𝑰𝒍𝒍 𝑭𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 ✎

[34]

Maneka's pov

In the past two weeks I have encountered many shocks in my life.

But despite having some ridiculously hopeless items on the list. This particular one is up there on the list.

Kidnapper. And not just one. But both of them are currently working out with the some other guards of the the Mewar Palace in the open ground area.
My mouth is hung open, and this is the first time in more than a week that I have felt any semblence of emotion other than humiliation and hopelessness.

My temporary handmaiden who is also accompanying me to take a walk around the palace, an activity I am only doing at the insistence of Rajkumari Vaidehi. She has been showering me with more attention than my own father did, to be honest. Which is kind of sweet and also annoying because it doesn't allow me to hate her as much as I would have liked considering she is Raghavendra's wife.

"What happened?" Vaidehi asks me, halting in her tracks in synchronization with me.

"What are my kidnappers doing here?" I snap at her. My tone is harsh and filled with disbelief. She seems to be out of the loop though, as her eyes oscillate from me to the guards working out.

"Who kidnappers? Those are just our guardmen. Does anyone of them resemble the men who kidnapped you and were part of the attack on Talya?" She probes.

I shake my head. This is not a mere resemblance. This is definitely them. There is no way in hell that coincidentally Mewar has two men who look the same as those kidnappers. Especially since those men have no generic faces. They tall, built, well groomed men.

"Its definitely them. Both of them. No coincidental resemblance." I assure her. She squints into the group, who all have now realised that their princess, future queen is standing merely one feet away, so all of them turn to pay their respects to her and greet her.

That's when I see his eyes fall on me. I see the exact moment his face looses colour and he nudges his friend and fellow criminal. The movement doesn't go unnoticed by Vaidehi either. Good for her, a queen should be obeservant like that.

"Wait, are you talking about Arham and Jai?" She deadpans. I nod yes. Her eyes fly back to them. She waves them over toward us. The men hesitantly follow her directions.

"Rajkumari Vaidehi..." Both of them acknowledge her with a curtsy.

"Arham bhaiya...Jai bhaiya...I suppose you have met Rajkumari Maneka already?" She asks them, raising an eyebrow questioningly. The two men share a glance at eachother before theu nod simultaneously. Neither of them making eye contact with me.

The familiar way Vaidehi adresses them though, makes me believe these men are somehow close to either the Royal family or the her personally. My Kidnappers are respected members in the great kingdom of Mewar? This is making my head hurt. Are they doing illegal work and backstabbing their Kingdom?

"Rajkumari before you demand an explanation from us. Please, just talk to Yuvraj. He will explain everything to you." The man Vaidehi addressed as Jai hurriedly says. Kidnapper 2 beside him stands stoically not uttering a word.

"Raghavendra is in on this?" Vaidehi  turns to me.

"Maneka...lets go. You deserve to know too what these men have been cooking." With that as a warning she takes my hand and pulls me with her. We make our way towards the royal court where the Court is being held currently. Vaidehi tells a certain guard to deliver the message to Yuvraj that she needs him urgently and the guard readily obliges.

Not two minutes later, Raghavendra emerges out looking worried.
I don't even think he notices me standing next to her. His eyes are solely focused on his wife as he beelines to her and immediately cups her face gently in his hands.