Calix

"Your Majesty, did you call for me?"

Father looks up through his circular spectacles, that he always uses when he is reading or writing something (like now). I notice the presence of Carlos as well, who is standing with his arms behind his back and a very familiar cold gaze, to greet me.

"You may enter, Calix."

Since only our secretaries are present around us, he does not use my title to address me. I enter Father's office with Audrey behind me. Kev stays outside, for obvious reasons.

"Have a seat both of you."

At His Majesty's command, Carlos and I take our seats beside one another.

"I am sure you two are working diligently on the recent reports of Palatiana. Well, thanks to Carlos' request as the Crown Prince, the Head Officer of the Military of Syncitia has granted special access to travel to Palatiana, and investigate the mysterious matters there by ourselves. No wonder you are the Crown Prince, my son."

I force myself to calm down by clenching my fists under the table. Father knows that it is I, who has been handling matters related to Palatiana all this time. It is I who was able to draw out possible solutions, yet was turned down when I suggested personally travelling to the ruined place. Just because the Crown Prince has now decided to step in, the King is twisting his words, as if the days and nights I have worked hard on this matter, were for nothing. Instead, Carlos should be held responsible for whatever success we achieve from solving this case.

His Majesty can be truly infuriating at times.

"Calix, I am giving you the responsibility of selecting few of the most competent employees, who will be travelling to Palatiana in order to investigate the matter."

"When are they leaving?" I ask, not showing how surprised I am. I am really so unimportant that the first prince of Syncitia doesn't even have the privilege of being informed, when and where his employees are being sent off to, beforehand. Seeing Carlos' unfazed expression, I am assuming he was already aware of the information.

What's more pathetic is how Father can still not send me to Palatiana, for the investigation purpose.

"Next week." His Majesty answers. "Make sure to let Carlos know the names of the employees you will be selecting, before making the final announcement to the chosen ones. As the Crown Prince, unless he gives you permission to finalize the list of members, do not take further actions."

"I understand, Father." The word Father never sounded more venomous on my tongue than it does today.

I guess this prejudice is what I have to endure for the rest of my life, due to my rotten luck of being a bastard prince.

"You may both leave."

Bidding His Majesty a formal goodbye, I do not waste my time before hurrying out of the office. Audrey tries to keep up with my pace as I, in utter excitement and haste, remove my grey suit and put on a casual overcoat instead. My secretary asks me to bend down so that she can style my hair in a more charmingly, natural way.

"Would you like to put on a mask and sunglasses perhaps, Your Royal Highness?"

"No." I reply, checking my attire for the last time in the mirror, Kev is holding for me, "I wish to not conceal my identity today. But please maintain quite a distance so that she doesn't notice both of your presence."

Kev and Audrey glance at one another, and then nod in a suspiciously synchronising manner.

"I am serious." I put emphasis on the genuineness behind my words. "Besides, people might not recognize me today as the place I will be going would be seemingly crowded. I believe, I will be able to blend in myself."

I recheck myself one last time and glance at my wrist-watch. 12 p.m. I am right on time, thankfully.

"Where are you going all dressed up in such a casual outfit?" Carlos' annoyingly nosy voice probes before I can leave Nirvana.

Surprisingly, a snide remark doesn't come up my throat. I have been extremely patient with my anger, annoyance and anxiety issues, these days. Especially after the talk I had with a certain someone, about two weeks ago. My therapist Mrs Isla Rosa, has tested herself and concluded that I have been showing improvements, lately.

"Well? I do not have all day to wait for your answer, Prince Calix." Carlos taunts the way he always does.

I turn. Grin widely, taking my brother by surprise and declare loudly, making sure each and every word gets into that thick skull of his.

"I am going on a date with my girlfriend, Isha."

 "I am surprised that Audrey and Kev willingly allowed you to come to such a crowded place." Isha comments as we climb up the rocky hill to wherever she is taking us for our third date to happen. Right now, aside from us two, I do not see a single soul. I wonder if the place Isha is talking about truly crowded or her definition of a crowd differs from mine.

"Haha." I laugh awkwardly when my eyes unconsciously move to the two figures far away, keeping a low profile, while following us in disguise. "I am their boss after all."

"Makes sense." Isha shrugs.

"Where are we going though? A restaurant, amusement park, the cinema...?"

"You'll see." Isha smiles mischievously, not revealing her surprise. "Not many in Syncitia know about this place which shines like a hidden diamond."

Are we going on a mine excavation, by chance with other miners? But that should not be possible since there are no signs of possible mining sites, near and far.

My curiosity reaches its peak when I begin to hear loud, chattering voices. We have travelled to the outskirts of Syncitia's capital Euthensia, by an hour car ride. Perhaps we are going to hike but if that were the case, Isha would have surely asked me to make prior preparations. Bringing hiking equipments with me, for example.

"We are almost there." Isha's voice visibly grows excited as the other voices grow louder and I soon recognize the hubbub and liveliness of a crowd.

"Your Royal Highness," Isha jogs up to the top and turns around to face me. Dramatically, she bows to present something before me.

With equal excitement, I look up at the sign board hanging on the entrance to the place.

"I present to you, the Bengal Alley."

"What is this place?" I take up the scenery with extreme enthusiasm. I have been to several social gatherings, elite parties filled with crowds who love nothing more than gossiping, but never have I ever been introduced to such a place.

For sure I have been to markets and the city carnival before, while being in a royal procession around the capital.

But a place filled with nothing but exotic food stalls, is something I have never even imagined. Most of the people here, particularly the stall owners, seem to be foreigners.

Eventually, it strikes me. Bengal Alley. Isha did mention that she was from the state of West Bengal, in India. Now I see.

"I discovered this place while searching for restaurants and food stores, selling Bengali food. More specifically, I found this place from a street food vlog. I have already visited here once and it has been my go-to area for whenever I am craving food from home. Mostly street foods of West Bengal are sold here."

"I am assuming our date would be you, introducing me food from West Bengal, today?" I ask, mirroring Isha's adrenalized expression. She does seem tense, probably due to thinking the food might not suit my taste, but who cares? I get to try street food for the first time, in my twenty-seven years of life. That also, exotic street food made by people who are actually Indian-Bengalis which means, I would be having the privilege of tasting the original flavours.

Father would probably have a cardiac arrest if he hears that the first prince of Syncitia has dared to eat food of common citizens, rather than the luxurious dishes prepared by one of the top chefs of our country. I refuse to turn around and check wherever Audrey and Kev were, because if I do, I for sure, will be receiving death glares from my secretary.

It's not like I will have an upset stomach from eating street food for one day.

"You there?" Isha asks seeing me getting engrossed in the view of the several food stalls here and there, people walking around, vlogging, engaging in lively conversations. Moreover, when the smell of spices and foreign piquancy invades my nostrils, automatically, my stomach grumbles.

I blush profusely at the embarrassing sound my stomach just made. "Sorry for that."

"Did you not have anything for breakfast today?" Isha laughs, her voice growing louder over the clamorous crowd, by each second.

"Last night, you advised me not to have a heavy breakfast this morning." I reply back, louder. Never had I ever known that I could speak in such a booming voice like others. Royal etiquettes mostly teach us to keep our tone down, all the damn time.

There is no fun in there.

"What did you have then?" Isha asks, with a beaming smile.

"Just one small bowl of Lemon Coriander Soup."

"That's it? No bread, eggs, bacon or anything else?" Isha gives me an exasperated expression, as if I have committed a grave sin by having breakfast in such a small amount. "Well, I guess it's partly my fault for not mentioning the amount in which you should eat. Anyway, we can compensate that by filling up your tummy with flavourful street food, made by Bengali people from India."

With that being said, taking me by surprise, the enthralled woman clasps her hand around my wrist, and pulls me through the vivacious multitude of people.

Not soon after, Isha brings me in front of a stall where already quite a number of people are present. I see a man, who is the owner of the shop I am presuming, greeting us but what I notice beside him is something even more surprising but thrilling, nonetheless. Inside a giant glass box, there are circular, crunchy, puffy, yellowish balls. And on the table, there are other ingredients such as lime juice, red chilli powder, chopped coriander leaves, green chilli paste, roasted garam masala, black salt, regular table salt, and other such assortments. The most eye-catching part happens when the shop-owner takes out a ball from the glass box, makes a small hole in the centre, and dips the whole thing inside a kind of juice (which is placed in another large container); then serves the ball into a steel bowl.

"Here." Isha hands me a similar bowl, which is similar to the ones the other customers have in their hands. Isha has one too.

"Okay listen," Isha begins, "This man will place a ball in your bowl and you must put it inside your mouth, in one go."

"In one go?" My eyes widen. "How can I do that?"

"It's coming." Isha giddily whispers, blatantly ignoring my initial shock and I soon find a ball in my bowl, filled with the juice, through the centre. I mimic what the other customers are doing, take a deep breath, hold it in my hand and put it inside my mouth in one go.

I bite on the soft, crunchy layer in my mouth, trying to feel all different flavours. At first, I don't feel anything but within seconds, a rising spiciness blares my ears and tongue and I cough out loud.

"What is this?" I say coughing while Isha has already had four of those extremely spicy balls, in the middle.

She snorts seeing my condition but fishes out a water bottle from her bag, immediately. "Spiciness is not your thing, is it?"

"Well," I chug down some good amount of water, "I have definitely not had anything as spicy as these tiny balls."

"These are not just tiny balls." Isha chuckles. "These circular things are known as Phuchka in West Bengal and more commonly, in other parts of India, as Pani Puri or Golgappa, but of course there are variations in taste in between these three. Also, the spiciness did not come from the Phuchka."

Isha hands me just the ball without any juice filled in it, after asking one from the shop-owner. "Try it."

I take a small bite and not do the mistake of putting the entire thing in my mouth, this time. Surprisingly, Isha's right. The spiciness did not come from the Phuchka. Rather, the crunchy balls are almost tasteless.

"The juice in which it is dipped is a picante tamarind juice. Also, the several other ingredients filled inside the Phuchka, are what makes the entire experience tangy and spicy." Isha explains. "But Phuchka might not be your thing, it seems. Come, I'll find you something sweet."

"No wait." I stop Isha when the flavours actually hit me. "Initially, it was blindingly spicy but then the rich, sapid flavours did something inexplicable to me. I want to try it again."

"You sure?" Isha raises her eyebrows in suspicion, "Should I ask him to reduce the spice level in the tamarind juice?"

I shake my head in denial feeling a sudden adventurous thrill of rush in my veins, that I have never quite felt before.

"Where would the fun be then?"

I burp loudly, after eating the sweet, sugary, spiral delicacy called Jilipi.

It is almost 4.30 p.m. now and my tummy is as full as a pregnant elephant. I am not even joking anymore.

Isha introduced me to a lot of Bengali street food today, (especially spicy but extremely flavourful ones), such as Papri Chaat, Ghugni, Aloo Kabli, Kathi Rolls, and so many more that I can't even remember the names. They were spicy, hot, rich, savoury, flavourful, and something that I can never dream of having when I am under the eyes of the aristocrats and King Richard.

Knowing my sweet tooth, Isha didn't forget to take me on a sugar rush as well and made me taste a number of sweet delicacies like Gulab Jamun, Roshogolla, Jilipi (the one I am having right now), Kaju Barfi, Mishti Doi (the sweetest curd I've ever had), Roshmalai, Payesh and so on. Isha did mention that many of the sweets that I had today are famous all over India, and not only in West Bengal. Accordingly, these food are known by different names in different parts of India.

Of course I couldn't finish everything on my own. Hence, I forced Isha to share everything with me from one platter.

And to witness the woman blushing when our eyes had locked while scooping the curd of Mishti Doi, was one of the most eventful moment, in my opinion.

"My etiquette teacher would've scolded me and given me detention if I were to burp so loudly in front of her. Not now, but surely if I were a child."

Isha giggles. "That's the magic of Bengali food. And I only introduced you to street food today. Imagine what would've happened if I had made you have a proper Bengali lunch?"

"You would've seen my name in the headlines of tomorrow's newspaper.

B R E A K I N G N E W S: Prince Calix produces the loudest burp in the world."

"You seem high on Bengali food," Isha bursts out into hiccups of intense laughter. Well I don't blame her. I have never been so carefree, energetic, adventurous, bold, and as she has mentioned, high, like I am feeling right now.

Today exceptionally feels spectacular. As if, I was tasting the flavours of freedom, alongside the exotic food.

"Did you have fun today?" Isha's laughter slowly dies down as we exit from Bengal Alley and climb down the hill slowly. A serene smile, with a slight touch of uncertainty, covers her lips.

"I had more than fun today. It was amazing."

Her smile widens. Gosh. I love that gorgeous smile of hers. But of course, I do not voice my thoughts out loud.

"I am glad. I was wondering if street food, foreign food nonetheless, would suit your taste."

"I won't lie, I am not a big fan of spicy food but when it comes to flavour, I am all for it. Food is food. Whether it be street food or a luxurious dish, it doesn't matter to me."

My gaze moves to the setting sun in front of us, as the silence grows heavier. A few tourists are clicking pictures on the bridge, situated below the hill and savouring the beauty of nature.

Amidst the comfortable silence and arrival of evening, I put an arm around Isha's shoulder and tug her closer to me. "I feel cold."

I am just borrowing Isha's body heat, that's all.

As we continue our journey down the hill, after some time, I see Kev and Audrey running up to us in a hurry. Sensing something is wrong, we increase our speed.

"What happened?" I ask Audrey, the moment we reach them.

"Your Royal Highness," like a ghost, Audrey's face is paler than ever. "It's Queen Veronica."

My heart drops a beat. "What about her?"

"She...Her Majesty has been poisoned."

* * * * * * * * * * *

A/N: Hey everyone! Here are pictures (all taken from Google), of the food mentioned in this chapter, so that you all can have a clear and vivid understanding imagery of the delicacies.

Phuchka:

Jilipi:

Papri Chaat:

Aloo Kabli:

Kathi Rolls:

Ghugni:

Roshogolla:

Gulab Jamun:

Roshmalai

Mishti Doi:

Kaju Barfi:

Payesh: