The Village Girl

Chapter Twenty Five - [Seetha]

I hadn't heard from Aaryan after the first letter. Another month had passed after that but I was fine with that. I spent all the time I could with my family, maybe a little too much.

But it was a fun month.

Hearing the news, even my sisters returned home after a long time with their children and their husbands, filling our small home with so much more light and laughter.

Unsurprisingly, whispers had started to plague the village over those days. "Seetha has finally been matched with someone," or, "I thought she was never going to get married," and even: "I wonder who agreed to marry a girl as old as her."

No one in my family chose to entertain these rumors. An none of the villagers had the guts to ask my father to clarify, especially after he apparently expressed his dislike for when our neighbors had previously asked what boy I was running around with over the last few months.

There were some elders, however, who seemed to already know who Aaryan was and my relationship to him. My father had explained that people who had previously had the opportunity to see the King probably knew all along that Aaryan was the prince, seeing as they apparently looked alike.

Despite the rumors, I of course continued on with my life. I kept helping on the farm, telling my stories, and even visiting the lonely Lalitha.

After helping the old woman take a bath, I helped her cook dinner and then braided her hair for her. Despite being old, she was entirely capable of doing all of this on her own. The only problem was that she often simply forgot.

She was silent for most of the evening, but it was as I was braiding her hair that she spoke up. "The village folk say you are leaving?"

I smiled.. "I'm getting married!"

Through the dusty, old mirror, I saw her smile back. "Good for you. Is it to the Prince?"

My eyes widened "How..."

"I have seen you with him!" She responded.

"You knew he was the Prince?"

"Yes, of course." she said. "I've seen him at the fort too. He looks exactly like his father... even more handsome, really."

I smiled some more. "I have not met the King."

"He is a fine man. I hope his son is the same. Women used to dream of marrying that king, even I did, when I was younger," she chuckled to herself. "They say he was in love with some lower class girl, once. The daughter of the palace midwife. She was not that low of class but she was not at all worthy, according to the previous king. So they never married."

I was shocked. "Is that really true?" I asked. Aaryan never mentioned that, not that he had a reason to. But then again, maybe he wouldn't know.

"It's a rumor... and you know how those are," she said. "I don't know if it is true or not, but if it is, then maybe that explains why he has allowed his own son to court you... doesn't it?"

"I suppose," I said. It did make sense. I wondered what Aaryan would say if I asked him.

"Do you think you are ready to marry a man like him?" She asked me.

I hesitated. "I hope so," I said. "To be honest, I still do not really understand why he chose me–"

Lalitha turned around, her braid slipping from my fingers and unravelling as she turned. "Seetha, don't be a fool," she said, firmly. "If you are going yo be a queen one day, you need to understand who you are and what you are capable of."

I was surprised by her words. This was the most stern she had ever been with me.

"He chose you because you are smart. You are the smartest girl in this village, by far. And I would not be surprised if you are the smartest girl in all of Chandraba... no, don't look at me like that! I mean it. And he sees it too."