The Battered Crown

Chapter 1 : The Magical Society

Viaan was surprised by the girl. She was clearly trained, and she wasn't holding back. She could have hurt him real bad but she just immobilized him. And then she asked him to follow her. They walked through the passages unseen. It could be considered a feat because they weren't detected and Viaan was a criminal as far as anyone was concerned. If they were caught both of them would be punished and the final verdict would be a death sentence. Viaan tried to notice his surroundings. The girl seemed to know more about the passageways than he did. She twisted and turned and then halted before a large statue of the Sun God. Viaan loved to watch the statue when he was young. The Sun God was standing tall and he seemed to be dancing. The statue would look beautiful in sun light but it looked ghastly in the moon light. The girl kneeled at the god's feet and touched the grass. Was something supposed to happen?

Viaan was about to tell her that she was wasting time but then the wall split open. It was a door actually which was hidden in plain sight all this time. How come no one triggered it open all these years? How come Viaan didn't open it when he played here? He stopped his musings and followed her silently. It was better not to agitate the only person who was helping him, he thought. The door opened into a dimly lit hallway and its architecture was beyond his knowledge. How was it lit? Viaan noticed some blue crystals on the roof which emitted light and that was an answer to his question. This was the hallway full of mysteries. In normal circumstances, Viaan would have brought his siblings. But these weren't normal circumstances, Viaan reminded himself.

He was very tired and sweaty. The tunnel seemed to go on forever and Viaan wanted to rest. His disappearance would cause quite a stir and everyone would believe that he was guilty. He would benefit from running away than facing imminent death.

"How long are we supposed to walk?" Viaan couldn't help himself but ask.

"Just few minutes. We aren't safe here. Let us cross the barrier and then you can rest and ask all questions. But now, we must hurry."

Viaan could sense the urgency in the girl's voice. He wouldn't cause a scene because he was tired. He walked faster with renewed determination. They entered a room which had three doors. The girl stopped and touched each of them. After touching them, she closed her eyes for a few moments. Then she moved towards the first door and opened it. She turned back and motioned for him to follow. He stepped through the door and entered other room. The only difference he noticed was the orange light crystals which he brushed off as trivial information. Soon they were standing in an opening. The wind was strong but Viaan felt it was liberating him. Again, the girl lead him towards a house he didn't notice.

The interior of the house was entirely different from the exterior environment. There were people all talking animatedly and some of them were working. They were huddled in groups and before Viaan could see anything more, he was led into a room.

The room looked like an office and a stern looking man sat behind the desk. He was in his fifties and had sharp blue eyes. He wore a hat and Viaan didn't want to get on the bad side of him. He had sharp features and a relieved look on his face. The girl sat in the chair opposite to the man.

The man got up and exclaimed, "Prince Viaan, welcome to Adhira."

The kingdom Adhira was very far from Mihira. Certainly not a night's walk by foot. Viaan was so confused.

"Prince Viaan, you realise you came here through the portal."

He certainly didn't realise that.

"Please sit down. We have lot to talk."

Viaan sat beside the girl who removed her hood. Viaan saw her for the first time. She was beautiful and she had long hair. He glanced at the man who was watching him expectantly. The man must have known what questions Viaan intended to ask because he started talking.

"You weren't safe in Mihira. You know what happened and we thought it was better to bring you by the easy portal for the first time. This portal is for normal use and not for emergencies. And it is your first time, we didn't want you to feel the effects and get sick. That's why you had to walk for so long. Immediate portals have certain effects on people who aren't familiar to them."

"Okay, sir. But may I know who you are? And why did you bring me here, to Adhira?"

"Prince Viaan, I am the head of ministers here in Adhira and also the head of The Secret Society. I'm Adhyay and I know everything about you."

"With all due respect sir, that doesn't answer my questions." Viaan said impatiently.

Adhyay nodded. He gestured towards the girl, "Nairiti here was sent yesterday to bring you here safely. You were not safe and we had to keep you all safe. I know your family. Your parents were also a part of this. I am so sorry for your loss."

Viaan couldn't bring himself to talk so he nodded.

"We take control over the magical aspects of our kingdoms. There are many kinds of powers which were gifted to us by the gods. Some people use them and some don't. But you still have your family's magic in you. You never practiced it. And if we hadn't come to save you, you would have revealed it to everyone. You wouldn't have been harmed if you used your magic but your enemies would have started their plotting. So we had to bring you here."

"But how did you know that I was in trouble?"

The answer shocked Viaan to his core.

"Because your mother contacted us saying that she was in danger and she wanted you to be saved."

Author's note:

Hey guys! How was this chapter?
What do you think of Viaan? Do you like a character in this book? And why was Viaan targeted?

Please tell me what you think in the comments!

And ShiningDoll7, here is your update😉