"Where is it? Aren't you supposed to serve me my wine ready by this time? Go, fetch it." Vaishali ordered her maid servant.

"Rajamata, the king has provided strict instructions to all of us. We are not allowed to serve you wine in the morning." The servant answered timidly.

"Of course he would do that." Vaishali chuckled, trying and failing to blink away the tears that glistened in her eyes. "Always worried about my health. Never ceases to look after me even when he is away."

"Rajamata, should I bring it--"

"No. You may leave now. And I do not wish to be disturbed till evening." Vaishali dismissed her. She decided to spend the entire day in her chambers, praying for her son's safety.

Scarcely had the servant left when another set of footsteps were heard. "What did I just tell you?" She turned to face her, only to see that it wasn't the maid. It was the prime minister Susharma. "Mahamantri. What brings you here today? I hope I am not wrong in assuming that it is something important, seeing you haven't announced yourself."

"I come bearing news" said Susharma. His voice shook slightly.

"You look worried. Is Samarjit safe? Anything happened during his journey?"

"It's not about him, Rajamata." Susharma hesitated to speak further.

"Then what is it?"

"The queen's adviser found the bodyguard Shivam. He is in the city."

Vaishali dug her nails into the chair as the impact of his words hit her. "What! How? How is he still alive? I have been told that they were all dead."

"So I have heard. But it seems this man escaped. Apparently he had changed his identity and hid all these years."

"Does... does she know?"

"Yes. She met him few days ago."

Vaishali wiped the sweat from her forehead, trying to steady her breath. She could hear her own heart pounding. "Then he must have told her what he saw."

"What are your orders? Should we... take him out?"

"No. That won't be of any use. The girl knows already."

"Then what do you suggest?"

Vaishali didn't speak for a long time. She closed her eyes. Susharma tried to resume the conversation once or twice. But he wasn't sure what to say. He almost stood up to leave, when she opened her eyes again.

"I have been expecting something like this since some time. The past has never stopped haunting us. And now it is here, threatening to destroy everything we built" said Vaishali calmly.

"We can't let that happen." Susharma murmured.

"You are right. We can't. And we won't. Not to my son. Even if it means I can never be a part of his life again."

"I don't understand."

"You have served me sincerely all these years. Hence I know that I can trust you. I assign a task of grave importance to you. I hope you will accomplish this." Vaishali paused.

"Yes, Rajamata." Susharma waited eagerly.

"Spread a rumour that Samarjit is not my biological son."

"What! Why?"

Vaishali ignored him and continued. "Search for my husband's oldest mistress. You must make everyone believe that there was a secret marriage and Samarjit was her son, whom I have adopted, as my own child was stillborn."

Susharma was certain that Vaishali had lost her mind. "What are you saying? What good will that do?"

"Can't you see? It is only a matter of time before that foolish girl arrests me and throws me into the prison. I have to disassociate myself from Samarjit. That's the only way I can protect him. If we can make everyone believe that he is not my son, then my arrest won't ruin his future. And he can still be Vasishtha's legitimate son if we can create evidence of a second marriage. That way he will still have rights to the throne."

"He is your boy. Your blood. You can't just go ahead and say that he is not yours. That will break his heart." Susharma protested.

Vaishali turned away, weeping silently. "This is the only way."

"It doesn't have to be. We can tell Mayanshi the truth."

"You think that foolish girl will believe us?"

"But--"

"Think rationally." She yelled. "If it is revealed that it was Vasishtha who killed King Mahadeva, it will make Samarjit a traitor's son."

Susharma flinched. They had agreed never to mention it when they discovered the truth. He never thought he would have to hear it again.

"Not only will he lose the rights to the throne, he would also be thrown out of Virata. It could get worse. That stupid Mayanshi may even kill him for revenge. She is not like her parents. She is raised by Bhargavi. That woman has turned the girl into a poisonous serpent." Vaishali said bitterly. "You have to do this, Susharma. For Samarjit. He is innocent. He shouldn't be punished for his father's sins." She begged him.

"As you wish." Susharma finally agreed.

---***---

Abhimanyu paced up and down in the interior of his tent. 'The Virata army should have reached by now. What might have caused the delay?'

"You wished to see me, Yuvaraja?" Army chief, Karthikeya, approached him. "Perhaps you would like to know the reason for the Virata army being late."

"You make too may assumptions, Senapati garu." Abhimanyu remarked. "If I didn't know any better I would say you were trying to divert my attention from what I actually wished to speak with you."

"My apologies, Yuvaraja."

"No need to apologize, great sir. I'm not actually accusing you of anything. If I were, I would have directly said that you want to conceal what you have discussed with my mother before we started our journey. But I am saying no such thing." Abhimanyu subtly conveyed that he knew about the army chief's meeting with the queen.

Karthikeya looked uncomfortable.

"Do sit down." Abhimanyu requested. "What I wish to say is this. Do you remember the four spies who claimed to be from Govindapuram? The ones we placed in the employment of neighbouring city's governor on my sister's insistence?"

"Yes. I do, Yuvaraja. I was against this. You convinced me to give my approval." Karthikeya recalled. "Did they cause any trouble?"

"Ah! I am afraid you are not aware of their current status. They have been shifted to our palace three weeks ago. My spies have been keeping an eye on them since then. And do you know what they have discovered?" Abhimanyu took a dramatic pause.

"What is it, Yuvaraja?"

"They met secretly one night. They were planning to hurt the royal family while I was away."

"Did they?" Karthikeya was shocked. "I will see to it that they are punished. We will have them hung upside down and--"

"Control your rage, Senapati garu. You are getting old."

"Old?"

"Yes. If you were as young and attentive as you were before, I wouldn't have had to do your job. Or maybe you were too busy attending other meetings, that you couldn't find time to perform your fundamental duty." Abhimanyu spoke calmly. Yet the army chief shivered slightly.

"But I assure you. There is nothing to worry about. As long as I am here, I will never let anyone do anything wrong." Abhimanyu stood up before Karthikeya could speak. "My brother-in-law has arrived."

He walked towards north-west end of the camp to welcome them.

"I, Abhimanyu of Srimukha, cordially welcome revered King Samarjit of Virata." Abhimanyu greeted them with a smile and applied red tilak on Samarjit's forehead. "I hope your journey was fine."

"Thank you very much, Prince Abhimanyu. Delighted to see you again. It is an honour to fight alongside you." Samarjit accepted the welcome.

Leaders from both sides gathered in a tent to discuss the strategy to be implemented.

After completing all the meetings, Abhimanyu led Samarjit to his tent. "Decorated with lotus flowers? Your sister would have loved it."

"And you don't?"

"I would have, if my mind wasn't preoccupied by the war ahead."

"Ah! Having witnessed your battle skills, I understand your fear. But you have got nothing to worry about. I'm here." He tried to lighten the mood.

"I admire your confidence. But given your affinity to always do something unwise I will always have something to worry about."

"Me? Unwise?"

"Yes. I want you to promise that you will stick to the pre-approved strategy. If you get hurt Mayanshi would murder me" said Samarjit.

"Addressing her by given name?"

"Abhimanyu. I am serious. I saw that you were dissatisfied by the position assigned to you in our formation. But we need you there. Don't abandon your position and go looking for trouble. I know it will be tempting once we enter the battlefield. But I want you to be careful."

"You sound like my sister. Alright. I promise." Abhimanyu sighed.

---***---

"All set? Are we going according to the plan? Or did you have a change of heart?" asked Bhairava.

"Why do you reckon so, uncle?" asked Mayanshi.

"It seems you were distressed by Samarjit's departure. You even promised to pray for him. Didn't you?" 

"Eavesdropping, my dear cousin?" Mayanshi glared at Govardhana before facing her uncle. "As far as I know praying for someone's safety is not a crime."

"You're right. But I hope your concern for his well being goes only as far as praying. It shouldn't interfere with our plans."

"It won't. Whatever my equation with him is, it won't come in the way of our battle. It is Vaishali we are against. Her evil reign must end. She has to pay for her sins. And I won't change my mind just because her son has been nice to me." Mayanshi announced.

"Then I don't understand why you are against harming Samarjit."

"Because he is not answerable for his mother's deeds. He has not exactly been a hero to all of us. But I will not let him harmed. He will be imprisoned. Under no circumstances will he be injured. And he will be released the moment he yields and signs the treaty. Try and understand this. I will not repeat myself." Mayanshi snapped at him.

"As you wish. But promise me Vaishali's reign will come to an end."

"I think you haven't been paying attention. I already said I will punish her. That's the whole plan. And as promised I will also clear your name. You will return to our palace soon." Mayanshi stood up. "I should leave. I would rather be at my court and do something useful than reiterate the same thing to you more than a hundred times." She stormed away.

"Father. Why do you keep nagging her so much even after she agreed to work with you?" Govardhana asked him.

"Because that Samarjit has cast a spell on her. She never agrees to hurt him even if our very lives depended on it."

"He is our family."

"Govardhana! What has gotten into you? That man can never be our family. Only Mayanshi is. And we are this close to being a proper family again. My brother will finally rest in peace. I won't let anyone ruin this. Not even our little girl." Bhairava did nothing to conceal his emotions.

"I still don't see the need for violence."

"As if you are the epitome of peace. Don't forget. It was you, who planned the attack on her." Bhairava reminded his son.

"It was harmless, father. Besides, I did it for you. You wanted to bring her to our side. And you said it was the only way to protect her from being a puppet to Vaishali. That's the only reason I agreed to this. You are aware that I told them not to hurt her." Govardhana said.

"Didn't go as per the plan. Did it? She wasn't hurt. But she killed two of our men. Whose fault was it? Yours." Bhairava scolded him.

Govardhana looked away. He hadn't forgiven himself for the demise of those two men. But for his father, their lives meant nothing.

He always made excuses for Bhairava's lack of righteousness, because the opponents were relatively bigger evil. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't justify his father's desire to hurt Samarjit.

"Now go back to your quarters in the palace and wait for further instructions. I have a meeting with our other ally from the palace." Bhairava dismissed his son.

Govardhana walked back to his horse wondering who this mysterious ally his father had always consulted and yet never revealed the identity of.

---***---

How is it? Bad? Worst? Mediocre? Or okayish?