Love and Redemption

Chapter 1

The golden dome of the royal residence was ostentatiously embellished with exquisite gemstones. The brilliant white pillars of the palace were adorned with exotic roses and orchids. The royal palace was opulently decorated with fresh, colorful flowers, fascinating lights and precious jewels from all over the world. The sight of the splendidly ornated lavish Palace of Vijaygarh was indeed breathtaking.

The affluent merchants, wise ministers, renowned aristocrats, brilliant teachers, beautiful dancers, melodious singers, humble peasants, and men as well as women from all walks of life were gathered in the palace waiting for the coronation of the new ruler. The renowned dignitaries from the neighbouring kingdoms were also assembled to have the glimpse of the new ruler of one of the most prosperous kingdoms of the nation. Everyone was curious to meet the new ruler as the old king had no son.

The trumpet of elephants was followed by the announcement of the royal minister to welcome the beautiful and courageous princess of the prosperous kingdom. The old, yet reliable minister of the city, Dharmendra Singh announced the arrival, "Your Highness, The princess of Vijaygarh, Aparajita Singh Rathore is arriving in the court."

The beautiful, young girl of seventeen years, clad in a yellow lehenga embellished with precious gems entered the court. Her ebony-black hair, clad in a yellow veil, tumbled on her shoulder. Her broad forehead was adorned with the ancestral tiara made up of priceless diamonds. Her attractive chocolate-brown eyes were dark, devoid of all the emotions. Her soft, tender body was ornated with valuable jewels. She was indeed an epitome of magnificent beauty. The princess walked in the court room with innate pride as she sat near her old father, Maharaja Vijay Singh Rathore. 

The people bowed down out of respect as the old king rose from his throne and made the anouncement in his authoritative voice. "Dear residents of  prosperous Vijaygarh, today I feel proud to present my throne to the most deserving person. I am delighted to announce that my daughter and the virtuous heiress of the kingdom, the Princess Aparajita Singh Rathore will be the new queen and ruler of my estate. I have faith that everyone will shower love and respect to her as you all revered me."

This announcement was followed by hushed whispers amongst the countrymen and  distress amongst the aristocrats, especially the ministers, who favored Vikrant Singh Rathore and expected him to be the new ruler. 

Ajeet Singh Rathore, the shrewd younger brother of Vijay Singh Rathore roared, "How can a seventeen year old girl rule us? We will not bow in front of a girl. We are Rajputs."

Many ministers supported Ajeet Singh Rathore while the others who favored the king chose to keep quiet. The old king opened his mouth to speak in favor of his decision when Aparajita signaled him to keep quiet. 

Getting up from her throne, the princess let out a sarcastic laughter to attract attention of people. Everyone stood dumbstruck at her expression while Vikrant Singh Rathore and his father saw her with disgust. 

"We are Rajputs. We would not bow in front of a queen because of our shallow pride." The princess roared in anger.  "Dear Uncle, today, everyone wants to know where was your pride when I rode over the horse and led the army against Shivgarh at the age of twelve. Where were you at that time? My injured father wanted you to protect us, our kingdom in the battlefield but you were nowhere found. You were scared and had run away when my brother Yuvraj Virendra Singh Rathore sacrificed his life for protecting the fort of Vijaygarh." She glared at the dumbfound expression of her shrewd uncle trying to stop her tears as the painful memories flashed in front of her eyes.

Composing herself, she continued, "You returned back to the palace with your wife and son only when I had made sure that my kingdom was free from the clutches of Shivgarh."

With sarcasm in her tone, she bellowed, "It was my father who allowed you to stay in the premises of Vijaygarh but you did not deserve a single bit of respect and generosity".

Looking at the beaming faces of the crowd, she reminisced the painful memories. "I had lost my mother, Maharani Manjughosha Devi who hac stood like a pillar against the demonic soldiers of Shivgarh during the battle. If we would have not protected, what is ours today, I don't know what would have been the fate of the now happy-go-lucky residents of this prosperous kingdom."

Ajeet Singh Rathore burnt in anger and shame. Aparajita's constant glare burnt his soul as he remembered his defeat and inability to take the reigns of the empire. He had not expected the princess to insult him and his son in this manner. He screamed at the top of his voice with a hope to protect his dignity in the public, "Princess, stay in your limits."

Aparajita glared at him with utter disgust as she continued, "Don't talk about limits, uncle. My father allowed you to stay in the palace even after you ran away from the battlefield and that is the reason, you are out of your limits today."

"Remember, I am the heiress of this crown and this throne", she said pointing at the throne as she took a deep breath and continued, "Being in power, I have the power to destroy you, banish you or throw you in the dungeons if you cannot respect the ruler, and that is me."

She smiled as the good, loyal ministers beamed in pride while the ones who supported her uncle bowed their heads in shame. She glanced towards the crowd who hailed her name with joy. The palace echoed with the loud shouts of joy, "Long live the Princess".

Her father smiled at her as she smirked and addressed the public, "I, Maharani Aparajita Singh Rathore, announce myself as the legal queen of my prosperous kingdom, Vijaygarh." With utmost sincerity, she made the promise to herself. "I swear on the fertile Earth, the priceless Water, the calm Air, the deadly Fire and the omniscient Ether along with, all the sacred Gods, that I will protect the wealthy Vijaygarh from all the miseries. I promise to flourish my kingdom and treat each and every resident of my land as my child."

Her speech was lauded by everyone present in the palace and the shouts for her longevity was heard from all the directions. 

Everyone bowed in front of her out of respect. Ajeet Singh Rathore and his son were utterly disappointed at the turn of events but they chose to put up the show. Little did they know, the new Queen was not like her father who was blinded by the love for his brother. She was generous for the righteous but the deadliest for the wrongdoers. She was like a calm air for the needy victims and a dangerous fire for the culprits. 

The new Queen Aparajita Singh Rathore was crowned in front of the public with all the proceedings and rituals. The significant occasion was graced with a wonderful dancing and singing performances by the group of dancers and singers. Everyone made merry as the deserving Queen took the throne. The countrymen were indeed happy knowing that their kingdom, their lives and their future was in the righteous hands.

The Queen smiled as she embraced the responsibility of her kingdom, which was not a mere piece of land but a symbol of valor and sacrifices of her ancestors. She headed towards the ancestral temple of Goddess Durga to take blessings from the Almighty and wished for a prosperous future ahead.

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Hi everyone
So, this is the first chapter of the story Love and Redemption.😘😘😘
It is for the first time, I am writing historical fiction. Please share your views and shower love on this chapter with your valuable votes and priceless comments. 💞💞💞
Love you all
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