Maze of Lies- Lost Around Secrets

Chapter 2

~Shaurya~

We were only a day away from our destination. Dev, Ashwin, and I were on our way to Ambikapuram, the capital city of the Vardhan Empire, after having dispersed my other men to their respective missions. We had a lead on the rebels but couldn’t afford to celebrate just yet; there was still much work to be done.

We each rode our horses and wore simple clothes, blending in with the commoners. Some court officials might question the lack of security, but Ashwin isn’t my personal bodyguard for nothing. He’s the most capable swordsman in our kingdom, though he could have been recognized more if not for his bad luck four years back.

As the prince, I am also well-versed in swords and other weapons, as well as hand-to-hand combat. Although Ashwin and I had not fought even a single time to date, I knew without a doubt that he was still better than me.

Dev was taught sword fighting and combat by Ashwin himself, so he is better than most of his peers. However, he is more inclined towards psychology, politics, and other such subjects.

“Let’s take a rest. It’s already evening. We shouldn’t travel at night,” Dev suggested.

I looked at the horizon, where the sun was almost down, painting the sky in hues of red, orange, and yellow.

“Hmm. Ask someone for directions to an inn to stay for the night,” I instructed Ashwin.

Ashwin dismounted and approached a nearby shop selling ladies’ ornaments and decorative items, asking for directions. Dev’s eyes lingered on the items hanging in the store.

“I should take a gift for Amrita, right?” he said suddenly.

“Yes?" I asked in confusion and then replied, "You probably should.”

Dev went to the shop and began examining the items. I followed, not wanting to stand alone.

“There’s an inn few metres away. We can go there,” Ashwin informed me.

“Dev wants to buy a gift for his sister. Let’s wait,” I said, noticing the glint in his eyes.

“Oh, for Amrita?” Ashwin asked with a playful tone, which I ignored. Dev who didn't notice replied with a hum.

I began looking at the ornaments and accessories too.

“I don’t know what to buy for her,” Dev mumbled with a confused expression.

“May I help you, customers? I can assist with your selection,” the shopkeeper offered.

“I’m looking for something for my sister.”

“We have earrings, anklets, armlets, and necklaces. Can you guess what she would prefer?”

“Something light and less dazzling. Oh, and in red.”

“Does she like red?” I asked, casually.

“Yes, she kind of likes red.”

“In that case, here are some options,” the shopkeeper said, laying out red jewellery and accessories before us.

There were red earrings, bangles, pendants, and more.

“There are so many options,” Dev said, looking at the items. He turned to Ashwin and asked, “What should I buy?”

“Buy whatever. Girls like jewellery all the same,” Ashwin shrugged.

Dev looked at me, silently seeking my opinion.

“The anklets look good,” I suggested.

“Anklets?” He examined the gold anklets with red beads small ghungroos. “I’ve never seen her wear heavy anklets. I don’t know if she’ll like them.”

“I’ll take these earrings,” he decided, pointing to the heavy red earrings.

“Excellent choice, sir. That will be 2 gold and 50 silver coins.”

Dev paid, and we mounted our horses to head towards the inn. From the moment I left that shop something was nagging me bothering me in my mind. After riding for few minutes, I pulled the horse's reins abruptly.

“Is something wrong, Prince?” Ashwin whispered, scanning our surroundings for threats.

“No, there is nothing wrong. I just thought about buying something for my mother and aunt. Wait here for a few minutes. I’ll be back soon.”

I turned my horse back towards the shop before they could say anything.

The shopkeeper recognized me immediately. “Did you forget something, sir?”

“No, I’d like to buy those anklets, the red ones.”

“Ah, of course. They’re 5 gold coins.”

“That’s more than the earrings.”

“Don’t worry about the price, sir. Consider their worth. Your wife will be ecstatic to have these.”

“I’m not married,” I said, taking out the coins from my pouch.

“Then... the girl you like will surely love them,” he said thoughtfully. I ignored his remark and handed over the coins along with an extra 20 gold coins.

“Pack the most expensive necklace you have and that pendant behind you along with the anklets,” I said, pointing to a gold pendant with a carved figure of Lady Radha leaning against the shoulder of Lord Krishna, who was playing a flute.

The shopkeeper eagerly packed the items. I wasn’t sure why I bought the anklets. The necklace was for my aunt, and the pendant for my mother, since she doesn't wear heavy jewellery. But as for the anklets, I wasn’t sure.

Or rather... I didn’t want to be sure.

I mounted my horse and began riding towards my friends. As soon as I reached them, they began asking me what I had bought.

"Nothing. Just some jewellery for my aunt and a pendant for my mother." I shrugged and changed the topic, "By the way, we should head towards the inn soon. It's getting dark."

They nodded and we headed towards the inn.

---------------------------------------------------------

At the break of dawn, we continued our journey. We reached there past noon, and I took a long breath. It was good to be back to the city after so long. Dev and Ashwin shared the same thought as me. They missed their homes. I missed it too.

Home. My mother. My family.

But our few moments of peace were broken when an arrow flew towards us. It flew right past me, barely grazing my shoulder as Ashwin pushed me to the ground, covering me with his body. Dev also bent low on the ground.

No more arrows came. But still, we were vigilant. We did not let our guard down. After what felt like hours, Ashwin finally got off me, still looking out for any danger.

We examined our surroundings, and my eyes fell on the arrow with a small red cloth tied at its end.

I went towards it and untied the cloth. It had a paper carefully wrapped around it. I unfolded the paper and, as my eyes took in the words written on it, I gritted my teeth in anger.

"Welcome dear prince, sincere congratulations on completing your studies, although it's a bit late. This arrow is just a warning of what might come at you if you attempt to move towards the throne. This is not a threat but a promise."

My eyes twitched at the threat, and I crumpled the paper in my fist.

"They think this threat could deter me. What an overconfidence, they got." I clicked my tongue.

"It's their foolishness to underestimate you, Prince," Ashwin said, flipping the letter back and forth as he examined it.

"And their one big mistake," Dev scoffed.

"It indeed is," I said, smirking and planning their downfall in my mind.

Vote if you like ⭐ and give feedbacks💬 if you want.

(⁠✿•‿•)