CHAPTER - 13
PRINCESS MRUNAL
In the shining moonlight coming through the skylight, Tyrion read the letter of his father congratualting Queen Madhuri and expressing regret over raising a traitor.
"A TRAITOR!" Tyrion gasped and sobbed, "My entire life I spend trying to be a good son, a worthy son, and... A traitor!" Tyrion broke down.
"Maybe you should have tried to become a good man first, my lord" Tyrion was starteled by this soft, calm voice coming out of the dark from the cell in front of his cell. And then, a face came forward, a pure, beautifully serene but sad face, shining in the moonlight.
"Are you... Are..." Tyrion stammered with this sudden scare.
"Yes, I am Princess Mrunal, Daughter of the only just King Ananda"
Tyrion was stunned by seeing her beauty.
"I'm sorry, my princess. Had I known you were here, I wouldn't have wept"
"Is it such a shame to cry over here in your world?"
Tyrion looked over her.
"I did not make this world. It is what it is"
"But ofcourse you did. You tried impressing your father, he tried impressing his. Everyone looking after their own interests. What are you all if not a traitor to the people?"
Tyrion couldn't take his eyes off of her as she spoke.
"Where did looking after your people bring you? Do you know how much the people of your land charged for kidnapping their princess? 100 gold coins. I spend thousands of gold coins everyday in the brothel. You, the princess of the righteous land, were cheaper to bring here than for me to fuck a whore"
Mrunal felt attacked and humliated, but her resilient face took even that sip of embarassement with dignity.
"If those hundred coins were to bring a few smiles on the faces of a few people of my kingdom, I will happily get kidnapped over and over again"
Tyrion was enamoured by this princess's courage and nobility. Even he had to accept that she was a far better person than he ever could be.
"I admire your nobility princess. I wish I had the courage to be like you. But I'm afraid my life is over. And I better not regret it in these final moments"
"So your life is not even worth 100 coins huh? I guess you are cheaper than even me"
Tyrion snorted out a laugh on this.
"I suppose it is. A dwarf is not much over here"
An angelic smile appeared on Princess Mrunal's face.
"What different would you do if you were given a second chance at life?" Mrunal asked.
"I don't know. I probably would stop trying to impress my father, and do what I think is right" Tyrion said "Maybe I would try to become more like you as a person"
"No you wouldn't" Mrunal said with a stern face.
"No I wouldn't. But I still would admire you and your likes, princess" Tyrion said respectfully.
Prince Aarya hugged Princess Mrunal warmly as soon as she stepped in the room. He was very excited. He was only excited when he saw Princess Mrunal and otherwise he would always be lost in his deliriums, not identifying anyone in his real life.
"I'm glad you came" he said "I want to show you something"
He pulled her inside the room and took her to a canvas on which he had painted.
"This is where I saw you" He said.
The painting was of a big banyan tree and below it sat beautiful princess Mrunal, singing.
"This... this is where I used to spend my evenings" Mrunal was stunned to see it.
"Yes, yes I know. I saw you there. That's where you talked to me. Your face suddenly took this sad expression and said 'Why have you not taken me from this digusting place yet?' and then your turned around and became happy again and never noticed me. This is where I fell in love with you"
Mrunal did not know what to make of it.
"My prince but I have never seen you before"
"I know. I know. But I would see you everyday and fall in love with you. Only after seeing you in reality have I been able to come back in reality" The Prince seemed really grateful and in love.
"I'm very grateful to be of such service to you my Prince, but now that you have recovered, can you arrange for me to go back to my land?"
"No!" Prince Aarya said sternly, dismissing Mrunal "IWhat if you go away and I slip back into my delirium? We can live here My princess. Spend our rest of lives here. or if you want I would invade your kingdom and win it for you"
"It already is my land, My prince" Mrunal was a bit stern this time " And brutality is not the way of my land"
Aarya looked at her, and kept looking.
"You not sending me back to my rightful place would mean war my prince. A lot of innocent lives would be lost. As a just prince, you should try to avoid it"
Aarya thought something and finally said
"I value you so much my princess. And do anything you want. I would arrange for your journey back as soon as possible" Prince told her and then hugged her.