Page 185 of A King's Oath

They travelled on foot for a few hundred metres and the palace gates finally came into view. Samarth breathed a sigh of relief. As they rounded the gates and walked into their palace, the chants cranked up to deafening behind them.

“Papa!”

That one voice seared through the rest and he saw Sharan running down the palace road, from between the archway of citizens and chaperones and guards. Maarani stood at the door, a beacon in brilliant gold.

“Papa…” Sharan knocked into their father’s stomach and Sharan braced himself behind him. But Papa absorbed the shock and banded his arms around Sharan’s little body, thumping his back.

“You took good care of Nawanagar, Kunwar,” he praised.

“I don’t want to take care of it alone again,” his small, muffled voice sounded from Papa’s stomach.

“Liar, where were you alone?” Samarth stepped around to him. “Now get in line.”

His small body vibrated as he laughed shyly, pulling back. They flanked their father’s sides and walked the rest of the way. Maarani welcomed them with rituals prescribed in their dynasty texts for a king coming home from battle. And rightly so.

“Bade Rawal Siddharth Sinh Solanki ni — Jai!”

They chanted.

“Bade Rawal Siddharth Sinh Solanki ni — Jai!”

The vibrations rose.

“Rajmata Tara Sinh Solanki ni — Jai!”

The chants multiplied.

These would have to change, Samarth made a mental note to himself as they lined up for the palace guard to salute them with Nawanagar’s anthem. He had stepped up to hold a throne and its people in the gap between his father’s and his brother’s reign. Now that that gap wouldn’t exist, he was free to step back. And… he didn’t even dare bring her name to his mind, forget his lips. Would this even be right? Keep doing this to her? This hot and cold? With what face would he go to her again? How would he tell her that in his worst time she had not been his priority but then ask her if he could be hers again…

Samarth was ashamed of the way he had treated her, of how brutally he had cut her off. That was the need of that hour. Today… god had played some cruel trick with him…

“Samarth,” Papa summoned.

“Yes, Rawal,” he stepped up the porch steps to where he stood with Maarani.

“Go and see that everybody is eating well,” he nudged his chin to the massive tents set up all around the palace grounds for lunch for all. In honour of Papa coming home, all of Nawanagar had such lunch tents set up every half a kilometre.

“Yes, Rawal.” He took three steps down and saw Sharan standing there, looking dreamily up at their father. Samarthstifled his own smile at that adorable expression. He would soon have to learn to control those transparent eyes.

“Come with me, Sharan.”

Instantly he got himself schooled and fell in step beside him, a whole court of chaperones and guards in a formation behind them.

“Bhai?” Sharan called out softly.

“Hmm?”

“I am very happy.”

“Me too.”

“I missed Papa.”

“I know.”

“But you were there too,” he caught his hand and leaned on his arm before straightening and walking like a little prince. Samarth’s palm remained warm from his touch all the way.

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