𝑰𝒍𝒍 𝑭𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 ✎

[28]

This chapter is dedicated to
Nahira_18 ❤️

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Vaidehi

That morning starts awfully early, there are trumpets of welcome, announcing the return of someone. I breifly awaken but my eyes refuse to open. And before I can compel them to open further, there is a hand tapping my cheek.

"Rajkumari ji...,Rajkumari ji..."I hear being repeated next to me.
I stifle a yawn.

"What is it, Yamuna?" I ask, drowsily sitting upright.

"Yuvraj is back." She answers. Just three words that are enough to remove the cobwebs of sleep from my mind.

My eyes flutter open and I push the blankets off. Before I can get down from the bed though, the doors to the quarters fly open, revealing a heaving Raghavendra.

"Raghav?" My eyes have widened in shock.

"Excuse us." Raghavendra tells the maid, who immediately obliges, leaving and shutting the doors of my quarters.

Raghavendra pulls me into an embrace and crawls onto the bed.

"What happened? You are back so suddenly?" I ask against his shoulder.

He doesn't pull back though, his hands stay locked around me.
"He died, Vaidehi. He is gone. He was supposed to cover for me. I told him to stay behind me for cover as I lead him. And it was so dark. The sun had already set but the sultanate army continued to fight. They didn't stop. No surprise there, they are all bastards with no morals.
And....and out of nowhere he...he was attacked. I didn't see it coming. And he...he is gone. I couldn't save him."

Realisation dawns on me and I pull him tighter. His voice is so scratchy and sadness oozes out of his tone. My heart breaks for him. For his misplaced guilt.

"Raghav, it was not your fault. You fought so bravely and so well for an ally Kingdom. Don't blame yourself, please. It is not your fault."

"It is. I failed him. I failed Talya. Samay relied on me, he trusted my lead in the battlefield but I let him down. I failed him completely." His voice is raspy from trying to hold back tears.

Samay? I think that is the name of the Yuvraj of Mewar.

And suddenly it all crashes on me, Why Raghavendra's reaction is so elaborate.
"Raghav....Yuvraj of Talya is gone?" I ask.

Raghav finally lets me go and puts me at arms length, nodding.
"He died in my fucking arms and I couldn't do anything to save him." He stares at his arms. "I watched him bleed and groan to death. He said his last words in my arms, Vaidehi....and all I did was watch. I couldn't do anything. I was helpless."

As I hear him, my eyes are focused on the deep fresh scar on the side of his neck that disappears into his hair. My hand itches to soothe it.

Oh god. "Raghav....I am so sorry." I do know that Mewar has not been at any wars directly in years. And I also know that the two wars that Mewar has been at as a supporting kingdom since Raghav was old enough to take charge have resulted in glorious victories. Maybe he hadn't lost someone so close to him before.

"How am I going to face Samay's father? His sister? Oh and...his wife? She...she...she lost her husband because of me." He is now sobbing into his hands which are placed covering his face.

I cup his face. "Its not because of you. Samay took the decision to go to war. It was not your decision. And you did your part so well, Raghav. You fought."