Miracle of Love - Avyukt Manasa

16. Found

"How dare you stop me?" The queen of north was fuming at the guards outside Avyukt's quarters not letting her in.

"We are sorry your highness. The prince warned us from letting anyone in" The guard answered with his head bowed.

"Why? Did he kill his bride? He must have. Why else .."

"Why so eager to enter my place your Highness? Are you missing your me?"

Avyukt walked in and smiled at the queen. His seemingly harmless smile made the queen even more furious.

"You.. Where is my son?" The queen questioned. Her son has been missing for straight three days now. Even his guards don't know his whereabouts. 

"I am not his mother. You are. Why would I know where your baby is?" Avyukt sarcastically threw his comment. In fact he was eagerly waiting for her to find where her son is right now.

"I will kill you if you do anything to my son" The queen screamed.

"Shhh... No one in my quarters want to hear your voice dear mother. Why don't you go and scream near my father. Please don't make a fool of yourself here. It will be embarrassing if people take you for a shrew."

Avyukt walked in happily after this.

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[The Queen's quarters]

"Your Majesty. W-We found the eldest p-prince." A queen's head guard informed the queen. He was sweating and seemed like he might collapse anytime.

The queen was relieved as soon as she heard this.

"Great. Where is he? He can't repeat this again. Is he fine?" The queen questioned as she made her way to her son's room. 

"Huh? Where is he?" She asked, finding the room empty.

"T-The prince is i-in .. SLAP"

"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU STAMMERING? Where is my son?" The queen furiously looked at the head guard.

"The prince is at the head physician's place your majesty." The guard finally informed. The queen frowned as countless thoughts ran in her head. At the head physician? Why? Did that bastard son of her husband hurt her son?

'Did he think he can get away after hurting her son?' The queen clenched her fists in anger.

"Go and inform the king about this." The queen ordered but the head guard stood there quietly.

"Ahem.. My Queen. I think you should first look at the prince before telling the king." The guard informed and took a step back in fear of being slapped again.

The queen looked at how firm the guard was and thought of checking on her son first. Seeing that the queen approved, the head guard took her to the head physician's place.

There she saw her son sleeping peacefully without any care of the world.

"What happened to him?" The queen questioned the physician who seem to be trying to make his presence unknown.

Might be the head guard took pity on the old man and answered the queen.

"We found the prince in a brothel out of the capital." The guard answered.

"So?.. " The queen shrugged. This was nothing new to her. She was not a stranger to the fact that her son was regular customer to the brothels. Ok.. Might be not to the brothels outside the capital.. But still.

Well, whatever. She was now relieved that her son just went to visit a brothel. He wasn't harmed by that bastard. But the queen didn't know that her relief would be short lived.

"So what if he went to a brothel? And why is he here? He looks all fine to me." The queen said as she looked at her sleeping son. Indeed he looked all fine. Not a single scratch on him.

The head guard gulped in fear. What was he even supposed to say? That the prince was not a customer but was rather found providing services to a bunch of men. Telling this will have his head rolling on the ground.

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[Outside Avyukt's Chamber]

"Are you all deaf? Didn't I tell you all to leave?" Little Laddu shouted at the half dozen maids waiting to enter his favorite uncle's chamber.

"Little lord. We are here to serve our princess. We have accompanied her from the south." The shortest maid among the bunch spoke.

"Yes little lord. The princess knows all of us. She might need us for something. Please let us in." Another maid tried convincing the kid.

"YAWN...  I heard it.. I heard it.. You are from south. You came here with your princess. You are here for your princess. You want to serve her. You want to see of needs anything. Right?" Laddu asked leaning lazily against a wall. Arguing with these people drained his energy. Now he wanted to eat some laddus.

All the maids nodded their heads in unison. Hoping that this kid would let them in.

If this was any other kid, they would have long thrown him out of their way. But this was the General's only son. And seeing how freely he was roaming here, the youngest prince seemed quite fond of him. So they couldn't do anything disrespectful.

"See. I got it all. I will remember all everything. Now you can go. Your princess is resting and will not see anyone now." Laddu sighed after saying the same thing for the n-th time. Why are these people so annoying?

"Little lord. How about I take to kitchen and get you some laddus?" A maid said, trying to follow a different approach now. No matter how intelligent he is, he is after all just a kid. Easy to sway. Or so she thought.

"No need. My mother will scold me if she finds." Laddu said and frowned at the maid. Are these people trying to get him scolded by his mother? He had already heard quite a lot yesterday from his mother. Hmph..

"Then how about we..."

Laddu raised his little chubby hand and stopped the maid from speaking. He looked really serious now, and also extremely cute.

"You guys are not leaving? No matter what I say. Right?" The kid asked and the maids kept quite. Of course they weren't going to leave because of a kid. What will they say to their king? But they can't directly say yes to the kids face. That might anger the prince.

Laddu gave them all a good one second to answer. And they all took the entire second to maintain silence, waiting to see what the kid will do next. But what he did scared the wits out of everyone.

Laddu smirked at all of them before suddenly somehow tears gathered in his eyes and his lips curled down sadly. He looked so much in distress. Like a kid bullied and pushed away by all the other kids.

Sob.. sob.. sob.. sob... Wahhh...

Slowly drop by drop tears leaked down his dove eyes and his little nose turned red.

"Uncle... Wahh..." Laddu passed the maids and ran to hug Avyukt's legs who arrived just a few seconds ago. Avyukt lift the wailing kids into his arms.

"Uncle. Sob.. sob.. These aunties are scary. Wahhh..." Laddu cried and cried and cried till it looked completely fake that even Avyukt had a tough time controlling his laugh.

"What's going on here?" Avyukt asked seriously looking at the maids.

"Greetings your highness. We are here to serve the princess. We were trying to go in." The head maid informed. Thinking that the prince would not object regarding this. 

"I don't remember appointing any of you"

The maids nervously smiled at the prince's reply. "We are the princess's maids from the south, your highness. The princess knows us." 

"Nice to know. You will be summoned when my wife wants. You all can leave." Avyukt's statement left no room for argument. Not like anyone dared. Everyone bowed and started leaving the premises when Avyukt spoke again.

"Inform you king that I want to have a dinner tonight with him" Avyukt walked in after saying this with Laddu still in his arms. He has now stopped crying after realizing that he might look less handsome if he continues crying.