𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬♛ 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧⚚

05⚚ Peace

Vencie POV:

As soon as they returned to the palace, Agastya barely looked at Viraj as he commanded, "Gaurav, take Viraj to the disciplinary committee."

With that, he walked away. Amaira, on the other hand, didn't hear any of it. She had stormed straight to her chamber, frustrated at how Viraj had handled her prank with that maddening calmness.

Left with no choice, Gaurav glanced at Viraj, feeling torn. He was silently debating how he could possibly save his brother. But Viraj just gave him a small smile.

"It's okay, bhai. Don't worry. It'll probably just be a small punishment."

Just then, Ash came running up, having heard the news from Gaurav. "Viraj! What did Agastya say?"

Viraj patted his back, trying to reassure him. "Everything's going to be fine, okay?" He turned to Gaurav. "Come on, bhai, let's go. I don't want a worse punishment just because I'm late."

Gaurav sighed heavily. As head commander of security, he had no choice but to follow orders, so he reluctantly led Viraj toward the committee room.

But before they left, Gaurav exchanged a quick look with Ash, giving him a signal. Ash caught on instantly, and with a nod, he took off toward Amaira's chambers.

Meanwhile, Amaira was in her garden, sitting peacefully as she played with her two favorite rabbits, Bunny and Sunny.

She was finally calming down after the day's drama when a loud, frantic knock sounded at the main door. She frowned, wondering who could be knocking like that.

With her head maid and bodyguard both absent, she went to open the door herself, only to find Ash standing there, panting and wide-eyed.

"Oh my—bhai! What happened?" she asked, alarmed.

Ash pointed back toward the palace, struggling to catch his breath. "Princess... it's Viraj!"

"What happened to him? He should be here by now, right?" Amaira asked, her voice laced with annoyance. "Fine, I'll just complain to the king that he's neglecting his duty."

Ash sighed, running a hand over his face. "Princess, your brother took him to the disciplinary committee."

Amaira's eyes went wide. "WHAT?" she shouted.

She knew the committee was known for its harsh punishments, and the last thing she wanted was to actually see Viraj hurt. All she'd wanted was for him to quit, not suffer.

Her voice was sharp with urgency. "Where are they now?"

"In the courtroom," Ash replied, still catching his breath.

Without another word, Amaira dashed out, her heart pounding as she raced down the hall. Ash quickly followed, knowing that if anyone could save Viraj from Agastya's wrath, it was the princess.

Along the way, Rithvik joined them, looking confused, but Ash gave him a signal to stay quiet. He, too, was surprised by the look in Amaira's eyes—he'd never seen her this anxious.

Reaching the heavy doors of the courtroom, she paused only to gesture for Ash to open them.

As the doors swung open, she walked in, her head held high and her gaze fierce, her presence demanding everyone's attention.

***

"Commander Gaurav, please tell us what exactly happened," the head of the disciplinary committee asked, his voice stern and expectant.

Gaurav took a steady breath, hiding the nervousness tightening in his chest. He kept his expression calm as he recounted the events, carefully choosing his words.