Chapter 268 - Continuation....

Ch-267

"I am good but a little upset that you didn't come earlier." she accused him jokingly. 

"I wanted to come, but this brat doesn't want to," he said, shaking his head in irritation at the thought of his son. 

"Why?" she asked with a frown. 

"Mom, my sister will leave me after she gets married. Why should I look after the person who is going to leave me?" Rana said with a displeased gaze at the little infant. 

That was the moment the king entered the room. "That's my future king!" he said proudly. 

"Honey, you are making him think wrongly!" The Queen chided the king. 

"If you protect her, she would never leave you, My Son," The Queen said to Rana. 

"Really?" he asked. 

"Yes," The Queen said. 

"Don't give him false hopes," the king said as he looked at his wife. 

"Uncle, What do you mean?"  Rana asked. 

"A woman meant to leave her family no matter what,"  The King said. 

Rana looked at the little infant in front of him who was informing innocently with her big brown eyes as she played with his pointing finger. Her innocent smile stirred something in his heart. His heart softened at the baby's innocent smile. For the first time, he showed a genuine smile to everyone. Maybe… she would be his weakness. 

When he heard her aunt saying that she would stay with him if he protects her, he won't know what came into his mind, but he wanted to protect her. He was shocked at his thoughts themselves. But he felt it's worth it for her. The thought of having a little sister, who calls him brother and treats him like the only hero in the world. Rana felt it's not bad to have a younger sister around him. Also, it will be good for him to have a sister who will support him if ever something happens to him. 

"Rana, you look so serious. Is there anything wrong?"  The queen asked. 

"Nooo," he said with a beautiful glint in his eyes as he looked at her smiling eyes. "You were worried," she said in a soft voice. 

"No... I was thinking. it's not bad to have a sister," he said not peeling his eyes from the little infant in front of him. ​...​

His thoughts of having a little sister made him a little dizzy. That was the moment he felt a little chill. It was like a chilly breeze. He shivered as he felt his heart beat faster. His heart was beating faster because his thoughts were too intense. He was the king and a nobleman. He had never felt so confused about what he sho. He wanted to protect her even if it would result in not being a king. But protecting her would not harm, and it was worth it. She would be his weakness and he would...love her, but he didn't want to. He wanted to do things he never did. He was happy about that.

But only he knew how sad he felt when he heard his uncle's words. "Stop fooling the kid,"

"What do you mean, royal Uncle," Little Rana asked.

"I mean... a woman meant to leave her maternal house when she gets married." his uncle spilled the bitter truth to him as they looked at him as if they were stating the truth. The little eyes of Rana searched for her Aunt's refuting his uncle's words. But he found her lowering her head.

"You all are liars! I don't want a sister!" he said angrily as he tried to ignore the burning pain in his chest as looked at the little infant, who bought a smile on his face for the first time in his sixteen years of his life.

"Rana! Apologize to Aunt and Uncle!!" Pratap's angry voice came from the other side of the hall.

"But they lied to me saying that Sister would never leave me," Rana pointed.

"But still... they are your elders. A P O L O G I Z E!!!" Pratap said sternly as he enunciated every word clearly to Rana.

"I will never apologize to them again! They lied to me!" Rana said

"Rana... this is the last time, I am warning. Apologize now... if not I will not show mercy on you," Pratap said holding his head with his left hand feeling a headache creeping into his body.

"It's a No!!!" Rana yelled.

"Brother! Just discipline him the harshest way. Just because you selected him to be a future king, see now, how he turned out? He doesn't even show the basic respect to the elders!" Pratap said frustratedly.

"He is a kid, Pratap," the king said.

"A kid who is going to ascend the throne, Right Brother?" Pratap said.

The king kept his silence. He knew the kid was insensible. He wanted to punish a lot of time. Thinking of his brother's face, he only doubled the punishment or tripled it. But this action of his brother shows that he wants his son to be treated like anyone. The King smiled. He said nothing but watched at how... Pratap dealt with his son.

"Son! You are being a kid!" Pratap said as he looked at Rana.

"Since... it's like this! You will kneel in the ancestral hall for three days and three nights with no sleep, food, and water. You shouldn't even move to finish your basic needs!" Pratap said.

"Brother-in-law... you are being strict to him. He would become a future king," the Queen said worriedly.

"That gives me the more reason for me to discipline him sister-in-law. Sister-in-law, I am not offending you but listen once," he said waiting for her nod. When she nodded e started saying, "Even though you are a queen... you are respectful to each person in this castle. An even brother too. And look at him... how disrespectful. What did the poor little girl do he was already hating her. And let it be a female or a male... he should treat people.

"You both want him to become a king while spoiling him too much! I said nothing as I was sad that his mother left him for ten years as she went in the search of cultivation. But... I feel he is not fit to be a king no matter what.

"Again... the newborn infant would do better than him if got trained from her childhood. Also, since he wants her to stay here with him forever... this would happen when she becomes the Queen of Kshatra..." Pratap said.

Pratap doesn't know the effect of his words on the little Rana.

Time passed by...

A year later...

"RANA!! DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE DOING?!" The king roared for the first time in his life.

"My King... I realized I am not worthy of the throne. I can't claim it," Rana said and left the courtroom without looking back.

"RANA! IF YOU LEAVE THE ROOM RIGHT NOW, YOU WILL BE LOSING THE CHANCE OF BECOMING A KING FOR THIS LIFE!!" the king's threatening voice sounded in the hall making Rana stop for few seconds. But that threat didn't become any kind of obstacle to him.

"I would rather prefer becoming a slave to my sister, than being a king," he said with an expressionless face as he looked at his uncle. His stance said he was not afraid of his threat and he means the words he said just now. The king clenched his fist at him! He wondered what made the kid become like this.

"Pratap... make him take his words back," the King said to his brother looking at him.

"I considered my son to be dead the moment he turned against you," Pratap said with the same expressionless face.

The king rubbed his forehead with his left hand. He looked around the hall where there were numerous citizens, courtesans, and many other people. This thing... his nephew caused is something that no Royal should do.

"According to the crime you did and as for your wish, you will be stripped from the royal's family. And will become a slave to the Future Queen Of Kshatra, Raudra Muki!" The king howled loudly saying his decision is final and would never take no as an answer.

"People who disagree with my decision must be beheaded!" he added as he looked around with his raged red-rimmed eyes.

The people in the court said nothing but just lowered their heads. A female ruler? This thing never happened. The citizens, the royal family members, the courtesans, and everyone are unhappy. But there was only one person who was happy with this thing. That was Rana. This way he could be with his sister till the end of his life. He doesn't want a family, wife, or children. All he wants was his sister. Only his sister.

Years later he realized that how wrong his decision was. But it was too late at that time.

End of FlashBack

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Present...

Henry didn't know why he remembered that scene... but he remembered that memory. It was as if it happened just now. He ignored the pain in his head as he held his sister tightly.