Chapter 13
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Who could it be in the dead of the night? I did tell the maids to distract Roopvalli, but I don't remember asking them to scream.

The trainer and the princess faced each other.

Suruchi cocked her head. We have to go check it out.

Revati raised her eyebrows slightly. Yes, but we can't use the passages,

Suruchi gestured to their dresses. We aren't in fighting attire, so people won't get suspicious.

Revati nodded. Let's go. Quick.

They followed the sounds and reached... the king's chambers? The door was wide open with several maids clinging to each other and sobbing. Two guards lay motionless on the floor, blood seeping out of their slit throats. As Revati looked into their faces they lowered their heads and gestured inside.

She cautiously stepped in, her heart hammering in her ribcage, a sense of dread creeping up her spine. She gasped loudly when she saw her mother kneeling beside her father's figure lying on the floor with the royal sword sticking up from her father's side. She did not bother sparing a glance at her mother's face as her feet led her to the dying man.

Tears escaped her eyes as she kneeled down beside him. She clasped his frail hands in her warm ones. Time seemed to be still as she looked at her father's dying face. She could only subtly see the others shuffle out of the room out of the corner of her eye.

His eyes were crinkled, his face paling with each passing moment, a flickering flame growing dimmer and dimmer. The lines on his forehead told her that he was in pain. But his eyes held peace as if he knew Yama would take him away. And that was what made her heart caved and hollow.

"Why... who?" she asked in a broken whisper.

He smiled weakly. "A traitor of the country. Listen, my child, I will never leave you. I will forever be in your hearts. I have to tell you something-" he stopped abruptly as he coughed out blood, spraying it all over himself, as Revati rubbed his back in concern. She coursed all of her strength into her hands to keep them from becoming a flower in a hurricane.

"I don't have much time-"

"-No!" she cut him off, her face horror-stricken. "Nothing will happen to you father, y-you will live," she told, nodding her head in a jerking motion, trying to convince him, or herself.

"The key-" cough, "-gem, royal sword... protect-" cough, "-hidden. I want... you to rule the kingdom... with your best. Make us... proud-" his hands fell limp in hers. 

Her agonized shout of anguish echoed loudly throughout the palace. She felt like the wind without the clouds, the sea without its tides, the mountains without soil and.. a daughter without her father. She frantically nudged his motionless body in hopes of life somewhere in there. 

No, no. He can't be gone. No. Not so soon, noooo!

"Where is the RajaVaidaya!? Now!" she yelled through her sobs.

"He's here," Suruchi whispered beside her.

"You have to save him, there has to be some way!" she rambled in vain, knowing that it was impossible to bring him back.

The healer shook his head. "I'm sorry, Your Highness." The finality in his tone hit her hard. This was it. Her father was gone. Gone forever.

Revati shook her head helplessly, her lip quivering, unable to speak because of the emotion lodged in her throat. She ran out of the royal chambers and into the middle of the dark courtyard. She sat there and sobbed into her hands, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the princess who is sad and all alone. No daddy to protect you anymore?"

The familiarity of the mocking voice shook her.

She meekly lifted her head and whispered in disbelief, "Roopvalli?

"Yes, it is I, Rajkumari Roopvalli. I'm the one who killed him. We were hoping our poison contributing to increasing his sickness would kill him. But it was getting slow. Did he experience any pain? None whatsoever. So where's the fun in that? And besides, after he announced you the crown princess, we had little time to decide. So guess what I did?

"It was satisfying to watch him stare at my betrayal in horror, as I slowly and painfully stabbed him with his own sword into his side. Just enough, to let him bleed out and die in agony." The satisfied, triumphant smile on her face was horrifyingly disgusting.

"How could you? You were his daughter-in-law. This was your kingdom, and that person whom you killed was not just your king, but a husband to someone. A father to two. A father-in-law. Your father-in-law! Your family member!" Revati shouted out to her, voice raspy and dry.

"How could that same father-in-law kill my parents!? Huh? Answer me!" she shouted but then grew serious. "Years ago, in the dead of the night, my parents and sister were... traveling to escape the invasion by your father's friend. But your father caught them and accused them of being traitors of his kingdom. He didn't wait for a plausible explanation to defend themselves. He murdered them in cold blood. Your father is a cold-blooded murderer, woman."

Roopvalli did not meet her eyes. She was hiding something. Or lying.

"No," Revati shook her head. "My father was an honorable man, he would never do that. No- Brathah!?" her eyes fell on her brother's figure who came and stood beside his wife.

"Revati?" Dipankar called out.

"Yes? Oh, it's you, brother! I've been meaning to ask, you left shortly after father announced coronation...?"

"I'm sorry about that. I hadn't eaten all day and I felt light-headed. I come to give you my congratulations," he said, plastering a smile on his face.

"Thank you brother, your opinion means the world to me." Revati mirrored his expression without a clue.

"And from past few weeks, Father has been entrusting me to many tasks and to manage state affairs. I'm sorry if you felt that I was avoiding you, dear sister," he apologized. He portrayed regret so well that Revati fell for it.

"Oh of course not brother, I understand. It can get very... burdensome sometimes. Besides, it's good that father is bonding more with you nowadays, don't you think? He seemed a bit upset at you the first few months after you wed. Don't think much of it!" she laughed it off.

"Good luck for the days that lie ahead of you," he said finally. He added quietly, "You'll need it, loads of it."

"Huh? Did you say something, brother?" Revati asked.

"Just that I need to get going," Dipankar replied, stepping out with an evil smirk, going completely unnoticed by his sister.

Cold disbelief clouded her features. "You, you were trying to win my trust. It was all a ruse, wasn't it? You made me believe, you were a good person at heart. How could you allow the murder of your own father, Dipankar? How can you betray me, your own sister?"

"Sister? You stopped being one when you threw me aside to please father in order to snatch the throne. Know that you will never have it anymore, it is mine, always has been and always will be."

"I never did anything of that sort. I looked up to you as a younger sister would, I-"

"Lies!" he spat. "Now our dear ally will help us get what was rightfully ours."

Revati's gaze shifted to a familiar, large, and tall figure walking their way. She stifled a gasp as he stepped into the light, his evil eyes glinting, and a malicious smirk on his face.

They teamed up with the enemy? The one who tried to assault me? The one who insulted the royal family of Vaibhavgarh and was banished from coming here?

Realization dawned on her as the pieces fit. The conspiracy came to play before her eyes.

Roopvalli sending secretive letters, her having regular escapades; Dipankar avoiding her, him getting busy with 'state affairs'... Ballaraja's motive being his humiliation here due to his actions and his thirst for power.

Why hadn't I seen it all earlier?

Revati felt stupid, and a tremendous amount of guilt. Father would be saved had it not been for my ignorance.

I dismissed it all as a petty misunderstanding, but it was nowhere close to petty. Nor was it a misunderstanding, it was all done with an evil motive in mind.

"Finally it hit you, didn't it, princess?" his deep, intimidating voice sent chills down her spine. "I knew it, and I was right. How could I be wrong? All women are slow. They are too soft, they create such fiascos and blame on the men. What foul, foolish creatures! 

I don't blame you, princess, you could have never worked it all out without the help of a man. You will pay dearly for humiliating me that day. You have already paid half, the rest of your payment will come."

"G-guards! Seize the traitors! Seize Ballaraja! He is your King's murderer!" Revati shouted. She was confused when none of them moved.

"Guards! I, the Crown Princess, command you: arrest them immediately!"

Silence.

They bowed their heads in defeat as she swept her gaze among them. Their eyes showed nothing but helplessness and sympathy for her.

Maharaja Ballaraja let out a laugh that could even make Asuras shudder in fear. "Shocked? You don't command them anymore, I do. Your brother does. You are no crown princess."

"But-but, how, father had announced yester-"

"-that you were to be the crown princess. You were neither officially announced the heir nor was there any written document about your father's will. So naturally, the wealth and whatever in your father's possession goes to the male heir. That is, Dipankar. He alone commands your vast army. You have nothing now, you are nothing! This is where Ram Verma's reign ends, and ours begins."

"Over my dead body!" she spat at his feet.

"That can be arranged, in fact right now! But I won't. I want you to suffer. So we'll leave you here with those who dare to side with you and we'll take our army away. I'll be back in two months, this same day. I can send my guard dogs to attack you and you won't stand a chance!

I'll tag along to watch how you take back your words that women are great. You'll finally realize that you're wrong, that women are useless. And I'll watch how you succumb to me and possibly accept to become my wife!" his hand traveled up her arm and before it reached her face, she slapped his arm off.

"You Vakra Manushya! You are a heartless bastard who plays sick games and toys with people's lives as if they are puppets!" Revati hissed.

She then turned to her brother and pleaded with him. "Please don't go with them, please stay in Vaibhavgarh. They are not the kind of people you would expect them to be, you don't know them. Roopvalli will ditch you the second she is done, and Ballaraja will do the same. They're in it for their selfish needs, not your gains."

"Oh and I suppose you know them very well?" he asked her sarcastically. "You will not tell me what to do. I am my own man, a prince and rightfully older than you. It's you who should listen to me."

Ballaraja turned towards his soldiers, "Whoever dares to join her can consider themselves doomed, with a meager time of two months of suffering left in life. Join me and I'll give you a lifetime and more! Who stands with this pathetic excuse of a princess?"

Silence.

More Silence.

Then-

"I will stand by my rightful ruler, through thick and thin. Please accept me, Rajkumari Revati," the Senapati stepped forward. Revati nodded gratefully to him.

Soon a few faithful courtiers, army commanders, and a few troops joined in. The common folk and the poor stood beside her. But they were no match compared to the massive army that their enemy now commanded.

"You fools want to die with her? Fine, have it your way."

"I'd rather die with honor serving my queen rather than stand in the presence of a cruel tyrant like you!" several others echoed agreements to the general's statement.

"Laugh all you want, I will have the last laugh anyway. You are all doomed, fated to die! I will be the ruling Emperor of a vast empire!" Ballaraja declared smugly.

"Three months, keep in mind, dear." Roopvalli mocked before strutting away with her allies.

Revati's mouth went dry, Three months!? What could they achieve with a lack of time, weaponry, skill, numbers, and strength? She looked around at the hopeful faces of her people. She realized that they depended on her, they had faith in her to lead them to victory.

But she couldn't talk then. She ran away back to her chambers to process the situation, which hadn't fully settled into her mind yet. 

* * *

The events that day were overwhelming.

Revati had to wait a complete day for soldiers and people who went to Ballaraja's side to clear out with their families. The next morning, she called all her supporters who were left. They readily obliged, assembling near the castle.

She took in a deep breath as she addressed her people who had sided with her,

"Everyone, we have very little time and fewer numbers. But that doesn't mean we won't be able to win over our enemy. We have to work together and work fast. Ballaraja has left us a challange. We are citizens of Vaibhavgarh, and we don't back away from a challenge. We gather courage, put on a brave face, and charge! Are you with me, my people?"

A loud chorus of 'Yes!' rang out through the crowd. Revati could almost hear the triumphant hoot of trumpets in the background.

"Then let's get to work!"

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The clock stopped working, but the stopwatch was set off.
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Glossary:
Vijata - bastard, in Sanskrit
Senapati - General
Yama - God of Death
Raja Vaidaya - Royal healer
Vakra Manushya - Cruel human
Asuras - 'Demons' in Sanskrit
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How was the unexpected turn of events? Bet you didn't fathom anything like this...
Raja Ram Verma died an unfortunate death, will it go in vain? In three months' time, what can Revati achieve?

Will Revati be able to cope with the tidal wave of emotions or will she let Suruchi take over?
I know so many theories. I'm not sure too. I guess we'll have to learn about it in the next chapter! :)

Vote and comment if you liked the chapter! I love feedbacks...

So long friends! Until next time.

Thank you for reading 💝
-Chinmayi, 14.