Resurgence of Kohl

41. A Shade Darker

"You killed him?" Nyrvig's eyes went wide on my statement but soon went back to normal, there were specks of disappointment in his eyes laced with respect for my action.

It was an odd concoction, both of his emotions were contradicting each other, playing a game of their own. Though he was trying his best to manage them, it got overwhelming, and he looked away.

"Don't worry," I walked closer to him and showed him my palms, "They are still not painted in red for mere eyes."

Staring me for a moment, Nyrvig sighed and nodded, my palms were indeed yet to be smeared with the shade of red.

"Let me call the soldiers to care for this body," Finally Nyrvig speak though his sentence was a bit wavered, he yet had to digest the fact that I slain somebody with my mere hands.

"No need for that-" I was greeted by the questioning eyes of Nyrvig that were perplexed by my proposal.

"The soldiers would report this incident to Maharaj himself or perhaps Durgamati. Either of them would be pernicious for us as our opponent would turn vigilant and the walls of the palace are generally not high enough to ward off hands that try to plant shreds of evidence," I reasoned. "It is better for us to let go of this perpetrator, at least at our next step we know who our enemy is."

Saying this, I bowed down and pulled up the assassin's sleeves, showing him the insignia of Chaitanyagadh branded on his skin.

"Let Chanchala take care of the body." I signalled her to get done with the body sprawled on my feet and nudged her shoulder discreetly before starting my march back to the palace.

'Urjit sure knows how to take revenge.' I mused, 'Fool gave me an opportunity.'

Thinking this, my steps started to charge for the capital with the pot in my hand, brimming with holy water; one that is incapable of washing away the sin that I just committed.

It was getting dark when I finally reached the doors of the palace along the water. The sky was painted in beguiling shades of red intervened with shades of orange and the darkest shade of blue. It was time for birds to return to their nest and get nestled in the warmth exuded by their small nests. The chill in the air was just optimum that could comfort just anyone, except for me, the sores on my legs were painful and blood seem to be oozing out from the cuts that I had to face on my way.

The wounds seem like some sort of punishment for my choice to marry Nyrvig- a choice that I don't regret. Speaking of Nyrvig, he walked beside me the whole time of the return journey but he was rendered speechless by today's events. The entire time of our return, he didn't utter a word to me and just kept on following me. Just when I crossed the gate, maids rushed by my side, some collecting water from me while others checking my condition that seem to be in the worst way possible for the entire trip. 

There were multiple scratches on my arm due to the brawl earlier and my tresses were in disarray. Drops of precipitation slithered down my forehead but my steps seem not to be halting until I reached the room where Chanchala was waiting for me.

"Is the job done?" I asked Chanchala who was staring at the vast expanse from the balcony, her skirt fluttered along with the winds of Shakya Pradesh along with her dupatta that tightly hugged her body under the influence of gales swaying. It was an ethereal sight to witness and for a second I feared my breathing would tarnish the beauteous scene created forth me.

"Are you sure of your decision Rajkumari?" She questioned back, making my eyebrow twitch in annoyance yet all I did was nod.

"I am glad you understood my signal," I smiled softly at her for which she merely hummed and walked closer to me.

"I am trained to do so Rajkumari," her voice didn't waver as she tucked the back of her hair, creating a mirage of some innocent fairy while her action spoke otherwise. "But I hoped you would never have to use that code ever. Kumar Aditya would be less than pleased to know you ever had to use this trick."

"Who would inform him?" My nose crinkled in distaste as I started to remove my jewels; they were now too heavy for me to carry.

"True," her voice trailed and a sigh followed, a harbinger of her tiredness.

"Where is the assassin now?" I queried. Her answer was a bit delayed than I anticipated. Chewing on her lips, she handed me the attire of a regular maid and helped me change; it was much more relaxing than the attire I was wearing earlier despite the coarse material brushing against my skin.

Passing through dark, unknown alleys, she took me to a deserted place that I never knew to have existed before. Questioningly, I looked at her, asking her what does all this mean when she started to tap walls. Out of the blue, a wall shifted and turned into a door; it was a secret passage.

"How did you find this place?" I inquired but she didn't answer me, rather there was a blank stare in her eyes as if she was reliving some dreadful moment of her life.

"You would soon get to know it." Her voice was just above whisper her and her palms were shaking with some sort of apprehension.

Lighting up a torch kept aside, she started to march in the unknown cervices behind the door, I followed her steps and the more we walk, the more there was some putrid smell wafting in the air.

Reaching there, a scream almost escaped my lips, there- there was a decaying corpse lying in the corner while the assassin I supposedly killed earlier was wrapped in chains, dangling against the walls.

"Who is the man Chanchala?" I almost screamed at her, the eyes of the corpse were hollow and there were multiple scratches on his body.

"First tell me Rajkumari, why did you leave the assassin alive?" She counter questioned me. For a moment I stopped, too horrified to answer but then I mustered words to articulate a reply. 

"I plan to kill the king."

❁┈┈┈❅ ⋞〈 ✿ 〉⋟ ❅┈┈┈❁

Maharaj- king

Rajkumari- Princess

❁┈┈┈❅ ⋞〈 ✿ 〉⋟ ❅┈┈┈❁

Hello Peeps!

How was the update?

Did you like it?

If yes, make sure to vote and comment.

Also, who do you think the corpse is?

Meet you in the next update.

Till then bye bye.