Aaryawati's POV

"Your Majesty!" I woke up with start, only to realize that my hands were pinned by his, on the giant new bed that was the center part of my new chamber. It was the first night of my wedding with His Majesty, Aaryaveer. While I waited for him in the chambers, like an eager, blushing bride, I could not suppress the amount of exhaustion I had post the wedding rituals. I didn't realize that I had dozed off to sleep until I felt someone gently mounting upon me.

"I..I apologize for falling into sleep." I couldn't speak more as his lips got dangerously close to me. Suddenly he got up, sat beside me and started laughing.

"Wh.. what happened? Your Majesty?" I woke up with a start as I was partially annoyed with our proximity having almost diminished and partly relieved because the butterflies in my stomach had stopped fluttering their dreamy wings and my heart had started beating normally again.

"My Aarya, you are such a beautiful sleepyhead." he smiled and I blushed with the new nickname.

"I am sorry I did not wake you up. In fact, I wanted you to have some rest. So I slept in my chambers and ensured that you sleep here without any disturbance. Now that its middle of the night, I felt like we could talk." He smiled as he held my hand. And then butterflies stared fluttering again.

"I understand that you are nervous. Because we are meeting for the first time. All alone. How about this? Before we consummate our marriage, lets talk for a while." He smiled.

I melted with his thoughtful words and considerate action. So while he helped me to remove my ornaments (his fingers would slightly brush my skin while doing so, making me yearn for his touch even more). He told me about how he fell in love with me when he secretly saw me for the first time, how he wanted to gift me a small garden, full of my favorite mogra plants, how he intended to make me feel home and how he would never look at any other woman in his entire life.)

I decide to show a little bit of daring side of mine and hug him. What is wrong in taking the first initiative? So I as hugged him and he pulled me away, furious. Suddenly his face turned into the face of a devil.

"How dare you to be so brave Aaryawati? Woman are supposed to accept whatever  their husbands provide to them. Be it lovemaking or life. Woman are not supposed to take any initiatives. They are supposed to raise their kids and provide famalies with an heir! They are not supposed to demand love!" Aaryaveer shouted at me and got up from the bed.

"No... Please do not leave me, Your Majesty!" I woke up with a start, panting as I looked around me. I was in my room, dull with his absence and loneliness. It was just a dream. But it largely provided me with the glimpse of my married life. Though Aaryaveer was compassionate and loving husband, I always feared to raise any idea in front of him. I gladly took whatever he provided me (as per what he thought would make me happy). Though he was love of my life, I secretly wished if he knew my truth. But then, I would also fear how he would retaliate against the sheer truth.

I was taught from the childhood at women are not allowed to raise their voice or demand from their husbands. And if they wanted to fight for anything, the struggle must be in dark. Maybe that was the reason why I wanted to fight for my husband, albeit without raising any eyebrows. It was already a momentous task to fight an enemy as strong as Sanketsingh. And now I had to fight in shadows.  I wondered how Aaryaveer would feel, seeing me face to face in an actual battlefield.

I looked outside the window and it was still dawn time. I looked at all the belongings lying next to my bed. Sejalbai had already packed everything that I needed. I opened the book that I had been reading for last few days. As there was no one in my chambers (all the servants were sleeping outside my chamber), I gently opened the bookmark and opened the map of the tunnel. I gently opened the secret door to the old library and went inside the tunnel that was connected to the library. I had almost memorized all the secret entrance points of the tunnel and was exploring for more.

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After spending a few hours inside the tunnel, I rushed into my chambers. I hid the map inside the book .

After sometime, Sejalbai made all the servants carry truckload of my belongings as my Palanquin had arrived. There was a small army of twenty people with horses that my mother had sent, for my protection. As I waited for my in-laws to arrive, I realized that the entrouge was huge. There were twenty people who lifted my giant palanquin. There were three horse carriages for carrying the trunks. 

"What are these?" I was annoyed by the extra load of the trunks that were assembled inside the carriage.

"Her Majesty, The Queen Mother stayed awake  for the whole night and made those laddos for you. Its said these laddus are good for pregnant women." Said Sejalbai as we waited for the Queen and the King for the farewell.

And I felt a swell of emotions of guilt raising on my throat. I was deceiving the people who adored me like their own daughter. Just then, someone announced the arrival of my in-laws.

"Your Majesty, you should have asked someone to make these for me! why did you take all the trouble to stay awake and make them yourself?" I voiced out my concern.

"Well, I am unfortunate that I have to send you to your mother in this state, whereas you should be resting here in the palace, receiving all the love and care. Anyways, at least this is something that I could do for you!" She hugged me while Maharaj had tears in his eyes. Both bid me an emotional adieu as I sat inside Palanquin along with Sejalbai and put out the curtain.

There was no one in the Palanquin except a lady with a veil.

"Perhaps she is your mother's attendant." whispered Sejalbai but I chuckled. However I could see a mole on the third finger of her feet as well as on her chin. Now this birthmark was passed to all the women in my family, including me. Besides, the women of my clan were supposed to wear a bajubandh (armwear) symbolizing a eagle, even after our marriage. That eagle bajubandh would signify strength of our character and determination. I could see both the ornaments, adorned by the lady sharing our palanquin.

"Mother, you can open your veil. We have started our journey," I laughed and my mother joined me. Sejalbai got the shock of her life.

"Your Majesty! I had no idea that you were part of this journey as well." Sejalbai apologized.

"No need Sejalbai. I thought that maybe I should wish my daughter luck before she could commence her expedition." Said my mother, The Queen Jayantibai.

"What do you mean? Are you going to start the expedition right now?" Asked Sejalbai.

"Yes, we need you to change into my clothes." ordered her as I opened the trunk and made her wear my most favorite blue colored silk attire and bajuband.  We ordered her to put on the veil as soon as the palanquin would pass the borders of my maiden kingdom. Since Sejalbai and I shared pretty much same height and build, no one would be able to guess the switch. Meanwhile, my mother wore Sejalbai's attire, to ensure that no one would recognize her presence. 

As we stopped by a lake for refreshments, my mother instructed an army man to retrieve two huge trunk and hand us. One trunk possessed a load of weapons that I would require for my mission. Another trunk possessed number of identical full black sarees and robes that I would wear during the mission.

" The people who are carrying the palanquin are my personal army that I had personally assorted for your travel. The people in the horses are the original palanquin carriers. The carriages were just for the pomp and show in front of your in-laws." grinned my mother in her real tone. While Sejalbai got the shock of her entire life, I could not suppress my smile. No wonder my mother was a strong, calculative woman under the guise of a timid, worried dutiful queen. I was blessed to be raised and trained by such a practical and strong woman.

"There is something I have brought for you." smiled my mother as one man unrevealed a black horse. And that was my Toofan! Well Toofan (literally meaning Tornado) was my first (and the last) horse who accompanied me in my secret trainings before I got married. I learnt how to ride when he was my companion. However, after I got married, I knew I wouldn't be expected to ride horses anymore so I requested my mother to keep Toofan with her.

Soon, the real army had mounted on their horses while the original palanquin carriers had resumed their position of carrying the palanquin that had my mother and Sejalbai. Thankfully, they all had changed into an outfit similar to mine, ie full dhoti from head to toe. I took the map of the sight of the battle from my mother and bid them the farewell. 

I covered my whole face with a black cloth as we started our journey. It was strange to lead an army after years of being docked away in the background of a silent wife.  Rather, it was liberating.