The Queen's king |✔️

35. A Rise of War

~A few hours before the war~

Rajan marched through the corridors of Abhiras's palace leading to the king's royal chambers. The corridors were dark with only a few oil lamps at each corner. His large steps came to a stop as a guard placed a hand on his chest and pushed him backwards roughly.

"You ignorant boy! You cannot barge inside!" The soldier sneered in anger and both the soldiers at each side of the door placed their spears in a cross manner preventing him from entering inside.

"I need to discuss an urgent issue with our king." Rajan replied, irritated that any moment after a few hours a war might break out.

"Royal courts are for such issues kid, you cannot disturb the king at this hour."

"It is important!!" He stressed on each and every word as he moved close.

"What's the ruckus over there?" Arjuna's faint voice can be heard as he walks near the entrance.

And immediately both the guards and Rajan bowed down paying their respects.

"My king! I have something really urgent to discuss, please just give me a few minutes!"

Arjuna could sense the urgency and fear in Rajan's voice. So he allowed him to come inside his chambers, the chambers looked nothing royal with few furnitures tossed around with just only a small oil lamp in the middle of the room but the moonlight gleamed through the balcony and window not letting the room be completely immersed in darkness.

"What is it Rajan?" Arjuna asked, placing his hands backwards as he looked outside his balcony.

"My king, yesterday when queen Chitra was being abducted I happened to be around but they were extremely large in number which means I cannot fight them, so instead I followed them to their hiding spot at the forest."

" I even got to meet her when she was a little far away from the group-"

Arjuna felt an immediate feeling of relief flood over him, "Where is she now? Is she resting at her quarters?" He wanted to see her, to hear her voice, so he didn't care if his voice came out too desperate.

Listening to that Rajan's head dropped to the floor as he spoke, " I failed to convince our queen to come with me my lord."

"What?" Arjuna's eyes narrowed as he heard him speak and a tingling sensation of suspiciousness filled his brain as in why would she refuse to come? "Why will she refuse to come? Can I even believe you?"

"My lord!" Rajan's face filled with panic as he fell to the ground kneeling in front of Arjuna, "Please, give me a chance to explain myself!"

Arjuna signalled his index finger in an upwards motion, indicating him to get up and explain.

"Queen Chitra got to know the conspiracy behind the attack on our villages and on minister Ratan, King Aditya and king Indradas have joined hands with those cruel bandits and they are going to attack our kingdom with all their army before early morning, unethically to say."

Arjuna was shocked for a second wondering about why Chitra's father did this. King Indradas had everything, a flourishing kingdom with good wealth but greed always blinds one from seeing what treasure they already have.

He clapped his hands and two guards walked in, "Your majesty!" They bowed down paying their respects.

"Go and inform our defence minister Gopinath Rao and our army head Vikram Singh that I summoned them."

Rajan explained in what situation Chitra had chosen to stay behind and mostly how bravely she had put her life aside and had decided to be a queen and save her kingdom and her people.