The dust of the royal training yard rose in golden clouds under the thundering hooves of Vaayu, a snow white stallion. Atop him sat a figure that the kingdom of Aaro rarely saw in the light of the day.
Princess Ira leaned forward, her silver hair streaming behind her like a comet's tail.
"Watch out! Don't fall-because no one is here to save you."
The sharp, mocking voice of the crown prince Veer cut through the air. He stood at the edge of the yard, his arms crossed over his chest, a smirk playing on his lips. To the world, Veer was the proud heir to the 'Aaro kingdom' one of the most powerful seats in the Dhattak Empire. To Ira, he was the brother who had never offered her a kind word in nineteen years.
Ira pulled back on the reins, bringing the massive horse to a skidding halt. She didn't look shaken. Instead, she sighed, the sound heavy with the boredom of a thousand previous taunts. She hopped down from the saddle, landing with a grace that made Veer's smirk falter for a split second.
"I don't need anyone to save me, Brother." She said, pulling off her riding gloves as she walked towards him. "I can protect myself."
Veer chuckled "Is that so?"
"Do you want to test my strength, brother?" She asked sweetly, in a challenging whisper.
But it only made veer laugh mockingly "Yeah, sure. Why not?... But not today. I have other works to do. I can't waste my precious time on you!"
"Then why you came to taunt me, when you love your precious time so much. Or…do you find me so much interesting that you just can't stop yourself from talking to me?
Veer's face twisted into a look of pure disgust. "Interesting? You? In your dreams." He turned on his heels.
Ira watched him leave, a small, knowing smile touching her lips. She turned back to Vaayu, stroking the horse's powerful neck. "Take him to the barn," she instructed the caretaker who went to follow the order immediately.
In this palace, the servants and soldiers showed her a silent, fearful respect-mostly because of the shadow of her grandfather, King Viraaj.
Ira retreated into the palace, moving through the corridors like a secret. She was the youngest child of the Chakravarthy family. Yet she was forbidden from public eye. As she grew, her parents had slowly erased her from the kingdom's memory, keeping her tucked away in the high stone chambers.
After a quick bath, her maids moved with practiced silence. They dressed her, pulled her hair into a sophisticated bun.
After that, she left her chamber to find her grandfather, the only person whose love felt real. Finding his room empty, she asked a passing soldier.
"Where is my grandfather?"
"His majesty is in the meeting hall, princess." The soldier replied respectfully. "The king of Jwalana Kingdom has arrived for an alliance meeting."
'Jwalana?' Ira had never heard the name. Her father, king Dhishva, ensured her education was limited to palace wall. Curiosity, a dangerous thing for a hidden princess, began to pull at her.
She instructed the soldier to inform her grandfather about her waiting for him in the garden after his meeting and headed towards the garden.
Outside the meeting hall, the heavy doors finally creaked open. Two men stepped out. Viraaj Chakravarthy and the guest king, Abhiveera Kumar.
They had spent hours discussing borders and messengers, but as they walked, a young soldier stepped forward. "Your majesty," he said to Viraaj "Princess Ira came to see you. She is waiting in the garden."
The air in the hallway suddenly turned freezing. Viraaj's eyes flashed with a terrifying, protective anger at the soldier for mentioning Ira's name in front of a stranger. But Abhiveera had already heard it.
"Ira?" Abiveera asked, his brow furrowing. "I thought you only has two grandchildren, your majesty. Why have I never heard of a princess Ira?"
Viraaj hesitated, his jaw tightening. Then, perhaps seeing something in the other king's eyes, he made a choice. "Would you like to meet her, your majesty?"
They found her in the centre of the garden, sitting on a white swing surrounded by jasmine. She was weaving a necklace, her head tilted down, the sunlight catching the rare silver of her hair.
"Ira" Viraaj called out gently.
Ira looked up, her face lightening up with a brilliant, genuine smile. But behind Viraaj, Abhiveera did not smile. He didn't even move at all.
His legs suddenly trembled. His eyes were wide, fixed on Ira's face with a look of pure, soul-shattering shock.
"Irya…?" He whispered. The name haunting him from years. Turning every dream into nightmare and at the same time making him feel regret and love.