Page 283 of A King's Oath

“He wouldn’t dare,” Rajmata whispered loudly into Brahmi’s ears, making her giggle louder, climbing higher into her lap.

“You promised me my own pony, Dada Sarkar!” Brahmi, the opportunist bargained.

“When?” Samarth intervened.

“Relax. We are anyway re-populating the stables at the palace. I have placed an order for a pony that matches Brahmi’s height.”

“Papa…”

“That is too much, Bade Rawal,” Avantika cut in.

“Samarth had his own pony since he was five. You want me to have it any different for my granddaughter?”

Brahmi lunged down from Rajmata’s lap and ran to her Dada Sarkar, his arms opening and throwing her up and into his chest. She grabbed his face and kissed his cheek, then pulled back as she hit his beard — “This is tickly.”

“I used to do this to your Papa,” he playfully rubbed his chin in the crook of her neck, making her laugh. “And to Sharan Kaka.”

“How many ponies did Papa have?”

“Hmm,” he sat her down on his lap. “Let’s do this. Tonight you come and sleep in our chambers and I’ll tell you all about Papa and his ponies.”

“Yes!”

“No,” Avantika muttered softly, looking at Rajmata. “She will inconvenience you…”

“No way. There is no inconvenience.”

“Rajmata, she sleeps like a starfish,” Samarth warned.

“So did Sharan. We are used to it.”

“Yay! Sleepover!”

“Fine, but come and brush your teeth and change into your pyjamas.”

Brahmi didn’t even wait for them to get up from the table. She all but jumped down and ran. For a strange palace and strange people, she was incredibly well-adapted. Avantika wasn’t, as she got to her feet.

“Bade Rawal, this pony is too much… I have raised her as normally as possible. With all this so suddenly and all at once… how will I keep her from getting spoiled?”

“Samarth got every luxury in the book. Do you think he is spoiled?” Bade Rawal asked.

She swallowed, glancing at him. He was the most non-spoilt boy, man, king she had seen.

“Bade Rawal… I mean, Sid’s father, did this,” Rajmata told her. “He would spoil Sharan, bribe him, give him what he wanted even when we had put our foot down. Sometimes he did it out of fun, sometimes because he couldn’t see Sharan crying. Like he did with Samarth. Once I couldn’t control my frustration and asked him exactly what you are asking now. And he just smiled and said — ‘It is grandparents’ right to spoil them, parents’ onus to keep them straight. You’ll know when you cross over to this side.’”

Bade Rawal pushed his hands behind his back in a move exactly like Brahmi’s — “She will not be spoiled. You and Samarth will make sure of that. As for Tara and I… we’ll try not to give her a new pony for every day of the week.”

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Brahmi skipped ahead of them down the lamp-lit path from the palace’s back gate to their bungalow. It was a good ten-minute walk. Hira ben was walking with her so Avantika didn’t worry. The croaking of crickets and a mild chill in the air made her pinch her saree pallu and cover her shoulder.

“Cold?” Samarth asked.

“It’s just the after-effects of the day.”

He leaned close to her ear, keeping a respectful distance because even if chaperones had been cut down, the security and guards still abounded.

“Need me to kiss it better?” He whispered.

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