The return to the palace was a somber affair. The vibrant energy of their departure had been replaced by a heavy, shared silence. Their steeds, the fiery Agni and the luminous Shakti, seemed to sense their masters' turmoil, their joyful whinnies upon reaching the familiar stables sounding almost dissonant against the grim reality they carried.
A stablehand bowed deeply. "We will see to their care, Yuvaraj. They will be brushed, fed, and rested."
Devansh laid a gentle hand on Shakti's powerful neck, feeling the steady pulse of life beneath the silken white coat. "Thank you. Treat her with extra care; she was my shield today." The horse nudged his shoulder softly, as if in understanding.
Aaditya watched the interaction, a thoughtful expression on his face. "You have a way with creatures. It is a gentle strength."
"All life resonates with a certain frequency, Aaditya," Devansh replied, his blue eyes meeting the other prince's. "One must only learn to listen."
Inside the cool, marbled halls, servants offered chilled sherbet and sweet, sliced mangoes. The simple comforts felt alien after the raw, magical danger of the forest. Aaditya drained his glass, the cool liquid doing little to quench the heat of his unease.
"We should rest," Aaditya stated, his voice firm but laced with fatigue. "The day's... events... have taken their toll."
Devansh merely nodded, the weight of the unspoken truth about the "hunt" pressing down on him. They parted ways at the corridor, a single, lingering glance conveying more than words ever could.
---
The evening feast was a tableau of normalcy that felt like a fragile lie. The grand dining hall glittered with lamplight, the air rich with the aroma of spiced curries and saffron rice.
Maharani Sheetal smiled warmly at her son and his guest. "So, my brave princes, how fared the hunt? I trust the forests of Suryapuri provided good sport?"
Aaditya's eyes flickered to Devansh for a fraction of a second before he offered a smooth, practiced smile. "It was a standard excursion, Mother. We tracked a few deer, but the forest was quiet today." He deftly speared a piece of roasted vegetable with his knife. "The fresh air was invigorating."
Devansh felt a surge of gratitude so potent it tightened his throat. The lie was a shield, protecting not just them, but the entire court from a terror they couldn't yet comprehend. He offered the Queen a small, reassuring smile of his own. "The beauty of your kingdom's wilderness is sport enough, Maharani."
---
Later, seeking solace from the cloying atmosphere of concealed truths, Devansh found his way to the palace rooftop. The world was bathed in the ethereal silver of a full moon. It was a colossal, luminous pearl in the velvet sky, its light so bright it cast sharp shadows. He leaned against the cool stone parapet, letting the silence wash over him. The moon's glow made his blue eyes look like deep, still lakes under a starry sky, but their surface was troubled by ripples of unspoken fear and power.
"Finding peace in the moon's embrace, Prince Devansh?"
The voice, now familiar and warm, came from behind him. Devansh turned to see Aaditya approaching, his own crimson eyes transformed in the moonlight, burning with a softer, more mysterious fire.
"A moment of quiet," Devansh replied softly. Then he paused, a genuine, surprised smile touching his lips. "You called me 'friend'."
Aaditya stopped, a look of mild surprise crossing his own features before he chuckled. "Did I? Well... after one saves your life from a magically-enhanced bull, formalities begin to feel rather pointless, don't you think?" He moved to stand beside Devansh at the ledge. "Unless you object?"
"Object?" Devansh's laugh was a light, melodic sound that seemed to harmonize with the night. "No. I find I like the sound of it... friend."
The shared laughter that followed was a tangible thing, breaking down the last remnants of royal reserve between them. The wall was gone, replaced by an easy camaraderie that felt as natural as breathing.
They stood in comfortable silence for a while, watching the moonlit landscape.
"Your skill with the veena," Aaditya began, his voice quieter now. "You said it came naturally. But you must have had a teacher. We Kshatriyas are raised on the art of the sword and the strategy of the chariot. Music is often a distant melody. How did a prince of a warrior kingdom find his soul in a raga?"
Devansh's gaze grew distant, looking back through the years. "There was an old woman," he said, his voice taking on a storyteller's rhythm. "A ragacharya of immense grace who would visit my father's court. When I was a boy, I would hide behind the pillars just to listen to her play. It wasn't just music, Aaditya. It was... a language. A language that spoke of things I felt in my dreams but had no words for."
His eyes lit up with the memory. "The first time I held a veena, it didn't feel like learning a new skill. It felt like remembering something my hands had always known how to do. My guru, she saw that. She said the music wasn't in the instrument, but in me. The veena was merely the voice. Before she left, she gifted me this one." He gestured to the instrument always at his back. "She told me its true name was 'Vani'."
"Vani," Aaditya repeated, the name rolling off his tongue with a sense of reverence. "The goddess of speech and melody. A fitting name for a vessel of such power." He looked at Devansh, his expression serious. "It's more than an instrument, isn't it? It's a part of you."
Before Devansh could answer, the serene night was shattered.
A scream, sharp and terrified, ripped through the palace below. Then another. And another.
"FIRE! FIRE IN THE ROYAL LIBRARY!"
The cries of soldiers and servants turned into a panicked roar.
Aaditya and Devansh spun around. From their vantage point, they could see a terrifying orange glow emanating from a wing of the palace, and thick, black smoke beginning to billow into the clean night air.
Their moment of peaceful connection was over. The shadow had not waited for the dawn. It had struck again.
---
Chapter End Note:
A bond forged under the moonlight, a truth about a sacred instrument named 'Vani'... shattered in an instant. The enemy is not resting. This fire is no accident. It's a message, an escalation. The royal library—a repository of knowledge and perhaps, ancient secrets—is under attack. The game has moved from the dark forest into the very heart of the palace. The hunt is over, but the chase has just begun.