steady steps towards Bhupathi Garg, his muscles were a fit of spasm. He growled gently, yet it sounded menacing as much as his roar. I peeked sideways at his eyes when he walked past me. So sharp, fiery golden and stone-cold, just as they were since the moment I'd told him what and why it was necessary to make a forcible entry.

The prison shuddered on Bhupathi Garg's soul dying scream. He took quick frantic steps back, colliding himself to the window and finally realizing there was no way to flee, he dropped himself down to the floor in a sitting position with his legs spread apart. Sweat instantly sprung out of his temples and his head glistened in the sunlight.

"You want to use this filthy animal as your crutch, Hayden Mackay?" Bhupathi shouted, his voice shaky yet trying to sound confident, "I know your limits. You cannot use it against me."

"Grr...noisy humans!" Singh muttered, jerking his head aside in disgust.

"Step aside, Singh," I said, walking upfront. "That's all I needed you to do."

"That's all?"

"Yes," I said, firmly, wanting him to shut it. Time was running out. "Please, let me do my thing. But stay right here until I'm done, alright?"

Singh released a steaming breath in exasperation and backed away. He resumed his saunter across the prison, his eyes fixed on the shivering prey.

I crouched down beside Bhupathi and glowered at him, but he seemed overly bigheaded for his age and even with a giant-sized lion hanging around a few feet away. "If you hurt me, everyone will know," he warned, "Don't forget you are after all only a Samagraha."

"Shhh! Listen to me first," I said, pressing my eyes shut, "I know with me here, with my Constellia here, even after making you hang in the limbo of life and death, you wouldn't answer my questions. For you, it would mean to sell out to the demands of someone belonging to Rawat. So I came here prepared."

I lifted my hand holding the junk, and threw one after the other at his face. "Shirt, trousers and...ew."

Confused, he quickly fumbled through the clothes that were torn and dirty, and with stains of blood. Then he gasped out loud. "Archit's. These are Archit's."

"Perfect," I said, faking a smile. "My Constellia and I are here. Pruthvi and his Constellia are taking good care of your son who is right now locked up in his own bedroom and is stark-naked. Sorry, I needed some evidence to prove that we've got him."

"Son of a..."

"Hold it," I hedged, keeping a finger up against his filthy mouth. "I'm not you, alright? I'm not a maniac. But if you lie to me today, if I realize that everything you've told me is a complete load of crap, then I swear...my friend is more ill-tempered than I am for what you've done to his sister. He will lose his temper and make Archit run naked in the streets of Narula. You know what that means, don't you?" I leaned closer as if to confide a secret. "Women live in the streets. Women will watch his dignity getting demolished. Women will laugh and gossip and..."

"Stop! Don't!" Bhupathi stammered, his scared reddened eyes staring at the lion. "I'll tell you everything."

"Good," I said, "I know you'll do anything to save your crappy leftover honor. Now SPEAK UP!"