'SPLASH' Shivi fell into the lake.
Yuvan smirked in satisfaction and left. Siya ran towards the lake, but she can't swim. Looking at the drowning figure of Shivi, she panicked and started looking here and there for something to pull her out of the water.
Right at this moment, a black figure came running towards her and, with a loud 'splash,' jumped into the lake.
Siya sighed in relief after seeing the panther, Aarit, jumping into the water. He must have heard their shouts earlier and come here to check. He is an expert swimmer and can easily carry Shivi out from the water.
After few moments, Aarit came out of the water while carrying the unconscious Shivi in his mouth.
Siya worriedly rushed to grab Shivi from him. She hugged her cold body and purred loudly. Shivi's body felt stiff to her, and her breathing was uneven too.
"Will she be alright?" Siya asked Aarit with worry in her eyes.
"Mmm...let me go grab some medicinal herbs for her." Aarit left the lands to look for medicines.
Meanwhile, Siya decided to change Shivi's clothes so that she won't feel cold anymore. Siya meowed loudly and called Monaco, Chig, Chip, and Aadi. They were standing outside at this moment because they are not allowed to enter the Springs land until they have an elder's permission.
"What! What happened to Shivi?" Monaco asked while hopping around Shivi.
Other animals didn't say anything because they can see Siya crying if they try to interrogate her. So they just let it go and squatted near Shivi, trying to wake her up. But Shivi wasn't responding to their pokings at all.
"Let's change her clothes. I want you to make another dress for her." Siya told them her purpose to call them here.
It wasn't a big deal for them as they were the ones who made Shivi's dress earlier. So they instantly get to work. Aadi, with the help of her strong paws and sharp nails, plucked a flower with big petals. The flowers of this forest are peculiar and not like any ordinary flowers. They would never wilt and are not easy to tear. They feel soft to touch and are really comfortable to wear or use as a blanket. And the most important thing, they look good on Shivi.
Chip used its teeth to draw out a strip from the bark of a tree. Chig cut the petals and put them together to stitch. Monaco used its beak to stick the petals with the thin strip of bark offered by Chip. And the dress was ready to be worn. They quickly let Siya change her clothes and went off the lands.
Siya placed Shivi's body on a large leaf earlier. She dried Shivi's body well and changed her clothes. But Shivi was still unconscious, and there were no signs of Aarit anywhere. She was afraid that Shivi's frail body might fall ill badly if she is not treated soon. 'What if? What if she can't make it?' her thoughts scared her, and she shook her head.
In the Castle of Andrea,
Everything was going like usual. It's been only one month since Shivanshi got punished, but her people had already forgotten her. Now, even her family rarely mentions her. People in the Kingdom and the Palace had accepted that Shivanshi is dead now. So they pretend that they never had the third princess in the castle. But someone was still mentioning her name somewhere.
In the Queen's Chamber,
"We should try to forget her as much as we can," said the King.
"But...my daughter." The Queen started sobbing loudly. "I can't believe she is no more now, my King."
"It's a fact. We better believe it." The King sighed while keeping his pretense intact.
"We should make people believe that what we did was the right thing. You should interact with the public more." The King finally what he wanted to say from the beginning of this play.
The Queen showed a devastated look of a pitiful mother and nodded slowly between her sobs.
The King strode out from the Queen's chamber.
Together, the King and the Queen successfully killed people's doubts. In memory of her 'late' daughter, the Queen distributed food, clothing, silver coins,
The King attended Royal Court with his disheveled hairs and unshaven stubble. Perfectly, pulling out the pretense of a pitiful father.
But there was still someone in the Palace who can't forget that injustice, and that was the Queen Mother. She used to be a prominent figure in the Royal Court of Andrea, and she had the power to turn the King's judgment. But now, as she is getting old, she is losing her control over the Royals and the King.
She was the only person who can see the thirst for power in her son, Aahan's eyes. Before, she used to think that as a King it's normal for her son to be power-hungry. But now, when she saw him punishing his own child for power, she understood that it is not simply a king's thirst for power, instead it's a devil's desire.
She was the only one who fought for the princess till the end, but she failed to change the minds of those power-blinded Royals.
Out of the King's four children, she adored Shivanshi the most. But due to political reasons, she was unable to show off her love in front of others. She spends a long time with her during the night, telling her various stories about history and the magical world out there.
Now, she has no idea if her granddaughter is still alive or not.