A Magical Spell ~ Ramayan | @TheLadyAesthetic

4. A Chamber Ablaze

Flashback-

Urmila moved uneasily in her bed, until finally giving up on sleep, a task impossible for her on this fateful night. The princess shifted in her position to lay on her back, allowing her body to lay motionless, as she opened her large eyes to stare at the intricately designed ceiling. Her long dark, slightly curled hair lay astray, encircling her moonlike face, strewn carelessly over the cluster of carefully crafted pillows around her head, as her glassy and blank stare mapped the span of the royal bed's embroidered canopy.

As the princess of Videha lay in that position, with no movement whatsoever, the sound of a sudden splintering impact reached her ears. Urmila started slightly, her night-like orbs rapidly shifting concentration from the roof to the large golden doors of the chamber. Heavy footsteps started echoing in the distant hallways, and Sita's sister sat up in her bed, apparently coming to reality at last.

Pulling back her disheveled hair in a bun, with a few curls escaping her grip and bouncing off of her face, the princess pulled the covers to the side and set her jewelled feet on the floor, her ringed fingers clutching at the sheets. The thumping continued, in the distance but closer than before, and Urmila soundlessly and calmly tip-toed up to the ornately carved barriers that served as protective security guards for her chamber.

Wrapping her long fingers around the brass handles, the princess softly dragged the doors open, and to her dismay they weren't as silent as she would have liked them to be. And quite obviously, as soon as the creaking of her enemies-made-of-gold stopped, the footsteps that had gotten significantly close to the room, abruptly halted.

With fear knowing better than to come within a mile's range of her, the brave-hearted wife of Lakshman softly stepped out onto the mosaic floors of the dark passageway, her delicately carved ankle bells jingling ever so tenderly, with grace radiating from her every movement.

Urmila slowly walked through the long corridor, cautiously and alertly, her eyes constantly scanning the shadows for a hidden attacker, wielding a weapon to cause imminent death. Though a fragment of the her soul trembled involuntarily at the thought, the princess fisted her hands in determination, forbidding herself from turning back, from retreating to the promised security of her chamber.

Just as she neared the end of the long veranda, Urmila froze, her eyes widening, when a deafening clamour pierced through the quiet breeze of the night. Whirling around on her heels, the princess looked into the dark shadows she had left behind.

The throne room. Her mind whispered. Without second thought, Janaka's daughter started full speed in the direction from which she had come, her anklets tinkling strikingly throughout the surroundings.

As she crossed the rows of chambers, which included her's, and entered the grand corridor that led to the throne room's building, Urmila abruptly brought herself to a halt again, almost stumbling over, as a familiar cry entered her ears.

"BHAIYA!!!!"

The princess's head snapped so sharply and smoothly in the direction of the royal gardens, that the recently awoken doves wondered if she was a disguised owl, having come for the destruction of their race. Ofcourse they decided against their bizzare hypothesis moments later, when they saw genuine concern mask her expression.

"Shatru?" She whispered, her voice only audible to herself. Urmila's eyes darted from the view that overlooked the royal gardens, to the intimidating gates made of gold leading to Dasharath's throne room. The princess's mind raced. One way led to the culprit, who was playing the entire game since the beginning, and the other way led to finding her younger brother, in a state she may or may not want to see.