Vikram was more than annoyed with the situation he was struck at. He had asked the princess to walk a step ahead so that he could have a close watch on her but soon he started to regret his decision in a fraction of seconds, the moment the princess noticed her surroundings she turned into a little kid.

She would stop at every stall and stare at it with awe as if it was her first time to ever step outside. Though their journey was dreadfully slow they never spoke to each other, there was no need for a conversation.

He noticed Chitra stop near a weaving stall, it was a small one compared to the other stalls and looked cheap. He wondered why would the Princess be impressed with such a bad looking stall? When there were many other good looking stalls around.

He expected her to start walking soon but the princess was taking her sweet time looking around.

"Anything Interesting My Lady?" Vikram asked Chitra in a mocking tone. His voice came out harsher than he thought and moreover his mission was to take her to the temple not to take her on a tour to the village market.

After a long huff, she replied in a low voice, " No." And continued walking with her head down.

She didn't look around the stalls anymore, she would just walk with her head down. Her sulking figure somehow made him regret the tone in which he spoke. Maybe, all her money was with her handmaid who left for the sanatorium and the situation must be as weird for her as it was for him.

"My Lady," Vikram called Chitra, making her stop and turn around.

"Would you like to have something?" He asked her pointing towards a sweets stall.

She looked at the stall and answered immediately "Oh no! I don't want to be a bother to you, please take me to the temple."

And her reply made him develop a small sense of regret. But he can never trust these royals and knew that she had no food since morning and she might just act all fine with no food but he knew better and also his majesty seems to favour this Princess.

"You probably didn't have anything since this morning and the sweets stall looks clean, so let us have some," Vikram spoke in a persuasive tone, trying his best to convince her to have some food, king Arjuna will definitely rip him apart if she faints due to hunger.

When she nodded her head in acceptance to have some food, Vikram sighed in relief and asked her to stand nearby the corner of the street so she would have some space for herself from the men around the stall.

He soon got into the small queue and bought a few sweets and some other food items for the Princess, Royals are picky most of the time and it would be a wise idea to have few options he thought.

But as he stepped out of the line, the scene made him run his way dropping the food down. Two men were trying to attack the Princess but they were being blocked by an old brahman [ priest] who was trying his best but his lean weak figure was not of any use.

It was not more than a minute alone and the princess got into trouble, he tried to control his anger to the best and by the time he reached the spot, few villagers gathered around asking about the chaos.

The more people gathered the more the Princess looked frightened. He immediately stood in front of the princess blocking her from others and she immediately hid behind him catching his arm.

"What happened?" Asked a curious villager.

Chitra started speaking but she was still hiding behind him, she slowly pointed towards the two men whom Vikram saw before and said, "They were trying to rob me. And this man was trying to help me."

"Oh my god! What is happening in broad daylight!" Exclaimed an old lady with a hand covering her mouth.

"And who are you now?" Asked the same woman with annoyance as she noticed Vikram's presence.

"I am her brother." Before Chitra could speak something and create some more trouble Vikram spoke up trying to cover their Identity.

"Brother? " She scoffed loudly, "Where the hell were you leaving your sister all alone?" Questioned another Villager raising his voice.

He noticed that a crowd started to gather around and a crowd means attention which they definitely should avoid in any case.

Vikram slowly caught Chitra's hand and pulled her forward. He bent down to her ear level and whispered: "Involve in my act."

And he started his explanation to the villagers.

"My sister here, she is getting married in a month but our mother fell severely sick. We have come from a faraway village to offer prayers to the god for the well being of her."

And just like that, the villagers were touched. They started whispering about how responsible children they were and how lucky the mother was.

"I Just went to ask around for the best route leading to the temple, but I have never expected that people in this village can stoop this low for money." He said with a sad face, holding Chitra's hand closer in a brotherly manner.

"My sister just wanted her mother to be present beside her when she would leave us as a married woman. Was that too much to ask?" Vikram made a dramatic sigh at the end of his sentence and partially hugged Chitra, making her head lay on his shoulder, whipping her imaginary tears. The villagers felt remorse for even raising their voice on these poor siblings.

His sentences triggered the villagers, they snapped like tigers towards the two thieves. It was no more a poor girl being attacked but it has raised a question about the morality of their village and also about the emotional connect they have now formed with the siblings. Now all the crowd moved towards the thieves taunting them and ready to beat them to a pulp.

Vikram got hold of the moment and started his brisk walk with Chitra, silently slipping away from the crowd.

And the moment they were out of their sight, Chitra started laughing as if it was the funniest moment in her life.

He let go of her hand and asked her with a sour face, "Is it too funny My Lady?"

"It is too funny? You were just amazing and-" And Chitra would just laugh and laugh, she never completed her sentence but Vikram understood that she was making fun of him.

Though he was slightly pissed that she was laughing at him but he could not bring himself to shout at her. She looked happy for the first time since he saw her.

He started walking while Chitra was still laughing.

"Follow me quietly and the next time you are in trouble I won't be helping you," Vikram spoke, shaking his head not understanding what he has got himself into.

Soon he felt a soft palm around his hand.

"Yes, brother," Chitra said with a smile on her face, clutching his hand and walking beside him.

A tiny smile made its way to his face which Vikram failed to notice. 

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