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- Author's Note - 
Dear Readers: While this book is meant to be the second installment of of Inseparable Volume One, I have written in it a way that it can be a standalone read. Having said that, it is recommended that you go and read Volume One at some point during or after this book to truly grasp this world, these characters, and the depth of their emotions.
Thank you for choosing Inseparable and enjoy!
- Reine
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Time: A little over a century ago.
Place: The Kingdom of Doab.
The wealthy Kingdom of Doab is divided into eight provincial states. Each province is ruled by a Chief hailing from the family in power. All Chiefs and provincial ruling families fall under the King/Queen who resides in the Capital of Doab. 
The province of Kurral, ruled by the Dhaliwal Family, and the province of Basher, ruled by the Sandhu Family are the crown jewels of Doab. Endlessly prosperous, these provinces account for nearly a third of Doab's economy despite only accounting for a sixth of its population. The continued success of these two provinces could be credited to the exceptional leaders birthed by their ruling families over the centuries. As two of the most powerful and influential families in existence, both the families are widely revered throughout Doab. 
 The last King belonged to the Brar family, his son, Prince Udam Singh Brar was all set to take the throne after him but due to some unfortunate events, Noor Kaur Sandhu - the ex-Chief of Basher, now sits as Queen of the Kingdom of Doab.
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- FIVE YEARS AFTER THE WAR -
"Are you ready, Your Highness?" Sevak, Noor's head bodyguard turned advisor, entered her enormous chambers to inquire. 
He had served her family for three generation now. Growing up with her grandfather as his closest confidant, he had then served as her father's head bodyguard until the day she was born and had protected her as a bodyguard until she was made the Queen of Doab. Upon much insistence from Noor, he had agreed to give up his position as the head bodyguard but continued to stay by her side as her Chief advisor anyway. Although Noor told him to rest at every opportunity she gets, she wouldn't prefer anyone else by her side.
"Yes, Sevak." Noor managed a quick nod, looking around her chambers to make sure she had everything she needed. Her maids rushed from one end of her chambers to the others, collecting all the last minute items required for their Queen's journey.
"Your Highness..." Sevak hesitated, waiting for Noor to look into his eyes. "We can still cancel this trip." He made an attempt to sound as casual as possible.
Noor let her eyes rest on him for a moment. He appeared to be even more anxious about the trip than she had been. "Sevak, I will be fine." She seemed provide that reassurance more to herself than Sevak.
Eyes on the ground, Sevak let out a suppressed sigh. "We'll take off shorty then." He informed her before exiting her chambers, leaving her staring into space with her thoughts.
"I don't understand why everyone is so nervous? It's just Kurral." Nihal, Noor's chief bodyguard and head of security, paced back and forth as the servants filled up wagons with the Queen's belongings for her two month long stay. 
"I don't understand what the Queen could have possibly seen in someone as clueless as you to hire as her Chief bodyguard." Charno, Noor's head of staff shook her head she directed a line of maids to the wagons.
"Clueless?!" Nihal exclaimed. "I saved our Queen's life during an ambush. That's why she hired me. And just because I was educated outside of the Kingdom does not make me clueless. Our Queen was also educated abroad, I don't see you calling her clueless." He taunted her.
"Our Queen..." Charno paused in her tracks to face him, "knows the Kingdom inside out. Unlike you...who learned everything about the Kingdom from textbooks."
"Yeah, and what's wrong with learning from books? My knowledge about the kingdom is much more detailed than any of you because of them!" He remarked.
"Really?" Charno raised an eyebrow. "Why don't you use your superior knowledge to identify why everyone is so nervous about Kurral then? It is common knowledge, or it was five years ago anyway. At the time, you were...let me guess...learning to walk?" She mocked him.
Nihal ran his hand ran over the line of jewels embedded on the sheath of his sword. The Queen, a Sandhu from the ruling family of Basher, was headed to Kurral, the neighbor state run by the Dhaliwal family. Both the states had a history of bloodshed and generational enmity between the ruling families. The animosity was so deep that historically, these families had even murdered members of their counterparts across their borders. Their hatred ran blood deep and was passed down from generation to generation but all of that changed since Noor Sandhu, the heir of the Sandhu family and the previous Chief of Basher, had become Queen. She fought heroically to protect the kingdom during the war and was credited as the sole reason the Kingdom still stood. As a result she had been unanimously accepted as the Queen. What then was the fear? The diplomats from the Kurral had invited her with immense courtesy and the ruling family had been incredibly polite and warm towards the Queen anytime they visited the capital. He couldn't understand.
"And there he goes...lost in his own world." Charno rolled her eyes. Her words snapped Nihal out of his thoughts.
"Listen, I know everyone fears the Queen's life will be in danger in Kurral but I'm the head of security. I don't know how to assure you guys that there is nothing to be fearful of!" He threw open his hands before letting them fall to his sides.
"The Queen's life in danger? That too in Kurral?!" Charno let out a hearty laugh, ridiculing Nihal. "See...clueless." She then shook her head and walked off.
"What did she just say?" Nihal frowned, asking another one of the Queen's long time guards, Dharam, with his eyes fixated on Charno's back.
"Just leave it brother." His companion replied, patting his shoulder twice.
"No, tell me. Am I missing something in my analysis?" Nihal asked out of frustration.
"Nihal..." Dharam hesitated. "We're not nervous about the Queen going to Kurral because it's enemy territory for her, we're nervous because the Chief of Kurral..."
"What is happening here?" Sevak seemed to have appeared out of thin air to interrupt them. "Is this the time to be engaging in useless gossip, Dharam?" There were traces of anger in Sevak's voice.
"Forgive me, Sevak." Dharam bowed his head before the old man and took his position next to one of the wagons again.
"Everyone back to their positions." Sevak ordered, scanning the area and forcing Nihal to retreat as well.
Within moments, the wagons has been loaded and the guards were sent to escort the Queen. Noor bid farewell to her mother, Dhan Kaur Sandhu, her aunt, Sahib Kaur Brar, and her cousin, Heer Kaur Brar. They each had words similar to Sevak's to say to her, asking her at least once each if she had changed her mind about going to Kurral. Noor denied each time and confidently communicated she would be alright. Her father was accompanying her. It had been her decision to take him along as he was her most trusted advisor. As the ex-chief of Basher, he had far more experience in ruling than anyone else around her so his guidance was to be credited for her smooth running of the kingdom.
Seated in her private carriage, Noor stared out the window as her convoy began moving toward Kurral. Her thoughts had raced nonstop in her mind since the moment her cabinet decided this trip would be beneficial for the relationship between Basher and Kurral. Kurral was building a canal system out of the Sauli river, which borders with Basher at the southern tip of the states. They were also building an official border to open historically forbidden travel and trade between the two provinces. It was intended to be the beginning of a civil relationship between the states and her cabinet believed it would communicate goodwill if the Queen with Basheri blood resided in Kurral while the projects were underway. Noor agreed with the cabinet and had therefore confirmed the trip. Now, on the way, she didn't quite know how she felt.
Her heart thundered in her chest at the thought of Kurral, its people, its...Chief. The man of her heart and soul. The man who hasn't spoken to her outside of the courtroom in five years.  How was she to spend two months under the same roof as him? Flipping her wrist over, Noor touched the name written in permanent ink just below her palm, Prem.