When Mrignayani had bowed to the General she had only done so as she had partially been able to see him through the curtain of her veil. She had figured that the one throne at the left side of the Hall, build at the customary lower level than that of the King would be occupying either the Prime Minister or the Commander. 

She had seen the Prime Minister standing at the end of the staircase which led to the King and the Queen's thrones, right when she had entered. So she knew that the person occupying the left would definitely be the Elder Prince. 

Besides, she had felt his gaze bore into her throughout the time she took to reach the centre of the massive Courtroom from the entrance gates. It was so potent that it almost felt like a mild physical push from a precise direction. She had already been slightly intrigued by that fact. Very rarely has she met people who had such an insanely strong stare. 

But she had only seen his silhouette. 

So when she had removed the veil off her face, on Queen Devasena's rather humble request, she had given into the strong desire to look at the man to whom she was going to be wedded. The man, Radha was so intent of portraying as a demon. 

So she had turned towards him, only to find her breaths getting seized painfully inside her chest.

If demons were build like Gods then Radha was right indeed. 

He stood towering over what seemed like most people, wiry muscles stretched ornamentally over his torso which was lined perfectly by a violet silk angavastram. Those arms held rigidly at his side looked like they could easily crush a bison's head and his long legs were fixed apart in the flawless posture of a warrior who is experienced in outrunning horses if required. His complexion was darker than most of the Princes who had asked for her hand back home, but seemed to burn almost golden in the lights of the chandeliers hanging from above. That face looked like someone had carved his features out with a knife and she might cut her hand trying to touch the bearded jaw itself. 

He seemed to be donning pretty expensive clothing but almost no jewellery except golden armbands and a string of tiny emeralds. Diamond studs sparkled his ears which were partly visible from that thick mass of wavy hair which he seemed to have attempted to tie back on his nape but was evidently a futile effort seeing the sheer number of locks which had escaped it, and now fluttered slyly across his face. 

But nothing compared to those eyes. 

Those eyes which seemed to burn a hole right through her. The pupils were dilated slightly but she could see the hazel specks inside the burnished brown clearly. They looked like eyes of a predatory bird focussed on its prey. 

It seemed like Prince Bhallaladeva could see right into her soul, could rip apart those carefully crafted layers of facades meticulously put throughout the years only to leave her exposed, raw and aching. It felt like everyone and everything else in the Universe had suddenly paled in comparison. 

Mrignayani felt her heart race as they kept staring unblinkingly into each others eyes, unaware of the way everyone else was also focussed at the scene in front. 

Bhallaladeva had forgotten that he was standing in the Royal Court, full in session, with almost everyone in attendance. He had forgotten that his brother, the King might be looking at him gawking foolishly like a goldfish at the Princess. He had forgotten that his subordinates were also present, seeing their leader behave like a complete idiot. 

He had forgotten perhaps to breathe even. 

Her eyes were the most mesmerizing thing he had ever seen. They were doe shaped and curtained with the thick eyelashes, the kohl lined around them making them seem bigger. The pupils were dilated, almost mud brown in shade and had hints of the setting sun flickering in them. He hadn't clocked the bewilderment in her gaze as the sheer strength in them felt overpowering. 

And for the first time in his life, the Elder Prince Regent of Mahishmati, the Imperial Commander General to the mightiest army of the South... was scared. 

Scared of this mysterious woman who he had realised just might possess the power to shatter through and decimate the self imposed iron fortress he has built around himself like an unbreakable armour, with nothing but a single look. 

He was glad no one could see the slight tremor in his fingers. 

The harsh cough broke their seemingly never ending eye contact and Mrignayani turned her face towards the sound, feeling her skin jump in shock and a tidal wave of embarrassment coursed through her entire frame as reality slowly kicked in and the rest of the world came back in focus. She hadn't seen the General turn his face sideways at the opposite direction, simultaneously with her, as a brick red flush had started to creep up his collarbones to his neck.

It was the Queen Mother, Sivagami Devi. She had come up from her seat and walked down to reach her by then. A move she had evidently not noticed priorly, having been busy staring into her eldest son's eyes like a fool. 

"The Lord Shiva be praised! Never before have I seen such beauty, such poise."

She did the universal gesture of warding off evil eyes making Mrignayani smile brightly and she dipped to touch her feet. Sivagami held her back but ran her hand with motherly affection over her head as she straightened back up.

"You are blessed by the Goddess Herself, no need for my blessings. My son is truly lucky."

"The son you kicked out of the family?"

Gasps rang out in the Courtroom making most of them turn pale. The Princess had the same benign, gentle smile on her face and not a single ounce of bitterness. Even her tone was so masterfully soft and innocent that one could hardly find the hint of sharp sarcasm lacing the undernotes. Bhallaladeva found himself getting stunned speechless for the second time that evening. 

Sivagami had turned a horrible pasty shade making Kattappa, who was standing a few feet away almost rush to her to catch for support lest she stumbles.  Amarendra's voice was toned with heavy guilt as he spoke next, not letting his mother answer back. 

"I am incredibly sorry for what happened Princess. The alliance was sent for me but I had to deny it. I mean no disrespect but I could hardly insult both you and my wife by agreeing to marry twice. My brother holds the position of Commander General... but is no different from me.. we.."

Mrignayani shocked everyone again but cutting midway, before the King could complete. 

"I apologize for cutting through you, Your Majesty but I will have to stop you right there. I maybe the Eldest Princess of Chittorgarh, the daughter of a Maharana.. but I do not associate my worth by the post I am given in court. I have held the post of Minister of State in my own Kingdom for a long time before being sent here. And I could care less what post my husband holds. So I beg you to not disrespect me in such manner."

Her words fell like a barrage of well aimed arrows and Bhallaladeva could almost see the smoke coming out of some of the more uptight ministers of the court at the sheer level of impudence the Princess has displayed. But his brother and sister in law on the other hand looked pleasantly surprised, if not slightly pleased as well which was kind of strange. His mother, now having recovered from the previous taunt had walked back to her own place looking oddly contemplative. 

"Please accept my humble apologies Princess, I did not think. We will be most pleased to host you till the wedding. Rajguru has found out the auspicious timing to be tomorrow midnight. The arrangements have all been taken care of. I hope you don't find anything lacking.."

Mrignayani folded her hands again and bowed to Amarendra and then unexpectedly to Sivagami before replying in that same genteel voice. 

"Forgive my insolence Queen Mother. I did not mean to insult you. I am most grateful that you and your Court found me worthy." 

Sivagami, much to everyone's continued shock, smirked instead of flying by the handle like expected. She raised an eyebrow at her dangerously striking to be daughter in law. 

"It is of no matter. I liked your arrogance, Princess. This suits the daughter in laws of Sivagami Devi. Keep up that scathing tongue of yours and you might, after all, end up enjoying staying with my haughty, hot tempered son."

Bhallaladeva gave his mother a frosty look, looking quite the opposite of fiery at the moment even as it looked like Mrignayani had blushed slightly at the implication. 

Suddenly a raucous voice broke in before she could reply and everyone cringed as if in synchrony. Bijlaladeva who had been looking at the Princess all this while with quite a nauseatingly disgusting look staggered up from his seat and glared down at her from the tip of his hooked nose like she was nothing but an insect to be crushed under his foot.

"Irrespective of what my wife thinks, may I remind you that this is not your kingdom. This is Mahishmati! And this is the royal court. I will not have infidels like you to speak out of turn like uncivilised rural loons. Follow the decorum Princess!"

He spat the last word like it roiled his skin to even address her as such. Bhallaladeva had almost leaped out of his seat and would have crossed the hall in half a stride and sliced his so called father's vulture like nose off, had Mrignayani's instant reply not stopped him. 

"Last I remembered, decorum was speaking out one's mind in front of their elders cleanly without malice and not going out to dupe one's allies regarding matters of familial alliance to suit their own purposes or malign one's to be daughter in law. But I think, I have been mistaken... haven't I, Your Majesty?"

Her words were wonderfully droll and made Bijlaladeva almost splutter out in confused wrath. He had turned almost crimson in insulted fury and it took Kattappa and Anila, both, to subdue him to a somewhat cooler state. Before anyone could attempt to soften the situation down, the Princess continued, turning towards Bahubali. 

"Thank you, my King but I will have to decline your gracious hospitality. I am an unmarried Rajputani Kshatriya... my values will not allow me to stay a night in the House of strangers... the Vasant Mahal itself, be it. I beseech you to make my arrangements in a guest house till the wedding. Then after, I may go with my husband."

Devasena replied before Amarendra could even come out of another shock at words spoken so comfortably candid. 

Bhallaladeva almost smirked. 

He had to give it to the Princess. 

She was standing in the court of her kingdom's greatest enemy and speaking not disrespectfully nor being high handed, just brutally honest. In a single conversation she had managed to effectively insult both his parents, two of the most powerful people of the court, successfully stun both the King and the Queen and majorly unsettled him - perhaps the most feared man in the entire empire. And managed to divide the Court in terms of acceptability with more looking to be in the opposite camp than could be considered diplomatic. 

She almost seemed to enjoy making enemies out of people. 

The prospect of marriage didn't look all that intolerable anymore. 

"We completely understand Princess. I will have the arrangements done and will personally accompany you with the entourage. After all, we cannot let a royal guest go without company. It is bad for business."

Mrignayani looked stunned for a moment at the Queen's subtle cheek but then gave her a blinding smile in return. 

"I am most grateful My Queen. After all, my reputation is about to go hand in hand with Mahishmati's from this moment. It will be bad for business indeed."

With great difficulty did Devasena manage to stifle a bout of mad giggles which would have looked highly unbecoming of a lady, let alone a Queen. Her mother in law would have definitely disapproved even if her husband found it greatly amusing. 

She could swear, she saw the Princess almost wink at her with a sparkle in those gorgeous eyes. 

Princess Mrignayani was turning out to be, quite the surprise.

----------------------------------------------------

"Did you get to see the King? I have heard he is quite the handsome man... all the women kept drooling over his paintings."

"Did you meet with the Queen? Is she as beautiful as they say? Was she really angry with you.. considering you were to marry her husband? It is said she can perform the magical arts? Is that true?"

"Oh... oh.. is the court made entirely of gold and gemstones? Does the ceiling reflect everyone's images like it is said?"

"Did you get to see the magical mangrove? Nijaljani told me, the Queen personally looks after all the exotic plants and animals in there.."

"Did you see the little Prince? He is quite the cutie... according to Mithila."

"Wait... is the Queen Mother really mean looking and grouchy? Did you meet that horrendous ogre, she calls husband. Everyone in the city kind of hates that man.. Bhavani, knows why the Rajamata even married him.."

"Is Kattappa really nine feet tall and weighs like two hundred kilos or something? The bards were pretty graphic while describing him. They said, he killed a full grown elephant with bare hands."

"Are you even listening to a single thing I am asking?"

Radha finally ended her barrage of questions with a frustrated sigh as Mrignayani still looked lost to the world. She was lying in the couch, on her front, a hand extended out while her cheek rested on the other. She was inside her chambers while her handmaidens pattered around the room, arranging her things and preparing a bath for her. Radha had been seated at the foot, massaging her feet while bombarding her with endless questions even as she remained silent. 

Mrignayani could hardly say that she had hardly noticed anything or anyone properly in that one hour she held audience with the King inside the Royal court. And everything she had noticed and observed, filed away in her brain to be accessed and analysed in leisure, before gaining the audience, seemed to have vanished somewhere into nothingness. 

All that remained were those two amber brown eyes, burning into her like twin flames. 

She felt like she has been branded by that gaze. Never before has any man managed to make her feel so painfully struck. Men for her had always been tools to be used or fools to be tolerated for the sake of propriety. 

And here comes this one man she hasn't even spoke a word to, who threatens to upturn all her plans and everything she has worked towards for all these years. She couldn't let it happen but it was looking like she couldn't even stop it from happening. The feeling for helplessness had also dissolved into a keen sense of want. 

A desire to look at those mesmerising eyes again. Unravel the secrets that scorching gaze held within. And as if the Universe had heard her unsaid plea, she heard a deep husky voice call out, oddly gently, from the door and she sat up straight, stunned and scrambled to hold her discarded angavastram to her bosom in a hurry. 

"Princess Mrignayani.. I.. oh! I am sorry."

Bhallaladeva looked mortified at having intruded in what seemed like an inappropriate time and turned to the other side immediately, apologizing uncomfortably. 

"My apologies Princess. I didn't notice. I will come later."

He was almost half out of the room when her steady voice stopped him in his tracks.

"It is alright, Your Highness. Please, come and sit. It is I who must apologize, had I known you would be coming, I would have made better arrangements. Radha, please leave us.."

Radha who had bowed immediately, scrambling up to her feet, on seeing the General, looked at her shocked. 

"But My Princess.."

Mrignayani had pulled the veil over her chest by then and was glaring at her friend pointedly till she hurriedly walked out of the room, collecting the other women with her, bypassing Bhallaladeva with folded hands. He was still staring at the opposite wall, when she spoke. 

"Please do come in Prince, excuse the mess..I had just been unpacking." 

Bhallaladeva turned and looked at Mrignayani who was standing now, facing up and regretted his move immediately. He felt his throat drying up as those brilliant doe eyes fell on him again. Her raven locks were open now, reaching her waist and so up close, he finally noticed the nose ring she was wearing which hung to her full lips. She had wrapped her veil like an angavastram across her chest and was clad in only one layer of the silk skirt.

The atmosphere had become electric and he could feel the crackle in the wind. 

"Apologies again for coming so late Princess. But I had to relay this before everyone starts hounding you from tomorrow. If you feel unwilling to carry this alliance forward just say the word. I will make sure you are sent back to Chittorgarh with full honour and safety. No further questions asked. This is my word."

Mrignayani looked at him for some seconds but he felt like they have been standing there in silence for years before her lips formed a small sad smile making him feel strangely restless. 

"And what will be the cost, My Prince? A war? I know what you are capable of General. We will lose. I know that, I have read the statistics. It will be a total annihilation, not to consider the collateral damage both our Empires would suffer from. Let us not even go to the fact that, this can result in opportunities for foreign invasion as well."

"I am not the last resort sir. I am the only resort."