Page 301 of A King's Oath

“I need water,” she panted, walking down the empty palace alley, Samarth running behind her.

“There’s enough water to sustain you for a month outside!”

“Yeah but I need it from you,” she glanced over her shoulder and winked. His surprises and that final dance had broken all fetters of her inhibitions in his palace. And for that, he deserved a reward.

“Ava!” He glanced around, scandalised.

“Relax!” She slowed, letting him catch up. “I need to use the washroom and somebody to push all this up,” she gestured to the wide folds of her ghaghra and duppatta. His answering grin was blinding.

“Always ready for that work, Raje.”

“Your room?”

“Are you crazy? The palace is full of people. Let’s go to my office bathroom.”

He guided her down the palace corridors, some of which she had begun to identify now after a month’s stay. As they neared hisoffice, the corridors ripe with palace guards began to thin away. This entire part of the palace housed the offices — the Rawal’s, his Prime Minister’s, Bade Rawal’s, and their Council’s. She had been here once and was amazed at how ancient some of the items in Samarth’s office were.

“We have to be quick,” he went around her to open his office door with his fingerprint.

“Before or after I finish?” She went on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear.

“Depends on how fast you finish,” he smirked. The door beeped and he pushed the handle open, making way for her. They froze.

There sat his father, Bade Rawal, on a visitor’s chair, head buried in a folder. Avantika bit her tongue. Had he heard them talk trash outside? She jogged her memory to recollect what she had said…

“Papa.”

Samarth’s solemn voice made her eyes whirl to him. He was white. Like he had seen a ghost.

When his father’s head lifted and turned to them, his face was livid. Cold, but livid. His eyes swivelled between them.

“Close the door.”

“This is not how you were supposed to find out…”

“Close the door, Samarth.”

Avantika’s eyes fell on the folder in Bade Rawal’s hands. It was a cream padded official-looking folder. Bade Rawal snapped it shut and her eyes widened.

Project Loire

Samarth’s plan to transition power back to his father. He had told her about some of it in the little time they had gotten together in this last blur of a month. If half of what he had told her was in this folder, his father’s reaction was massively controlled.

She recalled the things he had vaguely outlined to her — Phase One: Financial decoupling. Phase Two: Quiet structural cession of ceremonial power… or something of that sort. Phase Three: Legal succession prep for Sharan. He had also mentioned backup plans in case of political turbulence, even a transition script for the palace press office. She had read a draft. It was good, but a bomb to stir up emotions after the overwhelming love she had seen in his people’s eyes for their Rawal.

“Explain.”

“It’s a transition plan, Papa.”

“Why is my name listed under‘interim Rawal reinstallation procedures’?”

“Papa —” he began.

“Is this why Vishwajeet has been AWOL?” Bade Rawal’s voice was low, but thundercloud-dark.“Why I’ve been summoned to 'review old files' like some doddering relic all last month?”

Samarth’s mouth twisted.“It was never meant to be a secret from you. Just… not yet.”

“Not yet?” Bade Rawal shot to his feet.“You were going to abdicate. After the wedding.”

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