When they stopped around midday, Chandrika assumed that it was for lunch. She spotted a pond at some distance from her chariot and made her way towards it along with her companions. They had hardly walked a few meters  when a messenger came running and panting to her.

“Devi Chandrika! I beg your pardon. Maharaj has sent me.”

“What for?”

“He wants to know where you are headed to?”

Chandrika clenched her teeth, but could not control her temper. She pushed one of her companions towards the messenger and said, “Take her with you. And tell Maharaj that if someone must be beheaded because I am headed towards the pond that promises some cool and sweet water, then I volunteer her this afternoon.”

“Devi!” the messenger and Sumati, the companion now staring at her death, exclaimed together.

“Can you remember a message?” Chandrika snapped at him, “Or do you need me to write it down and put my seal on it?” Gulping hard in terror, he bowed and stepped back. “And you Sumati? Why are you staring at me like that? This is the time to prove your loyalty to me. Go with him.”

Trembling and barely managing to keep herself from fainting, the poor woman stumbled behind the messenger.

Chandrika didn’t even spare her a glance and strode towards the pond with double the speed. Her remaining companions, baffled and scared, scrambled to keep up with her.

Within minutes Sumati was back.

“What happened?” Chandrika asked.

“Maharaj started laughing,” she replied, her voice still trembling, “When the messenger repeated what you had asked. Then he ordered me back.”

Chandrika looked at her now, frowning, “Did you really think he was going to behead you for this? Do you have a brain in that head of yours?”

“I am sorry, I got scared, Princess–”

“But I will behead you if you continue calling me Princess.”

“Sorry, Devi Chandrika.”

“All of you stand to this side and screen me. I need some privacy. I want to wash up before eating.”

The women hurried to obey.

Riding gears were grating on her now. She decided to walk back barefoot after her quick bath. But the cosmos was conspiring against her mood that day. Barely a few meters away from the chariot, she felt a sharp prick in her left leg. The pain was excruciating and she ended up squealing before she could control herself. She made a seat out of a stone nearby and her companions lifted her leg. A thorn was pressed deep into her sole. Although she had kept her lips bitten to avoid making any further sound, she could not stop her tears.

“Excuse me, ladies,” the women jumped away on hearing Bhumimitra’s voice. His attendants waited at a distance, as he knelt in front of her and after studying the thorn for a moment, pulled it out in one swift move.

“Aah!” she screamed again before clamping down on her lips. Tears continued to flow down her cheek.

“For all your bravado, Devi Chandrika,” Bhumimitra smirked, “You are no soldier. And you can’t tolerate any pain at all.”

“For all my bravado, Maharaj,” she shot back at him, “I never claimed to be a soldier. I am not trained as one. And I definitely didn’t claim to not feel any pain. The only thing I claim is that I am willing to go through any pain for my cause. You are free to test that.”

He stood up and squinted as he looked at her. As if trying to locate something specific. Then he turned away without saying anything.

“What do you think of me?” she erupted behind him. That made him stop in his tracks and turn back, “You think I am a selfish scoundrel who didn’t care even for her own father?”

“Devi. I didn’t say anything like that.”

“No. You didn’t say. Everything doesn’t need to be said, does it? But some things need to be heard, Maharaj. Republic is an idea whose time has come. You may be able to use your power to resist it for a while. But you can’t stop it. If not you, then your heir’s head will be on a pike one day when the monarchy is overthrown for good. But guess what? Nobody put my father’s head on a pike despite a complete takeover of the government by the republicans. How do you think that happened?”

He looked stunned. Then he spoke, sounding hopeful, “Is that why you were with the republicans? To save your father.”

She shook her head vehemently, “You misunderstand me, Maharaj. I was with the republicans, because I am a republican. I have no loyalty for a monarch as a subject. But I do have loyalty for my father as a daughter. And that ensured that he lived. To be crowned again, it turned out.”

He sighed, “I appreciate it. I truly do.”

“While we are on the subject. Who exactly am I here? If I am a republican traitor, I have no loyalty towards a monarch, Maharaj. I am not under any compulsion to respect your authority. And if I am a princess, I can’t just be ordered around at everybody’s whims.”

That made him smirk again, “If you are willing to be a princess, Devi Chandrika, which would entail taking up your duties and responsibilities as a royal of Chandranagar, including unconditional loyalty towards your father – the King, then I will make immediate arrangements to send you back to your palace. You have no business being on this rough march with the soldiers. But if you are a republican traitor, what hope do you see for yourself by defying my authority? What do you make of this?” he moved his hands around to indicate the large army that was following him.

She was silenced. He didn’t pursue his advantage though. Instead said gently, “Your tent must be setup by now. Take rest, Devi Chandrika, until the food is ready.”

“Tent?” she looked up surprised, “Aren’t we marching after lunch?”

“We are waiting for the reconnaissance party to return.”

“You sent a reconnaissance party?”

“Yes,” he said simply and moved away.

—

To be continued