The king's first wife

Restless night

Two hearts had been restless the entire night. 

While one slept soundly in an uncomfortable carriage, the other kept pacing around all night in his comfortable bed. One couldn't stay awake due to the sheer exhaustion of childbirth and the other couldn't sleep due to the anxiety and eagerness to meet her. 

What would he say? How would he act?... 
How would she act? 
Would she be indifferent, or would she run up to him and hug him? Would she be pregnant or with a child? Would she be happy to be back or just mad at him for everything? 

Questions as such couldn't let the young prince sleep. 
Yes, he had shown maturity beyond his age in the previous years of his life. Still, he was but a young boy deeply in love. Was a prince but he did still feel restless on occasions and that night was one such night. 

No, he didn't know about the condition she had put. Her brother, who was riding a horse right in front of the carriage and acting as the leader of the group, had decided to take matters into his own hands. Rather than wasting at least 2 days in sending a letter of question to the prince and wasting everyone's time, he had decided to just bring his sister along, regardless of any conditions that she had put up. He just wanted her back in the place that she deserved to be in and that was in the palace. He couldn't care less about the man that she wanted to carry along with her. And if that was going to be an issue, later on, he knew that he'd deal with that man on his own and wouldn't let the world know where he had disappeared to. 

" You seem restless," but amidst all his excitement and nervousness, the prince had completely forgotten about the woman who had now forcibly begun sleeping next to him, every night, in his own chambers. Damn his grandmother, he hated her. Even Pari didn't pry on his privacy as much as Aditi did... She couldn't even leave him alone even for a second. Or even let him live in peace with his thoughts... 

Because she just couldn't. Seeing him feeling restless because some other woman was coming back into their lives... Seeing how much importance that woman had in his mind was rather annoying. It made her feel less. Made her sad and angry at the same time. She wished that everyone would forget that a "Pari" had even existed in that world. Wished that she were his first wife ever and he would be as good of a husband to her as any woman would hope for her husband to be. Yet, that couldn't happen. He couldn't suddenly forget the love of his life overnight and he couldn't even try to be half of the husband she hoped he could be for her. So, she tried to remind him by doing small things; that even she was alive in looking out for him. They might have started off on a bad track but, they had their entire lives in front of them to work on it... Did they not? Was he not her husband? 

Why did he only act to be one when he needed something and forget all about it the very next moment? They had no stability. It was simply a stale marriage and no matter how efforts she made was going to help. He would much rather appreciate her blending in the crowd and appearing practically invisible. Besides, after he heard the words, " It wasn't Jiji's fault... My leg slipped and so, I fell down. She didn't push me. I felt no push... And before I could tell anyone, Rani ma had already banished her. I thought that if I told this to anyone... You'd all hate me for not telling you this before," he hated her. 

Wasn't her fault either. She was in no condition to be telling anyone who did what to her or how she fell. She was grieving a child's death and her ability to bear any more of them. Still, he had a distaste for her in his mouth, and no longer did he shy out in showing it to her. 

" Just sleep," he told her in a cold tone as he forcefully closed his eyes and slyly moved away from her side on the bed 
" You're moving back and forth of the bed restlessly... If there is anything-"
" If you are disturbed, you're welcome to go and sleep in your chamber," he cut her as a frown dawned over his forehead. Where he was thinking about Pari and where he had begun a conversation with that woman... 
" You aren't disturbing me. It's just-"
" If I'm not disturbing you then just sleep!" she would have loved to be the one in his arms. Loved to be the one who got all his love. But, it couldn't be so... Instead, she could only ever look at him from the side because no matter how close they were, physically, he was still that woman's; mentally and emotionally. He would still always be thinking about her and that was one thing that Aditi had understood well. So, she shut up after he scolded her and closed her eyes to not let any tears drop down... 

The next day... It was going to be hectic, long... And mostly, a long awaited event. At least, for him. 

" Don't forget your promise to me... I have people even in the palace so, if anything happens to my son, the worst will happen to yours. We, women here are a force to reckon with and unless you compel us to come together and fight you all, everything will be fine!" yet... It was going to be gloomy. It was going to be sad and it was going to be an unfitting re-entry of her into the palace. The princess knew that deep down, in her heart... 

No matter how much her prince would be happy to see her, she would still much rather be bothered with her son's safety than to be able to properly meet him...