I saw Arjun entering the room and I got up from my seat immediately. He looked at the kid beside me and frowned.

"Who's this?", He asked and the little boy got up and bowed keeping the plate aside.

"Hey, sit and eat. You don't want to bow like this to anyone.", I said and he sat hesitantly.

"Aarthi was beating the hell out of this little boy. She said his father got some money to pay and now, his both parents died. He's alone with his little sister. Maybe we can provide him shelter, clothes, food and education."

"Yeah sure we can.", He said kneeling to the little boy's height.

"What's your dream to become, young man?", He asked with a smile. He's so polite.

"I want to join the military and participate in the wars, save people.."

"Wow. That's awesome. You'll be a good soldier?"

"Yes", he said proudly.

After few minutes of talking to that little boy, Arjun sent a soldier with him to arrange him a house and other necessities. He assured that little boy that they'll be not in poverty anymore. He said he'd take care of his studies, food and other needs.

After that little boy left, I plopped on the bed satisfied where he sat beside me.

"It was awesome spending time with him.", I said and he smiled.

"So... Ummm... You want kids? I mean, our kids.", He said smirking.

"I-I'm not ready for this no-"

"It's ok. I was just teasing you. I'm not going to have kids until I become the emperor of this dynasty.", He said determined.

"That's good.", I replied and there was a comfortable silence between us.

"Why everyone was looking at me strangely when I entered the palace?", He asked suddenly and I gulped. Would he scold me if he come to know I put them in cell. I decided to tell the truth.

"Because, I ordered the soldiers to put Aarthi and Chitra in cell.", I said looking at my lap.

"What!?", He asked shocked. His lips parted in shock.

"Why did you do that?", He asked and I rubbed his shoulder to calm him down.

"Calm down. I don't like it when you get angry. Aarthi was thrashing that little child brutally and when I asked, she called me daughter of a concubine. She just humiliated me infront of everything. So, I humiliated her back saying she have no rights to rule me. Then, I ordered the soldiers to arrest her and Chitra. They both were abusing a kid with harsh bad words. You saw how injured he was right?"

"Did they really do that to that kid?"

"I already told you Aarthi did that. You don't believe me?", I yelled angrily.

"There's nothing to be angry about. I thought she was just patting the child. I don't know he was hitten till he bled the hell out."

"Leave it. We don't wanna talk about it. They humiliated me and I'm just punishing them. Do you have any problem with this?", I asked formally.

"No. Not at all.", He said and I sighed. Thank God. He didn't throw a tantrum for this.

"What about your mother? Where is she?", I asked as I remembered not seeing her since I came back.

"She left to her palace before a couple of days. She just cried hard after reaching the main palace.", He said and I nodded.

We talked about stuffs for few more minutes and then had lunch together. The lunch was good but not good as my mother does. I miss my mother's cooking.

Arjun left the palace saying he had some kind of work leaving me alone in the dining table. Then, I made my way to the basement where many cells were located.

Once I entered the basement, the smell of blood was on air and everything was ugly and rusted. I feel bad that I put them in this place but they deserve it for beating a small child.

I reached their cell where I saw them sitting on the floor hugging their legs disgusted by this place. I kneeled to their length smirking as they were glaring at me angrily.

"You will pay for this!", Aarthi yelled at the top of her lungs. She was definitely angry. How could she not be?

"Okay. But, remember.. I do not take the disrespect from you. If you want to increase your punishment, then you can disrespect me further. It's easy for me to order the soldiers to beat the shit out of you. But, bearing all those pains is hard for you.", I said in a warning tone where she was panting in anger.

"If Arjun comes to know about this-", I cut Aarthi off saying, "he knows everything I'm doing to you. He knows how you beat that poor boy and how you called me the daughter of a concubine.. he knows everything."

I looked at the shock in her face.

"He wouldn't have approved your decision to put me in a bloody cell. He would never.", She said with an unreadable expression.

"He did. And, he also said that the little boy don't want to pay that money back and he's ready to provide food, shelter and education to him. My husband has got a great heart. Isn't it?", I asked chuckling at the last sentence. She smirked.

"Just one week. One week and that boy will be dead. Wanna challenge me?", She asked chuckling with a sadistic tone.

"I dare you to do that.", I said smirking and left the basement without waiting for her response.

In the corner of my mind, Aarthi's words were constantly repeating in my mind. Would she really dare to kill him? I'm sure if she do that, she'll get a worst punishment from Arjun. Yet, she's challenging me.

I felt someone hugging me from behind and flinched.

"Chill. It's me. Arjun.", He whispered across my earlobe where I sighed in relief.

"Since I'm very happy, I insist on doing something on your will. Tell me what you want..", he said while hugging me.

"You will do anything I ask?", I asked and he nodded.

"I want to change my name to Thea. Is it possible?", I asked and he gave me a confused look.

"Why? Your name is good. It's your identity. Why you want to change it?", He asked and I was thinking of some excuses.

"Umm.. please, please. Pretty please."

"But-"

"Please, Arjun. I don't really like my name and want to change it. What's wrong with that?", I whined in his arms.

"If you like the name Thea, I can call you that. Let it remain as Thara for everyone. I really like your name and am not satisfied with changing your name. If you still want to change your name, it's ok.", He said and I thought for a second.

Anyway, I'm not going to go out constantly and talk to anyone so frequently. The only person I talk frequently is Arjun and... sometimes with Aarthi and others.

Atleast, by Arjun calling me by my real name, I would be able to be myself and feel like not being in someone's identity.

"Uhh... Ok. Call me Thea from now onwards. Okay?"

"Okay, Thea.", He said and we giggled.

"What about Ezhil? Where is he?", I asked and he sighed. He definitely don't like me talking about Ezhil. I literally ruined that little moment between us.

"He's still in your palace. I don't care what your brother and father does to him. It's just that my mother is having a very bad feeling about it. But, I promise, I don't appreciate her bad behaviour towards you.", He said and I nodded.

"What about your father? Is he feeling bad about it?"

"No. He's completely alright with it. He said he is ashamed of having such a sun and he can't be the next emperor for sure."

"Your father just eliminated him from being a emperor?", I asked and he nodded.

"So, when's the competition? I mean the selection process for being the next emperor of the dynasty.."

"Next week.", He said and I was shocked that time passed so soon.

"I'll be surely there to cheer you up. I'm sure you're the next emperor.."

"I have 17 siblings, Thara. Among them 13 of them are princes. So, there will be 13 of them including me in the selection process..", he said and I whined where he was confused.

"I told you to call me Thea. And you're calling me with my old name again and again.", I said and he kissed my neck very gently which sent shivers down my spine.

"I'm sorry, Tha- Thea. I will get used to your nickname soon. Okay?"

"Okay."

I went back to my room and had a small nap lying on Arjun's chest while he was reading book. The book seemed very old and I could only barely understand the words.

I don't know when I slept as darkness consumed me. When I woke up, I was in the same position in Arjun's arms.

"You woke up? If you're hungry, I can call the mai-"

"No, I'm not hungry. I want to stay like this for some more minutes. Can I?", I asked looking at his eyes. He smiled.

"Sure. Stay enough of time you want. But, don't leave so soon..", he said and I felt like speaking romantic dialogues like in movies. I nodded. Time passed and I looked at him whose eyes was still on the book.

"What do you think about Aarthi?", I asked all of sudden breaking the silence.

"What do you expect me to answer?"

"I- how do you feel now about Aarthi and Chitra being in cell. Are you mad at me?", I asked and he closed the book placing it in the nearby table.

"Not at all. How could I forgive someone who beat a small kid so brutally? If I was in your place, I would've done the same or even worse."

"Even if it was your mother?", I asked. I was just curious if he'd do the same.

"Umm... I want to be honest in this. I really don't know. I would've given the rights to father to choose it.", He said and I nodded.

"What will you do if your brother or father is in that place?", He asked..

"You're mocking me. Aren't you?", I said getting out of his hold.

"No. I'm being serious. I said what will I do when my mother was in the place. Now, it's your turn to tell what will you do if any of your family members are in that place.", He said and I blinked.

"They won't do it. Never in their whole life cause I trust them so badly. They can never do that and-"

"Okay, okay. Calm down. I was just asking. Don't take anything serious.", He said rubbing my shoulder.

Of course he's not serious. I could never imagine them like that. Aarthi's words were running in my head again and again like a broken tape recorder.

Just one week. One week and that boy will be dead. Wanna challenge me?

Was she serious? I don't know about her so much as I was here for only a month. The one person who can answer is original Thara and there's no chance she can come out.

"Arjun, do you think Aarthi will do whatever she says. Like, if she challenge something, will she be determined to do it?", I asked Arjun.

"Yeah. She's stubborn in this thing. If anyone dares to challenge her, she'll do anything to stand herself. She won't lose to easily..", he said and I could feel anxiety raise gradually.

"What happened? Did you challenge something with her?", He asked and I shook my head slowly.

Will she really kill that little boy? He was so innocent and how could someone try to kill him? Will she go to the extend to kill someone just to stand her challenge?

Come on, it's ancient time where killing is common. As a princess with authority, it's just like peeling an apple..

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇