✓ Fearless - Book 1 of The Rajkumari Trilogy

Chapter 21

Chapter 21
___________

"What?" her siblings synchronized in disbelief, leaning forward in their seats.

"Have you stepped out of your sane mind and into the realms of idiocy? The King was many things, but he was never a thief! He would never steal a gem from his own heirloom and sell it for money." Suruchi laid her elbows on the table, interlocking her fingers and resting her chin on them.

Dipankar leaned back, laying a hand on the arm of his chair. "Exactly, Father would never betray his own kingdom! How could anyone really?"

A tense moment followed as the sisters looked pointedly at him. Half a minute later,

"Oh," he realized.

"Yes," Suruchi turned towards the unofficial queen. "Revati, just tell us how you came to this utterly stupid conclusion?"

"It was a theory in the beginning, but I'm sure now. And hey! It isn't stupid!" Revati replied defensively, holding her hands up. She looked at the two of them who were shaking their heads at her. 

"The late King would steal the gem his own family gem for himself and loot his own kingdom? This sounds beyond ridiculous, Revati." 

Revati shut her eyes in annoyance. Why won't they listen before unbarricading their mouths!?

"Jus-just tell us why you think so," Dipankar said.

"No." Now Dipankar was confused.

"No?"

Suruchi mumbled something along the lines of, "First she's oozing with eagerness to spill the beans, and the next she says that she won't. I can't understand this girl. Either she is being very stupid or too smart for us to comprehend."

"I mean, I'll show it to you two instead. Come on!" 

She got up, pushing the chair and practically running towards the door, leaving them behind, to get up lazily and follow her slowly.

"Any idea what she means?" Dipankar asked his elder sister.

"Not a clue," Suruchi replied, shaking her head.

* * *

The doors thudded close as they stepped in nonchalantly. All source of sunlight was barricaded by thin red curtains, hanging idly except for the occasional swaying along with the breeze. The throne room was illuminated by a light, morning glow so they could see, but not enough to make them clear. A sunbeam escaped through one of the windows left aja,r pouring on the throne, making it glisten.

There lay the jeweled ceremonial sword of the kingdom in all its glory, on the cushioned-velvet- seat of the magnificent throne. It held itself regally, with no ruler to keep it company, with no Raja Ram Verma to hold it by his side with pride as if it were his blood relation. Revati picked up the sword, her hands thinking it a delicate flower petal, and brought it down the platform.

She held it out to her siblings to praise its excellence with their eyes. "Here lies the answer,"

Suruchi cocked her head to the side. "The sword? I'm a bit confused, princess."

Her slender fingers grazed the hilt of the sword, resting on an iridescent diamond stone. She hesitantly, but firmly, plucked it free from the gold metal, drawing two audible gasps from her siblings.

"Revati! How could you... that's the royal sword! You can't just- you can't just pluck it off like a flower-" Suruchi fumed, struggling to put her livid predicament into words.