Chapter 14- The Morning After
Vinaya stopped speaking to Vikram.
Not dramatically.
That would have required anger she no longer possessed.
She simply withdrew.
At breakfast she answered questions politely.
At council she offered opinions when asked.
At ceremonies she stood beside him.
Then she returned to her chambers.
The change frightened Lakshmidevi.
It frightened Vikram more.
He began remembering.
Fragments at first.
Vinaya taking the bottle away.
Her hand around his injured palm.
Her saying his name.
I'm Vinaya.
Then another memory.
Her voice trembling.
Please see me.
Vikram sat alone in his study and felt physically sick.
He had accused her.
After she had tried to tell him.
After she had looked after him when everyone else obeyed his command to stay away.
He had awakened ashamed and thrown that shame at the nearest person.
At Vinaya.
Again.
A knock came.
Ranveer entered.
One look at Vikram made him close the door.
"What happened?"
"Nothing."
"Stop saying that."
Vikram rubbed both hands over his face.
"I hurt her."
Ranveer's expression hardened.
"What did you do?"
Vikram couldn't say it.
Not yet.
Ranveer stared at him.
Then his anger slowly turned to dread.
"Vikram."
"I was drunk."
Ranveer went still.
Vikram looked at his brother.
"I thought she was Priya."
Ranveer closed his eyes.
"God."
"She told me."
"What?"
"That she told me who she was."
Ranveer looked at him again.
"And?"
"I didn't hear her."
The disgust on his brother's face was unbearable.
"You need to apologize."
"I know."
"No. You need to understand what you're apologizing for first."
Vikram said nothing.
Ranveer left.
Vinaya became ill at breakfast three weeks later.
She had been unusually tired.
Food tasted strange.
The smell of spiced milk made her stomach turn.
She ignored it.
Until Kalyani placed a bowl of sweet rice near her.
Vinaya suddenly gagged.
Every head turned.
She covered her mouth.
"Excuse me."
She barely reached the corridor.
Lakshmidevi followed.
"Vinaya?"
"I am fine."
"You are pale."
"I didn't sleep well."
The Queen stopped.
Something changed in her face.
"Vinaya."
Vinaya looked at her.
Lakshmidevi's gaze dropped toward her abdomen.
Vinaya understood.
"No."
Her heart began racing.
Surely not.
It had happened once.
One terrible night.
"Send for the physician," Lakshmidevi ordered.
Vinaya gripped the edge of the table.
And for the first time since that night, she felt truly afraid.