"That was such a splendid procession!" Padmini said dreamily as they walked through the market. The procession had just ended, and the girls continued their earlier shopping.
"It certainly was," Mohini answered in a daze as they walked past the clothing stalls deeper into the bazaar.
"Aariz, why weren't you a part of the procession?" Padmini asked, turning around to face the man.
" I just didn't feel like it." he said, shrugging nonchalantly.
Scoffing, Mohini stomped past them, exiting the bazaar.
"Moh-Maya, wait! What's gotten into you." Padmini said as she tried to catch up with Mohini.
"Nothing, it's just the fatigue of travel setting," Mohini said as she tried to tame the irritation flaring in her chest.
"Why don't we call it a day and head back," Padmini replied with a sympathetic smile on her face.
"I'll walk you back to your lodging; it's unsafe for you ladies to walk back alone." Aariz offered.
"That won't be necessary; I'm sure the prince would expect you to be back at the palace. You are the prince's guard, are you not?" Mohini questioned.
"I am. However, contrary to popular belief, the prince is more than capable of caring for himself. If you haven't noticed, the whole procession we just saw was dedicated to the prince winning the war. Not the prince's guard."
"In case you haven't noticed, you wear the uniform of a royal guard; whether the prince can defend himself or not, I am sure you are not supposed to leave his side. What would the emperor say when he hears about how the guard he specially appointed to ensure the prince's welfare is not by his side, but escorting two ladies to a lodging they can walk to themselves."
The emperor will not find out; even if he did, he would not say anything."
"Of course, because his majesty is oh so lenient," Mohini said, rolling her eyes.
Aariz's eyes turned dark with anger, "Don't speak of the emperor like that."
Before Mohini could reply, Padmini said, "Maya, enough; you are getting defensive over nothing, Aariz; it is up to you. if you want to escort us, we will happily be in your company. If not, meeting you was fun, and I hope to see you again."
Aariz turned towards Padmini and smiled. "It would ease my heart to see you both safely arrive at your lodging."
"Well, then, follow me," Padmini said, beaming at him.
Padmini walked in the front and led the way back to the haveli.
" I won't stand anyone talking negatively about the emperor." Aariz said as he fell into step beside Mohini.
"Why does that matter to you," Mohini challenged.
"Because the emperor has done nothing but care for the welfare of people, He does not deserve anyone looking down on him."
"Please, the only thing the emperor has done was cause pain to the common folk."
Mohini bit her tongue and turned to look at Aariz, who had a look of confusion and anger on his face.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"It means that your father is not as virtuous as he says he is," Mohini said in a low whisper, ensuring that Padmini was not listening to her.
Faisal looked at her with shock etched on his face. However, Mohini rushed forward to catch up with Padmini before he could respond to her.
"What were you talking about with Aariz?" Padmini asked,
"Nothing important."
Padmini gave her a sidelong glance but didn't question Mohini.
"Why did you say your name was Maya?" Padmini whispered as they turned around the corner to their haveli.
"He's a stranger; I don't trust him enough to give my real name to him," Mohini said, shrugging her shoulders.
Padmini sighed and turned to the young man who was walking a few paces behind them.
"Our lodging is only a few blocks ahead. I'm sure you must be very busy, and we both appreciate your effort to make sure we get back safely. Have a good day!" Padmini smiled as she walked up the steps of the haveli.
Mohini inclined her head before she turned to follow Padmini. However, before she could actually climb up the steps, a hand grabbed her arm, and pulled her back.
"You better watch what you say with that smart mouth of yours." Aariz whispered in her ear.
Mohini turned around and glared at him.
"Let go of me."
Aariz scoffed. "Or what, will you shout, as you so cleverly figured out, that I'm the prince; people would rather kill you than go against me."
"And I would rather die than let you touch me ever again. Let me go before I do anything both of us will regret."
"What will you do?"
"I'll-" Mohini stopped as she realized that there was nothing she could do. It was her word versus his, a traveler versus the prince.
"I thought people did not know you were the prince?" Mohini said, raising her eyebrows.
Aariz stared back at her with a blank face. "But I am a palace guard, dressed as the prince's guard nonetheless. People would think twice before going against me because that would mean that they would have to deal with the prince and the emperor."
Mohini huffed before making another attempt to release her hand from his grip.
"Your Highness, could you please let me go? It's very unbecoming of a prince to interact with a woman of a lower status." Mohini pleaded.
"It's unbecoming of a commoner to make such bold assumptions about my father in front of me. You do not know the full story; you only believe the stories that the people say."
"And are the stories told on these streets wrong? Are the number of deaths of the common folk that have occurred under the rule of the emperor fake? How many wars have your forefathers waged compared to the number of wars your father has waged?"
Aariz said nothing, but his grip on her arm loosened, allowing Mohini to put some distance between them.
"Your Highness, with all due respect, maybe you are not the one who knows the full story."
Mohini turned around and hurried up the stairs of the haveli; as she turned around to close the door, she looked up to find Aariz watching her. His eyes didn't waver even as she closed the door on him. Mohini retreated to her room, and with the fatigue from the travel as well as the events that happened earlier, she immediately drifted off to sleep.
That night, Nidra had not been kind to her. Her sleep was deep but was accompanied by the nightmares of her childhood. The happy memories she had with her parents slowly morphed into the day of her parent's death. The last thing she could remember before drifting into a dreamless slumber were gray eyes looking at her in disgust.
YOU ARE READING
The Viper's Curse (The Viper's Den #1)
Historical Fiction(Slow Updates) With a body made to kill, all Mohini ever knew was death and destruction. But what happens when Mohini is tasked to destroy death and destruction himself? Prince Faisal Ibrahim Mohammad Khan is as dangerous as he is intelligent and a...
