BAHLIKA KINGDOM
INDIA
MANIKARNIKA POV
I enter the throne room immediately I see prince Arnav sitting in the throne ready to be coronated but his eyes were searching everywhere in the room before it landed on me and he seemed relieved.
I became very angry that I could have almost fell for his trick so I immediately averted my gaze on him.
I saw Queen Adhira and she saw me as well then she gave me an intense stare and walked to me.
"I warned you didn't I?"
"Am not threatened by you."
"Leave now or you'll regret it."
"I don't care."
"You were warned."
With that being said she left.
The ceremony progressed,
There are many prestigious guess, kings from other kingdoms and high official but there's this princess that cut my attention; she's been watching me and am getting suspicious.
Not just that but Arnav have been acting strange as he kept on watching me after Vihaan, his personal male servant and bodyguard came and whispered something to him.
I wonder what it was.
It's already an hour and
Arnav has not been crowned yet, one more ritual and he will be crowned. One more ritual and I will give him a piece of my mind.
"He's really handsome isn't he?"
Someone said behind me, it's a voice I don't recognize.
I turned back to face the woman that kept on watching me.
"Who are you?"
"Am princess Amoli, I love your henna tattoos." She said as I checked my hands to make sure cause I remembered never applying henna. "I was watching the princess who didn't apply henna to such an occasion. That's strange because I heard that your the crown Prince's little sister."
I suddenly feel ashamed of myself, why don't I always behave the way am supposed to.
"Can I share with you a little something?" Amoli said leaning forward.
"Am not into gossips."
"But you'll love this one and gossips are rumors but this one is a fact."
"I don't care." I turned away.
"I'll be marrying the crown prince." She perked my interest as I turned back to her.
"And you said you didn't like gossips." She gave me a sly smirk but I'm not interested in that. She could be messing with me but I till want to hear what she has to say. "My father is going to make an alliance with the king. Oh just think, every princess wants to get married to him but I'll be the one to get him."
"What makes you so sure that he's going to accept."Arnav had turned down many marriage proposal in the past which made him single till now.
"There's going to be a proposal or should I say, a bribe?" She giggled but it only disgusts me. I don't think he'll accept it.
"I don't think Arnav will accept a bribe."
"Oh come on, it won't be like a bribe."
"Why are you telling me all this?"
"Because I can't contain it anymore. The joy, it's overwhelming." She laughed. The way girls throw thereself at Arnav disgusts me but I remembered what about me? Wait, there's no me.
"Okay then." I turned to leave but I was stopped by a hand that grabbed my arm. "What?"
"Have a toast with me to cerebrate, you are happy for me aren't you?"
"Does it matter?"
"Yes, I want everyone in his family to love me." She hands me a drink. "Toasts to my upcoming wedding." With that being said she left. There's a table next to me, I dropped the drink on top. I have to stop thinking about it.
The ritual have been completed and it's time to coronate Arnav. Him and Amoli have been stealing glances at me and it's been creeping me out. Something's up with those two.
I suddenly feel thirsty and I need a drink. I looked around to find myself a drink then I found one on a table beside me. I grabbed it then I remembered that it was from Amoli. No way am going to drink the toast of hers.
"Anika, Anika, Anika" I called out.
A girl, very much younger than me, 15 or 16 years of age came to me. She a servant here along with her mother. I trust Anika and you can say, she's a friend of mine and also my favorite servant as she always makes me laugh with her jokes which is why I always call for her.
"Yes princess, Manikarnika." She bowed for a while before raising her head and let the light shine on her dark complexion which made it a little lighter.
"I need you to get me water."
"Why drink water your majesty, my mother made a herbal tea that calms nerves."
"I can't drink tea right now am thirsty."
"Oh you'll drink water later and the tea quenches thirsts too and besides, am noticing that you're a bit stressed."
"Okay then. Get me the tea."
With that she left and returned quickly, actually too quickly but whatever. I took the tea from her,
"Thank you, you are excus..."
Before I could finish, I saw fear in Anika eyes, she was looking at someone behind me and then bowed and left. It made me curious to know who's behind me.
I turned to face a pair of famous eyes, Amber brown eyes that glared at the poor maid. I can hear some whispers and when I looked around, everyone is looking at us, I looked behind his shoulder and I saw the priest with the crown on his hand looking at us. Wait, what happened?
"Why are you here?"
"You can't drink that." He took the tea from my hand.
"Why?"
"It's poisoned."he whispered.
"What?"I shouted.
"Yes it is and don't drink anything else in this party."
"I don't understand."
"You don't have to understand, just trust me."
What he said only irritated me as I remembered that he might have tricked me and I almost fell for it.
"No, the last thing I have for you now is trust. Something just struck me, Tell me why must I marry you?"
"Not this again." He groaned
"Yes, what trick are you playing at, you just made a scene here. Look around, you were about to be coronated but you left and came here am I not right?"
"Manu, this is not the time, I thought you have finally have trusted me."
"No. I have found out about your trick and it will not work especially this scene you are making." I tried taking back the tea from him but he stretched his hands further, making it far from me and am unable to take it.
"Am getting tired of this." He groaned again.
"I don't care and I don't believe you."
"I can't let you drink this."
"Give it back."
"No."
He was frustrated and kept on looking around and then he's head perked up,
"I'll prove it to you, maybe then you'll start trusting the person who has always got your back."
With that he emptied the entire content of the tea in his mouth and then swallowed it.
I starred at him, waiting for something to happen but nothing did.
"Why are you not dead?" I asked clearly angry, he stole my tea claiming it was poisoned and indirectly accusing Anika. From the looks on Arnav's face it's clear he's confused as well but I don't care cause am so furious. "It's best this poison kills you because if it doesn't I'll wil.."
My sentence was not done yet before Arnav suddenly felt dizzy and then fell on me.
Oh no, there was poison after all.
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