Prince Aryaman retired to his chamber for the night. The past few days and the Blood Oath ceremony had aged him. It finally began sinking in what it would mean to be a future king of Dayita. While he wouldn’t be ascending to the throne shortly, he would have to start behaving like one and would have to start making decisions like one. The general of the kingdom has to stand resolutely behind the chosen heir. The Blood Oath was the king’s way of binding both his son and General Pushya to the future of Dayita.

Prince Aryaman was never the one to shy away from responsibility but sometimes the burden felt heavy, he was merely seventeen years old. Had his mother been around with him during this time, maybe he would have had the emotional support he needed at this crucial juncture. He stroked the hilt of the celestial sword in his hand as he stared into the night sky from his balcony.

“Mother,” he said softly. “Sometimes, I just want to escape.”

He remembered his mother’s hand stroking his hair when he was a child sleeping in her lap. She would sing him soothing lullabies in her celestial tongue. He could still remember them, the words and the tune and he hummed it to himself to soothe his anxiety. He felt calmer and clear-headed after a while.

He went inside his chamber and summoned the Undead Simulation Orb, the golden orb came forth from his chest and hovered in front of him. He touched it with his hand and he felt pulled into the simulation. He was in Northern Mines. The undead corpses were narrowing in on Svetavastra who stood with the celestial sword in its true glory.

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Lord Samye felt the whole idea to be ridiculous but he humoured his old friend and colleague, Lord Bhoja who had turned himself into a fat red fish and was lying low in the lotus pond in Lord Samye’s residence.

“You think you can escape the Heavenly Emperor's notice this way?” asked Lord Samye shaking his head. He had nonetheless sat by the pond and started to feed the fish in it. Lord Bhoja came to the surface of the pond, his fish face looked comical as he tried to eat the feed.

“Samye, has the Heavenly Emperor ever paid attention to fish or other small creatures in the heavens?” asked Lord Bhoja.

“That doesn’t mean he can’t,” said Lord Samye still shaking his head.

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“Well, I intend to take advantage of that fact till he does,” returned the fish. “Can you feed me some more?”

Lord Samye sighed and threw some more fish feed into the pond and the hungry fish quickly ate that too.

“Spill the beans,” said Lord Bhoja finally satisfied with his meal.

“What beans?” said Lord Samye.

“The beans you have been cooking with Lord Vaiswa,” said the fish. “Those beans.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” said Lord Samye.

“You know very well what I’m talking about!” said the fish, getting agitated. “I saw you two at the Pavilion of the Three Fish!”

“Where you there?” asked Lord Samye.

“I saw you two leaving the place,” said Lord Bhoja. “I often go there to feed the fish.”

“Interesting,” said Lord Samye. “I never ran into you.”

“That’s because I go there after you’ve left,” said the fish.

“Ohh,” said Lord Samye. He became silent as he looked at the fish in the pond.

It must have been tough for him too, he thought to himself. We can’t even grieve together lest we rouse suspicion.

“No wonder the fish looked so fat,” Lord Samye commented. “One might even assume they were being fattened for a feast.”

“Blasphemy!” said Lord Bhoja, flapping his fins in the water attempting to throw water at Lord Samye but failing miserably. “You are deliberately provoking me Samye!”

“There there,” Lord Samye said, finally breaking into a smile. “It’s been a while since we sparred so.”

The fish calmed with those words.

“That’s true,” he said solemnly, a whiff of nostalgia clouding his fish eyes. He recovered within a few moments.

“You are trying to distract me!” the fish said pouting with his mouth.

“I don’t even have to try,” grinned Lord Samye. “You are too gullible.”

The fish showed its tongue out to Lord Samye.

“So you won’t give me anything?” it asked after a while.

“That’s for the best,” said Lord Samye. “The fewer people involved in this, the better.”

“Hmmpf!” said the fish annoyed but understanding. “I feel left out.”

“There’s no need for that,” said Lord Samye. “Nothing is happening right now anyway. We just have to wait for the barrier to be opened.”

“Are you sure it can be opened?” asked the fish. “The Heavenly Emperor mentioned an ancient god - is she the one who we think she is?”

“You seem to think I have all the answers just because I had a conversation with Lord Vaiswa,” said Lord Samye. “I don’t have the answers, Bhoja.”

The fish turned silent.

“I miss her,” it said finally.

“Hmm,” said Lord Samye. They spent their time in silence for the next hour or so, tacitly comforting one another by their presence.

“Don’t do this again, Bhoja,” said Lord Samye. “It’s too risky.”

“So we just spend the rest of our lives in fear?” said the fish.

“Maybe not the rest of our lives but for now, we can’t let the Heavenly Emperor become suspicious,” said Lord Samye.

The fish opened its mouth but no words came out. So, there is a valid reason for the Heavenly Emperor to be suspicious, Lord Bhoja thought, his mind racing with the possibilities.

“I understand,” he said nodding and went deep into the pond.

That’s all I can give you for now, Bhoja, Lord Samye thought to himself. The fewer people involved in this, the safer it was for everyone. The safer it was for General Atisha.