Chasing the Sun

VIII

|| - Dark Queen - ||

"The moon is my sun

The night is my day

Blood is my life

And you are my prey"
_______

It was a temple but it venerated no god. Prayers were uttered, but they were meant to bring forth no fortune. Lamps were lit but they brought no light, only shadows and smoke. Where sacrifices were made, blood was spilt, hymns were chanted and devils were invoked such a place existed underneath the pure white stone citadel of Madavgadh. The rumours attributed the title of being its founder to Rani Meenawati, a daughter of a warrior who had risen through ranks of Madhavgadh army until he was made commander in chief. Although the queen younger than the king by decades had adapted well to her new title and role as the queen of the white castle, Madhavgadh had never really accepted her as one of their own. Her rise to power and prestige was always tainted with speculations that the way to glory was paved with witchcraft.

It was one of those rare occasions where the gossips had a drop of truth in it. Meenawati indeed knew enchantments but contrary to the popular belief the king, her husband was hardly ignorant of his queen's abilities. Instead, it was one of the reasons in the first place why he had chosen to marry her. In the years since her arrival at the citadel Madhavgadh proved to be an unconquerable stronghold. Still it stands atop a boulder overlooking the inner city of nobles and miles and miles of the state of Madhavgadh stretching out from the inner city walls towards the deserts in the western horizon. But the motive to which Meenawati employed her arts had been buried along with her and the woman who now lit the lamps of her dark temple had goals as tainted as the methods she employed to reach them.

Her mother had not left behind much for her use; if she was to exclude the dark arts she tried to make Gayatri swear that she would never use to harm an innocent. She had been a naïve girl then, to vow to give up the only weapon she had against the numerous foes that rose against her and her own as the years progressed. Left under the care of a much older step brother, who had already succeeded to their father's throne, Gayatri was soon married off to a man twice of her age after her mother Meenawati's death. Being a second wife to an heirless king was not the most pleasant of lives. But she had honestly tried to keep the word she had given to her deceased mother. But a husband who was still in love with his barren first wife, a brother who was doing everything to erase all links between him and her, and a court full of vipers had slowly but surely rusted and weakened her resolve.

She thought the birth of Shivjit - her son, was her reward for not falling back to darker ways. He would solidify her footing in the court that despised her, perhaps, improve her image in the eyes of a husband who did not love her. She was the queen who gave an heir to Chandranagara.

Alas, it is the fate of some blades to rust, some minds to corrupt, some hearts to turn wicked.

The news of Shivjit's birth was followed by the most surprising news of all; the principle queen - MahaRani Subhadra was expecting. Gayatri was reduced to burn in silent jealousy as the king showered affection on his favorite - now pregnant - first wife. He was hoping - it was no secret - that she would give birth to a prince, a prince who once born he would name the crown prince. Over her Shivjit - his firstborn.

Gayatri could not possible wait in shadows and let it happen. She could not watch her son being condemned to a fate very similar to hers. Instead of waiting in the shadows, she started invoking the shadows and soon - the entire Chandranagara was drowned in shadows.