Page 56 of A King's Oath

Mummy calling for dinner, have to go, ttyl!

What?!She was leaving him hanging after all the times he had wanted to quit and run? Samarth huffed, clicking his phone lock and setting it on his chest.

“What’s going on with Ava?” Papa asked, coming on his elbow and resting his head on his palm.

“Nothing,” he popped.So it was direct on the topic then.

“Nothing? Then what was this,” Papa made some crazy grinning face, “and this,” he drew his brows together, “and this,” he squinted. Samarth lay back rolling his eyes, unable to help the laugh that escaped his mouth. He was so happy nowadays he laughed like crazy all the time.

“Everything is good, Papa,” he said finally. He wished he could tell Papa how good it was. But he would come across sounding like a sappy little boy if he started telling it all.

“That’s your favourite line nowadays,” Papa’s hand reached out and gave the top of his head a shake. “Tell me the long story.”

“Nothing to tell…” he shrugged, trying to hold himself as far back as he could. His whole body was tingling to tell the whole story like one of those lovesick romcom sagas that Ava loved. Instead, he held some of his dignity and told it like Samarth Sinh Solanki’s favourite military dramas — “We have been in the same class for two years. I enjoyed talking to her when she became my bench partner. And apparently she liked it too. That was last year. Our groups were different, and this year we didn’t get to become bench partners. Our class teacher assigned them, and didn’t let us change. So we spent a lot of time apart but then we wanted to be together…”

“Hmm…”

“Don’t laugh.”

“Why would I?”

“Just saying,” he looked at Papa, smiling. Then did exactly what he had resolved to not do. Went all romcom saga on his father — “I realised that being with her… it just makes things even better. Like if I won a match I would be happy only for a day. But if she is there too, I can’t stop being happy for days straight with her. So I asked her, officially, to go out with me when we get our weekends out. She said yes. That’s it.”

“That’s it?”

“Yes.”

“And what about talking to her about everything?”

“You remember that?” Samarth squeezed his eyes shut.

“I do.”

Samarth carefully popped his eyes open, eyeing his father warily — “That day I said some things that were… are you angry I asked you that? I should not have… I told her about it and she said it was ok, I should have… but we never talk about such things, Papa.”

“Did you mean them?”

“Yes! But was it weird to talk about it…? Let’s just forget it.”

Papa shook his head — “No, it wasn’t weird at all. In fact, that sparked something. I want to ask you, beta, that if…”

Papa’s phone buzzed. He checked it, smiled, then turned it down. He opened his mouth to speak when his phone buzzed again.

“Sorry, beta, one minute,” he grabbed his phone and got out of bed, padding away from the room. He left the King’s chambers to walk to the connected Queen’s chambers opposite. Samarth lay quiet. His Papa had hardly ever walked away from him to take calls. They were usually kingdom or business or the Ministry. Samarth took a deep breath, relaxing in the familiar bedding that had his father’s smell even when it was fresh.

A long time passed, and Papa did not return. Neither could Samarth hear his conversation sounds. He jumped to his feet and padded down the chamber to the sitting area. The Queen’s chambers had belonged to his mother before she left, but he never remembered her in there. It was always his Papa’s office room when he was young, and then his bedroom until he had argued, debated and convinced his way into his own chamber at the far end of the wing.

“What if I already have?” Papa’s cold voice reached his ears.

Samarth stilled on the spot. A long silence. Papa’s sigh followed. It was loud enough that he could hear it right here.

“No.”

Then again for a long time nothing was said. Samarth thought the call was over. He began to lift his foot again but his father spoke — “Yes… Yes.”

More seconds ticked.

“Yes, Tara. I know. And if it isn’t, I won’t let anybody sit peacefully.”

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