Back to the Arabian Nights

the Threat

***

Such events were not unheard of in the world of the royals. But everyone loved to pretend as if they had never heard of such scandal before.

It was true. Princess Vedika had eloped with a stranger in the veil of the night. 

'A direct call for war' was what they named it. The Maharaj of Bisnagar lowered his head that had always stood tall with his bejeweled turban crown in front of the proud Emperor in the grand court of Bisnagar. The Maharanis ran away from the court with fleeting tears, unable to tolerate the shame they had been feeling. 

The Princesses' chambers had been shut off from the rest of the palace. A princesses' chastity was the chastity of a nation. With the Maharaja's head lowered down in front of the Emperor, no one trusted the princesses' virtues to be safe in open air. We were trapped like prisoners. 

"Are they going to trap us here all day, Rati?" I gazed outside the little peep hole out of my window; the window that was once often left open without any restriction. 

"We don't know anything yet, princess" Rati paced around the room, perhaps, more scared than I was, "If the Emperor decides not to wage a war, it all might work out".

The peep hole showed nothing but the empty grasses of the garden; not a soul outside. 

"Why would the Emperor wage a war? Vedika didi hasn't left him at the alter. Vedika didi owed him nothing" I snarked. My snark was pointless. There was no one around to argue with.

Rati stayed solemn. He fear whitened her already pale skin.

"Avani?" A mellow voice from outside the room's door called out. It was the Guru. 

My eyes lit up momentarily. I had hope he'd have some solution to this madness. 

"Guru-ji" I exclaimed as I walked to the door to receive him, "Where have you been? You keep disappearing".

The Guru sat down in a velvet chair as Rati went on to close the door behind us. 

"Vedika is alright, if you're wondering" I spoke to cut the uneasy silence in the room. 

"Of course she's alright. I'm not worried about her" He spoke in a breath, "I'm here to talk about you".

"We have to leave the palace now" He spoke. 

My heart set heavy for a moment. I knew the day was coming. I'd have to leave the place. But, I had made a small abode for myself. Had he said I had to leave the palace for my real home, I would have been jumping with joy, but leaving the palace to go back to Agrabah wasn't something I was looking forward to. 

"Now?" I asked. 

"Whatever is going on here; there is only trouble from this point onwards. One of two things could happen; the Emperor will wage a war, or Bisnagar will surrender before they do so" He explained, "And in both case, the princesses will be abducted, murdered or ra--

"You're telling me to escape?" I asked again, looking at the Guru's tired eyes. 

"We're focusing on our path, Avani" He answered, gently sighing, "The political matters of Bisnagar is not on our path".

"This is my fault, Guru" I reasoned, "I'm part of the reason why Vedika eloped. It'd be wrong for me to abandon them".

The Guru pinched the high bridge of his nose, "It's not your fault Avani. These things happen all the time. Princesses escape unwanted marriages. And if you weren't going to help her elope, I would've".

I stared at the Guru in disbelief. A part of me understood why the Guru suggested what he did, but a larger part of me was screaming and throttling my conscience. I didn't have the heart to feel like I had stabbed the people who took care of me, fed me and treated me like family in their back.