Krishnapriya Devashree

27. Unsettled mind

The moment Dharmendra received his sister's letter, he engaged all his idle spies to gather all the information about Krishna. 

He was worried sick for his pure, innocent sister. It was not the first time someone had tried to enmour his little princess.

But it was the first time his Surabhi had actually returned someone's affections. It was not that he did not trust his sister's wisdom, but he could not help being worried. What if this Krishna was after their riches? What if he harboured ill intentions?

But all he received from his spies were strangely good things about the cow-heard boy.

 According to them, he has slain numerous demons to protect his village and was even called divine. Hearing no fault in Krishna from his best spies, his mind became a bit calm.

But then he received yet another marriage proposal for his little gem-the tenth this week!

 Honestly, his sister was not going to get married-at least not until she was 20! What's with these people? Thankfully, his kingdom was the mightiest; they did not need any alliances.

The seal of the Chedi kingdom adorned the envelope, signifying its origin from none other than Prince Shishupal who was notorious for his ambition and arrogance, traits that were whispered about in courts far and wide.

As Dharmendra broke the seal and unfolded the parchment, his demeanor was one of regal composure, a mask of neutrality that had been perfected over years of statecraft.

Breaking the seal with a practiced hand, the crown prince unfurled the parchment, expecting perhaps a treaty or an invitation to discuss alliances. Instead, what met his eyes was a proposal for marriage, but not of the kind that spoke of respect or alliance.

A shadow fell upon his features. His blood began to boil in rage. 

The words penned by Shishupal were not just a proposal for marriage but a blatant display of entitlement, arrogance, and overreach.

Shishupal's letter was brazen, to say the least. It spoke of uniting their kingdoms not through mutual respect and alliance but as a means to increase his own power. The proposal suggested, with alarming audacity, that with the alliance through marriage to his sister, Devashree, would serve as a tribute to Shishupal's charity and benevolence, as if the honor were hers in being chosen by him.

The audacity of Shishupal's words, his presumption in not only demanding Devashree's hand in marriage but also valuing her as a mere political tool, made his blood boil. He felt a surge of protectiveness, a fierce need to shield his sister from the advances of a anyone who saw her not as a person but as a prize to be claimed.

The language was crude, shockingly so, for a communication between royal houses. Shishupal boasted of his conquests, both on the battlefield and, disgracefully, of the heart, implying that adding Devashree to his 'collection' would be a feather in his cap, an assertion of his skills. The letter lacked any semblance of respect for Devashree as a person, speaking of her in terms that made the prince's blood run hot with anger. It was clear Shishupal saw this potential union not as a sacred bond but as a means to bolster his own reputation and power.

As the crown prince sat in his chamber, the offensive proposal in hand, his thoughts turned darkly over Shishupal's well-known behavior. Each tale of Shishupal's was a disregard for the hearts and dignity of women who viewed them not as equals but as conquests to be won.This was not just an affront to their royal family but a glaring insult to his sister, Devashree, a woman of grace, intelligence, and depth, qualities Shishupal seemed incapable of appreciating or respecting.

With each word, the temperature in the room seemed to rise, the air thickening with Dharmendra's growing ire. The candles flickered as if agitated by the storm of anger that enveloped him. His grip on the parchment tightened, the edges crinkling under the force,