Chapter 29
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A rich, fuzzy blend of colors swirled before her eyes. 

A palace slowly started to take shape, though smudged at first she could see clearly now. She walked past the lush green bushes and stepped into the quiet hallways. She swiveled her head to the sides. Not a soul in sight. That is strange. 

She peeked up and caught a glimpse of a shadow on the next platform. She hiked up her skirts, just enough so that she could move without falling face-first into the floor, and ran. Her heart pounded against her ribcage, with such force that she almost wondered whether she was keeping it captive behind the bars of her ribs.

She ran past the closed doors, climbed up the stairs, hurried down the corridor, and swung open a plain wooden door. Her frantic movements stilled as she let a curious foot meet cold marble. It led to a vast hall with arches and pillars, but she frowned. There was no sign of any furniture or materialistic items. But when she spun around once more, the details started to come into focus.

She could now see the gold glinting off the walls. Wait, this looks familiar. Aha! It was the courtroom but draped in much more beauty and decor. She turned towards her right. Carved pillars. Her head jerked up. Carved ceilings. She looked to her left to spot carved walls. There was a lot of carving today, did she have her sculptors redecorate the palace? And that too in the striking similar designs that she had seen somewhere else?

Everything was so intense and shimmering, it nearly blinded her. It was... as if she was in heaven. Everything seemed so bright, light, and... white! When she pivoted back- her breath caught in her throat when her gaze landed on him, covering his figure like a sheer, thin veil.

There he was. The man who occasionally dropped by in her dreams.

Why? She had no idea.

He smiled at her, his mouth parting open, as a single word spilled out of his lips, "Revati?" In a voice that sounded like a... a woman. Woman!? His face blurred as he called out again, but it was harsher this time and a more familiar voice. It seemed like her elder sister's.

She rubbed her eyes to see if she was imagining it but what she saw, was none other than Suruchi herself with a scowling face hovering over her sleeping frame calling - or rather yelling - out her name. What, when did she lie down? And when did the floor become that... soft and like a bed?

Because you just had a dream, Revati. Her brain butted in. Or should she say, brained in?

"Finally!" the exasperation in her tone was harsh to the groggy Queen's ears. "You. Are. Late. Nearly an hour late to the Raja Sabha!" Her 'royal trainer' thundered.

"What-oh, where? When, how?" Revati sputtered, head spinning in confusion, stumbling out of bed. The bedsheets draping her as she fell onto the floor letting out a shriek. Suruchi rolled her eyes. "Good lords, cease your dramatics, will you?"

Then she moved to pour a glass of water from the jug and hand it to her. Revati nearly snatched it from her hands, and the empty glass was down on the table in a matter of seconds. Revati wiped her mouth with the back of her wrist as she stood up on her feet.

Suruchi's serious face broke out into a smirk, a stone cracking to reveal the gemstone within. "Silly sister of mine, I've woken you up an hour early. When did you start doubting my waking-you-up skills?"

"Oh, thank god," she said, eyes closing in momentary relief. "I still haven't forgotten the jug-of-icy-cold-water incident!" she exclaimed but gasped a moment later. "They are coming today, are they not?!"

Suruchi nodded, stepping away and closing the doors before a, "Get dressed, will you?"

* * *

She took steps as nimble and quick as possible, arms swinging gently by her side as she walked. She stopped short in front of the closed doors as she remembered something. She wrapped the gold veil around her arms loosely in a royal fashion, untwisted her long necklace, and checked if her short necklaces were in place. They were. Alright, was she missing anything else?

Jewelry, done. Hair, done. God knows what masterpiece my chambermaids designed this time. Crown, oh yes, she couldn't forget that even if she wanted to. Oh dear, she wrung her hands anxiously. She still felt as if something was missing.

I'll see to it later. For now, my presence is required in the sabha. Her hands met together in a clap of thunder and the doors swung open, announcing her arrival to all present in the court. She walked elegantly up the carpeted path leading to the throne, nodding at the courtiers who had stood up in their places and sat after their queen did.

"Mahamantri, I trust there were no other state affairs?"

"None, Majesty." He confirmed.

"Alright, no trade matters either?" she asked after a moment.

"No word of complaint from anyone, Majesty, I even received a letter from the neighboring kingdom who spoke of our arrangements in high regards. Everything seems to be going perfectly, Highness."

"Right," she said, almost disappointed that there were none to keep her mind preoccupied.

Three years ago, sometime that month, was when she had visited Vaishaktinagara, paid respects to the late king and widowed queens, she had crowned the new king of the state. And he was nowhere close to the age that she thought he was. 

She had found a man, a few years older than her, in the place of whom she thought would be a small bouncing lad. Her eyes had nearly bulged out when she saw him. Every one of his physical traits seemed to match his late father, except the bulkiness and age, of course. He had not spoken much with her or her siblings and she was unsure of his true character, but from what she had heard, he was not like his father.

It has to be a mask, she thought bitterly.

"Your Highness?" a whisper brought her back to the present.

"Huh yes?" she questioned the old advisor absent-mindedly.

"The King will be arriving soon to discuss matters of a treaty." This got Revati's attention entirely.

"What treaty? We signed one nearly three years ago, and a few more at the commencement of my rule. His kingdom has raised no complaints or matters in a prolonged time. What kind of treaty would he want to sign now?"

"I'm not sure, Your Highness. They say it will be a special alliance for both the kingdoms, I have my suspicions on what it could be. You... may or may not like it. I don't think that you will personally, but it's in your best interest." He assured her.

"But what–" her question was cut off mid-air as the herald's voice boomed out.

"Presenting, Maharaja of Vaishaktinagara kingdom, son of Ballaraja, in Vaibhavgarh's darbar!"

She straightened her posture, smoothing the non-existent creases on her burgundy-gold attire, setting her shoulders back, rechecking that her posture was not too stiff, and exhaled. She gripped the arms on either side of the throne, with quite a lot of force, one could say, eyes trained on the door in front of her.

The moment doors swung open and he set foot into her line of sight, the breath rushed out of her lungs. Her heart pounded and her insides churned. His walk was that of a proud lion, commanding the attention of the room as he practically exuded confidence. And not an ounce of it spoke of arrogance, but plain confidence.

Confidence. Confidence.

That was what I was missing! I still am though. She thought, sighing mentally, Too late to go back and get it Revati, too late.

His eyes were the same yet different, his aura synced with- maybe that was enough, she didn't want to lose more of the barely-a-pinch of her fierce-willed self. With a twinkle in his eye, he brought his hands up in a neat namaskāra and opened his mouth to let his voice wash over the Raja Sabha bringing everyone to a standstill. 

"Pranamaha, Maharani Revati Verma of Vaibhavgarh."

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Glossary:

Raja Sabha (Raa-ja sa-bhaa) - Royal courtroom

Sabha (sa-bhaa) - Courtroom

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Now, this was not what you all might've expected.
Do comment if you liked the chapter, I would love to hear your views on it. It is the second last chapter after all. 

Take care, meet you guys soon next Sunday!❤️
-Chinmayi, 14.