Dhruva Nakshathra - The Game of Alliance ✔

FORTY-TWO

Sikva, capital city of Kavish

I am doing this for you.

I have been anticipating you for a long time, princess.

To offer you an opportunity to retrieve your people.

You know where I am, come find me there.

Five days of unconsciousness and those were the only words that kept running in her mind. Though at times it felt like a dream on a loop, Nakshathra was aware of the fact that those words were spoken to her by the woman who was responsible for the disappearances.

Her body ached, her head throbbed from all the injuries yet her heart raced each time she heard it, Nakshatra fought with her weak self to leave the treatment room. All along it had been those repetition of phrases that have kept her spirit high because she finally knew what she had to do and she had no much time left to waste. Those phrases that appeared like a dream to her was a reminder of the saviour she was destined to be. A warrior to fight a good fight, to take on any suffering so that her people have a greater chance at good health and peaceful life.

After a long time, at last Nakshathra understood why the royal physician plead to her at Mount Gaja.

Somehow, her family members seemed to not understand the need for her to go to Durja. Everyone including her brothers were against her idea of travelling to the foe's kingdom. Each one was persuading her to drop her plan and suggested something else which did not work for her.

"You need to put your safety first. There is no need to throw yourself where you are hated," Parthiban growled as he minced back and forth before her with his hands on his hips.

"Exactly, there is no way I am allowing you to go Durja," Nakul stressed, standing beside their sobbing mother. "Why are you not even listening to amma?"

"Think of all of us, Nakshathra. Every second you are there will be a nightmare for us."

Nakshathra's hands squeezed into fists, clenching her teeth, trying hard to control her growing anger but she had reached her limit. Her family's overprotectiveness towards her and their short sight of the future was disheartening.

Nakshathra paced to the steps at the front of the court and threw her hand at a standing brass vase. The sound of the brass hitting the sandstone floor reverberated around the chamber, startling those present in the room.

"What are you people expecting me to do?" She bellowed as her eyes met each and everyone.

"Nakshathra." Nakul stepped forward hesitated, shocked and angry at her rection. "We are just worried for you."

"I see that but don't you think you are being a little selfish?" she asked shutting everyone who dared to speak a word. "Just so that you people should not be worried for me, I should live the rest of my life in guilt for causing so many people's miserable state?"

Silence engulfed the court room with only the occasional sound of wind blowing through the eastern windows.

"All these years of disappearance reports, why didn't you take any action even when anyone could have predicted who was behind it? You could have sent a warning or a threat."

The king opened his mouth to speak but quickly refrained.

"Regardless of our military strength. Even if it wasn't them, their authority would have done their work searching for the criminal and finding for our people. The words would have spread, the entire Lambodara would have come to help us."

Nakshathra paced around, throwing her hands up in the air as if all she sees was a failed authority. She couldn't help but to look at her father with disappointment.