The Queen’s Warning
373 Words
The Queen’s Warning
Aaliya’s heart was still fluttering when she returned to the palace. She hadn’t told anyone about the man whose stare had seared her skin in the bazaar, but she couldn’t shake it either. The crowd, the temple bells, the laughter of children—none of it remained. Only that pair of burning eyes haunted her.
The moment she stepped inside the marble halls, her sister’s voice cracked like a whip.
“Aaliya!”
Gitanjali Devi stood tall in the corridor, draped in her crimson saree, her face carved with authority. Behind her, guards and servants hovered, watching with bowed heads.
“What were you thinking, wandering into the bazaar with only two attendants?” Gitanjali’s voice carried the sharpness of command. “Do you not understand the danger we live in?”
Aaliya lowered her eyes. “Didi, I only went to offer flowers at the temple. The children were waiting for sweets. I—”
“Enough.” Gitanjali’s hand rose, silencing her. Her tone softened, but only slightly. “You are not like the others, Aaliya. You are a princess. Every step you take is watched. Every smile you give can be twisted. And right now, with the government’s eyes upon us, you cannot afford to be careless.”
The guards shifted, guilt heavy in their posture. Gitanjali’s gaze snapped to them.
“From now on, she does not step outside without full security and her maidens. Do you understand?”
The guards bowed deeply. “Yes, Maharani-sa.”
Aaliya’s cheeks burned. She hated being scolded like a child in front of servants. But more than that, she hated the cage that seemed to close tighter around her with every passing day.
Yet, she said nothing. She only nodded. “Yes, Didi.”
What she didn’t know was that Seher Rathore, son of the minister, had already made her his obsession. That very night, while she sat by her window staring at the moon, he was replaying the image of her smile in the marketplace—vowing that no amount of security, no number of servants, would keep him away.
The beast had scented his prey.
And the walls of the palace would not hold her for long.
- Writer
