The Princes of Ayodhya-The Ramayan Through Short Stories

Unintentional Alliance-Part 2

    Seconds before the branch fell on top of the princess, who had fallen down, Lakshman bound forward and caught it on his back, while Shatrughan stayed behind, wholeheartedly hoping for it to kill the princess. From above, Dasharath breathed a sigh of relief, and Raja Vanshik dashed down the steps towards the garden.

"Ahem, Shatru?" Lakshman winced. "Don't just stand there! Help me!" For even if he could catch a flying branch, he was only nine-years-old.

"Sure! Anything to help." Shatrughan grumbled, lifting up the other side of the branch, and the Princess Phooljani crawled out. She didn't even look shaken!

"See? This garden is horrible! Falling branches, bees everywhere, and not enough gold!" The twins dropped the branch simultaneously, and scowled.

"I really should have let the branch fall." Lakshman murmured, kicking the gate wall. Shatrughan nodded. "Yes, you really should have. But at least the King-Sir-Raja will thank us now."

Quite the contrary. "Phooljani!" cried Raja Vanshik, picking up his darling princess, and brushing off layers of invisible dirt. "Look! There's a scratch on her arm! Raja Dasharath, this really was injustice!" Ram and Bharat, who had reached the area by now, were busy making sure that the gate wall that Lakshman had kicked was still intact.

"I'm very sorry," King Dasharath lamented. "Please forgive my sons." King Vanshik humphed. Rajkumari Phooljani humphed. Even their carriage driver seemed to humph.

"Forgive us?" Lakshman asked incredulously. "But we-" Ram cut in quickly before Lakshman lost his temper. "Yes, do forgive them." he nodded sadly, and even seemed about ready to cry. This display of apology seemed to overwhelm the king as he quickly turned away.

"We'll have to return back to Mahisthami immediately to assess this injury. We'll talk later Dasharath!" He stalked off, the royal family in procession,and loaded himself into the carriage. Phooljani turned around, nose scrunched up.

"Your kingdom has not enough gold. That branch scratched me. You ought not to have allowed that" She nodded towards Lakshman, who looked like he could kick a wall again, and even managed a head jerk that might have been a nod towards Shatrughan.

"See, father?" asked Shatrughan after the carriage had left. "This is why you don't ask Lakshman and I to do important things! We mess everything up, willow trees break apart, princesses get little boo-boos, I act like a mass murderer who wants everyone to die, and Lakshman might kick the gate down!" He pointed towards the broken stone wall, which still seemed a little flimsy.

"Well, on any terms, it was good of you, Lakshman, to grab that branch." Dasharath thanked the elder twin, who looked a bit pale for anyone's satisfaction, and was gripping into the palace walls for support. .

"Um, forget about princess scratches, does anyone have a medic for princes?" asked Bharat worriedly, pointing towards said prince. "Lakshman's back is bleeding all over the floor." Just like Raja Vanshik had rushed Princess Phooljani back to Mahisthami for a check-up, the entire royal family rushed a protesting Lakshman ("I don't need medicine, you idiots, I'm fine!") towards the doctor.

The next morning, the entire family was breakfasting when a royal messenger walked right in holding quite a large scroll. Dasharath's hand paused halfway through grasping a glass, all words stopped, Shatrughan squirmed, looking very guilty, and Lakshman looked about ready to kick a wall again. Ram and Bharat looked very composed, as usual.

But the message was not a declaration of war from Mahisthami as everyone had thought, and feared. No, this was a message from the Malla Republic next door!