What would happen if you were appointed as a bodyguard for the person you were supposed to assassinate?
Adhiveer is a beloved king. Adored by everyone in his kingdom and beyond.
Shiva, a professional assassin, gets easily appointed as his royal gu...
Queen Avani insisted that they arrange for a feast celebrating the recovery and good health of the king, stating that it would make all the people of the palace happy. She said that it would motivate them and take their minds away from the horrible things that had happened. Rajveer had agreed and said that he would personally look into the arrangements and invites. Adhiveer couldn't say no to them.
The queen had always been this way, insisting on arranging feasts, celebrations and gatherings. According to her, it kept the courtiers and the soldiers of the palace happy and also established the ruler's benevolence to the people. She had been married into this family when she was very young, only eighteen years of age, two years after Adhiveer's mother had died. She had cared for him when he was a child but had always maintained that he would not address her as his mother. The reason she had given was that she would have never taken the place of his mother and Adhiveer had agreed to her wishes. She stayed in the palace at Merujaya till Adhiveer was fourteen, just a year before his coronation. She had left to stay at a different palace erected by his father, the king in the northwestern region of their kingdom. Rajveer stayed with him and used to go to visit his mother whenever she called him.
The feast was grand and Rajveer had done a splendid job. Not many people were called, palace courtiers, a few neighbouring small kings and important merchants and traders.
Shiva looked cautious at the event, she had not left the king's side throughout the celebration. Every guest was thoroughly scrutinized at the entrance. Adhiveer found it amusing but didn't dare to question her. The feast took place for almost the entire day from early afternoon to late evening. And when it was finally over he was the most relieved. He didn't care much for such feasts and celebrations but knew that if the people of his kingdom were happy he was doing a good job. He had ordered the distribution of rations for a month to the poor all over the kingdom because he knew that celebrations like this only satisfied the courtiers, but the people of his kingdom cared more about their daily livelihood rather than some celebrations.
He called for Shiva after the guests had left, and for the first time, she had shown up promptly within minutes of summoning.
" Is something wrong, my king? Are you alright?" she said as she entered his chambers.
Adhiveer was stifling a laugh, " Yes, I am not alright...what is wrong with you?"
" What did I do? Did something happen?" She looked petrified.
He burst into a laugh," You looked so terrified," he held her, " I saw that you were uneasy the entire day. What is troubling you?" He asked bringing her closer.
" Please don't tease me like this. Do you think that I would have been like this if you were alright? After everything that has happened in the past few days, I-" She huffed.
" Do you care for me so much?" He bent to meet her eyes.
" Of course, more than anything else in the world." She said. Her eyes were searching his.
He pulled her in closer," how much more?" He asked.
" More than you." She said slightly moving inward.
"Really?" He cocked his head," then prove it."
She perked her chin up." What do you want me to do?" and smiled.
"Marry me..." He saw her twitch but he was sure of what he'd said and didn't second guess on that question.
"What?..." she fell stiff in his arms.
" Will you?" He felt a little impatient. "You want to be with me don't you?" He loosened his hold and moved back to search her eyes.
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