Hey everyone!

Here's this weeks chapter! As always, don't forget to vote and comment!! I love hearing what you guys have to say!

ALSO: I will be uploading a BONUS CHAPTER tomorrow!!! :D

Enjoy!!! <3

Love, Luckycharms!!!

---

By the time Aathavan turned eleven, he was already joining me on nearly all of my trips around the nation. He was growing, quickly, and though when I was his age, I was already fighting in battles alongside my father, Seetha's worrying was consistent.

Of course, her worries were not necessarily legitimate.

We were in a time of peace. The last time anything worrisome happened was five years ago, when the Mountain Tribes felt threatened and we found out that Aarun was taking over the north.

As of now, Aarun had indeed taken over the north, but it seemed like he made a smart decision in deciding to stay quiet and obey, leaving the mountain tribes alone. I suppose he also may have made that decision because of the increase in warriors that I had stationed in the area.

Whatever the case, it was peaceful. There were no battles to fight.

There were some border skirmishes here and there, and sometimes we would send warriors to help our allies with their battles, but other than that, for a warrior kingdom, this was the most peace we had seen in decades.

So the reason why Seetha's worries were not legitimate was simply because there were no battles to send my son in to fight.

Of course, as a parent, that was a good thing. But as a Maharajah with an heir, it really wasn't, and so the only alternative I could think of was to make sure he was with me for everything else. He was with me for the skirmishes, he was with me when making decisions in regards to our allies' battles, he was with me when I was doing everything that was expected of from the Warrior King of Chandraba.

Like today.

One of our allies in the south was fighting a war against their own neighbors and requested for our assistance, and though we would not be fighting in the battle ourselves, I brought Aathi with me to be a part of the planning with Lakshmanan and my brothers.

He was attentive and observant and I was proud of him, though I did worry that it was still not enough. All this training could not be enough. Nothing could compare to the real thing.

"If you are so concerned, Aaryan, why not let me take him with me?" Lakshmanan suggested from his seat across from me.

We were in the fort, in his office. Our arrangements had been completed so I let Aathi go spend time with the warriors, some of whom were his friends, while I stayed up in Lakshmanan's office with Aayu, Anbu and even Akshay, my second youngest brother who I charged with foreign affairs.

Though Seetha and I had promised to make all our decisions together, she was not here with us because the one thing she let me keep control of was war planning. She admitted that she could spend her whole life trying, but she knew she would never master the art of war planning.

So we concluded that she gets a say in whether the fight happens or not and I get to decide how it's fought.

Thus, she was not here.

"I don't mind the idea," I said, considering it, "but I'd need to run it by Seetha."

Lakshmanan chuckled. "She'll say no."

"I can try talking to her," Aayu said. "I agree with brother... Aathavan is coming of age and he will not be respected as a Warrior Prince if he has no experience under his belt."

I nodded. Seetha wasn't going to like this, but I knew if she could push her motherly instincts aside, she would be reasonable.

"Alright, so assuming that the Queen will allow for this to happen, make sure the Prince is ready to ride out tomorrow. Is that possible?"

"Of course," I said. "I'll send a messenger to your home tonight to let you know the plan."

Lakshmanan nodded. "Good."

"Well, since we'll be bringing the Prince with us," my brother Akshay said, "I feel the need to ask the very important question that no one has asked yet."

I turned and looked at him. He was leaning against the wall, with his arms crossed as he wore his signature bored expression. Despite being the second youngest, he was one of the tallest, second to me, and like Aarun, he took his looks more from my mother's side, making his skin fairer, his hair straighter and his eyes, like mine, always looking angry. Akshay and I were never very close, mostly because Akshay was so... absent.

"Ask away, brother," I said, waving my hand at him.

"Have you had a chance to let your son know that you killed our father?"

Almost instantly, the room was filled with a silence so strong that you could hear a pin drop. I looked at my brother with raised brows as the other's in the room looked awkwardly at each other. For the last few years, this was a topic that simply was not discussed. No one talked about it. No one in my family, no one in court, in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if average villagers were even afraid to bring it up.

Of course, Akshay's indifference was always obvious.

"No," I said. "I have not."

Akshay kept his eyes on me, his look of indifference switching to a rare look of seriousness. "It would be wise to tell him before you send him off on his own," he said. "People talk, brother, and it's better he hears it from you rather than someone who means to do you and your family harm."

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"I've seen it happen," he continued. "Enemies using family secrets to ruin relationships and manipulate people who are vulnerable."

"This is not a family secret."

"Does your son know about it?" He asked again. When I didn't respond, he continued. "So it's a secret."

I frowned.

"Your son is the Crown Prince, and if what I hear is true, then he is wise and just, for his age. And those kinds of boys are exactly the kinds that people like to manipulate," he said. "And don't get me started on the fools who are just gossiping. Your son could be having a simple conversation with the other warriors and it could slip out... you know that soldiers gossip as much as women do. It may be innocent, but you know as well as I do that the Crown Prince's relationship with the Maharajah determines the success or failure of the nation."

My gaze fell on Aayu, my advisor, and he was nodding slowly. "Unfortunately, I agree, brother," he said when he saw my eyes. "I wouldn't be surprised if he's heard rumors already, so it would be wise to set the record straight. He's old enough to understand."

Eleven. I thought. With no experience of death and destruction.

But how could you really ever be old enough to understand?

So I let out a breath and sighed. "I will speak to him tonight."

"Good," Akshay said, pushing himself off the wall and beginning to make his way out. "I'll be at the palace, if anyone needs me."

"Seetha wanted to make dinner for you all tonight," I called after him. "Will you be able to make it?"

When Akshay turned and looked at him, the look on his face was both humored and dismissive. "The Queen is hosting dinner parties now?"

I squeezed my temples between my finger and thumb. "Yes or no question, Akshay."

"We'll see," he said. "If I am available."

And before I could tell him that he did not answer my question, he already left.

Aayu shook his head and rolled his eyes. "I will never understand what went wrong with that one."

That made Lakshmanan laugh. "Ridiculousness seems to run in the family."

Anbu chuckled and I let out a short laugh. "I try to be welcoming, yet it seems he prefers to be an outsider."

"He was always like that, brother," Aayu said, crossing his arms. "Even when we were kids. He thinks he's better than everyone."

I sighed.

I don't think I would ever understand him.

"Anyways," Aayu continued. "Are you really going to talk to Aathavan tonight?"

I nodded.

"What about Aaruvinth?" Anbu asked. "You could tell them both tonight?"

I hesitated. "Aaruvinth... is still too young. He's only eight."

Lakshmanan looked at me. "Are you... going to..."

"Be honest?" I finished. "I think that's the best thing to do. I'll discuss it with Seetha first... she's always been better with words."

"Yes," Aayu said. "She's a storyteller... she knows how to get to people's hearts."

"Well then, friend," Lakshmanan said. "I will pray that this does not lead to calamity and chaos."

I chuckled. "I pray for that daily, Lakshmanan."

Aayu squeezed my shoulder. "I will stay back and discuss resources for the men with Lakshmanan. I'll update you on the plans at Seetha's 'dinner party.'" He said 'dinner party' in a tone that mocked Akshay's voice.

"Good," I smiled. "Anbu, let's go, I need to speak with you too."

Anbu hesitated.

"Am I invited?" Lakshmanan asked. "I don't remember getting an invitation."

"Seetha realized this would be the first time in a while that all my non-exiled brothers were in the capital at the same time," I said, standing. "It was meant to be a family dinner, but Akshay seems largely disinterested, so yes come. Bring Saumiya, and your boys as well. Be there around sunset."

"Excellent," Lakshmanan nodded.

"Good," I repeated, "I'll be off then," I said, looking over at Anbu, who nodded at me.

"By the way, friend," Lakshmanan started.

I turned and looked at him.

He was leaning back in his chair, giving me a funny look. "I thought I'd let you know that it seems my boy fancies your Maya."

My brows rose before I looked at Aayu, who gave me a confused expression that read 'why are you looking at me?' before I looked back at Lakshmanan. After some moments passed of me staring at him as he grinned back, I frowned. "Should I kill him?"

Lakshmanan laughed. It seems that he had expected that reaction from me. "Come now, wouldn't it be the perfect alliance? Your family and my family finally joining through marriage? Saumiya was ecstatic, she's the one who figured it out."

"She's nine. She's a child, and your son is a man."

"My son is twelve, don't make him sound so old."

"That's old enough for me to kill him."

Lakshmanan laughed some more, even Anbu and Aayu chuckled. "How about we let children be children?" Aayu asked. "It may just be a childish infatuation."

"Do you know about this?" I asked Aayu.

He raised his hands defensively. "No, I swear. I'm just saying."

I let out a frustrated breath. "Let children be children," I repeated to Lakshmanan, who seemed like he was loving every moment of this. I turned around to leave, but stopped and turned back to face Lakshmanan. I held my finger up, pointing at him. "Make sure your son keeps his filthy short stubby fingers off my little girl, got it?" I ordered. "Or else I'll kill him. You know I will."

I didn't appreciate Lakshmanan's laughs, and as I left, he called after me. "Keep your threats out of Saumiya's ears! She'd cut your tongue out!"

Anbu was chuckling as the door shut behind us and we walked off.

"I didn't even know the two were friends," I said, as I tried to remember all the times the two interacted.

Anbu shrugged but smiled. "They're just kids, brother," he said. "You have no reason to worry."

I sighed, before looking at him. "Right... I wanted to talk to you too." All of this nonsense nearly made me forget. I stopped walking and looked at my brother. "A proposal came in last night."

"A proposal?" He gave me a confused look.

Maybe 'proposal' wasn't the right word to use. "One of the lords from the south has offered up his daughter as a bride."

He still looked at me with his confused expression.

"A bride for you."

Now both his brows shot up. "For me?"

I nodded. "You need to be honest with me, brother," I put an arm on his back and started walking, guiding him with me. "Is there someone you are currently in love with? Someone who you would like to marry?"

His cheeks reddened. "No, brother," he started. "I... haven't really even thought about it."

"Well, they're a good family," I said. "They've been loyal to us for a long time... and from what I hear, their daughter is the smartest of this Lord's children. She's sharp, and her father has let her manage the trade routes in the south, which means she is well adept in understanding political and economic affairs.  She'd make a good addition to the family."

I simply nodded. "Whatever you think is right, brother, I am okay with."

I stopped him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Not in this case, Anbu," I said, firmly. "I have always appreciated your trust in me, but marriage is a different case all together. I am not going to force you to do anything, me telling you about this girl is just that... me telling you. You need to decide whether you are okay with this or not because marriage changes everything. Especially once you have children."

He nodded slowly.

"Whoever you marry will be your partner, for life, and I want you to pick someone who will be a good partner to you. So think about it carefully. Go meet her if you want to... I can arrange that for you. This needs to be your decision, do you understand?"

He nodded. "Yes, brother," he said. "Thank you."

"Good," I smiled at him.

"I'll go meet her," he said, blushing, despite being in his twenties now. "And I will let you know."

"No pressure," I said, messing his hair up and embarrassing him more before beginning to walk again. "And if it makes you feel better, I did hear that she was pretty."

His blush worsened, making me laugh. "Be home for dinner before sunset," I waved as I walked off. "Seetha will hit you if you're late."

When we reached the training grounds, I paused at the gate and called out for Aathavan.

My son was practicing his sword techniques with one of his many friends, General Sivakasi close by. When Aathavan heard me call him, the boy smiled, teasingly patted his friend with the blunt end of his sword and returned it to his sheathe. He then ran over to me. "Appa, you're done now?" He asked when he reached me.

"Yes," I said, turning and making my way to our horses. "We can head home now."

"Amma's cooking," he smiled happily. "I hope she makes some mutton curry."

"She will if you ask her," I said.

He chuckled. "I will ask," he grinned at me. "It seems you want it too."

I smiled and looked away. "I don't know what you are talking about."

Aathavan had grown so much over the last few years. He was already taller than most boys his age and he was certainly stronger than many of them. I heard from others that Aathavan was also, unsurprisingly, a charmer. Everyone loved him. He played the part of Prince very well, it seemed to come easily to him, and for that reason, he received a lot of love from all sorts of people.

The boy was almost always smiling too, the opposite of me, obviously. In fact, he looked a lot more like Seetha and her side of the family. Sometimes, I would even see her father in him, which surprised me.

However, her father may not have been a Lord or anything of the sort, but he was a well respected elder in her village, and if Aathi was anything like him, let it be looks or personality, I could be nothing less than happy.

Bhumi shook his head and took a few steps forward when he saw us and I smiled. He was getting old but he was still incredibly reliable, already ready to take me wherever I needed to go. Aathavan gave Bhumi, who was also one of Aathavan's many admirers, a pet before getting onto his own horse.

As we rode home, I explained to him our plans to send him off with Lakshmanan and he listened carefully. He only spoke when I finished. "I understand," he said. "I agree with you and Aayu Chithappa... I don't want to come off as inexperienced... especially when people are expecting so much from me."

I nodded. "I do wish I could join you, but my presence in a battle that is not our own may send out messages that we do not want sent."

"I understand, Appa," he smiled at me. "Though I do worry that Amma is not going to be happy."

"I will deal with her," I said. "Or Aayu, if she doesn't listen to me."

He chuckled. "She does listen to Aayu Chithappa more, doesn't she?"

"She thinks he's more reasonable," I rolled my eyes, making my son laugh. After a moment, I sighed. "After I speak with your mother, there is something else I need to talk to you about, before dinner."

Aathi nodded. "Of course, Appa."

---

As expected, Seetha was unhappy. We were in my office in our home and she was pacing back and forth, wringing her fingers together as I spoke. "He's only eleven," she said.

I was leaning against a wall, my arms crossed. "I was much younger-"

"I know," she groaned. "I know."

"Lakshmanan will take care of him, love."

"It's not that I'm worried about," she said, still pacing but looking up at me. Then she sighed. "Can General Sivakasi go with him?"

"Yes," I said. "I can ask him to go too."

She nodded, looking a little relieved.

To be honest, she was doing a lot better than I thought she would be.

"Okay," she stopped pacing. "Just promise me he will come home safely."

I walked over to her and pushed her hair behind her ear before holding her face in my hands. "He will come home safely," I reassured her. "Seetha, I have been in a thousand battles and here I am, safe, in front of you."

"Yes, but you are different. You may be his father but you and Aathavan are not the same. He is much softer than you... and kinder."

She was right. "He will be safe," I repeated.

She nodded before letting me kiss her lips.

"I'm a little surprised at how quickly you accepted it... you really are becoming a Warrior Queen."

"Last I checked, I was a Warrior Queen," she said, smiling, though I could still see the worry in her eyes.

"Of course," I agreed. "Maybe the greatest there ever was."

She gave me a silly smile.

I smiled back at her before sighing. "There is something else I need to discuss with you as well."

She groaned, pulling away from me. "I knew you were being so sweet for a reason, you manipulative pig."

I chuckled. "You misunderstand." And pig? Really?

"What is it?" she put her hands on her hips. "Spit it out."

Though I was humored by her reaction, I started frowning. "I'm going to tell Aathavan about what I did to my father."

Her expression immediately softened, though her brows rose. "You are?"

I nodded. "I was told it would be better for him to hear it from me rather than anyone else."

"That's true."

I kept my eyes on her. "Do you... have any suggestions as to how I should approach the topic?"

She smiled, walking back into my arms and hugging me tightly. I hugged her too, resting my lips on the curve between her neck and shoulder. "Just be honest," she said, softly. "Tell him the truth. Your son adores you and he will be reasonable in his judgement."

"Or," I started. "He could hate me for the rest of his life."

She pulled away, resting a hand on my chest. "That's something you should have considered before you ran a sword through your father's heart."

I winced. Her words were cold, but she was right.

She sighed. "Just be honest," she repeated. "He will appreciate your honesty, and he will appreciate it if you tell him how you feel."

I nodded and she hugged me again. After a moment, I let out a breath. "Maybe I shouldn't have planned to do this before everyone arrives for dinner."

She chuckled and pulled away. "You'll be fine, my love," she said. "And go have your talk by the river... you two spend a lot of time bonding there. It might be a good spot for you to tell him."

I nodded.

"Let me know how it goes."

I nodded again before kissing her once more. When I pulled away, I turned to leave, but paused. I turned back to face my wife. "Maya..." I started. "Do you know if she spends a lot of time with Lakshmanan's eldest?"

"Muthu?" She asked before shrugging. "Here and there."

"What do you mean here and there?"

"Sometimes Saumiya comes over to spend time with me... you know that."

"She brings her kids?"

"Sometimes, Muthalagan is usually busy... he is training to be a warrior, but when he's free he'll come," she responded. "Why?"

I frowned. "Just wondering."

She gave a confused chuckle before letting me leave.

When I left the office, I saw Aathavan helping Aaruvinth put his wooden sword back in it's sheath. Wooden swords did not slide nicely into leather sheaths so I found that young ones often struggled with that. "Aathavan," I said, "meet me at the river, where we normally go. Go with General Sivakasi.'

Aathi looked at me with surprise. "Sure, Appa," he said as he handed his brother the sword.

I looked at General Sivakasi, who bowed before heading after Aathavan.

Aaruvinth then grabbed me by my trousers.

I looked down at the boy, who smiled warmly at me. "Suhanya Appama made this for me!" He held up the sheath for me to look at. I hadn't even noticed he had a new one.

I knelt down in front of him, noticing she had stitched his name into the leather. "Very nice," I said. "What happened to your old one?"

"It was all ruined," he said. "I didn't even ask, she made it for me herself, so I was happy."

I smiled at him. "It's very nice."

"Can I come with you to the river?"

I hesitated. "Not today, Aaru," I said. I was, after all, going to be talking about the man who I killed, that everyone believed had been reborn as Aaru. "I will take you another time, alright?"

His smile faded a little, but he nodded.

I patted his shoulder before turning to find Maya.

Maya, who was usually causing some sort of trouble somewhere, surprised me when I found her on her own in the garden. She was up in a tree, reading something, surprising me more. "Maya?"

She looked down at me, her very long curls tumbling over her shoulders. She was growing to be beautiful, her hair as thick and lovely as her mother's, though it curled like mines. However, I could tell that she must have pulled her right braid out, seeing as I remembered Seetha braiding it for her before I left this morning. "Hello, Appa," she smiled.

"Did you climb up in that skirt?"

"Yes, I did."

I frowned. "Your mother will not be happy if you ruin the clothes she has made for you."

"My clothes are fine, Appa," she said, showing me her skirt that was covered in dust and dirt. "We can just wash it."

"What are you reading?"

"It's one of Amma's stories," she said. "I found it in your office."

My frown deepened for two reasons. The first being that she was going through my office without my permission, the second being that that story was most certainly a love story.

A love story.

"You talk much with Muthalagan recently?"

"Muthu?" She chuckled. "Did he tell on me for running off with his sword again?"

Again? "No," I said. "I did not know you two were friends."

She pursed her lips, looked up and thought as she tapped her chin with her finger. "I don't think friends is the right word," the girl said, making me feel a little relief. "I like to make him mad."

I started smiling now. Now that's my girl. "Really? Why is that?"

"Because his eyelashes are prettier than mine," she pouted as she said it, and suddenly I was frowning again.

She thought his eyelashes were pretty?

"But I can run faster than him, even though I'm smaller and he's training to be a warrior," she finished. "So I don't care if his eyelashes are prettier anymore."

I nodded my head slowly. "Good... keep showing him that you're the better man."

The nine year old giggled. "I'm not a man... Appa, you're being silly."

I was being silly?

I forced a smile before turning, feeling more nervousness rush through me when I saw Seetha standing at the door, watching me with a look of disbelief. When I reached her, she chuckled. "What on earth are you doing?"

"I'm going to kill him," I simply said before making my way towards Bhumi.

---

When I reached the river, the first thing I did was walk up to Aathavan, who was sitting at the river bank, and ask him: "Muthalagan. What's his relationship with Maya?"

Aathavan looked at me with confusion. "Uh, they're friends... I suppose."

"What do you mean? Here you're saying they are friend's and at home people are telling me they aren't."

Aathavan tilted his head to a side. "Well, they are as friendly as a little girl and a boy my age can be... You know how Maya is... she's aggressive and he's one of the few people who are quite patient with her. She likes to mess around with him but is usually kind to her."

I let out a loud breath as I sat next to him.

"Is... that what you wanted to talk about?"

"No," I rubbed my face with my hands. "No that is not what I wanted to talk to you about."

Aathavan chuckled awkwardly. "Okay..." he started. "Muthu is a nice boy, if you're worried about what I think you're worried about."

I looked at my son, who had always been good at reading faces. "You better be looking out for your little sister. I give you permission to cut off the hand of any man who tries to hurt her."

My son blinked a couple times, his lips parted slightly as he pondered what I had just said to him. "Okay? I'll keep that in mind."

After a moment, I shook my head. "I take it back... your mother would murder me if she heard that I said that to you. Just come tell me. I'll do the cutting."

"Muthu is Lakshu Mama and Saumi Mami's son... your best friend's son... remember?"

I kept shaking my head as I heard Lord Sivakasi chuckle from his spot near the horses. "Never mind. Forget everything I said."

Aathavan laughed. "You're being silly, Appa, that's quite rare."

The second child to call me silly today.

Was that what I was becoming?

The Maharajah of Chandraba was being reduced to 'silly' by his own children.

I sighed.

I suppose this wasn't a great place to start when discussing an issue as serious as the murder of my father. "Let's start all over again. Pretend I didn't say anything."

He chuckled. "Alright."

"I need to talk to you about something important," I started. "Something that may make you look at me differently... and though I would like it to not be this way, and for things to remain the same, it needs to be said."

The smile on my son's face faded, but he kept his eyes on me, listening as attentively as he always had.

"Do you remember much of your grandfather? My father?"

Aathavan nodded slowly. "A little bit," he said. "And I know people don't really talk about his death."

I nodded. "They don't talk about it because I was the one who killed him."

I watched my son's face as his brows rose slowly. He blinked and then looked down at his hands. "Why?"

And so I told him why. I told him about how the nobles did not like his mother. I told him about how they were greedy for power and would sacrifice the happiness for the rest of the nation for that very power. I told him about how my father tried to fight against it to keep us happy and failed. I told him about his Uncle Aarun and how they were going to make him king. I told him about how my father knew about it and let it happen. And I told him about how I thought I had made the right choice.

Unsurprisingly, he was silent through all of it, keeping his eyes on his hands.

When I finished speaking, I stayed silent, waiting for him to absorb it all in... to ask me any questions or to let me know how disappointed he was.

It was a dreadful wait.

Finally, Aathavan looked at me. "Do you still think you made the right choice?"

I kept my eyes on his face. "Yes and no," I said. "Yes, as the Maharajah who looks out for his people. You know as well as I do that Chandraba has never seen such consistent peace in a very long time... certainly not since my great, great grandfather's time... though even then, it was bad. When I got rid of all those worthless nobles, peasants under the rule prospered with reduced taxes and the redistribution of riches. We used the excess money to build temples, boats, homes, roads, and even schools. Your mother, through her school programs, has improved the lives of thousands of children around nation... not just educating them, but feeding them too, easing the worries of parents who otherwise had little means of providing for their children," I said. "People are happier, and none of that would have happened if I simply let Aarun take over. You see how he rules the north, don't you? They tax people who do not have the luxury to be taxed and take the income to spend on parties and alcohol and women. It is thanks to Aayu's constant and consistent book keeping that we are able to force Aarun to pay the crown. It is that payment, in addition to the costs that we are saving from our lack of warfare which we use to build the roads and the schools and the boats and everything else in the north... all of which Aarun should be handling."

My son nodded slowly.

"If Aarun had taken over, our nation would have fallen apart. I know him. I know him better than anyone. He is selfish and irresponsible, and those nobles wanted him as King. Saving the nation from that is why I do not regret my choice."

He nodded. "And no?" He asked. "You said yes, and no."

I let out a breath. "No, because I killed my father," I said, looking out at the river. I paused for a moment, trying to find the words. "I killed my father, who was a good man. My father was not my enemy. He was just... caught in the middle."

"It's strange how a King could have such little control."

"It's a common misconception... that a warrior king is all powerful. He is the head of the nation that is the body. But the head can do very little with no arms and legs. He can also do very little if he does not have control over his arms and legs. That is what my father became, no thanks to his own father, and his grandfather. My father became a head that had no control over his arms and legs... and while all the essential limbs did their own thing, the body starved," I said. "The entire body needs to function together... work in unison... if we are to be strong and healthy and happy."

My son nodded.

"And the other reason... why I do regret my decision... is because he never had a chance to see you and your siblings grow," I smiled sadly. "He loved you... and was proud of you. When I made the decision to kill him... I didn't even think..." I hesitated. "I didn't even think that you may grow up one day and wish to have known your grandfather. I didn't think that maybe he would have wanted to grow old to know you."

My son surprised me then.

He reached out and touched my hand.

When I looked at him, he was smiling sadly. "I don't think differently of you, Appa," he said, warmly.

My eyes widened.

"I... I am disappointed," he continued. "But you are still the same father to me. The father who loves his family and his nation. I can see that."

For the first time, I was speechless.

"I can see the regret in your eyes, and I can see that it hurts you... but you are still my father and I will always love and support you," he kept smiling. "And I think... the best thing for all of us to do is be good to the people. The people we rule... they come first, don't they?"

"They do."

"They do." he repeated. "Thank you for telling me... I am happy to have heard it from you. And if you fear that I will hate you, then don't. I don't hate you. So long as you do what is right by the people we are meant to protect then I will not hate you."

I started smiling... thinking only that this was why people fought to let Seetha raise him.

This was the young man who she had brought up.

I felt a peace inside of me... a peace brought forth by the knowledge that if I were to die tomorrow... at least my son, with Seetha by his side, would be a wonderful king.

---

Hope you enjoyed!

As mentioned at the beginning, I'll be uploading a short BONUS CHAPTER tomorrow!

Sneak Preview: I'm sure you're wondering how that 'dinner party' will go while Aaryan is being overly-overprotective of his daughter. ;)

See you soon!!!!!