- Abhishree POV -

The ladies who seem like beauty designers came inside and asked us to take the bath quickly. I raked my sight on all the women. But, no one seems to be in the mood of obeying them. We all were still depressed and even I did not want to go anywhere. This could be dangerous for us. I did not even know what they have decided for us.

Stubbornly, I chose to keep sitting on the bed along with other ladies.

Seeing this an old lady came and stood in front of me. She bowed and said.

"Princess, The thing you are thinking might be very dangerous for you as well as for us. Please cooperate with us. If you people are thinking of not seeing the prince, Trust me the consequences will be unbearable. Look at me... "

She patted my shoulder and moved my eyes to her by putting her finger against my chin. 

"I also came here when our empire lost the battle, trust me if you do not want the death of all of you - Get ready!" 

A tear escaped from my eyes. I realized that she was able to understand my situation a little bit. Even I knew that the result of all this would be very harmful and unbearable for us. He was the most heartless Prince among all the empires.

After listening to her, I unwantedly and brokenheartedly stood up. I did not want everyone to die for sure. I had to think of any other way. Although I could not think of anything that was going to work in front of the ruthless Prince I had to try at least.

Time passed and they prepared everyone for the meeting. New clothes, jewellery, and looks but one thing was there that they could do and it was a smile. The smile was the actual beauty. And we were not happy, not at all.

I looked at myself in the mirror, wearing maroon-coloured lehnga choli which had embroidery at the edges. I was looking beautiful but I was not feeling beautiful at all. I raked my sight and everyone was ready but there was something in their eyes and that was hope. They were looking at me as if I was the only way left to them for being safe. I closed my eyes and inahled a long breath. What came in front of me was my brother's dead body and corpses in my sight. 

I was frightened by the visual and opened my eyes with uneven breathing. It filled me with some kind of rage, power and fright too.

Controlling my emotions and promising myself that I would behave strongly, I took my steps forward. 

We walked through a gallery and a big compound which lead us to a beautiful Hall. The sun's rays were lightening it all. I covered my face with the veil. It was the culture to cover the face in front of unknown people.

I stepped inside along with the other ladies. I could not see anything properly because of the veil. But I could hear the people talking or gossiping about something. We all stood in a group near the throne of the prince. A few moments passed waiting and then the Announcer started.

"Attention All... Prince of Mahabaleshgarh, Rajvardhan is entering the Royal meeting place. Please stand up in his royal highness" Suddenly the pin-drop silence took over the murmurings. And I could feel the aura of a powerful Prince. I was not able to see anything through the veil. But I could feel his power through the pin-drop silence and the intensifying tensions among the people.

He sat on the Throne and trumpets blew. 

"Please sit down,"

He said and after him, everyone settled down too. 

"Start the words of today," The prince said and I realized that I heard the deepest and most chilling voice ever. He had that dominating voice that could make anyone do anything. I guessed that the people would get easily frightened just by his voice.

The wander came in front and initiated the wording of the court meeting.

"Prince, in the war we won with Pratapgarh, we collected 1470 horses, 280 elephants, a few life stock, 870 kg of Jewellery made of different metals, 1450 young age boys and 197 all-age ladies. I request you to allocate the resources we got among the head managers. Apart from this many more resources are collected which have been already distributed by the King " He completed and I felt my heart racing with each passing second. They were distributing my Empire, My Pratapgarh.

"The young age boys will start the army practice by tomorrow, the horses, elephants, and livestock be included in ours. The jewellery will be distributed to the Royal ladies and the leftover will be given to the head Accountant and the ladies..." My heart was beating madly and one of the ladies standing beside me held my hand tightly. I understood that this was the time to talk to Prince.

Taking a long breath and collecting my strength, I interrupted 

"His Highness," I said with a frightened tone and bowed in front of him. Although he was our enemy still did not want to piss him off.

Silence took over for a moment as if I had committed a crime. 

"Do not you know young lady how to behave in front of The Prince?"

He asked in a plain voice enough to run a shiver down my spine.

"Prince..." the wander interrupted. "She is the Princess of Pratapgarh, Abhishree"

The silence followed for some moments.    

"Ohh..." he said and stoop up from the throne. I could feel his feet coming to me. 

"So have won a princess too," he said in an intense yet frightening tone. 

He came closer to me and I could see his feet by lowering my gaze.

"So, the ladies will be appointed as s..." He continued saying in a loud voice.

"Your Highness" I interrupted again and collected all my strength and I tried to continue.

"I want to have a word with you,"

A kind of chaos bubbled up in the hall and I could hear a few whisperings and murmurings.

"What if I do not?" He said with a ruthless tone and my heart skipped a few of beats.

I gulped and linked nervously.

I bowed in front of him once again "This Minority wants to have a word with the future king of Mahabaleshgarh"

I tried to sound as polite as I could because I desperately needed to have a word with him. The silence followed and finally, he spoke.

"hnn-un" He said with a throaty sound and asked me to continue. 

"In private" 

Anyhow I managed to say. 

A wave of strong murmuring ran through the court. 

Everyone looked shocked.

The wander stepped forward and tried to say " Princess... this is not the way how to talk to the future Prince, please do as-" 

He stopped when Prince signalled him to.

"Ekaant!"

"Privacy," He said in a strong, loud, and rude voice.

I stood still until the place got empty. Everyone left, leaving the Prince and me alone in the courtroom. My heart was beating madly. Though I was frightened but did not forget my strength. I was the Princess, I am Princess and I would always be. I took a deep breath to say but he interrupted.

"Shhhhh-shhh-shhh..." He hushed and stepped forward to come dangerously close to me. I could feel his smell. I could smell the mixture of sandalwood and roses. I could feel my heartbeats racing insanely. I did not know what it was but strangely I was feeling a little affected by his bodily gestures.

"First, you dared to interrupt me in the middle of the courtroom wordings. Then you interrupted me again and then you wanted to talk in Private. What the hell do you think of yourself...hnn?,"

His voice was rising with each passing word. I could feel the anger in his voice bubbling up. I had pissed him off. But I could not back out now. I had to say what I wanted to. I held my ground and replied back with my strength.

"I am the Princess of Pratapgarh" I tried to say in a polite and soft voice. "Your People looted our Empire, You did injustice to us. You cannot make our people dust off your shoes."

He stepped, even more, closer making me take a small step backwards.

"Do not dare to tell me, young lady, what I can do or not?" He said with a threatening tone.

"I am not finished yet," I said back, now holding on to myself and collecting my strength but keeping the tone slow but audible.

He came a little more, closer and I stood stubbornly against him not taking any steps backwards now. I had to face him at that time.

"Prince," I said inhaling a sharp breath. 

"I know what is in your mind..." I took a pause and continued. "You are thinking of making our ladies your people's slaves, prostitutes, or something cheaper. I know you do a lot of injustice to the things, you win in war. But people are not things."

I could hear him inhaling a sharp breath and I could tell that I was making him angry now.

"I will make them whatever I want, I am the Prince, I know my power," He said in a thundering and slow voice near my ear.

I closed my eyes for a moment and replied back.

"And I am the Princess, I have the burden of their safety on my shoulder. In any of the worse situations, I have to stand all the time with them. All I want to say is please give some respectable work to the ladies. They are either widows or Little girls. They would not be ab-"

"What if I do not obey you, Miss lost Princes" He interrupted giving stress to each and every word.

"What? " I asked. I was a little taken aback by the situation.

"I am asking... what if I do not obey you. Who the hell are you telling me what to do or not?" His voice sounded angry and pissed off now.

"Prince... I request you to please not do anything wrong to the ladies. It's not about me or the Empire or anything. But it's for them. They will not be able to suffer all that. I am strong they are not."

"You are strong?..." he asked all of sudden cutting me off and continuing. "Tell me what can you do for them"

"Anything" I replied instantly. Because I literally could. They were our people. 

"Okay... It will be very good for them but worse for you. If you want them to be safe, you have to suffer all the punishments and torture of theirs."

I stood frozen by his words, I did not mean to say that.

"What ?" I questioned.

"You are the Princess, They are your People, You want them to be safe, and In return for it..." 

He took a pause.

"I want you to suffer, young lady, you pissed me really off with your so-called attitude. You dared to interrupt me in the courtroom Wordings. If you want the safety of your people, You have to suffer all this."

"All I want is all my people would be safe and no torture to them" I stated again.

"Then you have to be my Personal slave, You will be doing all my stuff as a servant does. You will have to do whatever I say. I want all your pride below my shoes" he replied.

***

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