FF: Royal Pain Season 2: link pg 140 - Page 30

Originally posted by: -ForeverYours-

but it said page 43 ok!

Originally posted by: -ForeverYours-

the title! omg I swear it did I'm not high!

Originally posted by: -ForeverYours-

it said 43 I swear! IM NOT CRAZY WOMAN! Oh lord what have you done to me!

What you are about to read is Donna Paulsen approved

(Chapter 4)

Eye of the Hurricane

Their recent conversation in the hammam had left Rishabh tempted to make amends. Perhaps he had over estimated the power of genetics. Perhaps his queen was not like her father. Perhaps she was sincere even at the risk of her life. Perhaps he had been too hasty in his first impressions. Perhaps it was time to change that. Perhaps today would be the day he would deliver an unfinished apology.

With a dozen perhaps in mind, the king approached Madhubala wearing an exhausted expression.

"An evening drink I see. May I join you?"

He make himself comfortable in the bar stood proximal to his queen.

"I can't stop you", she supplied with a spiffing lack of eye contact. Her brows were heavy with fluttering slumber, her lids threating to close down the light factory. He knew it was only a matter of minutes before she dozed off right on the table. Or, if he was lucky, in his lap.

"May it please the queen, I would like to address what I said about your family. That was not my place to..."

"Of course it was", the queen had recently developed a courageous habit of cutting him off before he spoke anything of significance. "You are my husband. More importantly, you are the leader of this nation. It was only your place to talk about the duties of a deceased Prime Minister. I acknowledge the evidence points to the murder of our late King. I also acknowledge my father remained firm on his stand declaring the King's death was from natural causes. However, even our justice system grants innocence till proven guilty. Even in a monarchy, we respect personal freedom. If he chose to keep a secret, which I doubt, you should not be giving statements as a king. This is your vendetta against a man your father trusted. Your majesty, this is the opposite of fair treatment. We do not know what my father vowed to yours. They both died, within a span of 24 hours. He was still in shock. You are not humane for blaming a man keeping information when he had just witnessed his best friend's passing. You have punished me everyday for the last 365 days. My only crime is that belong to the bloodline of a man you despise without a cause. I am drunk and delusion but, if I can see objectively. Then, why can't your majesty?"

He breathed a deep breath and swallowed in the air of hostility. Rishabh reminded himself how much he deserved to be treated like this. He had put Madhubala through much worse. This was trivial compared to her gut wrenching interview with Barbara Felicity.

"My Queen", he wrote while comfortably seated in a plush couch two continents away. "Ms. Barbara Felicity will be flying down to the kingdom tomorrow for an exclusive interview. I expect you be at your best of mannerism. You are to wear the ivory lace gown from my mother's closet. You are not to divulge pertinent information from the royal court. You are to maintain poise and grace regardless of the harshness in her tone. I expect to see no fleeting nervousness in your body language. I will be evaluating each second of the air time. I wish you health and luck for the event. Good day".

The newly wed queen was still grieving her father's loss. There was no way she could fake happiness, contentment and the least of all, security. But, she had to. The King had specifically ordered that she feign it all.

"Tell me about your married life. How does it feel to be the Queen? You were not even a princess for a day, you just became the queen. You became every girl's dream overnight. You became the epitome of beauty, intellect and womanhood. How does it feel to be where you are?"

How did it feel? She was terrified of the uncertainty in the palace. Unhinged into the eye of the hurricane. Though she appeared unwithered by the current, only she knew she wasn't stable. She could lose sanity in the depths of her dress fabric. She wanted to leave her husband. This man did not show a spec of kindness toward her.He was her family's mortal enemy. But, divorcing the monarch would cause as much an upheaval in her conscience as it would in the kingdom. What would she tell her loyal neurons? She stood answerable to generations of Maliks, their souls guarding royalty; their blood shed in the castle doorways. Breaking the marriage vows was an impossible deed. So, she lied. She lied like she was born to lie.

"I am honoured to be chosen as the people's queen. This was an unexpected title but, I acknowledge and accept my place with gratitude. His majesty has been nothing but loving. He is a determined leader and a gem of a human being. I thank the heaven lights and the people they shine on for all my blessings. I am happy, collected and content with your love. Grace and dignity to all".

"Your father expired right when you were taking your wedding vows. What was it like? Did you know? Did you have an intuition? Had you known, would it have stopped you?"

She did not want to get married, never to him. Had it not been her father's wish, she would have retired to a nunnery than marry Rishabh.

"I did not know", she lied another white lie. "The King and I were aware of his ill health and since our engagement; the wedding was planned for that day. My father requested we proceed as planned. If I had known, I don't know what I would have done. These are both equally significant people in my life".

"Tell me about our King. What do you like about him? What would you change? How would define your relationship? What are you looking forward in the future?"

"The King is a considerate leader. He is an impressive decision maker. He wants and does what is best for the people. I like his smile. I like his attempts at making me comfortable. I would want to hear him talk a little more perhaps. I look forward to the betterment of our kingdom. Specifically, I see our unemployment rates have risen since last year. I look forward our King helping his subjects through the tough times".

And the one truth she managed to get out was picked, shredded and scorned on.

"I clearly ordered the queen not to say more than she is asked. Who, in the right mind, would call me affectionate? I am not weak. Has your father taught you nothing about the king's privacy? You are not to answer questions concerning my appearance. Why did you have to make me sound like an introvert? People do not want to see their king as the weakling. Henceforth, you are forbidden any interviews with the press. You shall not answer any questions put forth by the media. Your speeches shall be prepared, rehearsed and delivered according to my wishes. Am I understood?"

"Yes, your majesty".

Rishabh switched out of his recollections and back to present day. He wheeled his chair closer to hers as she dozed in and out of sleep.

"I am a stupid, shallow, blind ass idiot. I realize how judgmental I was. Regardless of my position on your father's front, I had no right to treat you as I did for the past one year. I deserve to be punished as a human and as a husband. I was wrong and I admit it. I wish to apologize. How can I earn my lady's forgiveness?"

To be continued...

Originally posted by: sonnal_17

so RK messed it up in the past...he wants to be a good husband...hope Madhu forgives him...loved the update thank you