❝All I am saying is that there is a reason why the Queen is the most powerful piece on the chessboard and why you need to kill the King to win the game.❞

---

THE sun was barely above the horizon as the night embraced the sky.

Shree and Aziza walked inside the monarch's chambers with a perplexed expression. Aziza's wounds were now properly bandaged and she looked well-rested while Shree's bloated face now looked a bit more relieved now that she had stopped crying.

"You wanted to see us Aki?" Shree voiced, her voice still a bit hoarse.

Akira turned away from the window to face her friends with a solemn expression, "Yes." The queen walked a few steps ahead, her eyes set over her clasped hands, "I wanted to discuss our next plan of action."

Aziza and Shree exchanged a knowing glance before Aziza spoke up, "We assume you have already thought something through?"

Akira looked up from her hands to meet the commander's eyes, "Yes... actually no. Not really, I suppose. I need you opinions before I decide on anything."

"Of course" Shree nodded with a small smile.

"We don't have enough force to protect the palace from further attacks, I assume you both know that." Akira asked and the two girls nodded, "Good."

"Some troops are still in Ekam nagar," The Maharani continued, "Some of them left the castle during attack, some injured, some dead and so on. The point being that we need more people."

Aziza popped her knuckles absent-mindedly, very interested in what the queen had to say, "Go on."

"We need more people and..." she paused, "the truth is, we don't have nearly enough force to protect our kingdom. There's no denying that fact, even a fool can tell when he's about to lose."

"So... what are we supposed to do now?" Shree exchanged a confused glance with the two other girls, "Ask for troops from other kingdoms?"

"God no," Aziza rolled her eyes, easily dismissing the other girl's suggestion, "Asking for help from other kingdoms is what started this mess. Mahapuram is the proof of that."

"Well then what do you suggest Aziza?" Shree asked, her tone harsh, "We don't really have options here. It's not like people would just magically show up to help us."

Aziza responded with the same fierceness, "I know that, but you are suggesting that we give up our kingdom." She scoffed, "I mean after all the stuff we went through to protect this kingdom, you want to give everything up?"

Shree's voice jumped up an octave as she defended her words, "That's not what I am saying at all. It's like you're not listening to me. I simply gave a suggestion, okay."

"A very stupid suggestion." The commander said under her breath.

"You know what?" Shree squinted at the girl in front of her, "You're mad at everything that has been happening and you're taking it out on me, it's not like I have enjoyed the past few days."

Both of them argued back and forth – finally snapping under the circumstances they had encountered in the past days.

"Oh please," Aziza waved her hands vaguely, dismissing Shree's words again, "you suffered the least out of all of us Shree. What exactly have you lost in this whole exchange?"

The curly-haired girl's eyes widened, her eyes yet again on the brink of tears, "Are you kidding me? Do you even think before you talk? I am so sorry I wasn't the one who lost the boy I loved and you did."

Aziza looked at Shree with a threatening gaze, "Wow, seriously Shree? You dared to bring Veer into this? This isn't about him. Honestly what is your probl-"

The queen spoke up, glaring at them as a warning to behave properly, "Enough both of you. We are already in a compromised position and you both are fighting against each other? Is this what we should be doing right now? Having petty fights?"

"I didn't start it anyways, tell her to stop acting like an idiot." Shree crossed her arms, looking away in a huff of annoyance.

"Enough." Akira repeated as she rubbed her temples in exasperation, her words asserting dominance, "Let's focus on the problem at hand. We need people and we have none."

Aziza sighed, "You're right." She glared at Shree with the corner of her eye, "But we're back at square one - what do we do?"

The three girls succumbed to the silence, looking from one place to another as their head churned with ideas.

"I think we're all just really tired," Akira concluded, looking out of the window as the sun dipped below the horizon and the darkness became more prominent. "Let's take a break and rest tonight, alright? I am sure we would figure something out."

Shree turned around and left in an instant, muttering under her breath, "Finally, some peace."

"What is wrong with her?" Aziza muttered, glancing at the door as the advisor left.

Akira clasped her hands, her fingers slowly turning the ring in her middle finger, "She just has a lot on her plate right now, a lot of aftermath to deal with and so do you. It's better if you both just rest for a while."

Aziza nodded before solemnly looking at the ground, "I am sorry for whatever was said about Veer back then, that was wrong. It just happened in the haste of the moment-"

"Aziza," Akira slowly started, "Go rest. It's alright."

The two girls exchange a small smile and the commander left, bidding Akira goodbye.

---

The monarch sat by her window, resting her head on the window sill as the cool breeze caressed her face, whispering sweet nothings to her. She looked out, seeing the moon twinkle in the night sky, looking larger than usual as the stars danced along in its luminescence. It was pretty deep into the night, long enough for people to go to sleep.

"Maharani" Radhika bowed down as she called out for Akira from the threshold.

"Yes?" She motioned the hand maiden to walk in and continue.

"Maharani there is a group of people who have asked to meet you right now – a group of women to be precise."

A loud siren wailed in her head, reminding her how the palace was ambushed the palace a few days ago. "Right now?" Rahdika nodded and the queen muttered, "Very well. I'll look after them. Where are they?"

"They are outside, at the gate, waiting for your permission to let them in."

Akira nodded, "Go wake up Shree and Aziza and the other courtiers. Ask them all to meet me in the courtroom within five minutes. Let three of the leaders of the group in and make sure that everyone is at high guard. I don't want another stunt like before pulled in my presence."

"Ji Maharani." The hand maiden nodded, bowed and left.

---

The courtiers along with the Maharani sat in the throne-room in confused silence. All of them were armed and awake in case something escalated. Everyone was too busy entangled in their own theory about which these people were that they nearly missed when three women were brought in by two of the soldiers.

Akira sat upright, resting her palms of the sides of her throne and eyeing the three people who had just entered, "Who are you?"

"Maharani" All three of them bowed as the one in between talked. She looked about 18 even though her mannerisms felt much mature. She had jet black short hair – reaching just below her ears – and it looked as if it was cut in haste by her. A burn mark was present on her right eye, stretching till her lower cheek causing her eye to open very little and small scar rested on her lip, "My name is Zara. This is Lakshmi." She pointed to a girl behind her – on her right – who looked in her mid-twenties with brown hair put up in a bun.

"And this is Karishma." She pointed to the girl at her left. She looked about her age but still had a soft look to her face unlike Zara. Her black hair was put into two braids.

Akira nodded, "And why are you here?"

"We are here to help." Karishma said, casting a nervous glance at the courtiers as she put her hands in a fist to soothe herself.

"Help? What do you mean?" Shree asked, her eyebrows scrunched together in confusion.

"We want to be involved in the war too." Lakshmi started, her voice sounding sincere and calm in the silence of the night, "We want to fight by your side, against those who are trying to bring our kingdom down."

"And why do you want to help?" Aziza leaned back in her seat, casting a suspicious look over the three women, "I mean it's not a trip to treasure-island after all. It's a war, war means there will be casualties, deaths. Are you so willing to sacrifice your lives for us? Who is to say that you won't turn against us and they aren't part of this planning too?"

"Because we aren't." Zara retaliated harshly, giving Aziza a sneer before turning towards Akira, "Maharani trust us, we aren't part of the planning."

Zara let out a small humorless laugh and her eyes held malice, "You and I both know that women aren't part of this uprising. We have been treated like dirt by them. The rioters would die before they let a woman join their cause."

"Yes but-" Shree started before Lakshmi cut her off.

"You of all people should understand us," Lakshmi said, looking right in the queen's eyes, "You know just how people have been treating us. These attacks are the proof that, they don't want you – a woman – in power." 

"Lakshmi," Akira started calmly, "I do understand your situation but it is quite hard to trust anyone right now."

"Yes," Shree continued, giving the three women a sympathetic smile, "What if the people planning the uprising wanted us to believe you?" 

"One chance. That's all we need. We just need one chance to prove ourselves." Zara's voice broke, pointing to her scar, she said, "My husband, that animal did this to me and I can't sit silenced anymore. I want to fight, not against men, but for my kingdom."

"One chance to prove that we can fight too. Fight like savages if it is to protect something dear to us." Tears welled up in the brink of her eyes, "That's all we need. Please. You need troops and we need a chance."

The girl reminded Akira too much of her young naïve self, the one who wanted nothing more than just a few more years before she was pushed into an unwanted marriage.

Akira looked at Shree and Aziza, exchanging glances as they silently discussed the situation. There was some resistance by Aziza but they finally came to a decision. After some grueling minutes, Akira answered, "Very well. I suppose we are willing to give you a chance. Tomorrow morning, I want all of you in the palace in the training arena."

Zara gave a small smile, pushing back the tears in her eyes as she bowed down, "Ji maharani."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Aziza asked, squinting her eyes as she looked at the door from which the three girls had gone back.

"Only time can answer that question," Akira sighed, slowly tracing the scars on her palms, "Besides, smart people don't kill the dragon Aziza, they ride it. It is only fools who make the mistake of killing a potential ally."

"And are we sure they are the allies we are looking for?" The commander asked again, not meeting the sovereign's eyes as if she was making calculations of her own.

"No," The queen simply answered, still tracing scars that stayed after the years and years of war, "They are not what we were looking for but they are what we need right now." 

"Well let's hope this does not blow up in our faces then." Aziza muttered as she left the throne-room, her actions were quick as if she was trying to run to someone as soon as possible.

"Let's hope." Akira repeated as she sat in her throne, staring at the door through which the rest of the courtiers left. 

'Let's hope.'

---

A/N - Everyone is starting to act a little fishy. Do you think that taking in the girls was a good idea? Or do you think Aziza was right to not add them into the force? The coming chapters are gonna be a heck lot lmao, a lot of revelations and plot twists coming your way :)

Stay evil ♥️
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