The Shambala Chronicles(Sample)

Chapter 3 - The wild princess

6 months earlier -

The kingdom of Shambala had a peculiar climate. It had snow-covered mountain peaks, vast grasslands, thick woodlands, and a perfectly sunny coastline.

It shared its border with the Vatsaya kingdom in the west, Karoliya in the North and Anatolia in the east. The south side had the sea. Shambala had important seaports and it was on a very significant trade route. Ships from various places regularly docked at Shambala adding to its prosperity. 

Some people said it was because of the power of mother goddess Aditi that made Shambala so tranquil and prosperous. Her mysterious source lay somewhere in Shambala.

The palace in the capital city of Kushan was in an uproar. 

Queen Kalita was agitated. The first of the suitor princes was supposed to arrive shortly. It was the tradition in Shambala and several other kingdoms that when a princess had too many suitors or she had not chosen anyone on her own. A svyamvar was organized, were princes or kings from various nations participated to vie for her hand.

Princess Revati was 21 and as any responsible father King Sachihero had organized for the svyamvar for his elder daughter.

Revati was as beautiful as the moon. She had pale skin, blue eyes, and a cascading waterfall of golden curly hair that fell down to her waist. She was skilled in painting, music, and other art.

"Oh, dear! Who has placed this jar of pink flowers here?" Queen Kalita fretted as she examined the arrangements. The palace and the guest quarters were decorated to the hilt.

"Lady Maria are both princesses ready?" She asked the royal governess Maria.

"Princess Revati is ready my lady but....."

"But? " 

"I am unable to locate princess Toshani, my lady," Maria replied helplessly.

Queen Kalita pressed her lips as if trying to suppress her anger.

"Find her!" She commanded.

When she commanded "find her" for Toshani it meant the palace guards, and servants would have to drag a kicking and screaming Toshani from usually a tree, or from among the wild animals of the forest.

From the barracks where Toshani would be duelling or competing with some soldier, or sometimes even from the royal husbandry where she would be assisting a cow or a horse in labour.

It usually led to the princess getting reprimed by her mother.

Her father never made her feel that she should refrain from such things for being born a girl -Though Queen Kalita constantly fretted that Toshani would not attract appropriate suitors owing to the fact that she spent most of her free time climbing trees, swimming in the lakes and hunting wild boar.

More often than not queen Kalita would sigh as Toshani come back from a hunt mud-smeared and scratched bloody, but her father would just chuckle and return to his advisors discussing the matters of the state.

"Your majesty the princess!" Maria commented as Toshani walked in carrying some dead wild rabbits.

Toshani herself was covered in twigs and leaves which fell in a random pattern leaving a trail of muddy footprints and twigs on the purple royal carpet.