~And I realized, I was in need of a soul which could attach with mine, not an Angel in disguise~

-Affu-

In the Kingdom of Tezpur

Tezpur Palace

"You okay?" I heard Prince Manik, and I looked up to meet his concern-filled eyes. "I apologize, you had to see that. I had never let anyone there, especially women since I don't really act polite in there." he added, while staring at me, and I had no choice but to stare back at him.

He was too polite to be a Prince.

But he is too cruel to be a normal guy.

He was too straightforward that I found him so good to be rejected by any girl.

But he is too honest in accepting his cruelty.

What kind of a man is he?!

"Nandini." I felt a touch on my hand, and I looked down at his hold, which he removed the next second. "You were not reacting to my voice. I apologize." he apologized again, and I stared in his eyes.

"Why are you so damn different from other Princes?" I asked out loud, and he frowned. "You are supposed to be mad at me, yell at me for intruding in your business. Yet, here you are apologizing and showing concerns. Are you really a Prince? The devil Prince?" I asked, exasperatedly. 

I never acted this mad at anyone. I was always the calm person. I never was a person who showed my emotions to people, especially those who I do missions on.

But this man was different, and I fear what it's leading me into!

He is also a Royal!

"I don't find anything different in me, Miss Bhat. This is myself. Yes, you intruded in my business, but that was your job. My guards wouldn't have let you in, if they considered you to be a threat. I trust my people, hence they do as well. So, how is that your fault that I need to get mad at you?" he asked, and I felt my heart getting twitched.

He trusts me!

Isn't that what I always wanted before doing missions on?

Then why is it hurting that I'm deceiving this man?

"I'm sorry!" I apologized, and he stared at me confusedly. "I lied to you." I said. "I am here for a mission. To do a mission on you. I'm sent here, by my King, because he had gotten a marriage proposal from your father, for the Princess of my Kingdom. I was sent, to know why every girl rejected you. I was sent, to secure my Kingdom's Princess' future. Forgive me, if you can." I spoke, while staring through his eyes, and then looking down, unable to hold his gaze anymore.

He intimidated me like none!

"I know!" and I felt my neck getting twisted, looking up at him in shock. What? Did he say that he knew? Like..did he mean he knew about my mission? Me being sent by Veerpur Kingdom's King?

"Wh-What?" I felt myself choking. This can't be true. I was never bad at my job.

"I know that you are Nandini Bhat, the Private investigator of Veerpur Kingdom. Although, I knew you were here to spy on me, I didn't know it was for your Kingdom's Princess." he said, and I gulped.

How come someone beat me in my job?!

"And you didn't behead me!" I stated, while staring at him whose eyebrows were raised in surprise. "You played along!" I stated again, and he bobbed his head. "Why? So that you could make me spill the truth out?" I asked, staring at him with my eyebrows crooked.

"Not at all. So that I could know what your mission is." he replied, honestly. I knew he was being honest, because he is not the one to lie and get your mission successful, unlike myself.

"I mean..I clearly don't remember upsetting anyone. And Veerpur Kingdom is our ally, so why would it spy on their ally? Did your King have any intention to start a war with my Kingdom? I had questions, and I wanted it from yourself, not by spilling the truth but through my observation. This is my way, Miss Bhat." he spoke, rigidly and I looked away in surrender.

"You are free to punish me. My King would not interfere, because this is my job and I would not let anyone be, between me and my job." I said, while looking up at him.

In return, he just stared at me.

"I wont, Nandini." he said, and suddenly I realized he had just addressed me by my name.

"What?" I asked, and he stepped closer to me.

"I wont punish you. I can't. You are free to leave." he said, and left the room leaving me in staring at his retreating figure, in shock and puzzled.

Why would he do that?!

***

"He just let you go! I mean, he did not even punish you for being a liar." I heard Arya, but I was too disturbed, since the moment I left his place. 

Why would he do that? He has all the rights to punish me, yet he didn't. Why? Moreover, why do I feel so empty when I left that place. When I left him. 

What the heck is wrong with me?!

"Maybe, he falls under..good Princes?" Abhimanyu looked at me, as if he couldn't believe in his own words. "Oh come on, Abhi. You are talking about the Devil Prince. The Devil Prince. Why do you think he would let go off a betrayer? We betrayed him, and she stood guilty in front of him. Yet..he chose to be a saint? I don't believe it." Aryamann threw his hands upwards, and I stood on my feet.

"I need some sleep. Good night guys." I said, and walked upstairs to my room, without bothering to listen to their reply.

Something is really wrong with me.

I laid on my bed, remembering how my King was impressed with the information on Prince Manik. He was happy that his daughter would be in safe hands. He will marry her off to Prince Manik.

I clutched onto my chest. Why is it getting difficult to breathe? 

I feel pain.

Something is really, really wrong with me.

Closing my eyes, I was met with those curious brown orbs, before slipping into a slumber.

***

"She's nothing but a mistress." the man spat in my mother's face, and I stood there crying.

"It's you who's the unfaithful in here. It's you." I heard my mother screaming, and she got smacked in her face the next second.

"Ma!" I rushed towards her.

"Ma." I woke up, panting hard and I realized it was yet another nightmare. Sighing out loud, I moved towards the bottle of pills I'm carrying with myself.

But before I could gulp them down, I went blank.

"Why didn't I take them, for the last 2 weeks?" I muttered to myself, before staring at the pills and then at myself.

"Pain is common, but embracing them with open hands would make you feel better and uncommon." she remembered him saying this to a child, who was crying over his father's death.

She kept the bottle aside, and stared outside through her window.

"That man was trouble for me..and I failed to realize it." she whispered to herself, realizing the reason for the twitch in her heart, when she left him or when she though about his marriage.

~~~

In the Kingdom of VeerPur

"I don't appreciate it." I said, while glancing at King Udayveer Chauhan, calmly.

"I apologize, Prince. I know, as per the political ethics, I crossed the limits. But I was being a father, and a father will always be selfish, when it comes to his child. You can punish me, in whatever way you want for that. I am guilty about it." King Udayveer apologized, looking honest. I nodded at the man.

He is a betrayer. Being allies, he should not have spied on me, but he was also a father. He was a father, who was worried for his child's future. He wanted nothing, but happiness of his daughter.

And that urges me to forgive him, for he's a genuine father unlike mine!

"I forgive you, King Chauhan! I do not keep grudges, with those who want good for their children." I said, expressionless and I heard Sheriff Cabir muttering curses against me, under his breath.

"I can't describe the happiness that I'm going through, now Prince. Thank you. You are one kind soul. I wonder why people couldn't see the goodness in you." he said, and I was lost in thoughts.

"You are different, you know. People should stop calling you Devil Prince." I heard her words ringing in my head. She did not have to do a mistake, and get forgiven by my to realize the real me.

She just understood me well!

"Well! What should we wait for, then! Send for your Princess, Udayveer." I heard my father's cheerful voice, which I ignored and stared at King Udayveer, who beamed in happiness, staring at me.

"Can I have a word with you, King? Like..right now?" I asked, while staring at the King, who's face held confusion, which was glad a while ago. "Ye-Yes, Prince. What is it?" he bobbed his head at me. I could see my father's confused glance towards me, but I was too busy to give him a look.

"I cannot marry your daughter." I said, and the King stood on his feet. 

"What?" he asked, shocked and almost ashamed. Well, I don't get these stereotyping beliefs. No princess should be rejected. But if a Prince could get rejected, then why not a Princess as well?

"I am here, not just to forgive you for the betrayal you caused me, but also to let you know that I cannot marry your daughter. One reason, which is not the important one, is your betrayal. For your daughter, you chose her over your Kingdom's respect. In future, if any matter that concerns your daughter and the Kingdom arises, you will choose your daughter again. Won't you?" I asked, and he looked ashamed.

"I will. I am a father, first." he said, and I nodded in understanding. "I understand. But you could have chosen to be a King. I know, I have forgiven you, and I meant it. But I would have appreciated your efforts, if you had come to me and had a word with me, instead of doing a mission on me. If my Kingdom's enemies come to know about this, then they can do the same that you did. It's not like I can always tackle any enemy. Some can be more intelligent and have capabilities to destroy me as well." I pointed out, without hesitation.

"A father's love can be the purest after a motherly love, hence that is capable of destroying a Kingdom as well. I would not wish to see any fights in between VeerPur and Tezpur, just because of a marriage alliance." I said, and glanced at my father, who looked at me, in approval.

No matter however much I hate him, I can say that he's the only person who can accept my political views, for he's shrewd and thinks the most about his Kingdom. 

"And the important reason, Prince?" And this time, I heard my father. Like I said, he's shrewd!

"I am in love with someone, already." I said, and stood up to bow to my father, who looked shocked. Nodding at King Udayveer, who was also shocked, I left the place.

Walking out of the Palace grounds, I was met with her. The brown-eyed Damsel. Or better, My brown-eyed Queen!

"Prince Manik!" she gasped at my sight, before bowing down slightly, and I held her gaze, firmly.

"Nandini." I took her name, and I thought I saw her gulping down.

"How have you been? And wh--" she was about to speak more, when I knelt in front of her, looking up in her eyes.

"Prince." she gasped, yet another time. "Why are you on the ground? Please stand up. You are literally bowing to me. Please stand on your feet." she looked around, horrifyingly while staring at the passersby. I smiled at the sight of her. She was nothing like a Princess, who's timid in front of a King or her to-be-husband or wanting to rule the Kingdom. She was like a Queen, who already rules people's hearts. And now, she's ruling mine.

"Can you let me speak what I intend to? It's quiet important, and I need to be on my knees for that." I spoke calmly, and she stared at me aghast. "Yes. But why on knees?" she said, and I moved my hand towards her right hand.

"Would you mind if I hold your hand?" I asked, and she widened her eyes at me. "N-No?" she questioned, rather than asking. Smiling at it, I held onto her soft fingers.

"I do not know how people court each other. All I know is, they like each other. But I, have fallen in love with you, Nandini. I can't express them in words or actions. I can just say that I am being honest, and I do not know how to make you believe in it. But if you do, will you let me marry you and make you mine? Will you let me make you My Queen?" I asked out loud, hoping for her positive answer.

But all she did was to stare at me. Blankly. There was nothing in her eyes. Not even a tinge of emotions, and I did not know what kind of an outcome to expect from them.

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How was the chapter?

One more chapter to go!

Love,

Affu.