The Library of Fates(21)

My heart sank. Even though Arjun and I had made our own plan, I had carried within me a tiny wisp of hope that my father’s negotiations would work. That I wouldn’t have to run away after all. But now I knew I would have to take the matter into my own hands. Come dawn, Arjun and I would be gone.

“But we’re not done yet,” she quickly added. “That’s the thing about negotiations. They take some time.” Shree’s voice conveyed a false optimism intended, I knew, for my benefit.

¤

The atmosphere in the Courtyard Hall was heavy with an unrelenting strain that had descended upon us with Sikander’s arrival and churned thicker and thicker with each passing hour, turning mere anxiety into a solid mass of panic, like milk into butter.

Groundspeople and guards had been out in the hot sun and humid air, corralling animals, all day. The zoo breach was immense. Hundreds of animals had been let out of their cages and wandered the grounds, scared and confused. It was an unusual occurrence indeed.

But the confusion in my own mind felt far worse than the commotion at the palace; it threated to overwhelm me completely. I thought about what Mala had said to me about taking a risk, about putting myself first. Still, she couldn’t possibly have endorsed my running away from the palace with Arjun had she known about it.

I looked across the dimly lit hall at Arjun, who smiled at me, his eyes shining at the sight of me.

“The two of you.” Sikander turned to me, pointing his knife at Arjun. “I never see one of you without the other. I knew another couple like that once.” He glanced at my father.

“We’re not—we’ve just . . . we’ve known each other our entire lives.” But I could tell that he sensed something more; it was impossible not to. Whatever had transpired between Arjun and me over the past few days was so powerful, I feared that everyone around us could smell it from a mile away.

“Now, that’s a special kind of relationship, isn’t it? A lot of history there. A lot of . . . affection.”

I blushed.

“Careful.” Sikander raised a finger at Arjun. “You’d be surprised at how much trouble that kind of affection can bring.”

For a moment, I considered whether Sikander was threatening Arjun, but I quickly put the thought out of my mind.

I turned to him, trying to change the subject. “I’m very curious to learn more about Macedon. I’ve been studying the language since I was a child.”

“Have you, now?”

“My father tells me it’s a captivating place. He told me about the tall buildings, the arenas, the . . .”

That was it. Everything else my father had told me made me think it was a soulless place of hierarchy and fear.

“I’m quite captivated by you, actually. You’ll make an excellent queen,” he said, as he ran his finger along the length of my forearm. I wanted to cringe at his touch, to cry out, to scream, but instead, I simply smiled and bowed my head.

“It would be my pleasure to serve you, Your Majesty.” The very words made me want to vomit.

“And yet, your father believes otherwise.”

“Pardon?”

“It would appear that he doesn’t believe I would take good care of you,” he said, loudly, so everyone at the table heard.

For a moment, there was a shattering silence. Until I remembered Arjun’s words and added quickly, “You know, one might consider that I am actually Macedonian by birth. I was born there, after all.” The room hushed, waiting for Sikander to react.

Luckily, he laughed. “I hope we can return you to your place of birth,” he said, a smug smile across his lips, the gold teeth flashing in the candlelight.

I knew it in my bones in that moment: There was no way I would go anywhere with Sikander.

And yet, as I glanced around the Courtyard Hall, decorated gorgeously for tonight’s banquet, I also understood how difficult it would be for me to leave Shalingar Palace. The beauty of the room contrasted sharply with the tense atmosphere. High above us were slat rafters from which star-shaped lanterns, each holding a candle, swayed in the wind. The candles illuminated the olive trees Tippu had brought back from his trips to Judea, ivy from the east that crawled up palm trees and marble columns, and local blooms of hibiscus. Beyond the slat rafters, one could see nothing but a square of navy blue sky and the bright light of millions of stars.

The dining table was decorated with large wooden platters that held cut mango, guava, and bright magenta orchids.

My father was sitting across from me, watching me carefully over his golden thali. He looked concerned that I was sitting next to Sikander, but I knew I could handle it. I just needed to get through this dinner, through the night.

Finally, dessert was served. “You know, Chandradev, it’s been a pleasure learning about your kingdom.” Sikander threw a smile in my father’s direction before he picked up a golden spoon and plunged it into his bowl of rice pudding. “You’ve been an excellent host, and I know there’s quite a bit you’ve had to contend with in the time I’ve been here.” He shook his head vehemently. He was talking fast, his fingers drumming down on the table before him. “A breach at the zoo. Those skirmishes on the western border.”

In that moment, it was as though all the air left the room.

My father froze. “How did you—”

“I know everything, Chandradev. I have eyes everywhere. On the western border, in Shalingar, in every territory that spans the region.” He took a sip of his chai, put down his cup, and smiled. “You’ve sent quite a few of your troops out there to quell the situation,” Sikander added.