Book 1 of Saptsindhu Chronicles - The Lost Trident (Ongoing)
Welcome to the mythological saga and adventures of Lord Rama and Krishna together in this unique story which brings these two great Avatars in one age, to defeat the Asuras who have united...
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~Ayodhya~
Kaikeyi had always been a tough woman, but even the strongest hearts can melt seeing their loved ones depart. The pain of separation was unbearable, and to watch her sons leaving the town from the towers of Ayodhya took away all her joy.
She blamed the king for her grief and locked herself in her chamber. Even her royal caretaker Manthra was denied entry, and she knew it won't please the king. Afterall, he wanted her to be present at every occasion or event that happens in his kingdom.
He was after all a Suryavanshi, and no matter how difficult the situation can get, he would never break his promises. Despite being locked in a room, she didn't lose control over the city. Her trusted spies informed her of every event that was happening, and more she learned, angrier she got.
She wasn't liking it at all; the horde of sages infiltrating Ayodhya, the unfavorable climate and the departure of her sons.
"The King wants to see you, Queen Kaikeyi," one of her maids knocked the door, "He is waiting outside."
"Tell him, I don't wish to see anyone at this hour," she ordered and stared back at the moon. She was sitting near the window, listening to the sweet song of Chakora (a mythic bird), and there were tears in her eyes. She had never seen this bird in Ayodhya before, and for a moment, she thought it was an illusion, but she didn't mind.
When she closed her eyes, the face of her husband appeared, and she felt forced to take back her order so she asked the maid to invite him in with respect.
Raghuvanshi Dushrath, the great Ikshwaku king, she told herself, was someone for whom she could give her life. She, in fact, had risked her life for him, many times, and as a result of her valor and immense bravery, he granted her two boons. The poets of the dawn called it the war of flamingos. The defeat of Sambarasura with the hands of a woman, not only defamed his name in the history of Saptsindhu but also raised Kaikeyi's status in the royal court of Ayodhya.
She remained a staunch member of the war council and crushed dozens of rebellions, and strengthened the Kosala empire to a great extent. But after the birth of Bharat, she lost interest in the politics and resigned from the council. Ram, Bharat, Laxman, and Shatrughan became her life, and she found immense joy in seeing them grow up in the palace.
Now, they were miles apart. The king sent them to the school of Dharma at Takshshila, to learn the Vedic and Aryan way of life, to make them true Kshatriyas. She was glad that they had Sage Vaishistha as their tutor, whom she trusted a lot. After all, he also acted as one of the most loyal advisers of Kosala empire.
Memories of her visiting the school of Dharma at Takshshila flashed before her eyes. She was nine at that time when her father, King Ashwapati, brought her to Takshshila. They stayed there for a month before leaving to Vidherba where she spent her next years.
