Krishnaa~The Princess In Making ✔(To Be Edited)

44: Twisted Fate

Silence prevailed in the majestic palace of Gandhar. The daas-daasis held their breaths, too afraid to move a muscle or make a sound.
It seemed as though the entire kingdom was waiting for lightning to strike.
It was calm. An eerie silence surrounded the city. A silence dreaded by all.

Gandhar Raj Shakuni sat in his private chambers, contemplating his next move. In front of him was the chaussar board, as he rolled the dice in his hands. That was life for him. He viewed life like a game. He felt no love or attachment towards anyone. The people, friends or enemies, were his pawns.
He was someone who would discard them as soon as they became useless, even if they were his family.

He stared at the board, as if wanting to burn it with his gaze. He gritted his teeth. He continued to sit in the same position. Still as a statue.

There was no way he could win Indraprasth by might. The Rajkumars were just too powerful for that. He tried to win over allies but that didn't work either.
Yagyaseni. He wanted to do nothing more than throw her out of his way.
But he couldn't do that. He needed her. She was the key to his dreams. Without her, there was no way he could be the most powerful man in Aryavrat.

He had tried to get to her before. But it was impossible. And since she is in Indraprasth under Maharaj Pandu's care, there was no way he could get to her, without winning over Indraprasth.
He felt trapped from both ways. He would need her, to win over Indraprasth and be powerful. But to get to her, he will need to win over Indraprasth.

Now, there was only one way left. Deceit.

A shrill sound echoed through the empty skies of Gandhar. A hawk emerged from the evening sky and landed on Shakuni's right shoulder. A smirk appeared on Shakuni's face as he read the letter. The coast is clear.

Shakuni's dice, made from his father's bones, will now decide the fate of Indraprasth. The fate of Maharaj Pandu's vansh.
And this time, no one can stop him. No one.

He laughed loudly as he rolled the dice in his palms and tossed them on the chaussar board.

                ••••••••••••••••••••••••••

It was a starless night at Indraprasth. The dark clouds thundered. The dogs on the empty streets barked and howled.

Mahamantri Arun, however, sat wide awake in his room. It was the perfect  time. Late enough for anyone, other than the guards to be out.

The perfect time to execute his plan.
He had wanted to rule Indraprasth for years now, and his time has come.
Initially he had been very loyal towards Maharaj Pandu, but didn't feel satisfied.
Years ago, Shakuni had approached him with an offer and planted the desire to rule Indraprasth in his mind.
He tirelessly worked for Shakuni for since then, but he was starting to doubt him. The promise never seemed to be fulfilled.

He didn't care anymore though. It was time to take matters into his own hands. Let Shakuni keep dreaming, but Arun had decided to execute his plan.
And his ambition will get fulfilled, even if Shakuni's doesn't.

Gandhar Raj Shakuni,
I am pleased to inform you that Indraprasth is in distress. It has lost majority of it's allies and has been weakened. It is the perfect time for both of us. I will hand you Yagyaseni, and in return, you hand me the crown of Indraprasth.
     Your loyal servant, Arun.

Arun had a smug look on his face. He didn't know Shakuni's plan, but was well aware that he was waiting for the right time.
However, Shakuni didn't know that Arun had misinformed him. Indraprasth has not lost a single ally, and deceit or not, Shakuni couldn't touch Indraprasth without having to face the wrath of the neighboring kingdoms.

'It is a pity', Arun thought to himself. 'That day won't come very soon'.
But Arun didn't mind. His actions would blow Gandhar Raj Shakuni's mind and knock him off his feet. He would never be able to guess that he had gone behind his back.

Over the past year, Arun had start working on his own plan. He had taken a lot of soldiers and guards over to his side. And tonight he would take the very first step.

               •••••••••••••••••••••••••

A daasi was in the kitchen, preparing turmeric milk for Maharani Kunti.
It was late at night, but Maharani never went to bed without her milk. Once it was prepared, she placed poured into a glass and placed it on a tray.

Maharani's room was on the other side of the palace and the daasi carefully and quietly walked through the corridors, not wanting to disturb anyone.

The guards stood at every entrance, still as a statue. She still felt their suspicious eyes following her. Feeling conscious, she tried covering herself more with her dupatta and increased her speed.

She finally reached Maharaj and Maharani's chambers. She saw that there were no guards at her doors. 'Strange', she thought.
She will have to inform Maharaj Pandu.

She knocked on their door, waiting for a reply. She got none. After contemplating, she hesitantly opened the doors.

The tray dropped from her hands, milking spilling everything. Her eyes widened and her hands flew to her mouth, cupping it. She took in the sight in front of her with a shocked expression.

The chambers were unorganized. The bedsheets and blankets were torn and on the floor. The room looked destroyed, as if someone had a fight here. There was dark liquid on the floor. Blood.
The oil lamp had been knocked off it's stand, the curtain slowly burning away.

And the worst of all, Maharaj Pandu and Maharani Kunti were no where to be found.

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Hey guys. Please let me know what you think of this chapter.
Personally, I am not very satisfied, but it is an important part of the story, so I would like to know your thoughts on it.