"The words of the crown are the only justice, regardless of the culprit."

"Ra-Rajkumari," The poor woman stuttered, the wrinkles of her eyes stretched and the veins of her hands became more visible due to the clenched palms.

"Yes?" I nudged her to continue, quite nonchalantly.

"Why make her the pigeon when I am already here?" The familiar silvery voice called behind me, making me turn around but the smirk on my lips retained.

"You have perfect timing mother." My lips stretched. "I perceive the pests informed you about my sudden entourage, for they were the only ones that reside in this part of the palace."

"Might be."

"Well I did come to their part of the palace so can't com-"

"Why are you here?" She abruptly cut me off but stayed still in her place.

"To worship of course." I pointed at the trays that my maids were holding. For a few moments, no one said anything, just analysed their condition in the matter. The sunlight coloured half the sky with the tint of orange, marking the nearing end of Brahma muhurat.

"This is the back of the temple." She pointed.

"I am still nearby but what is your reason to be here mother?" I arced my brow and glanced at Poornima who was in my hindsight.

"You know it very well." She started walking closer to me but I didn't bother to move. "What do you want?"

"Just a few moments with Poornima, nothing else but I would be grateful if you could provide me with moments of your time. It is getting tougher every passing day to meet you." I answered. The source for the surge of my courage was an enigma to me.

"What if I say no?" She folded her hands and her eyes bore into mine. The heat of her gaze was enough to force me to look away and I sighed.

"I would meet her anyhow. I could be stubborn, you know." I mumbled and wrapped my arms around myself. It was a hoax, I knew that I wouldn't ever do that but I bluffed. It was now her turn to smirk and with a flick of her finger, she dismissed everyone present.

"You have half a nadika. Finish this up and come to my chamber. I reckon you have something to talk to me about." She uttered dismissively and left the place. The jingle of her anklets rang in my ears for a while, lost in words, I stared at her back.

"How was it like to sell your husband?" I questioned without looking at Poornima. My words were not sugar-coated, they were tired, especially after witnessing the flair and theatrics at the court, a drama on the pyre of my dear departed.

She didn't speak but when I faced her, her face remained calm as the water of some pond, placid. The eyelids were half-opened as if unamused and the previous meekness was lost. Perhaps it was yet another show. I wouldn't be astounded if that was indeed the case.

"I am not selling someone. I would just take the side of justice." She strolled towards the platform of the temple.

"I see no justice, an innocent is blamed and the convict is roaming freely." I gritted my teeth and glared at her.

"Calm down, Rajkumari." A chuckle followed her words, "I perceive our perspective on justice varies. It should be, you belong to the royal family while I am a mere subject. Our requirements and priorities would be different."

"Do define to me, what is your approach on justice Poornima? All I see is a woman readily set up a pyre for her family." I sneered, just her presence felt repulsive and I tried not to look at her.

"With pleasure." She answered with amusement. "Your justice requires the culprit to be sentenced, my justice is whatever the royal family commands. Surprisingly, your justice also differs from your family."

I squirmed a bit due to her statement but managed to retain my poise. "Care to elucidate your claim."

"You know it quite well Rajkumari, you are aiming for a justice that is never possible while your family is seeking to do something bigger; a greater good." She answered without a hitch. "Now I understand the time allocated to us is about to end, anything else Rajkumari is curious about?"

My throat felt parched and my lips pursed, I had a vague idea that what she said was true but the pain of losing someone close added onto a variable of vexation to me. "He was- is your husband; what was the price?"

"Yes, he is my husband but then again my desire to survive overshadowed all the relations." She sighed and clasped her palm on one another. "As for price, this is not the best place or time to talk about it. I hope you understand."

"If I didn't know better, I would have called you venomous Poornima but you don't deserve the title." I arranged my skirt and dusted the grime that was on it.

"I wouldn't have minded even if you said that Rajkumari. Taking in mind your current actions-" She stopped and smiled. Her eyes lingered on my visage as if trying to draw out emotions from me but I flicked my hand in dismissal to her words.

"They look pathetic, don't they Poornima? What can I say except at times," I turned around to leave "My inactions are actions too."

With this, I left the spot without waiting for Poornima to respond. Her words managed to engrave my mind and I couldn't help but ruminate over it. Must be me getting lost in the labyrinth of my musings that I failed to notice when my maids joined me on my journey to my mother's room. What extracted me back to reality was the peculiar absence of guards in front of my mother's chamber.

I stood there, rooted on my spot before turning to notice Sugdha who blinked at me, nudging me to go ahead while they stood there at the entrance. With small steps, I entered the world of embroidery. The room that had every surface covered with thread works of flowers and designs, a fleece to shroud the darkness here by the hoax of regality.

"Took you long enough to return." My mother welcomed me from her regular position, stitching yet another embroidery. "Thought you wanted only a moment of interaction."

"Journey from the old palace to here takes time, especially when you are weighing right and wrong." I decided to forgo greetings, hence, occupied the seat opposite hers without asking for permission. At my words, her fingers stopped the movement; with one tug, she broke the thread intertwined in her finger.

"Right? Wrong?" She scoffed and placed the needle aside. "There is no right or wrong, justice is subjective."

I stared at her for a while, I couldn't disagree with her. I had witnessed it in the past too, various cases that lined up in the court but this case affected me more than others because it got personal. Another musing knocked the doors on my conscience, more like a question; was my involvement in this case anyhow justice for the previous ones?

My train of thought was cut short when a question of my mother drew me back to the conversation. "How did you know about the dealings?"

"I didn't." I trailed my hand on the embroidery of the table cloth. On the yellow silken cloth, the red threads were meticulously sewn as a hibiscus flower which was kind of peculiar considering my mother's obsession with roses. "I just guessed it."

Sceptical as always, she squinted her eyes at me and twisted her lips in a frown.

"Don't worry mother, you don't have any moles by your side." I smiled slightly and my eyes returned to the design on the cloth, trailing my fingers on the beads stitched on the hibiscus. "You had two nights in your hands. Considering your habit of being prepared, today was the most appropriate day. As for the location where else would one get most privacy except the old palace. A sanctuary for any private affair to happen because not only the place is desolate but the timing for a change in shifts is different than that of the rest of the palace which is hardly known to outsiders."

"Well thought." She shook her head before returning with her stitching. "But what did you get from all this?"

"Just a small sense of victory but I am still curious." I rested my chin on my knuckles that were being supported by the elbow, "Why are you helping the culprit?"

"I am not." She crossed her previous stitch before delving the needle in the mesh of yarn again. "The real culprit's interest just matches mine; they want an escape and I aim to bring down the family of finance minister."

"You?" I queried.  Leaning closer to her before whispering, "Is it the tax unrest?"

"Yes." She answered along with pursing her lips before continuing, "The finance minister is being quite a reason for many issues in our kingdom. One is this and there are few others that I suppose you wouldn't be interested in."

"I understand. But his son-"

"- Is his weakness." She answered nonchalantly.

"Can't we just start a proceeding for it and let actual justice prevail?" I rubbed my eyes in frustration after gritting my teeth.

"You think that is possible with insufficient proof for both tax stealing and the murder?" She asked me pointedly for which I shook my head, agreeing to her point. The higher-ups always get a leeway, a protection that they receive from their power. A reality where everything seems like a game and the pawns sacrifice themselves for the bigger pieces.

"I have a request," I mumbled, my voice starting to croak in vulnerability on realising how I too could have been a piece for the whole ploy. "The culprits of Nurvi need to suffer, somehow, anyhow."

"I would look into it." She replied non committedly. Anger bubbled inside me and I gripped at the table cloth from my other hand, making it crease and perhaps tear due to my nails.

"Mother." I almost growled, which caught her attention, only to cast a look of disapproval.

"I reckon, it is about time you leave." She said in a low voice and glared at me. Realising my mistake, I looked away, trying to mutter an apology but failed to do so.

"Return to your room." She took a deep breath and returned to her stitching. The parchment of the account book kept beside the sewing kit fluttered, breaking the silence that I previously was unable to acknowledge due to the blaring thoughts of my mind. "You are only allowed to leave after this case is adjourned." She added.

"I understand." With this, I got up to leave.

"Also, do you know the culprit of Nurvi?" She asked me as soon as I got up.

"The words of the crown are the only justice, regardless of the culprit." I answered. Her face beamed with satisfaction but she just waved to dismiss me.