A TALE FROM THE PAGES OF PAST

PRINCESS OF HIND KUSH

CHANDRIKA KRISHNADEV

I breathed in the fresh smell of morning snow as I walked down the corridors of our palace to my mother's chamber. The winter had already arrived in our beautiful valley housing the world's most beautiful capital. Hind Kush. Nested in the one of most sophisticated valleys of mighty Himalayas was our country. The winters were extreme but due to absolute proper management of resources by our Krishnadev family our people are well off and happy. "Yurani your covey is ready." My Senapati said before excusing herself. "Mata shree." I greeted my mother touching the feets of our current queen. Unknown to world Hind Kush is a Materical society well at least not too strictly. But yes we don't have a king we have a queen.

"They are holding it a year late." My mother said going straight to the point. "That too after fifty years. This is a bad sign Chandrika." She added warning me as I gave her no answer and sat on the couch beside her. "I know Ma that's what I am going for. To investigate." I tried to reason but she looked unconvinced by my reasoning. "I thought to coronate you as a queen by end of the month and have my grandchildren by end of year." She sounded ridiculous now. "Don't you dare to roll your eyes at me. I was only fourteen when I conceived you." She said smacking my head. "Let her live a bit Dhanu. She is still a baby." My father said coming to my rescue like asusual when my mother get started on my marriage discussion.

He is always my saviour. From saving storybooks for me to read and coming along with me in kitchens to steal desserts. He was my partner in crime. He winked at me before my mother glared at him expressing her disagreement with him. "She is twenty for god sake Neil." My mother exclaimed. "And she had already mastered the art of poison, medicine and magic." He completed her sentence. "You were not able to cast a single protection spell till you are twenty three. And come on she is one of the most powerful witches out there." He debated which made my mother shut my mouth. Our society is materical because of our uncanning ability to cast spells which were done by only women.

There were wizards as well but only over few centuries each. Many people don't know about it. Many can only make medicines and small poisons here and there. But the ability to harness pure magic only runs in royal family that's why we are most isolated and dangerous kingdom. As for how magic originated in our kingdom I have a very peculiar theory. The Himalayas which hosted the Devs for millennials left there essence there which later accumulated in our bloodstream and manifested in magic we know present day. "How was your gift Chandrika ?" I heard my twin brother ask. "It's very well brother. I was able to trace essence of magics." I replied to him with a grin.

Magics were of three types light which is used for protection, dark magic which is used for curses and blood magic or in simple words forbidden magic. Here the person doesn't need to have a large magic power but even a normal witch can perform it but it need blood. It is said to be used for summoning evil souls and undead. There are only twenty to thirty witches in Hind Kush at present but the spells performed by our ancestors are well enough to protect our kingdom for a millennial out of which eight hundred centuries are passed away. The ratio of witches had depleted over the years. But it doesn't trouble us. No kingdom will want to attack a kingdom which have absolutely no connection and trade with real world.

"How was your training Charan ?" My father asked desperately trying to divert their argument before my mother do something in her rage. "It was good father. We are having over five hundred shadow gaurds in our legions at present." He said beaming with pride at the achieve by his regiment. Shadow gaurds are known for their uncanning ability to hide their presence and withstand torture. Shadow masters were those who can hide in shadows like it's there extension. They surely amaze me. Five hundred of them are enough to wipe out kingdoms like Kamboj and Sandhvik Dynasty in scope but haven't you heard of the saying winning a kingdom is harder than ruling one. That's the reason being one of the most powerful kingdoms we never interfere in disputes of other kingdoms or clans.