Dhruva Nakshathra - The Game of Alliance ✔

T W E N T Y - S I X

Mahina, capital city of Durja

Plink. Plink. Plink.

The water from a crack on the ceiling drop one after the other, the only sound heard in the one of the secret dungeons in Mahina. Alli's special prisons made for her secret captives.

She sat on a well-crafted large wooden chair, a similar design of the throne chair present in the court room. Although she would one day take over the throne, today she felt like a queen who had made her one step towards victory.

Victorious smile adored her face hidden behind the scarf. The smooth wooden armrest allowed her to go back and forth with her palm with ease. Alli jubilantly picked up a sack and threw it to the two men stood before her.

One of them caught it with a loud clinking noise.

"Gold coins. For the job well done." Alli acknowledged them loud and clear, to be heard by the prisoners in the cell.

"I'm delighted to hear that the PRINCESS OF KAVISH now lay burnt in a pity state. What a disastrous moment would have been for the Heramba family? Oh, I wish I could witness their sorrow." Alli mocked as she paced to the cells.

Murmurs among the prisoners grew into a buzz, they were all baffled at Alli's pleasure in hurting someone. For once since they were captured, they had forgotten of their own plight and were concern of their princess. Each one had their own share of memories with the youngest Heramba who have had interactions together.

"Worried for your princess?" she asked, sarcastically. "Don't be, I'll let you know when she is dead." Alli burst into a fit of devilish laughter.

As much as she loved to hear of Nakshathra's death, she knew that wouldn't happen. Somehow, they would bring her back alive with the help of those expert physicians but certainly the princess has to live with scars that will be too hideous to see. What a pain will it be for the little girl and her family? Alli triumphantly ambled herself to the end of the dungeon, away from the guards and prison cells.

"No pain of yours will ever be greater than mine. I'll see to it that everyone in the family suffers with nowhere to go," vowed Alli to revenge her father's death and to fulfil her long-time desire which laid buried under that very land.

She steered her attention back to the two men she had hired. "Both of you, make sure you speak nothing of this to anyone nor do you try to be smart with me. Don't you forget that your families are still in my custody." Alli's menacing stare had them drop their heads down helplessly.

Alli considered herself the most fortunate person, for she had stroke by luck twice. First the hidden tunnel to the unused watch tower, which wasn't much of a use now and second the discovery of Varhinsas. Pure luck. For her the existence of Varhinsas was only limited to folklore as she refused to accept such people exist in real. She often heard their stories through Brinda when she narrated it to the little Dhruva. When her soldiers told her of their discovery, Alli was aghast. Her perception changed when the caught Varhinsas were forced to display their abilities before her.

She had kept them under lock and key till she figured a way to use them which she did eventually.

"Can we meet our families, devi?" Asked one of the two men, pleading.

"I'm afraid it's not possible for now. I still have more work for you. Off you go, now." The lady ordered her guards to keep an eye on them. They were equally dangerous and precious for her to lose them.

After a long journey back to the palace, she was greeted with a pigeon in her chamber. Her tiredness flew off in a whisk. Discarding her shawl covering her face, she quickly reached for the bird. A note was tied to its leg, a much-anticipated news from Kavish.