PEREGRINATE

CHAPTER 25

The next time I opened my eyes it was to a white ceiling. No, not a ceiling, a canopy. But my bed did not have a canopy, nor did it feel like lounging on clouds.

Pieces of memories drift back to me. My chattering teeth and then being drenched in sweat. My throat was parched throughout the ordeal. There was Isha and Nani murmuring and asking how I was feeling. But nothing I could remember explained how I ended up here. And then the reason walked right in.

"Oh, good thing you are awake. And just in time. Your fever broke a few hours back so I figured you were bound to wake up soon enough. And I got broth for you."

Though his words reflected this was an everyday occurrence for him, his tone and unwillingness to meet my eyes betrayed him. He was as comfortable as I felt. Comfortable was the farthest thing that I was feeling as I realized that I was in his room. After our last encounter here I could not even be on the same floor and yet here I was, back at the scene of the crime. I felt like ants were crawling upon me and I needed to leave this room before my next breath.

"You are not going anywhere anytime soon. At least not before you had some food. You were out like a feather for an entire day." Inder casually took a seat next to me.

"Uh no, get away from me. Just because I am in your bed does not mean that I have forgiven you. I was brought here without my consent. Which I am sure you had a hand in." I attempted to twist his fingers as he inched his hand towards my forehead to take my temperature.

"Behave yourself," he tsked. "I am not holding you hostage here. Get in some food within you and then go wherever you please."

"And I am sure you have not poisoned this said food."I narrowed my eyes, trying so hard to determine his endgame.

His jaw clenched. He took offense to that. "I could never harm you. Much less your baby."

Damn it. I had forgotten about him. I was wearing a loose white shirt which I was sure belonged to Inder. Who changed me? And if they had seen me without clothes my secret would be out for all to know.

"Relax," Inder said while placing the bowl of food on his bedside table. "Your clothes were drenched in the rain and then your sweat. I changed you myself. And before you hit me-" His words had no effect because I had already landed a punch even before he could finish. His head snapped back. I flexed my knuckles. It hurt my hand but it was going to leave a mark on our precious prince.

"I deserved that," he said nasally, checking for blood from his nostril. "Now as I was saying no one knows about your baby. If it were not for my recent bout of bad mood, as you said, I would have gotten an earful from Nani but she did not reprimand me. So my terrible manners did help us," he said ruefully.

I pursed my lip to show my displeasure.

"Now would you please finish the bowl of soup? If not for yourself, at least for the kid. He must be starving." He always knew which cards to play.

So for the next few minutes, the future king fed me, blowing on each spoonful of food to cool it down. He played nursemaid and made sure my fever had not returned.

If it was any other time, I could have teased him about his new role but my heart was just not in it. When I felt I had indulged him enough, I started to move towards the edge of the bed to make my exit.

"Where do you think you are going? It's the middle of the night. The whole palace is asleep. You can leave in the morning," his words halted me.

I let out a growl as I realized that he had tricked me. "I would rather jump from that window than spend another minute in your presence," I vowed vehemently.