Chandralekha POV
"Samrat! My father is innocent. He cannot do anything unlawful."
I said with tears in my eyes. He looked at me in urgency and lowered his gaze again without speaking anything.
I approached him with slow steps and fell on the ground in front of him. He was sitting on the couch while examining some papers.
"Please Samrat, believe me. I know him." I burst into cries.
He looked at me with thinned eyebrows and said with anger in his voice
"Do you even know what your father has done?"
I kept looking at him with pleading eyes and tears were not stopping
"Your father is involved in illegal women trafficking. The physically challenged girls of Devgarh's ashram are sold to other kingdoms as sex slaves." He told me and my eyes widened in shock.
"He cannot do this." These words came as whispers from my mouth as I was shocked at his statement.
He didn't even look at me and kept reading those papers. I shifted towards him and held his hand. He immediately jerked me off and I fell on my back.
"I don't want to see your face. Daughter of a criminal!" He said in anger and continued doing his face.
He had made things clear. He didn't want to see me. I gathered all my strength and stood up. I took slow steps and came out of his chamber. He didn't even call me to stop. Why should I ask for help? I realised there was one woman who could convince him and that was his mother. I took quick steps to her chamber.
The attendees announced my presence and I walked inside. She was not in her chamber. I went to her dressing area and saw her sitting in front of the mirror. Her attendees were drying her hair and she was tracing her neck with her index finger.
I took slow steps towards her and stood silently in front of her. I kept my gaze low and waited for some time until she said
"Ekaant!"
"Privacy!"
Everyone left and I fell on my knees and started sobbing covering my face. She stood up and came to me. She held my shoulders and helped me standing up.
"I know you are not involved in this. I'll talk to him about this." She said while placing her palm beneath my chin.
"Even my father isn't involved in this. I am his daughter. I know him." I said with confidence while my tears were still there.
"I don't know about that. The evidences are against your father. The letter that was caught by the people of our Kingdom has Devgarh's royal seal." She informed me. I kept looking at her with tears and she continued
"Only kings have the power to put royal seal on any letter. I hope you are understanding it now." She said with concern in her voice
"My father cannot do this. We treat women as Goddesses in Devgarh. My father arranged that ashram so that they can get education. He was worried about those kidnappings. How could he do that? Please mother, talk to Samrat. My father is innocent." I informed her and begged her with adjoining hands.
"Daughter! Even we treat women as Goddesses in Vijaygarh. This is the reason why my son is so serious about this matter. I cannot help you in proving your father innocent, but there is one thing I can help you with." She gave me some hope and I immediately held her hands to know how she would help me
"Accept your father's sins before the judiciary." She said and my eyes got widened at her advice. I immediately nodded my head sideways and left her hand to take a few steps backwards.
"I can't do this. I can't accept what I know he hasn't done." I said and my tone had turned a little harsh this time.
"You are already too late to prove his innocence. You can do it later on if your father survives. My son is strict. He'll execute your father for this sin. You better accept his crimes and apologize to him publicly. He is your fiance, he will show mercy. Once your father is saved, you and him can find ways to prove him innocent." I started trembling at her words. Execution? Of my father? I can't even imagine it. I fell on the ground with a thud and held my head with both my hands.
"I can't lose my father, please." I begged looking at Rajmata and she spoke
"This is the safest way, my daughter!"
She left the dressing area and collected all my strength to stand up. I walked out of there and reached my chamber. I couldn't eat anything the entire day.
I lied on my bed at night and was lost his the memories of my father and me, the way he used to touch my feet during any festival, the way he worshipped my feet during Navratri. How could such a man do this? How could he sell girls that too physically challenged girls as sex slaves? No, he can't. I kept struggling with my thoughts until I fell asleep.
I woke up next morning and this was the day when my father had to arrive at Vijaygarh. I got ready quickly and rushed to the courtroom without having my breakfast. We sat there for some time until my father arrived and I stood up. Nobody else stood up for him even when he was the King and felt very sad about it.
I wanted to run and hug him, but I couldn't do that. I had to present myself as the witness of this crime. If I hug him, everyone will consider me a criminal too. I had to behave like I was against him, but I had to save his life. I was okay with him getting locked into the dungeons as I knew I could bring him out of there, but I couldn't see him dead.
Samrat was seated on his throne and his mother along with Maharani Mohini were sitting in a special place that was for royal women.
"Maharaj Vishwaroop, we have received a letter that was sent from Devgarh to Dravid. All the letters of subordinate states arrive at Vijaygarh first and then leave for their respective locations. Our late soldier Amar had caught your letter. Its seal was broken that is why we got to read it. I would like judge Shivendra to read it aloud." The main judge of the judiciary who was sitting in the middle announced aloud.
I saw the person sitting on his right taking out a letter. It had Devgarh's royal seal, but it broken at the middle. He started reading it
"This is to inform Maharaj Angad of Raigarh that Devragh has supplied 100 teenage girls to their state. These girls are sent there for slavery and we expect hundred thousand gold coins in return for this." As soon as he finished reading it, my jaw dropped. He couldn't be possible. I felt like fainting, but I collected all my strength to keep sitting there silently; without bursting into tears.
"I would like the Samrat to announce death sentence for such heinous crime." The man sitting in the middle spoke.
I wanted to interrupt, but I looked at Rajmata wo animated me to keep sitting and I followed her orders.
"Do you want to ask for mercy?" Samrat asked in authoritative tone
"I don't know how to prove myself, but I have no idea about what is happening over here. The girls from my ashram are missing and my people are trying to find them, but this is insane. Someone is plotting against me." My father spoke with confidence
"You have one day to prove yourself. If you can't do it by tomorrow, you will be executed in front of everyone. You all can leave" Samrat announced and everyone started walking away. A few soldiers came and took my father to the dungeons.
I came back to my chamber and couldn't think of something. The management of dungeons were under Rajkumar Indrajeet's control and I was desperate to meet my father now.
It was night when I managed to meet Indrajeet. U had already sent him a letter about this and we met near the dungeons
"Please arrange a meeting of me and my father." I pleaded and he accepted my request.
I reached the cell where my father was kept. I had covered myself in a shawl and opened it in when I reached closer to him.
"Pitaji!"
"Father!"
I spoke and I saw tears collecting in his eyes.
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CHANDRALEKHA - The Beginning Of Destruction ✅
Historical FictionBOOK 1 OF 'The WAR of Dynasties' SERIES ✨ Princess Chandralekha was born in a royal family and was promised to the wealthiest king, but little did she know that her would-be husband was a sadist. One by one he tortured and killed all of her family m...
