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The text in italic is a flashback.

"She has locked herself in that tent since last 9 days. This is getting out of hand, you stupid young man."

"She is mourning her father. "
The old twitched in dismay. He was not happening with his surroundings. They were supposed to travel towards their destination few days ago. Time was slipping from their hands.

"This is not easy for her. It will be easy for us but for her it's not. And you both didn't thought about your stupid plan before kidnapping both of us" Meglos snapped. The old man rolled his eyes, he was so done with this conversation. This stupid man complained about his kidnapping every second he got.

"Can you stop whining like a kid, Meglos" Meglos glared at the man, the stupid man he called friend.

"My head still hurts. What on earth you put in that smoke. "

"It has been 9 days. The effect of the smoke is over. Shut your mouth and try to talk to that annoying princess"

"OH! Now I should talk to her. Weren't you the one to tell her that her father is dead and you guys need her to fulfill your selfish desires" He ranted in vexation.

"Shut up boy, you don't understand anything. We have crossed many obstacles to get here. If one thing goes wrong then thousands of lives will be effected. She needs to understand the severity of this moment. "

"I will talk to her" Meglos looked at his friend who dashed out of the room.

"Well may heavens bless you, dear loki" He muttered.

The old man followed loki not before throwing a glare at meglos.

The tent standing in the middle of the military cult appeared deserted. The air surrounding the tent was tensed. The wind blew harshly reminding the emptiness of the soul who left this earth. One can easily understand that the sorrow descending from the heart of a daughter. The brass lamp illuminating outside the tent itself looked lost in darkness. There was a beauty in the night but the satisfaction and calmness was long lost. This was same story since last 9 days.

"Loki. You- You kidnapped me. " A confused Tanirika whispered founding herself in the middle of a made bed. She was utterly confused with her surroundings.

"Hello daughter" Another gruff voice piped in from behind making Tanirika snap her eyes at the intruder.

Her eyes narrowed in realization after remembering the significance of the man standing infront of her.

"I think you gave this to him. " The old man forwarded a royal seal towards her.

"The kingdom of jagnya is closer to the kingdom of Hareshgarh, Hareshgarh is ruled by my grandfather from my mother's side. If anything goes wrong which I know won't. But still for your safety, Loki I want you to have this seal. This is the royal seal that belonged to my late mother, The Queen of Asaka and the daughter of the king who sits on the throne of Hareshgarh. My grandfather knows that this belongs to me. "

"Nanasa" She whispered. A ghost of smile appeared on the old man's face.

"You remember me, my child"

"How can I forget you? Last time we met you were sewing seeds of hatred towards my father in my heart" she said venomously.

"And still you trusted your friend's safety by me"

"You could never betray family. And I am your only family. Not that you consider my father your family "

"Well it's right that now you are only my family and I am yours"

"I don't understand your rubbish statements"

"You got that authoritive arrogance a Queen must have. No doubt he sacrificed himself for you"

"Who sacrificed? Be clear in your sentences nanasa"

(Nanasa- Mother's father)

"Your father is dead tanirika" Loki stated with no emotion visible on his face.

Tanirika felt her world stopping around her. Her breathe became uneven as she stared at her friend to laugh and say this is a joke.

"Why are you not laughing?" She whispered.

"Tanirika" He sighed shaking his head.

"You always tease me. And you are teasing me now too, right. My grandfather is affecting you. All his life he wanted my father dead " She screamed as tears fell from her eyes.

" your friend is stating the truth, my child"

"I am not your child. Get out of here. Get out. Both of you. Oh my God! Oh my God! No! No no maa Ambe!!! " her breathing turned even as she cried profusely. She cupped her mouth in a tight grip shaking the negative thoughts away.

"Tani" loki whispered taking a step towards her.

"Meglos! I don't trust you. Where is meglos? What did you do to him!!!! You both have lost your mind. You both kidnapped me . You loki kidnapped your own friend. And you expect me to believe. " She laughed with tears falling down her eyes.

"We needed to keep you safe, Tani. It was necessary "

"And this your stupid lie is necessary lie too. Right?"  She screamed.

"No, my child"

"You !I am not talking to you" She screamed throwing the nearby vase on the ground.

"Loki! Please stop this act. This hurts. Not my baba. Not my baba. Where's meglos. I want him. He will make you understand you are lying. My baba can't leave me. Don't you understand. Not my baba. No no. No ma. No baba. Alone Tanirika. No no .this can't happen. "She kept moving back until her body gave up and she fell limp on the ground.

Loki caught her vulnerable self in his arms. He caressed her face before muttering an apology.

He entered the tent with a stoic expression which soon turned into a sympathetic one. Tanirika was lying like a dead woman on one of the ends of the bed. The silence prevailing in the tent haunted him. He detected a hollowness around her. And her this sight scared him.

"Tani"

"Tani"

"Tani why are you not eating anything. Your father did not want this" a lone of tear dropped from her closed eyes after hearing about her father.

"I am an orphan, loki" She whispered. Loki felt a pinch of hurt in his heart. Orphan that word was engraved in his heart since birth.

"Tani! It's been nine days. You need to gather yourself"

"I can't. I cant" She cried stuffing her face in one of the pillows. Meglos entered the tent. Loki signaled him to talk to which he shook his head negatively.

"Tanirika. Look you wanted to meet meglos right! Look here He is" Tanirika shifted her face little away from the pillow and glanced eith her red puffy eyes towards meglos who tried to smile at her.

"You are OK meglos. You are alive"

"I am ok Tanirika. I am ok and you need to be ok too. This is not you. " He walked towards her and sat beside her.

"I don't want to be ok. I am not ok. I don't feel him around me. I want him meglos. I want him" She cried holding his hands.

"Your father never wanted this Tanirika. "

"You know alot about my father. " she snapped with hatred at loki.

"I do because i saw that man sacrificing himself for a woman like you" he fired ruthlessly.

"LOKI" Meglos warned.

"No! You all underestimate me the moment I turn sweet. No one like sweet Loki then let me the one who does not care. because this woman is not the woman that dying man described as. He left everything for this pathetic woman. Here, you and me die to get a single parent caress and these people whose parents die for them waste their opportunities and allow the sacrifice to go in vain. I always thought you were stronger Tani! No but you are not. In your mourning state remember now you have only lost your father if you do not gather yourself then slowly slowly you will loose everyone you love and in rightful manner turn into an orphan. Because an orphan is not someone who has lost both of their parents. A orphan is someone who have no one that cares about them. No one who gives shit about them. Death is inevitable. But holing someone'd death to drive others to death is a suicide attempt. we will start our journey towards your kingdom tomorrow. I expect you to drop this and Be a Queen. A true QUEEN. Your throne awaits for your Ranisa"

"You should have not talked to her like that" The old king of Hareshghar poured his worries.

"We will loose everything if she does not stands up"

"Ionia has written back to us." Meglos informed entering the tent hurriedly.

Loki took the letter and placed it on the fire. Letters started appearing on the worn out sheet of paper. 

"Shamsherkhan has betrayed Zravasaya. He has been fighting an army 2 times bigger than him since last  three days. Jagnya and the other kingdom Kuretwar is backing shamsherkhan. This is worrisome. Before king of Jagnya gets hold of the army of Asaka Tanirika needs to claim the throne. "

"Zravasaya is stronger. He could handle this" Meglos added.

"This is not about who could handle it, boy. This is about how many days it could be handled. Asaka is one of the biggest kingdom residing in Hind. If Asaka charges upon Rakshatra then no one can stop the river of blood to indulge the hold hind in its hold. And with the cult of soldiers available on Rakshatra's side its a point where we should be worried."

It was worrisome as Rakshatra only took a small cult of soldiers to fight against Jagnya. Because this was never Zravasaya's war it was Shamsherkhan's who he decided to help. One wrong step which could result in the downfall of Rakshatra. The unashamed behavior and plan Shamsherkhan played was against the rules of war and one of the greatest betrayal a soldier could do to another soldier. 

"King of Jagnya will take help from other kingdoms who oppose Rakshatra. These small coward kingdoms needed a chance to plan the downfall of Rakshatra. And Asaka is closer to the battle ground than Rakshatra. We could not use our army. "

" I will inform tani" Meglos piped in dashing out of the tent.

"We need to start our journey right now. Things need to be under control. " Loki commanded.

"Tanirika stood near the little window her tent held staring at the moon. There were no stars around the moon that night. Her reviere was broken by the sudden hustle bustle of soldiers who started running here and there. A distraught meglos entered the tent unannounced making her jump in anxiety. She glanced at the worried face and understood one thing something was not right.

"Tani we need to leave now. For Zravasaya you need to gather yourself"

"What is going on? " Her voice came out rough due to excess amount of crying.

"He is fighting against an army 2 times larger than him. Shamsherkhan has betrayed us"

"I always knew that man was a serpent. The man who cannot be of his family will never be loyal to anyone else"

"And yet you are here doing nothing" A annoyed loki snapped entering the tent.

"Loki enough" Meglos warned. 

"Tell me everything. We cannot run and achieve things instantly." Tanirika whispered wrapping her shawl tightly around her.

"We do not have time"

"Time is sufficient if we use it smartly, Master loki" Tanrika commanded moving towards the other military tent who had war supplies.

Meglos smirked looking at loki who threw an annoyed glance at him.

"Master loki" Meglos teased.

Tanirika entered the tent followed by the other two and her Nansa. Meglos opened the map and placed on the Center table lying in the middle of the tent. 

"Start with the beginning, Loki"  She replied with a unsteady quavered voice. The little support she gathered to walk into this room to fulfill her duties was wavering. She had no idea till when she could handle herself.  The spark once her eyes possessed appeared to be lost in the sea of darkness. She had an uncomfortable haunting look in her orbs which if ignited could dangerously affect and demolish everyone who tried to intervene. She looked like a fiery goddess who could swallow everyone with one soul-stirring glimpse.

Once blossoming laternfly appeared like a dead insect which no longer ignited the light but  burned her surroundings in the fire of emptiness.

Next update will be late. I have a busy week ahead 💖
Love Aditi