Dasharath sat, slumped on his throne. It was a far cry from the usual regal look he set up for himself, whether anybody was there or not. Raj Guru Vashishta stood in front of him amusedly, raising a greying eyebrow as he wrapped his two hands in front of him calmly. Dasharath bit his lip, stroking his beard, and looked off towards the distance, his mind buzzing.

Beside him, Kaushalya cleared her throat. "What are you thinking, oh king? What is troubling you? I hope none of the brothers and sisters have acted out?" Dasharath shook his head, but would not reveal his thoughts. "An enemy, perhaps? Someone threatening to march on Kosala? Is it some trouble with the subjects, maybe? Are the crops not as good this year?Do speak up, Dasharath, we will die worrying over here!" Dasharath leaned even further into the throne, but did not speak.

Kaikeyi was restless. What was the king planning? Something large? Something urgent, perhaps? She wondered how secret it was that he would keep it from them. The three queens were his advisers, Kaushalya the kind, Kaikeyi the warrior, and Sumitra the wise. Finally, Dasharath opened his mouth. "I was thinking that maybe I could give Ram and Sita some responsibilities in the kingdom, just for a day or two. Not for long. I think it would be good, they need something to do other than stare into each other's eyes."

Kaushalya and Kaikeyi were both ecstatic. "That sounds wonderful, sir, truly great! I think Ram would shoulder on the responsibility like a soldier does the imminent possibility of death, very well indeed. He is calm, and good-natured, and responsible. He needs something to do, and his multiple abilities are certainly going to waste here! Yes, that's a great idea Dasharath, a great idea for sure!" Kaikeyi rambled as Kaushalya chuckled in excitement and amusion.

Raj Guru turned towards Sumitra, who was in deep thought. She was wise, and most always knew the best thing to do. "I think that is a great idea, Dasharath," Sumitra finally piped up. "But we need to make sure that Sita stays away from anything dangerous, there are still many horrible people out there. People that do not respect royalty. Assign Ram and Sita different areas, perhaps Ram towards the more dangerous sectors, for he can defend himself well." Dasharath nodded seriously, before beaming again.

Something beat incessantly in all of their hearts, though it was something different for each. Dasharath had pride in what his son could surely do. Kaushalya was anticipatory, perhaps Ram could help solve some of the problems of the citizens. Kaikeyi was just excited. She was jumpy, and Dasharath would not be surprised if she jumped right off her throne, burst through the ceilings and landed on the moon. Sumitra, she was happy for her son, yes, but anxious as well. And Raj Guru Vashishta? Something, pressing deep into his gut like a knife made him want to intervene. He didn't.

-----O-----

Ram walked into the brother's courtyard, brows furrowed and jaw clenched, his arms folded across his chest. Bharat jumped up. "What happened, bhaiyya? Did something happen? Are you sad, did Papa tell you off? Come, sit down." He gestured to a seat which Ram took gratefully, plopping down as Sita followed him, looking perfectly poised as usual. Bharat's eyes darted in between them, but he waited for his brother's response. "Bhaiyya?" he asked, poking his shoulder hesitantly.

Ram jumped, roused from his long trance. "What-ah yes! Yes! Yes..." he trailed off, sinking further into his chair, not knowing how much he looked like Dasharath in that moment. "Speaking of Papa, he has assigned me some responsibilities around the kingdom, speaking to citizens, alleviating their fears, you know?" When Bharat nodded, Ram went on, talking short, quick breaths. "Well, I don't know. What if I fail him, what will happen then?" He looked up, grasping Bharat's forearm anxiously.

Bharat shook his head, putting his hand over Ram's. "You won't. You'll make Papa proud, I know it! The subjects love you, the people love you, and besides, you'll have Sita bhabhi won't you? It will be fine." Ram nodded to himself and removed his hand, turning towards Sita, who smiled serenely at him, before turning back to Bharat, his eyes darting around the courtyard in confusion.

"Where's the twins, and the other three girls, Bharat? Off somewhere?" Bharat shook his head and pointed to the balcony. Shatrughan and Urmila were spying on them with a telescope, and Ram smiled, gesturing for Bharat to stop acting like they knew that the two were there so he could listen to the promisingly hilarious conversation.

"Oh, move Shatrughan! Move! Isn't this great news, I must tell arya immediately!" Urmila cried, holding onto a viewing scope she must have smuggled out of the East Tower. Shatrughan groaned, but did as she said, moving over scarcely an inch, and nodding, putting the scope back to his eye and mumbling without any true meaning. "Where is Arya, by the way?" Ram immediately looked up. A missing Lakshman wasn't a good type of Lakshman.

"Urmila bhabhi, I think they've spotted us." muttered Shatrughan, and he quickly backed away, Urmila following him. Ram burst into laughter, all tensions scattered as Bharat rolled his eyes. Mandavi marched forward, speaking something about food taste testing, leaving Sita and Ram back in the courtyard. It was Sita's turn to be worried as she turned towards Ram.

"You'll do well, Arya, I know it. But what about me? What if they hate me-what if I'm terrible? What if I don't know how to do this stuff?" Ram shook his head, taking SIta's two hands between his own, and giving them a quick, comforting squeeze as he kissed her cheek calmly and confidently.

"You'll do great. I know you will, Sita. You are kind, and caring, and truly compassionate and genuine. That's all they could ever need, or even want. You'd be a natural." Saying so, he hugged the worried woman tightly, and beamed back at her as she smiled. Two other deities from heaven smiled down at the couple as Adhishesha felt like slithering away, knowing very well that he was third-wheeling.

"Aren't they so sweet?" wondered Shrutakirti, beaming down at the couple not so much from heaven as her own room, which was positioned so it had a nice view over the courtyard. Shatrughan nodded with an involuntary "mhmm", glasses down on his nose, paying attention to his books instead, and Shrutakirti rolled her eyes in humor, smacking his arm and walking away to try and find Mandavi, who seemed to be hiding somewhere.

-----O-----

Ram and Sita, who had resolved to constantly be at his side, had started to speak with the villagers about their problems. They received many. "My plants are dying, sir!" cried an old man, who leaned over and touched Ram's feet. "Please help! My plants are dying! I have no food, no money, no-" Ram quickly cut him off before he could speak any further, kindly putting a finger on his lips.

"My palace will provide you with fertile land upon which to grow crops. We will also give you some seeds. Your farm will be fine." The man touched Ram's feet again,and joyfully stepped away, marvelling at his own good fortune. Ram waved at his retreating back, and turned towards Sita. "This work is very fulfilling, is it not?"

Sita nodded as she aided a woman with holding her child. "Indeed it is. I think my sisters and your brothers would very much enjoy it too, with the possible exception of a few." She smiled as she waved towards a little toddler, who was pointing at her, eyes comically wide. "It just makes you feel so free, doesn't it? So amazing inside, as if you are floating in mid-air. I wish I could feel like this every single day."

Ram nodded agreeably. Suddenly, a woman ran up. "Sir, sir, my husband is threatening suicide, please help, please help!" The crowd began to mutter anxiously, some helping the woman stand up, others inching away. Sita frowned. "I'll go," she volunteered. Ram was about to intervene, citing unsfety, but Sita shook her head. "I can be quite convincing. It would be a sorrowful day if I allow a young man to kill himself."

Ram let her go, watching the back of her head sadly, before turning back to the villagers. His heart beat quickly, but Ram shook his head. Whenever he would be separated from Sita, his heart beat anxiously. It was paranoia, that someone could take her away from him, that someone could accidentally, even, hurt her. That wouldn't happen now. They were in Ayodhya. Everyone loved them here.

-----O-----

"Ram bhaiyya?" Shatrughan began, looking up uneasily. "Where is Sita bhabhi? We have not seen her for a long time, do you know where she is?" Ram went into a coughing fit, and Lakshman quickly hit his back. Ram got back up, and shook his head. "You don't know where SIta bhabhi is? It's the evening, she couldn't have taken that long! Come, let us ask father." Shatrughan suggested, and the four brothers proceeded to walk towards the throne room.

"What?!" cried Dasharath once Ram explained everything. "She should not have taken that long, we have shown her around Ayodhya, she should have a way back. I also gave her a guard, that would protect her at all costs. Where could she be?" Kaushalya's head darted up, a frown marring her beauty, and she looked around agitatedly.

"Well, what are we all waiting for? Let us go! We need to find that girl! She is in danger, in the evening, and we have some rakshas and demon enemies that would not hesitate to hurt her somehow. We need to go, now!" Ram agreed, and he and Shatrughan went forward as Bharat and Lakshman stayed behind.

As they stepped out, they could already sense that something was wrong. There were footsteps, small, beautiful ones that could have only been Sita's, marked in the dirt, and Ram swallowed as they seemed a little bit off course. They led towards the hut, but they did not come out. Ram's heart raced as he grabbed his bow, and Shatrughan went on alert.

Without invitation, he stepped into the hut angrily, and what met him was a gory sight.

-----O-----

"Bharat, you get ready the medical supplies," Kaikeyi ordered as she looked around. "Sumitra and Raj Guru Vashishta warned us earlier, we need to listen to them more." She looked around. Sita was a kind soul. A very, very kind soul. Kaikeyi had been quick to judge her, feeling that no woman deserved her Ram. But that was not the case. Perhaps, she, Sita of Videha, was the only woman in the world that deserved him. How wrong she had been. How wrong.

Bharat got his medical supplies ready, swallowing hard. The royal medic was absent, gone off on a road trip somewhere. His family had turned towards the next best option; the prince who studied medicine for years and years interestedly, had laid his grubby little fingers on each and every medical book there ever was, and had helped the healer eagerly in countless seemingly unsolvable cases, his hands like magic workers. Bharat could feel a pressure, heavy and deep upon him, but he ignored that. He didn't have a good feeling either, and he felt like throwing up. Something was devastatingly wrong, he knew it, and he brooded, eyebrows furrowing as he fixed the covers on the bed.

Lakshman watched him from the background, his face unreadable, but understanding. Suddenly, something bumped into him. A blur, before Lakshman's harried face stared him in the eye. And Bharat knew that they had arrived. And he knew it wasn't good. He never felt that he had run so fast in his life, and he and Lakshman raced towards the doors where Ram held a sickly looking Sita as Shatrughan stood behind him, arms crossed.

Bharat did not need to ask what had happened, he only nodded, and helped his brother as he looked close to breaking down. Now Sita lay on a cot, pale and coughing blood, as Bharat tried his best to cool down her temperature with a wet towel and a fan. He did not succeed, and he swallowed hard as he checked her temperature once more. She was like a boiling pot, and he looked up again, eyes scanning Ram and Shatrughan. "How did this happen? That will help me better." he murmured almost dejectedly.

Ram's eyes darted up guiltily from the foot of the bed. Tear tracks trailed down his face, and it became clear that he had sobbed at his beloved's feet. "She fell into a pool. She didn't treat herself or warm herself up. The man and the woman reckoned that she might have hit her head or jaw or something on a rock that was submerged, out of sight, under water." he sniffled as Shatrughan bowed his head down. "Shatru helped me."

Hypothermia. It was hypothermia. Bharat's eyes darted back to Sita, before immediately grabbing some warm blankets and putting them on her, turning off the fan immediately, cursing himself for his mistake. Then, he checked her face and head with permission from Ram to touch her. Yes, indeed, she had hurt her jaw very close to the neck. A few moments later, Bharat stepped back, shaking his head. "It will only take a few hours, and then we will know. Her condition is not good, Ram bhaiyya. She is very, very sick." He turned away as Ram sobbed into the nearest thing, Shatrughan's shoulder.

It was then that Urmila rushed in, her face looking urgent. She was followed on the heel by Mandavi and Shrutakirti, both of whom came to a halt once their eyes landed on the bed. "No, she isn't-" Urmila murmured, and she did not have to complete the question. Bharat repeated his words with optimism, all he could afford at that time, his face looking hopeful. Urmila collapsed on a chair, and Lakshman wordlessly brought her and her sisters some water, his face impassive. Urmila grasped onto his hand so tightly that it turned white, but Lakshman did not wave her off.

"All we can do is wait." Bharat murmured as he stared at her rising and falling chest. "All we can do is wait." And that was what they did. But slowly, everybody fell asleep. All except Bharat and Lakshman. They stared at each other almost awkwardly for a second, not quite knowing what to do with themselves, before quickly hurrying back to work, one being a good doctor, and the other ordering around half the palace threatening some sort of eternal damnation for all concerned if someone did not follow his directions, bringing blankets every minute. Sita suddenly became paler, and her coughs became more persistent. All Bharat could do was order more blankets, a larger fire for warmth, and more damp towels. Sita's coughs became persistent, and slowly, one by one, the family began to wake up, blinking and yawning, and suddenly looking alert.

What they found was Bharat staring at Sita's coughing body helplessly, shaking his head as if he couldn't do anything. "No!" cried Ram, shaking his head simultaneously, holding onto Sita's feet, cold as icicles. "She will be okay, nothing can happen! Absolutely nothing can happen to my Sita, she's an angel." Urmila wiped away some tears from her face and inched closer to her sister boldly.

"You cannot die. You promised that you would see your husband's coronation, you promised your sister that you would live until India became prosperous again. Why do you refuse to fulfill your promise? Why don't you get up? Did we tire you out? Is that why you are resting?" She became hysterical, going into tears, and Sumitra and Lakshman each wrapped an arm around her.

Kaikeyi walked in, face passive. "Is she shivering from the cold looks and words that I gave her? I felt that she did not deserve my Ram, and how wrong I was. How very, very wrong. If she dies today, I know it is my fault and my evil eye. I shall kill myself too. Sita is a pure woman, and she always will be. If God has even glanced once upon her, he will make sure that she lives." her voice, emotionless and bland, rang in Ram's ears. An uncomfortable silence now rested upon the room.

"Sita! You can't die! You can't leave us, please don't! Maa Kaushalya loves you like a daughter, like she loved Shanta didi. Maa Kaikeyi has apologized profusely, you must wake to forgive her. Maa Sumitra doted upon you so. Who shall I look to every morning? Whom shall my brothers call bhabhi?" his voice, laden with emotion as Kaikeyi's was not, broke the silence as unwelcome as the pain-filled wail of a mockingbird.

Bharat collapsed on a chair, head in his hands, looking ready to cry. "She has stopped shivering, her body cannot take much movement. It is the rest of this hour, bhaiyya, that will determine her life. She may live, and she will." But this momentary resolve was crushed when Sita's lips began to turn blue.

Bharat sat up from his chair, pushing it back so it went flying, and he dashed towards the bedside. "Lakshman, get me some blankets, as many as you can!" The third prince, newly turned blur, raced out of the room, and returned barely a second later with a pile of blankets larger than he was tall. Bharat stepped back again, rubbing his eyes. "Just the next hour, bhaiyya, and we shall know."

But Shrutakirti had burst into tears. "When we were younger, we used to trouble her with our trivial little problems! We used to disturb her when she was walking amongst the flowers and talking to the birds! We used to be horrible, we misbehaved a-and, we didn't deserve her as a sister, we really didn't, and we still don't! Have the Gods decided that she is too good to live upon this Earth?" Shatrughan shook his head adamantly, but didn't say a word, only sat her down on a chair and grasped her hand tightly.

Sleep, it seemed, was a contagious drug that took over the family, and then again, Bharat and Lakshman were the only ones awake, the former taking care of the ill patient, and the latter being the assistant. Bharat looked around and found Lakshman sitting on the floor next to Urmila's chair, stroking her hair comfortingly, his lids not closing even once, staring unblinkingly at the edge of the cot. Bharat walked over to him, pulling him up, and trying to get him to sit on one of the open chairs.

"I usually accompany my sisters for their protection." came the familiar small, ashamed voice. "I should have done so this time too. I could have finally come to some use other than being that annoying grumpy figure in the background. I cannot sit at the same level Sita bhabhi lies now, on the threshold of something whose name I will not take. No, Bharat, I shall sit on the ground." Now the face, accepting and guilt-filled, looked up at him. "Perhaps I could have been faster with the blankets, or more-"

Bharat cut him off without a thought. It came as a surprise to him that Lakshman cracked, but when he did, somehow, he still presented a tough, strong figure that he would have been scared of if he didn't know that Lakshman looked up to him. But he supposed it shouldn't have, come as a surprise, that is. Everyone lost it once, and everyone was human. Lakshman just proved that a little bit later.

"You could not have been more fast." said Bharat, taking a long sniffle and wiping his nose with his arm. "Nor are you a grumpy old figure as you say and think you are. We love you, truly we all do. She fell into a pool, Laksh, she was not attacked by something you could have stopped, and you undoubtedly would have. There is nothing we could have done about it. Don't-don't blame yourself, please do not. It is not worth it. "

Bharat now looked far off, resulting in Lakshman pulling him down on a chair. "I could have done something, though. I could have reacted faster. She had all the signs of hypothermia the moment I saw her, and her hair still seemed a little bit wet from the pool. I do not know why I waited so long to ask Ram bhaiyya. Every moment, when one is talking about hypothermia and cold-inflicted ailments, every single moment counts. Ages of being interested in medicine and herbs, and this is my performance when it was most necessary."

Now Lakshman took a deep breath. "The medic was absent, but even if he were here, we would have wanted you to treat Sita bhabhi. Everyone knows that you are better in medicine. Look, there are many things we could have done differently! Many, oh god, so many! But think, if we had not done things as we have, you might have not survived that monster in the forest, I might have died in battle, Ram bhaiyya might have never married Sita, Shatrughan might never have even been born! Everything is up to choices, choices, choices...and I think that you made the best ones that you had the option to."

The brothers, the second and the third sons of Dasharath, not the youngest nor the oldest, smiled at each other. Different, like the moon and the sun in behavior and personality. But similar in their guilt. Similar in their righteousness. Similar in the descendance, their ancestors, yes, but there was more. These two brothers suddenly bonded over the worst of the worst of events, and only in the worst of the worst of events, can true similarities be realized. And they were. And they were.

-----O-----

"Cured!" cried Bharat excitedly. "Cured, bhabhi! Isn't that exciting?" Sita nodded weakly, raising her hand towards all of her mothers. Ram held her shoulders tightly in a grasp that showed he never meant to let go. Sita's cheeks were sallow, sunken, and pale, her cheekbones rose up sickly, and the bottoms of her eyes had dark circles, but it was her smile that made up for all of that, her beaming smile that radiated excitement and joy.

"Ah, bhabhi." Shatrughan began reminiscently. "We missed you. Ram bhaiyya was crying, losing half of his body's hydration. Bharat bhaiyya was frantic, and got out all of his medical skills, good and bad." Bharat smacked him. "Lakshman-"

"-bhaiyya," cut in Sumitra reprimandingly.

"Fine, Lakshman bhaiyya ran so fast he was a blur. And all of the wives were a mess, honestly." Shatrughan smiled. "Good to have you back, bhabhi. Truly."

A/N- IDK what to write today. Question: What was your LEAST favorite chapter? You have to answer, or else....IDK man. *shakes fist*