Avantika And Her Quest

A troubled dancer

I woke up to the maid shaking me, "wake up, you are expected to dance in tonight's festivities," she called. I nodded quickly. I did not have any agendas for today so I settled for exploring the castle. After donning my veil, I stepped out of my room. I was greeted with a flurry of activity. The bare castle still looked melancholy but there were terrified servants running around. One little boy, recognized from the village was being dragged by a guard. I was furious and was going to rescue him but remembered my cover of a meek little dancer. I hated not being able to do anything and silently asked the boy to forgive me.

I turned around and walked towards where I thought the prime minister lived. I was about to turn a corner when I heard a man fighting the guard to be let into the prime minister's chambers. The guards told him that he would not be granted an audience and the most he could hope for would be a night in prison. He turned back and walked in indignation. He turned towards where I was standing and from his expression, I could make out that I wasn't the only one startled. When I was about to leave, he grabbed my hand. He looked at me in a peculiar manner and then his jaw dropped. He murmured.."princess..".

I was stunned for a moment but then I dragged him to a secluded corner. I quietly whispered, "stay quiet, I am not the princess" but he was not going to listen, his eyes took a joyful look and he told me,"I'm going to tell everyone, your highness, that you are alive, that you are going to take back the throne."

As he was about to leave I forcefully jerked him around, he looked surprised. I warned him in a deadly tone, "don't you dare speak a word of this to anyone. If you do, then you and I are both as good as dead. Come meet me in the secret passageways at midnight. Come alone and don't speak to anyone if you want to live."

I walked away without waiting for a response, if he was going to compromise my cover, I would rather hide and deny than being caught on the scene. I just hoped that if the boy turned up before me, Arjun wouldn't kill him.

I went back to my room to prepare for the night's festivities and that is when I saw a beautiful dress on my bed with a note. The note said-"To the beautiful dancer who shall grace our halls tonight." The note perplexed me, as I had never lifted my veil in anyone's presence, removing the chance for anyone to judge my beauty. This comment could be waved off as not being important but the formally worded note told me that the Prime Minister was not just another dumb and pompous courtier, as I would like and was suspicious of me.

As I walked into the hall, I was immediately affected by the grandeur of everything. There were richly painted designs on the ground and a lavish feast was set up. I noticed that a person resembling the King sat on the throne. The King looked pale and lifeless. Next to him at a seat of equal height, was sitting the Prime Minister. This furthered my suspicions as a prime minister was always seated below the emperor. The hall was filled with the Kings and representatives of neighboring kingdoms who were looking around in a distrusting manner and were looking at the Prime Minister with curious glances. I carefully took note of the faces of the Kings around so that I could use them later.

I met with the other dancers before the performance and their leader as I felt from being around her looked at me with extreme distaste. She would be considered extremely beautiful with the way her eyebrows were framed, her doe shaped eyes twinkled and her shapely body sashayed towards me. For a moment I felt jealous of her.

She wrinkled her nose as soon as she saw me and sneered, "don't expect to be noticed, you witch! You are going to stay in the extreme corners. Do I make myself clear?" My previous jealousy evaporated as I realised that she was just a superficial beauty.

All my life I have always despised people like her who think they are better than everyone else and I had to utilise all my willpower to keep my cover. I cowered under her gaze and was just going to promise subservience, when a smooth voice, with a concealed warning cut in, "is that any way to treat a newcomer, Urvashi?"