The golden sun filtered softly through the royal garden, setting the leaves aglow with morning light. The laughter of four young princes echoed across the palace grounds — pure, vibrant, and innocent.
Prince Vivaan, calm as ever, stood with his bow drawn, posture steady and graceful. His dark eyes shimmered with focus, the faintest smile curving his lips. Beside him, his younger brothers — Arish, Reyansh, and Vihaan — struggled to imitate his perfect form.
"Brother, you make it look too easy," Reyansh grumbled, lowering his bow with a sigh. "Even the arrow obeys you."
Vivaan chuckled softly. "It only obeys patience, not strength, Reyansh. Try again."
Arish puffed his chest proudly. "Then watch my arrow reach the target before yours."
Vivaan smiled. "Confidence suits you, brother, but aim before you boast."
The boys laughed. The palace maids watching from afar whispered fondly — how blessed the kingdom was to have princes who shared such pure affection.
Arish drew his arrow, determination burning in his eyes. But as he released, the arrow swerved — missing the wooden target completely. A startled cry broke the laughter.
The arrow had grazed the arm of an old servant, one loyal to Queen Ishara — Arish's mother. She gasped, clutching her sleeve, eyes wide with disbelief and anger.
"Prince Vivaan!" she snapped sharply, her voice trembling more with outrage than pain. "How could you act so carelessly? Have you no sense of responsibility? You are the elder! You should set an example!"
The garden fell silent.
Even the rustling of the wind seemed to halt.
Vivaan blinked — not in confusion, but calm realization. The woman's eyes burned not with truth, but with bias. He knew what she was thinking before she spoke. She had always favored Arish, seeing him as the rightful ruler.
Before anyone could react, King Raghavendra's heir lowered his bow and stepped forward.
"I'm sorry, Mother's maid," Vivaan said softly, bowing his head. "It was my fault. I wasn't careful."
Behind him, Arish's face turned pale."Brother—" he began, but Vivaan turned slightly, meeting his eyes with a small shake of his head.
That single gesture silenced them all.
Reyansh's fists tightened at his sides, his jaw clenching in fury. Unable to bear the insult, he punched the tree beside him — hard enough that a crack echoed through the garden bark.Vihaan gasped, stepping closer in worry, but Vivaan's calm hand lifted — stopping them both.
The old servant continued, scolding Vivaan as if he were a mischievous child. "Your father may adore you, but kindness alone cannot rule a kingdom. Responsibility does!"
Vivaan only smiled faintly. "Then I shall learn it better," he said softly, voice neither bitter nor angry.
The servant, taken aback by his serenity, muttered something under her breath and hurried away, clutching her arm.
Silence lingered again, broken only by the chirping of distant birds.
When she was gone, Arish dropped his bow, guilt flooding his eyes."Brother Vivaan…" His voice cracked. "I— it was me. She scolded you for my mistake."
Vivaan turned, his calm gaze meeting each of his brothers."Then you have learned something today," he said gently. "Mistakes happen, Arish. But guilt solves nothing — only learning from it does."
Reyansh looked away, his anger softening into shame. "She had no right to speak like that. I wanted to—"
Vivaan interrupted him with a soft smile. "And what would that change, Reyansh? Would hurting her make us right? She is old and speaks from what she believes. A ruler cannot silence every voice — he must understand it."
Vihaan, who had been silent till now, stepped closer and clutched Vivaan's robe. "But brother… doesn't it hurt when people blame you for what you didn't do?"
For a moment, Vivaan looked at the youngest prince — his smile warm but his eyes distant, as if he carried a wisdom far too great for his age.
"It only hurts," Vivaan said quietly, "when we let the wrong words live inside our hearts. If we know the truth, we don't need to defend it."
Arish bit his lip, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes."How can you be so calm, even when she insulted you?"
Vivaan laughed lightly — a sound so pure it broke the heavy silence."Because she didn't insult me, Arish. She only spoke what she thought of a boy who must someday rule. And I thank her for that."
The brothers fell silent again, watching as Vivaan turned toward the target and picked up his bow once more.
"Now," he said gently, "should we let a small arrow stop our fun?"
Arish blinked. "You… still want to play?"
"Of course," Vivaan said, aiming toward the wooden mark once more. "Every mistake teaches us where not to aim next time."
This time, Arish laughed — a short, broken laugh that turned genuine. Reyansh chuckled too, rubbing his bruised knuckles, and Vihaan smiled through teary eyes.
The garden filled again with laughter — hesitant at first, then bright as ever.
Arrows soared through the air once more, glinting in the sunlight, until the world seemed to forget there had ever been anger or fear.
But as the sun began to dip, casting long golden shadows over the palace walls, Vivaan stood still for a moment. His brothers ran ahead, chasing each other's laughter, but he lingered beneath the great tree — the same one Reyansh had cracked.
He looked toward the distant palace, the banners of his father's kingdom swaying proudly in the breeze.
His mind was quiet, yet his thoughts deep.
So much noise in people's hearts… so many hidden wishes and fears.
He closed his eyes for a moment, breathing in the calm.
I must learn to listen — not to words, but to souls.
When he opened them again, the last light of the day shimmered across his face.
The boy who had taken the blame stood there, not as a victim — but as a prince destined for greatness.
And as his brothers called out to him, Vivaan smiled and ran toward them — a radiant spark beneath the setting sun, unaware that this small act of kindness would one day define the man he was meant to become.