Minister's Possession

The Palace Chronicles

The carriage came to a halt in front of the palace. The driver stepped down from his seat, making his way to the back and knocking twice on the door to let his master know they had reached their destination. In response, his master knocked back twice, signaling him to proceed with opening the carriage door. Minister Vinaay climbed down from the carriage, offering the driver a thankful smile and nod, and was greeted by the sight of his sister, Your Highness.

"Your Highness," Vinaay bowed in front of his sister with a small smile. His sister smiled back and tried to peek inside the carriage.

"You didn't bring Veena with you?" she questioned when she saw no one else inside the carriage. "You left her there alone?" Anika inquired, placing her hands on her hips.

"It was so sudden. I found out about the ruckus yesterday in early morning, and I spent the entire day resolving the issue caused by those thugs. Just as I was finishing up, I was informed that Your Majesty demanded my presence urgently, so I came directly here," Minister Vinaay half-lied, not wanting to reveal to his sister how deeply affected he was by his wife after the dream he had about them. He hadn't brought Veena along not because he didn't have the time, but because he wanted to clear his mind before seeing her again. After the almost kiss in the carriage on their way to the village, Minister Vinaay couldn't risk sharing a closed space with her.

Anika studied him for a moment, sensing that there was more to his story but choosing not to press further. "I see," she finally said, a hint of concern in her eyes. "I hope everything is alright."

Vinaay gave his sister a reassuring smile, though his mind was still troubled. "Yes, everything is under control. Let's go inside and discuss the matters at hand."

As they walked towards the palace, Vinaay couldn't help but think about Veena. Now that he was back in the kingdom, away from her, she occupied his thoughts incessantly. He was lost in his musings when a figure suddenly collided with him. Before the person could fall, Minister Vinaay instinctively reached out, steadying them and preventing a fall that might have caused injury.

Lady Ambika, who had purposefully collided with Minister Vinaay, smirked and waited a few seconds before standing back on her feet. "You okay?" Vinaay inquired, his voice tinged with concern.

"Minister Vinaay!" A smile bloomed on Ambika's face as she pretended to be surprised to see him. She bowed to him, and he bowed back out of respect. "You've returned? Is your work in the village done?" she asked, her eyes shining and her lips stretching upward to form a beautiful smile.

"No, Lady Ambika, there's still much to do in the village. The revolution that seemed to have died with Damodar's death is rising again. I'm here to discuss something important with His Majesty before I take my leave," he replied as they began walking side by side. Anika, who was walking a good distance ahead of them, stopped upon hearing Ambika's voice and turned back. It was only then that Ambika noticed her presence and bowed respectfully.

"Your Highness," Ambika greeted.

"Ambika," Queen Anika acknowledged her. "What are you doing here so early in the morning?" Even though she knew that Ambika's presence in the palace likely meant she was already aware of Minister Vinaay's arrival, she chose to act oblivious and question her.

"Umm... I was up early today and wanted to use the training room to get some practice done," Ambika lied with a smile.

Queen Anika smirked and nodded her head before focussing her attention to her brother "Freshen up and take some rest bhai , I will let Your Majesty know about your arrival, he was waiting for you only before his daughter demanded his attention' She said, smiling at the thought of her husband and daughter wrapped in blanket and snoring the morning away.