The royal palace stood like a timeless sentinel, draped in gold and ivory stone that gleamed beneath the morning sun. Its towering domes kissed the sky while intricately carved pillars whispered stories of generations past.

The scent of fresh roses from the sprawling gardens mingled with the faint notes of sandalwood lingering in the breeze. For me, every step closer felt like a walk into a past I wasn't sure I had the strength to face.

As I stepped past the Grand Gate, the air grew heavier with memories. The palace, though unfamiliar in structure, still carried an essence strikingly similar to my homeland. The same air of discipline, the same scent of polished marble and age-old incense.

The royal corridors echoed with hushed voices and hurried footsteps. A few maids sat along the walls, focused on stitching elaborate fabrics or arranging silver trays, barely lifting their heads as I passed. Meera led me swiftly through a side passage until we reached the bustling kitchen.

Inside, amidst the clatter of pots and the aroma of simmering spices, stood a tall, stern-looking woman draped in a crisp white sari. Her grey-streaked hair was tied in a tight bun, her sharp eyes scanning the staff like a hawk, and her posture commanded both respect and fear.

Meera and I stopped a few feet away, and Meera spoke, "Anuradha ji?"

The woman turned to us with sharp, glaring eyes and nodded.

"This is Saanvi, my friend I told you about," Meera said. "She needs a job, and I think she's perfect for the work you have." Meera turned to me. "Saanvi, this is Anuradha ji, the head maid of the palace."

I turned to the head maid and gave her a small smile.

"How old are you?" Anuradha ji asked.

"I am twenty-four," I replied. She looked me up and down and told Meera to go and do her work, then signaled me to follow her.

We walked through various corridors and stopped in front of a huge gate. Anuradha ji pushed open the gate, and it was breathtaking.

The room was the royal bedroom, with the four-poster bed in the middle, covered with a duvet and pillows. The rug on the floor was dark red, complementing the sofas placed in the room, and there was another room adjacent to it that was perhaps the bathing area.

The room had a few but huge bookshelves. I slowly walked to them, my fingers touching the hard covers of the books. I still remembered that I used to love reading books when I was a princess, but soon the realization dawned upon me, and I put the book back.

But one fell down, and I bent to pick it up. The title was intriguing, and I began to flip through the pages when—

"SAANVI?"

I flinched, hearing the sharp voice of the head maid storming in my direction. She snatched away the book and placed it back on the shelf, seething with anger.

"Don't you know the maids and lower-ranked women are not allowed to read and write?" Anuradha ji said angrily.

"I’m sorry. It was a mistake," I apologized. She didn’t say anything but called out to someone.

"Palak, Naina," she said, and just then, two girls, probably younger than me, came out from behind the bookshelves. One had a stack of books in her hand and the other held a cloth.

"Saanvi," the head maid said, pointing to the shorter girl who had books in her hand, "she's Palak." Then she turned to the slightly taller girl. "She's Naina. Both of them will help you in cleaning the prince's quarters. And now I shall leave it to you. There is news that the prince might arrive tomorrow morning."

Saying this, the head maid left, leaving me alone with Palak and Naina.

"Hello, Saanvi. I'm Palak and she is my elder sister, Naina, and we are happy to work with you," Palak said, handing me the books. Naina smiled and signaled me to follow them.

They both looked very kind and simple. Their outfits were very similar to mine. The three of us started working around the table and the bookshelves. Then Naina asked, "Can we call you didi?" I smiled and nodded, and they seemed very happy.

Palak and Naina moved to the seating area to clean, and I quickly arranged the books according to their names, then proceeded to set up the bed and sheets.

Covering the pillows with new covers, I immediately spread the bedsheet and began to smooth it down as if I’d been doing it for years. I set the bed and stood a few steps away, watching it intently. It felt untouchable. The bed, the books, the luxurious and regal things—everything felt so sacred and far from my reach.

I shook my head as Palak and Naina came to me.

"All the cleaning is done," Naina said, and I looked around. The room indeed looked clean and beautiful. I nodded, and we started to leave the room. It was already evening, and we walked to the kitchen to have some light evening snacks.

Just as we entered the kitchen, all the maids were rushing here and there. I found Meera chopping vegetables and went to her, sitting beside her.

"Meera, what is happening? Why is everyone in... a rush?"

Meera looked at me, then turned back to the vegetables. "A few minutes ago we just got to know the prince can come to the palace any minute now," Meera said while focusing on her work.

"But how? I mean, he was supposed to come tomorrow morning," I said, beginning to peel the vegetable that Meera slid toward me.

"I don't know—perhaps good weather conditions and maybe the prince wanted to come back to his palace as soon as possible," Meera said, and just then, the head maid came to me.

"Saanvi," she continued, "The prince is here. I've kept all the necessary items in the seating hall. You go and take this tray of dry fruits."

She told me the direction of the seating hall, and I nervously went there with a tray. My mind raced with different thoughts. What if they recognized me? What would I do then?

I turned around the corner and entered the hall, and I halted in my steps, seeing the King and the Queen seated with a young man on the sofa.

The man looked young, handsome, and exuded the aura only a prince could have. And now, all of a sudden, all eyes turned to me. The King, Queen, and Prince looked at me with wide eyes.

I walked slowly and placed the plate on the center table, and just then, the prince slowly got up and walked to me. My heart thundered with nervousness. Did he recognize me?

I covered my mouth when Prince Rudra knelt in front of me.

"Princess Saanvi, kindly accept the greetings from Prince Rudra."

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