𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧

44⚚ Royal Prince

Author POV:

The moment they came back, it was already evening, the cool breeze was so soothing. All of them stepped inside the main palace, exhaustion evident but their minds still occupied with the day's revelations.

As they passed through the hallway, a royal guard hurried towards them, bowing deeply in front of Amaira.

She frowned. "What is it?"

The guard kept his head low and spoke respectfully. "His Majesty is requesting your presence, Your Highness."

Amaira sighed, already feeling a headache forming. "Where is he?"

"The practice grounds, Your Highness."

Gaurav tsked. "What does he want now?"

Rithvik crossed his arms. "Daksh, you should head back to the restaurant. If Agastya sees you here, he'll start asking unnecessary questions."

Daksh pouted, but Ash chuckled. "We can't have the king doubting why you're constantly around the palace, can we?"

Amaira smiled softly. "I'll meet you tomorrow, bhai, yeah?"

Daksh sighed but nodded, giving her a quick side hug before leaving.

Viraj, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. "Let's go see what your brother wants."

The rest of them nodded, making their way to the practice grounds. As they stepped in, they saw Agastya in the middle of training, demonstrating a combat move to the royal guards.

Agastya was known for his unmatched fighting skills—second only to Gaurav, and of course, Viraj. It was his usual routine to personally train the guards whenever he had time.

The moment he saw Amaira, he smiled and walked towards her. "How are you, Munchkin?"

Amaira gave him a soft smile. "I'm fine, bhai."

Agastya smiled at her warmly, placing a protective hand on her head. "Good," he said, but then his gaze flickered to Viraj, his expression shifting slightly. "I heard you were out visiting villages today?"

Amaira nodded. "Yes, Bhai, just normal visits to see if everything is fine."

Agastya raised an eyebrow. "Normal visits?"

Amaira hesitated before clearing her throat. "Yes, Bhai, you know I love to see the kids in all the villages."

Agastya's jaw softened at that. "Oh yeah, you've loved kids since you were one yourself."

He smiled, but then sighed. "Munchkin, you should have informed me. I'm still searching for Dad, and I can't afford to lose you too."

Before Amaira could say anything, Viraj spoke, his tone polite but laced with an underlying sharpness. "She will be safe as long as I am here, Your Majesty."

Agastya turned his gaze to him, his expression unreadable. "I wasn't questioning her safety, Viraj. I know you and Commander Gaurav are enough to take down anyone."

Amaira quickly stepped in to diffuse the tension. "Bhai, I have the best protectors anyone could ask for. You don't need to worry."

Agastya studied her for a moment before nodding. "Alright, leave all that aside. Now that you're here, why don't we have a duel?"

Amaira blinked. "What?"

Agastya chuckled. "Come on, Munchkin, you've trained enough. Also, it's been a while since I've seen your progress."

Gaurav immediately intervened. "Your Majesty, I think Her Highness is tired after a long journey."

Agastya frowned slightly. "It's okay, Gaurav. You trained her yourself—don't you have trust in your own training?"