【ｆａｔｅ ｉｓ ｃａｓｔｅ】♥ bear & slurm

[HeyThereLittleBear]

【ｆａｔｅ　ｉｓ　ｃａｓｔｅ】​

In a world that had grown in leaps and bounds in technology, the palace of the Maharaja was a place of oddity and silence. Inside the secure palace walls, no cells phones beeped or buzzed, no television murmured news of the world, and even artificial light was strictly forbidden. Tradition, her father had trained her, was something that was never to be forgotten. Their family had been steeped in tradition from the beginning of the kingdom, true rulers who were every bit as fair as they were stern. Her father had given her many tasks, but none were more strict than this -- modern technology was strictly forbidden. The modern world was full of despair and lust, a world that was chaotic and hungry for lives to swallow. He told her stories of women killed for having a pretty face, children cut from the womb with seeming no reason by strangers pretending to donate gifts, and horrors of the nature of over information. Adesh had raised his daughter to fear that which he didn't want her to understand, a terrible decision made with good intentions of protection.

His good intentions had raised a child that he'd hoped for. Aadhya was a girl that was pure of body, pure of mind, and pure of spirit. He had instilled in her a love of books and history, taught her all of the stories of their ancestors that had been passed through the generations by word of mouth. It was a lovely world he had created for her, but he had created a woman that was... Soft. She had become far too pampered from the lifestyle he had given her, too broken away from what the world outside of his walls was really like. Her purity was a blessing, but a great burden. What would she do when free from his reign? When she wed and left for another country? Adesh's heart was heavy, but he knew that he would have to expose her to the very things he'd tried to keep from her.

"Aadhya," Her father's voice was soft at the door, the man dressed in his finest silk robes and tunics, hair finely coifed and skin scrubbed clean. He was prepared to present himself to his people and to survey the state of affairs of his kingdom. She had watched him leave so many times and come home with duller eyes than when he'd left. "Dress yourself up, my light. You will survey our land and our people." He offered a tight smile before leaving the room, leaving Aadhya alone with her thoughts and the soft whisper of her silks as she changed into her finer clothes. Though she had not participated in the monthly tradition of her family, she knew of it. The caravans were loaded and they would be taken through town to gaze upon their people and assess the state of affairs for themselves. They did not speak, but simply observed.

She was a fawn exploring a new world as she approached the caravan for her first trip, her silks bright reds and golds that matched her father's, her long dark hair pinned back away from her face. She sat upon her pillow neatly, hands placed in her lap as the caravan came to a shaky start. As with most kingdoms, the land and people closest to the palace was for the rich. The people were clean and the homes neat and well put together, their faces bright. Hope blossomed like a flower in her chest of her home, her eyes moving from the flashes of phones taking pictures of the passing royals and her lips forcing themselves to remain still as she fought a smile. Composure was tantamount for the daughter of a Maharajah.

The gentle blossom lost petals as they descended into the belly of their land, the smiles waning as the houses leaned to the side and the roadways became dirty. Her eyebrows knit in concern as the clothing turned from fine silks to rough hewn cloth, her hands clasping into soft fists. The homes of the lower castes were hardly homes at all by the time they had moved to the farthest reaches of her lands, her dark eyes having turned from bright to somber as the caravan came to a soft halt. They were among the lowest, her father turning from his seat.

"We must not forget any part of our kingdom, light." He placed a soft hand on hers, giving them a squeeze as he turned her to look at the people. "Look, princess. Look upon all of your people."