10K votes fast!!!

Trishalini POV

"No, not that," I sighed deeply.

"But, Maharani, it is what we are supposed to cook on Fridays," the attendee reminded me, and I sat tongue-tied.

"Alright, then it is," I accepted, and she went away.

"Maharani," another attendee walked in, and I immediately turned to look at her.

"Ji," I asked, and she smiled before saying.

"The new staff has arrived. You have to meet them before they are sent for their duties," her words made me feel even more restless, though I carried the smile and nodded.

"Very well," I muttered and asked further, "Ask them to meet me after breakfast tomorrow," I said and fidgeted my fingers before asking, "By the way, where is Maharaj?"

Her smile vanished before she spoke, "He is in the meeting with the ministers,"

I nodded and looked away for a moment. It had been more than three weeks since we had talked with calmness.

"Okay, can you ask him to meet me once he is done?" I asked, and she nodded.

"I will, but Kumar Ashwin said that he has to leave today to inspect the boundaries regarding the documents," she added, and I lowered my gaze and nodded.

"Do not ask him anything then," I said with a weak smile and saw her walk away.

"Meenakshi," I called once she left and sat on the couch, placing the keys on the table.

"Ji, Maharani," she came running, and I noticed her hand holding a scrolled letter.

"Have you got the list of the soldiers ready to take the leave for the next month?" I asked, and she put the scroll before me and nodded.

"I was just bringing it to you," she said, and I smiled before unrolling it and taking a bird's view over the names.

"Add one more name to it," I said, and she nodded and quickly brought the quill and ink before kneeling.

"Who?" She asked, and I smiled while remembering my friend— Meera.

"Kumar Agresen," I suggested, and she knitted her brows.

"Someone knew?" she asked, and I nodded.

"My best friend's husband. I promised to ask her for his name. They are newly married," I told her. She lowered her gaze to write it down and suddenly lifted her gaze.

"You are newly married too, Maharani-sa." Her words flowered some drying wounds, and I smiled, nodding my head. You should be spending some time with Maharaj as well," she added in a low voice. I picked up another scroll and opened it to look after tomorrow's menu.

"We do spend time," I said, and she placed the quill back on the table and pushed the letter to me.

"Not how you should. It's only for meetings, political stuff and other things. It's been weeks since Maharaj spent his night here," she said. I bit my lower lip and tried to keep my smile intact, though it hurt my cheeks.

"We both have been busy with the new law and rules of slavery, and this is important. Also, it's better if he rests well. It serves the Kingdom better if the King is well-rested. Is not it?" I asked, and she chuckled softly and nodded.

"It is done, then?" I asked, once again looking at the list of soldiers that were to take the leave from tomorrow.

"Yes, it is final. All the names are added," she said, and suddenly I remembered something.

"Could you call for Shantanu Kumar? He is a soldier who serves Maasa and Baapusa's chamber, the grand Chandra Mahal." I asked, and she nodded confusedly.

"Ummm," I felt a knot in my stomach and immediately placed my hand on it.

"Are you feeling constipated again?" she asked, and I nodded.

"I do not know what is wrong. I am taking care of my food and having buttermilk even more than earlier, but it's still giving me knots," I said and stood up, adding, "I will be walking in the garden. Meet me there,"

She nodded, and I asked three attendees to join me for the walk. I went out to stroll a little.

The last few weeks were truly eventful.

After the celebration ended, I witnessed a new person in him. The one who would wake up even before me, and I would find him feeding the pigeons every day when I opened my eyes.

By the time I was done having breakfast, he would be sitting in the court attending the meetings. He seemed enthusiastic about the new law. For the last few days, we discussed much of everything except ourselves.

Somewhere, I felt as if he was willingly avoiding it.

Or was it just me overusing my brain?

It was not like he was sitting idle. There would be night meetings and inspections; one night, he returned with the soldiers even after midnight. That night, I could not even sit for a moment. My heart was in my mouth.

He looked intimidating. I would always find him ordering someone about something, and how he looked at that person sent tremors through my stomach.

His aura had got the power.

But, the much I liked this Samrat, I was missing the old Abhi.

It was not like we did not meet at all. But, I felt he was avoiding the intimacy, the romance.

"Maharani," suddenly Shantanu's voice caught my attention, and I turned back to look at him. A smile appeared on my face.

"Trisha. I have told you several times that it is only Trisha for you," I reminded him, and he chuckled.

"I bet Maharaj would not like it," he said, and I shook my head.

"He is too busy to notice," I said, and he nodded.

"So, Trisha," he muttered in a low voice.

"How are you doing?" I asked, and he nodded, stepping forward.

"Absolutely well," he said, and I turned back to look at the attendees and signalled them to leave us alone.

"I wonder if you know that Maharaj Abhinandan is going to enforce the new law tomorrow," I asked, and he knit his brows, shaking his head.

"I am sorry. I am not aware of it," he said, and I stepped forward to walk around a little. He joined to walk beside me.

"Well, the new has new leave policies, contractual obligations, and many other things that are beneficial for the staff, soldiers, and everyone. And, for the last few weeks, he had been meeting Kings and officials of all the Kingdoms, States and heads of villages to implement the same law. And, tomorrow the first group will sent for leave. So, I wondered if I should add your name to the list," I finished and noticed him freezing in his footsteps and staring at me in silence.

"My name?" he asked, and I chuckled.

"Of course, your name. I am only talking to you," I said, and he looked away. He was shocked.

"Well," he scoffed and cleared his throat, "Thank you so much for considering me, but," he inhaled a deep breath, and his smile vanished before he looked at me.

"If I go home, my parents will force me to marry again," he said, and I gulped nervously and lowered my gaze with regret.

"I am sorry for everything that happened," I said, and he smiled, shaking his head.

"There is no need for it. I did not want to marry you either," the moment he declared, my eyes widened with shock.

"What?" I asked and nodded, and turned his gaze back to look at the Abhi's chamber.

"And he knew it?" I asked, and Shantanu turned back to me, "Abhinandan knew it?" I asked again, and he knit his brows.

"Not really," he said and lowered his gaze. I mean, anyone could guess why a man is still unmarried at the age of twenty-eight," he added, and I knit my brows.

"Because he does not get leave from his work," I tried to say, and he chuckled.

"Not really. Actually, I have a past, and I cannot move on from it. And that's why I did not want to marry, but when my family told me about a girl who aspired to be a sage, I thought of taking the chance," he said, and I immediately looked away.

"So, it was not for the actual desire to get married?" I asked, and she shook his head.

"I am sorry, but, no, but I am really happy for you. I mean, surely you were needed as a Queen, more than just a housewife," he said, and I smiled weakly before nodding.

"Um, do you want to enlighten me about the past?" I asked, and he bit his lip and shook his head.

"Not really," he said, and I nodded.

"Well, your face tells me that it's something that should be known by thousands," I said, and he chuckled.

"Your parents did not agree with her?" I tried to ask, and he laughed a little.

"Well, they do not know about it," he said, and I gulped nervously and confusedly.

"And you do not even try to tell them about it?" I asked, and he shook his head.

"They will die even by hearing it out," he said, and I just stared at him blankly.

It was confusing and seemed criminal types.

"By the way, thank you so much for asking for the leaves. But I am happy serving here. It is where I truly belong," he said, and I nodded before he walked away from there.

Inhaling a deep breath, I clapped twice to call for Meenakshi.

"So, this is final then?" I asked, taking the list from her hand and looking at the Maharaj's chamber.

"Yes, Maharani," she said, and I nodded before signalling her to go.

Lifting my purple skirt to walk comfortably in the grass, I adjusted my dupatta before stepping into his chamber.

I expected to find somewhere there.

And there were many ministers standing before him. A map was laid wide on the table. He did not seem to notice me, so I took the steps forward.

As the noise of my anklet bells overpowered their conversations, they all looked at me.

"Pranam, Maharani," they wished, and I noticed him gulping silently while looking at me.

"If you all do not mind, I need a moment alone with Maharaj," I said, and he stood up.

"We are nearly finished. Give me a moment," he said to me, and I nodded, excusing myself a little,

"We will attack in three groups and make sure that we catch those dacoits either alive or dead," he said, and I noticed Commander Ashwin nodding.

"But, Maharaj, I am sure we can handle these independently. You do not have to come with us," Ashwin said, and he shook his head.

"I want to come with you," he said, signalling them to leave. As they walked away from there, I could not help but stare at my new husband, who was wearing a dark maroon colour and looking absolutely stunning.

His short hair was something new to him, but it served an aura. He got rid of his curls as he complained of them being sturdy in the turban.

He stood silent, too, staring at me.

If he were a sixteen-year-old Abhi, he would have looked away from me way before.

But, he was not him.

"You wanted to say something?" he asked, sitting on the couch when the door closed, and I nodded, smiling weakly.

"Of course, or why would I be here?" I asked, and he nodded, moving the pillow beside him to make room for me.

"Exactly," he said, and I inhaled deeply before taking a seat beside him.

"This is the final list," I said, forwarding the letter before him.

He looked tired. His eyes got slightly dark circles and looked heavy and dizzy, too.

"Oh, thank you so much. I was expecting it today," he said, taking it from my hand and opening it.

My gaze lowered to his fingers messed up in the ink. His eyes went through the names, and his brows knitted.

"Kumar Agresen?' he asked, and I nodded.

"He is my friend's husband. They are newly married," I said, and he nodded without looking away from the letter.

"Alright. I am also expecting the names of the new staff. When will you be able to give them?" he asked, placing the letter on the already-full table and opening the wooden box. There was a stamp on it.

"Umm, I am interviewing the finalised staff tomorrow morning, and hopefully, by the end of the day, it will be on your table," I said, and he smiled and nodded.

"Excellent," he muttered, putting the stamp on the list with a loud thud.

"And, also, Trisha," he said suddenly, looking into my eyes.

I felt something in my chest with his gaze on me.

Was I still beautiful for him?

Or did responsibility ruin his last ashes as well?

"I have to go visit the border of the Mahabaleshgarh. I will be late. Do not keep the attendees awake for my dinner or anything," he said, and I sighed invisibly and nodded.

"Of course, I heard it," I managed to say, and he looked back at the map.

"What is it?" I asked, and he pushed the box away and asked. "This?"

I nodded.

"This is the plan to cut the river into channels so that it runs through the villages. Almost five hundred suffered the recent drought, and many were killed," he said, and I immediately looked up at him.

"See," he said, and I shifted closer to him to notice the small trees, huts and lines drawn for the river.

"This is Mahabaleshgarh," I said, pointing at the castle built, and he nodded.

"And, this is the river," he said, pointing at the wavy lines drawn beside the Mahabaleshgarh.

I nodded.

"Oh," I muttered, my brows thinned with confusion.

"But the dozen of the channels you are planning to cut might not work properly," I said, and he knit his brows.

"Why not?" he asked.

"Because this region, the one that leads to Pratapgarh, has elevation, and water cannot climb up," I said, and he nodded.

"Yes, that's true," he said, looking up at me.

His gaze lowered with the thinned brows, and suddenly, he lifted his gaze.

"Then, for this region, we have to change the plans," he said, and I asked.

"How and what plan?"

A smile appeared on his face.

"Well, there is a river that comes from the Mehrangarh and the mountains. I have heard it somewhere. We can use the river as it touches the boundaries of Pratapgarh. We can cut the channels from it and make them flow down the elevation so that it can reach the villages," he said, and I nodded.

"You can build the wells as well," I suggested, and he chuckled suddenly.

"Not many people like wells," he said and I immediately pushed my elbow into his arm.

He smiled a little, but it was just for a moment.

"I should be leaving now," he said, standing up. I stood up from the couch, too.

"Take care of yourself and everyone," I said, and he nodded, wearing his overcoat and taking his sword.

"And, you should rest well. I will not like you awake all night," he said and stepped forward to lean in.

My heartbeats stopped for a moment, and I closed my eyes.

But, instead of claiming my lips, he pecked my forehead and smiled weakly before walking away from there.

My heart ached.

I did not know why.

We were the same couple we should be.

They were more like friends and partners, helping each other and taking care of each other, but still, there was something that was missing.

And I could not point out what it was.

I came back to my chamber and tried to sleep.

But I could not.

There was restlessness in me about something.

Another week passed, and things were the same.

The first group of soldiers were on leave, the new staff had been hired, and half of the pot of coins had vanished.

He was struggling hard to convince all the Kings to pass the same law in the entire region. But, because of this, the taxes were different in the other Kingdoms, and trade was moving to them. Mahabaleshgarh had gained expenses and fought at the same taxes, which meant the slope was downwards.

And I did not know how to help him.

He was spending his time meeting and sending letters, and he visited a few Kingdoms, but the result was the same.

The people who wanted to oppose and shred him off the Samrat's throne were prying against him now.

"You are back?" I asked, watching him take his overcoat off, and he nodded.

"How did it go?" I asked, and he shook his head.

"They said that they are comfortable with the things as they are and do not want them to change," he said, and I clapped twice to ask someone to bring the jug of juice and bowl of fruits for him.

He patted the couch beside him for me.

And I moved with quick steps to sit beside him.

"But, there must be something to convince them about," I tried to say, and he lifted his tired gaze at me.

It was past midnight, and the sleep deprivation was visible on his face.

"They are just being stubborn. Whenever I try to say something, they pull out their age card. They are agitated that my father should be talking to them instead of me. They do not take me as anything. It is straightforward disrespect," his voice felt frustrated.

More than frustrated or irritated than I had ever seen him.

"Calm down," I tried to say and touched his arm.

He inhaled a deep breath, leaned back against the couch's headrest, and closed his eyes.

"It's not easy, Trisha. I have to do something. Or we are over," he said, and I stared at him silently.

"By the way," he immediately looked at me, "Why are you still awake? You should go and rest," he said, and I gulped nervously and lowered my gaze.

I did not want to rest when he was not at peace.

And there was something I wanted to tell him about.

Another Update!!!

Do not forget to vote, comment and share the book.

Love You All ❤️❤️❤️