If

his

A month later

In the history of Khilji palace, this is one of the darkest days. The weather outside is the same, sky is covered with clouds, hiding every ray of the sun. An uncomfortable silence fills the corridors as if everyone is waiting for the inevitable ending.

Khilji's most sacred treasure, his matchless love, light of his eyes and the beat of his heart, his biggest victory, Rani Padmavati, is dying.

"Somebody poisoned her."

"She poisoned herself to abort the baby."

"We will all die if she dies."

"What will we do when Sultan finds out?"

"She won't make it to the morning."

"It already smells like death in here."

"She might be pregnant."

"Maybe he impregnated her with a monster like himself, the baby is eating her mother."

Whispers, whispers, whispers.

"Please God, she is my only friend." Mehrunisa whispers, standing next to Padmavati's bed. She dips a little cloth in water, squeezing it before placing it back on her forehead. An army of maids does the same thing all over her body in every five minutes, trying to take her stubborn fever down. Trays of food and medicine bottles lays on a table, whatever they try to feed her, she throws it back up.

She's been like this for three days now. Everyone has their own theory of what is wrong with her, but no one has a solution. Medicines, herbal mixtures don't work because her stomach refuses everything. Malika made a rescript to call the best physicians of the land to the palace, but she has no hopes of them arriving here before it's too late.
She also sent a pigeon to Alauddin in the morning, shortly telling him that Padmavati is terribly sick. She hoped that he could bring a good physician from where he went but by the time he comes back, it might be too late.

***

Malik Kafur is scared to death while he watches Khilji's expressions change as he reads the letter Malika sent. He looks like he could set the ground on fire with his gaze, so sad, so angry.
He crumples up the paper in his fist, closing his eyes. He inhales deeply, raising his head.
"Kafur, you will sort this out. I'm leaving." He yells as he walks out of the tent. They were on their way to meet another king to make an important alliance which will decide the future of Khilji Empire. It's been only five days since they left the palace but the road takes two weeks at least.
Kafur runs after him, asking what happened.
"This is more important." He says and kicks his horse, riding back to the palace as fast as he can.

***

Buckets of her vomit is lined up near a wall, causing an unbearable smell. They don't know what to do with it, if this is a contagious illness they can't let it spread by just dumping it somewhere. Mehrunisa thinks if this was a contagious disease, they all would be infected by now but still the physicians of the palace thinks it might take even longer than two weeks to see symptoms of a disease, or a poison.

"No one would dare to poison her." Malika says firmly, looking out to the doors of the castle from her window.
"Maybe it's something she ate, Malika." One of the physicians says.
"She threw everything up in her, for the God's sake!" She turns to them, ready to yell their faces how incompetent they are. She is beyond frustrated about how they all think she is pregnant with Khilji's child. It gets even more frustrating when she hears their whispers but can't shut them up because she knows she can't trust Khilji. Even though she did everything she could to keep Padmavati away from him, deep inside she has the same doubt everyone has.
A maid enters the room and tells that Padmavati's fever is finally reduced and she is back to herself now.
Mehrunisa sighs, but it's not a sigh of relief. In order to clear her mind off doubts, she has to ask her the most humiliating question that could be asked to a woman like Padmavati.
"Clean her room and the halls, do everything you can to remove this smell. Don't let anyone in her chambers. Tell the kitchen to prepare today's dinner, everyone else can go to rest."

They all bow down before leaving, not daring to whisper a word this time. When Malika-i Jahan is finally alone, she lets her tears fall, her hands on her belly.

***

Mehrunisa walks up and down in her room, thinking of a way to ask Padmavati if it's possible for her to be pregnant. What a disgraceful question to ask. She doesn't know what she would do if she was in Padmavati's place. Would she try to hide it? Would she try teas and poisons to miscarry the baby?

The more she thinks about it the more confusing it gets. She is going to ask her, may be not directly but she is going to try to imply it. There is no other way. Letting it be could end badly, this way, she thinks at least she can try to help Padmavati somehow.

It's past midnight now but her curiousity is making it impossible to wait for the morning. She pulls her dupatta over her hair and slowly walks to Padmavati's room in dimly lit corridors of harem.

She can't figure out the tall figures standing in the front of the door of Padmavati's room in the dark. When she comes closer, they bow their heads, greeting her.

"Good night, Malika."

Malika slightly backs off when she realizes they are men, surprised to see them in harem, especially in front of Padmavati's door.

"Why are you here?" She asks, her voice full of concerns.

They stay silent, looking down. Malika looks at them questioningly, a million thoughts crossing her mind.

"I am going in."

They hold the handles of the door, not even letting Malika take a step towards the room.
She raises her head, looking one of them in the eye. Her voice is calm but threatening, like embers, her ire burns quietly. "Let me pass, now."
Two guards look at eachother helplessly, still standing front of her.
"We can't, Malika, we took order."
"From who?" She says immediately, her rage clear on her face. She is ready to burn them to the ground with this fire going on inside her for the last three days now.
"Sultan Alauddin Khilji." They say in union.
"When? Where? He's not here." She says in shock.
Guards look down once again, staying silent. Malika almost yells this time, repeating her questions. "Tell me where and when you get this order from!"
"He arrived half hour ago, Malika." One of the guards says, almost whispering. "He doesn't want to be disturbed while he is with his harem."

It takes a moment for Mehrunisa to understand and when she does, she puts her hand to a wall for support, feeling dizzy.

With his harem.

Guards move towards her to help but she refuses, with a move of her hand. She inhales deeply, her head down and her other hand still on the wall for steadying herself.

She wants to say that Padmavati isn't his harem, she is her own servant and under her rule and that is Khilji's order as well, but it doesn't matter anymore. It all seems very obvious to her now, her need for asking Padmavati if... is gone.

She became his now, she thinks as she walks back to her room after finding enough strength. It was always an impossible battle between him and Khilji and she knew that from the beginning. And what do I learn from this? She asks herself. Something I always knew but kept ignoring to learn, Alauddin Khilji is undefeatable.

Hey! Y'all ready to find out what happened? Just wanted to add some mystery to the story, next two chapters will explain it all. Thank you all for reading, voting and lovely comments, I really appreciate it ♥️ tell me your predictions in the comments or anything you would like to see.