✓ Fearless - Book 1 of The Rajkumari Trilogy

Chapter 15

Chapter 15
____________

Revati had caught on in the middle of the story and was now gaping. "My maid, my best friend, my trainer, was my sister all along?" she whispered.

Suruchi looked into her sister's eyes. Her orbs were swirling with a band of emotions.

Shock.

Anger.

Sadness,

and was no doubt, directed to her, Betrayal.

"Half-sister." She corrected, looking away, unable to hold her gaze any longer.

"How could you not have told me? How could my father do such a thing... my mother..." Revati shook her head and held her tears back and without a word ran off through the passageway to the temple beside their training grounds.

Heavy clouds drop.

She gasped for breath as she came to a halt. Revati sat on the cold floor, hugged her knees, and sobbed. The river of tears that she had once barricaded now burst free and flew down her cheeks. 

She made no move to wipe them dry with the back of her hand as she used to. It was time she let go. Her chest heaved with short, uneven breaths.

She hiccuped and spoke to the still idol of Goddess Durga, "I thought he was a sincere, honest and the best father and king, one could ever be but now... I've lost faith in him. Suruchi whom I used to call my friend turned out to be my sister, she couldn't even disclose her identity with her own sister? Everyone around me is betraying my trust one by one. Will, will all the subjects too do the same? Will everyone desert me?"

Heavy clouds rain.

She snuggled into the pooja room, leaning against the walls of the stone temple, and dozed off. Only when she lifted her eyes from her deep slumber did she realize that she had slept through the night and that dawn was breaking. 

She lifted her head to look out what lay in front of her. Grey darkness enveloped the sun which was just peeking through the clouds. 

It was quiet.

The kind of calm, comforting quietness. Not even the birds were singing.

She got up, rubbing her tear-stained cheeks, and headed back to the palace. She decided to keep all that happened yesterday aside and to focus on what was important. Her people.

Heavy clouds drop to arise light.

Revati soon got dressed and headed to Suruchi's quarters. Thankfully no one was in and it was only Suruchi gazing out the window.

"Come... sister," she said, spinning around to look at her. Her eyes were on the verge of becoming moist, her lips held the faintest quiver, her stance weak. Suruchi looked so vulnerable. Revati had never seen her friend- sister, like this before. Suruchi was always one to stand tall, follow her duties and be firm in her decisions.

"Please, I hope you are not angry with me for concealing it from you all these years. I didn't want you to have a bad impression of your late father when I spoke yesterday. He was a good king and a good father, to you at least. I admit, it stung all those times when he addressed me a servant and you as his daughter. But I was never jealous of the life you had maybe a touch of envy when I was younger, but rather I hated–"

"Suruchi," Revati said calmly. "I came to apologize for my behavior yesterday. I acted irrationally and should not have blamed you. I get it, you and Father both did it to keep me safe. I was just... overwhelmed by everything taking place so fast. I am thankful to you for letting me know yesterday, else I would've regarded father as a saint,"