5 5) Meeting King Chitrangad

At the city entrance, as soon as the people lining up to enter the city saw the princess's entourage they hurriedly moved aside to make way. 

The guards also didn't dare to offend her and the entourage entered the Rajapura city without any problem. 

At this time, Bhanumati moved her horse close to Aryan's and slowly introduced the city to him. 

"That is the famous Ivory market of Rajapura. People from all over the world come here for it. And that's the noble sector, almost all the ministers of the court and a few rich businessmen live there. It's a matter of honor in itself to have a house in the noble sector. And this is one of the famous restaurant in Rajapura city, I used to come here a lot with my friend Supriya. And let me tell you.... "

Just like that, Bhanumati kept chatting with Aryan and before they knew it, they reached the Royal palace. 

And King Chitrangad, who doted extremely on his only daughter, already seemed to have received the news of her return. He was currently waiting at the entrance of the palace along with Bhanumati's mother Queen Chandramudra.

Bhanumati was also very excited to see her parents after facing a life and death ordeal. As soon as she alighted from her horse, she ran to her parents and tightly hugged her father. 

Seeing this scene, Queen Chandramudra smiled dotingly and fondled her daughter's head. 

"It's good to see that you're alright Bhanumati. For a second there, I almost thought that I... "

King Chitrangad said emotionally but before he could continue further, Bhanumati blocked his next words with her hand 

"Ain't I standing in front of you, all good and fine? So there's no need to worry anymore. "

Subsequently Bhanumati hugged her mother too and finally turned around to face Aryan. 

"Here father, meet the great warrior who saved your daughter's life by placing his own life on line. He defeated Shubh Paundrya and his soldiers all on his own. "

King Chitrangad looked at Aryan with a mixture of gratitude and admiration.

"Thank you, brave warrior, for saving my daughter. Kalinga is forever indebted to you."

Aryan accepted the praise and replied humbly, "It was my duty, Your Majesty. I am just glad that Princess Bhanumati is safe."

"We are truly grateful for your valor. You have our deepest appreciation."

Queen Chandramudra, still wearing a warm smile, added thankfully while also noticing the strange attraction that Bhanumati had towards this warrior. 

Even Bhanumati herself may not have realized it yet but as a mother, it couldn't escape Chandramudra's eyes. So she observed Aryan a little more deeply. 

Bhanumati, proud of Aryan, continued, "Father, Prince Mahendra is not only a skilled warrior but also a good friend. He has been my constant companion throughout this journey."

"We are honored to have you in our kingdom, Prince Mahendra. You will always have a place of honor here."

The king nodded, very impressed by Aryan's character as well.

With these words, the entourage entered the Royal palace, where discussions of their journey and Aryan's heroic deeds continued as Aryan told them about his fake identity as Mahendra Bahubali, prince of Maheshmati, an overseas empire. 

It was also thanks to his strength that everyone believed his story so easily. And also thanks to his fake identity as a prince, he easily managed to win over the hearts of everyone, without facing any discrimination. 

The exchange of gratitude and warm welcome continued as the entourage made their way into the opulent halls of the Royal palace. King Chitrangad led the way, and Aryan followed closely behind him. 

Inside, the palace was a marvel of grandeur and elegance, with intricate artwork adorning the walls and lush gardens within the courtyards. Bhanumati guided Aryan through the palace, explaining the history of its various chambers and sharing stories from her childhood.

As they walked, Queen Chandramudra observed Aryan more closely, her motherly instincts picking up on the subtle connection between her daughter and the prince. She made a mental note to keep an eye on this budding relationship.

In the grand hall, they were joined by other members of the court, who greeted Bhanumati and Aryan with a mixture of relief and admiration. The tale of Aryan's bravery had already spread, and he was becoming a hero not just to the royal family but to the entire kingdom of Kalinga. 

The palace buzzed with excitement as they settled into discussions about the recent events and how they should deal with Shubh and Paundrya kingdom. 

But those things had nothing to do with Aryan. After Chitrangad introducing him and praising his bravery and strength in the court, Aryan followed Bhanumati out of the court. 

As Aryan and Bhanumati stepped away from the court's discussions, they found a moment of respite in the palace gardens, away from the formalities and responsibilities. The lush greenery and fragrant flowers provided a serene backdrop to their conversation.

Bhanumati, her eyes sparkling with admiration, turned to Aryan and said, "You handled that so well, Prince Mahendra. My father and mother are truly impressed."

Aryan smiled warmly, his eyes meeting hers. "I am honored by their reception, and I'm grateful for your support, Bhanumati."

Aryan said this from the bottom of his heart. As someone who experienced the peak of Kaliyuga, this was the first time that Aryan felt relaxed and at home.

He felt for the first time that it was truly a bliss to live, surrounded by people who love you and admire you. Unconsciously, the seed of desire, desire for such a life, was thus planted in his heart. 

The two continued to stroll through the palace gardens, sharing stories and dreams, unaware of the watchful eyes of Queen Chandramudra, who had seen the spark of attraction between them.

She hoped that their growing connection would bring happiness and strength to her daughter and the kingdom of Kalinga. But naturally, as a mother, she wanted to confirm if Aryan was really the right choice for her daughter. So she had ordered one of her personal maids to keep a close eye on Aryan. 

Unaware of all this, after spending a wholesome day, Aryan finally came to his room under the guidance of a maid. 

After he dismissed the maid, Aryan immediately jumped on the soft and comfy bed, slowly entering the dreamland as he gave in to his tiredness. 

In the meantime, Moksha automatically turned into its guardian form as a strange scene appeared in the room. 

A big plush bear guarderd him as Aryan slept without a care in the world.