|| - Cracks on the Wall - ||

One of the worst feelings in the world is having to doubt something you thought was unquestionable...!

__________

"Let her go!" David called after, his voice sharp and commanding. Lillian lowered her arm with a dagger aimed at the rider, turning to look at him with a scowl. David stood beside her and watched his horse and the agitated rider disappearing in a cloud of silvery dust as the distance swallowed them.

He had not imagined Kashi to take his word on it. It spoke a lot about the princess's character; information which he filed away in the back of his mind for future use. Kashi and Noor – the girls were too close than what he would have liked to work with. So interwoven they were that a suspicion cast on Noor made Kashi recoil as if it had been an allegation against her. Dave scratched his chin unconsciously, trying to get rid of the image of Kashi's eyes burning in fury as she defended her friend.

"Noor would never do that – never – do you hear me?" She had all but growled, before David had produced the anklet the attacker had left behind and dangled it in front of her eyes.

"Then – would you vouch that this does not belong to her? This anklet with the Nawab's coat of arms -? "

She backed away from the clear proof of her friend's betrayal and held his gaze with so much venom that it made David wince.

"I should have known better than to trust a man who hides behind a false name."

"What exactly, were you trying to do Mr. McLane?" Lily huffed sheathing her dagger.

"I want her alive Miss. Kent. I wouldn't let you spoil my efforts after so long."

Lillian shook her head absentmindedly, her face still scrunched in disdain. She stopped to pull the heel of her boot from where it had sunk into the sand and hurried after David who was walking towards where she had fastened her horse in the shade of the precipice where the boulder blocked the wind.

"Your father wouldn't be pleased to hear what transpired today, Mr. McLane," She added coldly.

"That would depend on the way you put this encounter into words I believe Miss Kent," he held out his hand for her to mount the horse after him, once he had had prepared to ride back. Lily's face paled only a little at the thinly veiled accusation before she accepted his help. "If you are wondering how I found out – I knew it from the moment you volunteered to accompany us on a trip that you would never enjoy. You are his eyes and ears here."

"I'm not going to be talked into keeping secrets for you Mr. McLane," Lily, bit her lip darkly wondering when she had been so predictable about her motives.

David chuckled.

"I'm simply going to request you do exactly what my father instructed you to do. I believe he said something along the lines of observe not obstruct –"

Lily worried at her lower lip again, thankful of the darkness that made her heated cheeks discreet. She and David had never been on different sides. An opponent like David McLane was not something she would fancy, even at the heights of her adventurous spirit.

Anger – she tried to remind herself how unreasonable David was being and exactly how he had compromised their entire mission by his misplaced trust on that feisty princess who liked to call herself a rebel. Lily had been taught anger was the only way she would manage to wield any power and it had never let her down so far.

So when she replied, she let the anger colour her tone.

"That does not mean I will look on while you expose yourself to a stranger who has never given a single indication of herself being worthy of trust!"

Although she could see nothing beyond his back and broad shoulders, Lily knew he was smirking.

"Let's be honest Lillian, neither of us stood by his instructions. Because," he paused briefly, taking a less used abandoned route inside the Chandranagara fort. "That's not how we play our game. No by – stander could dictate our terms."

"Do you even remember why you are here?" Lily demanded, trying hard to ignore how on point those words had been in describing them. She admired David McLane, but not his propaganda.

"Yes." He replied briefly, as she slid down from the horse. David's gaze had already left her by the time Lillian looked back at him. "And I'm much closer to achieving that than you could possibly believe." He told her, his eyes roaming the surrounding. "However, I would advise you to stand by my father's instructions Miss Kent. I'd rather it if you don't repeat what you did tonight. David McLane doesn't spill blood unless it is absolutely necessary. You'd do well to remember that. Good night!"

He was gone before she had contemplated a fitting reply to his advice, leaving behind a cloud of dust and an illusion of silence.

**

The swords clanked as the fencers were thrown off by the force of the collusion of their blades. Afreen took the blow gracefully and maintained her balance by bending and sticking her sword on the ground. Kashi was still breathing heavily when she straightened up to look at her.

"I will not be lured into doubting Noor Banu," she said determinedly, slicing the air as if striking an imaginary foe.

Afreen fetched her shawl from where she had draped it over a chair and put away her sword. She had known Kashi Bai for a while and had learned it by experience that her rage should not be disturbed.

"He played well," Kashi said after a moment, tossing off her own weapon. Her cheeks were still coloured with her fury but her breathing was returning to normal rhythm. "For a brief second I almost trusted him – almost!"

"The risk he took is admirable." Afreen said slowly, adjusting her shawl as she sat back on the edge of the plush bed. "To reveal his deepest secret in exchange of trust is –"she waved her hand trying to fetch the perfect adjective. " – Brave and foolish."

Kashi stilled on her tracks and rounded on her, her eyes burning in fury again.

"Do you think I should have believed him?"

Afreen shrugged.

"That is entirely up to you, Kashi Bai. But I'd take precautions for myself if I were you," she said nonchalantly. "Noor banu is a very good girl – indisputable. But Nawab Khan is a very cunning and dangerous man – also indisputable. David McLane had you almost trusting him, yet went on to share his suspicions with you and in turn got a rise out of you – an issue worth pondering over; don't you think?"

Kashi exhaled slowly, fingers digging into her palms where she had clutched her fists. She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply again. Afreen watched the slow rise and fall of her chest and wondered if she had calmed down enough hear the rest of her opinion.

"What do you propose we do?" She said in the end, her eyes still closed. Afreen smiled to herself.

"I propose we wait – only time will tell us if David McLane was right or not." She patted the spot beside her on the bed and Kashi complied, coming over to sit beside her. "Not to forget he saved you from a near discovery tonight."

"I do not want to be indebted to him," Kashi confessed with a sigh.

"Is that how you feel about him?" Afreen sounded amused and Kashi almost scowled at her before collapsing on the bed, staring aimlessly at the incarnate patterns on the crafted ceiling.

She did not want to think about David McLane for thought of him invoked conflicting emotions inside her. She did not trust him, but there was no denying that his presence was reassuring at times like back at the dungeons when they were hiding in the shadows. He was a mysterious man, a stranger with secrets – but something about his eyes was so familiar up close. And he spoke of her as if he knew every little detail of her history, of her losses, of her ambitions.

"Conflicted," she said in the end, louder that she jerked at the sound of her own voice. "I feel conflicted over him."

Afreen turned her head and looked at Kashi over her shoulders. Corners of her lips tugged upward in a thoughtful smile.

"I thought he was too similar to you Kashi Bai, no wonder you feel conflicted about him." She said then. Kashi sat back upright and was about to challenge her statement when the door to the antechamber cracked open.

"Rajkumari?" Gauri knocked at the door and Afreen went to open it for her.

Kashi got to her feet, studying the solemn look in Gauri's wrinkled face.

"What is it Kaki?" Kashi asked tentatively.

"Commander Satyavan has been released and tasked with hunting Meghdyuth himself."

Afreen sighed, shutting the door once Gauri had stepped inside. Kashi narrowed her eyes.

"And that has you worried?" She noted, moving closer to take the woman's hands in her own.

"Meghdyuth is charged with murder – murder of a courtier!"

Kashi let her hands drop and turned towards Afreen, the latter held her gaze for a moment before asking.

"What do you want me to tell him?"

"Tell him to keep an eye on Noor Banu and let me know of anything suspicious." Kashi replied briskly, as if her decision had been long made and pondered over. "It's time we take some precautions."

**

From Lillian Kent's window a bird flew off, carrying a sealed note to a trusted messenger; who would then deliver it to James McLane; the puppeteer behind the curtains. Chandranagara remained shrouded in darkness for the rest of the night, occasionally disturbed by a patrolling guard or a hooting owl.

**
Cracks on walls or people or opinions? Who do you think is right, Dave or Kashi? Could Noor really be a sinister shadow or a soft butterfly?
I'd love to hear your take, tell me in the comments.
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