A/N-I'm baaack. With another Character Drabbles for you all! Isn't this just so exciting? Anyways, absolutely nobody asked for this, and yet I still deliver! You know why? Because I just like building up suspense for a new chapter with another chapter! Wooh! You never knew suspense could be so fun!

Kaushalya "The Kind"

She stood next to Sumant as the king and his new wife rode into the city. She was Kaushlaya, the first, and the chief, queen of Kosala and of Dasharath. Sumant stood next to her, glancing at her for a moment sadly, and that one glance told her everything. He loved this new queen more than her. At least, it seemed that way.

Kaushalya had first fallen in love with the king when she had met him even once. She had walked up to him, a young king, in the gardens of her father. "Are you alright?" she asked kindly, and when he looked up, she was enamoured by his handsome face, good looks, and proud demeanour. But he had had no immediate admiration for her as she had of him. He had scowled at her, crossed his arms, and looked away.

"Go away, girl." he spat. "You're just like the rest of them, you want me for my kingdom." Kaushalya was taken aback. Here he had been, kind and ever approachable, to her father, and now he was behaving rudely towards her? Kaushalya had not taken this to heart, however. She didn't walk away from rude people who obviously needed some kindness in their lives. It just wasn't done, it wasn't right, in her mind, and she was determined to let him know that there were people out there who did not just love him for his kingdom.

"Would you like some apples?" she asked, having walked up to him under the orange tree a few days later, and finding that he had a pinched face at how sour they were. "They are sweet, you see. Our oranges have not finished growing, you know? You might have to stay a bit longer to sample them, but I can still offer you an apple, if you wish?" Dasharath turned towards her, still frowning.

" I need no playful kindness! I need no pity! Stop being so picky and so nosy! I can see you for what you are, and that's a gold-digger! Leave!" he had waved her off, but Kaushalya jutted her chin out, calmly picked an orange, and placed it in her basket, before cheerily bidding him good day and good life as she walked away, nose higher. She could feel his curious gaze lingering on the back of her head.

"The annual food-giving ceremony is happening today," she suggested meekly, blushing a little bit. The king's head darted up, and he gave a noncommittal grunt. "Well," she continued disappointedly, knowing his stubbornness firsthand, "If you do change your mind, we will be in the courtyard. Otherwise, please enjoy your last days here. Father enjoys your company." Sniffling, she stepped away.

She leaned down and put some rice on an elderly woman's banana leaf plate. The woman put her hand on her head, giving Kaushalya her blessings. Kaushalya turned around, and slammed right into Dasharath, who stood behind her, eyes softened, mouth agape, and wiping away a tear. "I-Will you marry me?" he asked, grasping her hand.

Kaushalya was quickly brought back to reality as Dasharath stepped off of the carriage, tightly gripping the hand of a young princess. With a pang, Kaushalya realized that she was younger and most beautiful, leaner and skinnier, than her. She had radiant golden skin and long hair and doe-like eyes. Eyes that conveyed her emotions, eyes that lingered upon her in fear and unfamiliarity. And somewhere, Kaushalya felt her heart stir. "Kaushalya," said Dasharath calmly. "This is Kaikeyi." Kaushalya could feel in the depths of his calm voice, some fear as well. She knew Dasharath well, better than anyone ever would.

She walked forward in large paces and the princess seemed to shrink back into herself, grasping her hands together. "Welcome!" she cried, wrapping her arms around the woman, and squeezing her tightly and warmly. "I'm so glad to welcome you to Ayodhya! I've never had a sister before, oh this is going to be so fun! Finally, a companion other than Dasharath. Men don't understand anything," she snorted, and kindly gripped the hand of the young woman. And she smiled, Kaikeyi smiled, as Dasharath breathed a sigh of relief.

Kaushalya soon found that there was another person to direct her kindness to; her son. Her son had inherited all of it, Dasharath joked. He was good to everyone he knew. Kaushalya sometimes fancied that she herself had taught him that, all jokes aside. And it was the truth. The kindness and acceptance Kaushalya knew and tried to teach to everybody had spread to her own son, and the world was all the better for it.

Now Urmila stared at her, eyes pleading. "But didn't it turn out terribly, that kindness you showed to Rani Kaikeyi? She spat it back in your face, she thought it was all a hoax! That kindness, the effort you had to take, it was all a waste of time! She banished away your son and practically murdered your husband, the two people you loved the most in your life! How can you still forgive her, Maa?"

Kaushalya tugged on her white saris and sighed. "Besides, Maa. The kindness you showed Papa was also forfeit, was it not? He married two others, he left you behind, didn't he? How are you so forgiving Maa? Even Shrutakirti, the most forgiving person I know, gives Maa Kaikeyi an evil eye whenever she walks down the hallways! So how can you? Tell me please!" Kaushalya sighed again, wishing she had an answer. But she didn't. She really, truly didn't.

It was her faith in god that eventually she would see the world basking in good will and good nature, that kept her going. It was an unrealistic hope, yes, with Ram gone. But hoping for any good at all was impossible when Ram was gone. The world was bleak when Ram was gone. But she knew that he was spreading her kindness and good teachings around the jungle, that he was making sure her teachings were not forgotten. And so Kaushalya sniffled, looking up at the sky.

"The world has had enough accusations. It has had enough hatred. It has enough bitterness. I do not need to add to that number for it to be a horrendous one, Urmila. I think not of how to forgive her, because I am still a little bitter over the banishment of my sons and the death of my husband. But I do not wish worse for the world, dear. No, I want it to thrive. I have not forgiven Kaikeyi, but I will." she took a deep breath, and turned away.

"I will forgive her in the end."

A/N- This is based on a simple line titled "Kaushalya's kindness". And I just beamed so widely at that. I suppose she is kind like no other. She might even be the kindest out of all three queens! Yes, that is her title. Kind and elegant. I don't know how to feel about this one. Out of all the character drabbles I have written, I think this would be pretty high compared to some, (like Mandavi's, which really, really sucked), but is absolutely nothing compared to others, (ahem-Sumitra-ahem).

Sumant "The Steady"

Sumant had seen everything.

Ever since Dasharath could remember, Sumant was there. Sumant always considered it his duty to be wherever the king was, and so there he was, up and early, every single day. He had always been offered early retirement, pension for the rest of his life for his loyalty, but Sumant always declined, every single time the king asked. It was his source of happiness, to serve the king. He had been his father's adviser's son. Now he was the adviser to Dasharath. He had helped him through the good and the bad, and the everythings in between.

He had been there when the king had married, for the very first time, with the pureness of first love. He had seen the newly husband of a young king that he was, and was glad that he could share that joy. He knew that the son of Raja Aja had found his wife, his new queen and a competent one at that. She was elegant, and kind, and everything a queen should be. She was a true Maharani. But he had also seen her sadness, her destruction, her knowledge that there would soon be another.

Sumant had been there when the king could not conceive with Kaushalya. He sat with the distraught queen. "Will he marry another?" she asked with a quavering voice as they sat on their separate thrones, barred from each other's direct view by a thin veil. "I know he will. Maybe he thinks that I cannot conceive, that I am barren! Maybe he thinks that I am useless when I cannot provide him with an heir." She put the sari to her face. "And I am! Useless!"

Sumant immediately stopped her. "No, My queen. You would never be useless. If you ask me, I do not think that you are barren. I think that god has made some sort of divine intervention, and only up till that time, you will be barren, unable to conceive. Let him marry another, my queen! Let him! You will always be his first love, and if god wishes so, he would not be able to have a male heir even after he marries hundreds of times! But you will always be the chief queen." And Kaushalya had smiled at him.

Sumant had been there when Kaikeyi had arrived, in all of her glory, in all of her countenance. She was younger, more beautiful, and it was he that had to convey to Kaushalya, through a glance, that the Raja had found a new love. He had seen how the Raja had made her his favorite. He had seen the gold, the celebration, the dhamaka with which she arrived. He had seen how much the Raja gifted her, anything she wanted! She had more gold than all the royal family combined, perhaps! All the servants she needed!

But she too was barren, and Sumant often spotted Kaushalya smiling at him with a tiny grin. Dasharath would now surely stop his marriage tirade. Now he would give his queens equality. He would not break the heart of another princess. He would understand that it was god's will that he should not have a son right then, perhaps much later. But Sumant was wrong, and he knew that from the tear stained faces of Kaushalya and Kaikeyi once they had come out of the throne room after a fierce talk. Sumant had had to see both of them know that once again, they would be wrenched away from their beloved. Sumant had to see them fight tooth and nail, and Sumant had to see them lose.

There was now a third. And then there was the arrival of Sumitra. She was plump and pretty, slightly older than Kaikeyi, with long curly hair. Her arrival was not as loud and large as Kaikeyi's. She was not the chief queen, nor the favorite, but she always walked around with a smile. She was a threat to no one, rather a warm-hearted friend. But Sumant had been there with the lamenting Dasharath, as he stopped his feet and clutched his hair and tore open his beard, and screamed at his horrible luck and destiny to end the Raghu-Ikshvaku-Suryavanshi clan himself.

"Sire, the time is now," Sumant murmured, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You will have a son, I know you will. Do as the Raj Guru says. Do a yagna, with Rishi Rishyaringa. I feel it in my weary bones, my warm spirit. You will have not just one son, but many! Do as he says, for he is wise!" And Dasharath had sorrowfully followed through, and received not just one, but four sons. So yes, Sumant had been there to see the brith.

He had seen the radiance on Ram's face. He had seen the kindness on Bharat's. He had seen the loyalty on Lakshman's. He had seen the quiet resignation on Shatrughan's. And he knew they were destined for something great, right when they were tiny infants. He saw Ayodhya celebrate, he saw them rejoice. And then, time passed by again, so quickly. Like all times spent doing good things did.

Sumant had seen the princes grow up. He had seen Ram master the art of archery, he had seen Bharat paint on canvas like a maestro, he had seen Lakshman felling every enemy, he had seen the quiet eye for detail of Shatrughan's. He just watched with joy swelling in his heart as they grew, and then they married. And then they married.

Sumant had been there with Dasharath when he had decided that Ram was to be king. He had rejoiced with him. He was the one that had told the queens of the good news. He had sobbed with Kaushalya, danced with Kaikeyi, beamed and joked with Sumitra. He had hugged Ram, blessed an eager Lakshman, and had just begun to sit back again when the unthinkable happened.

Did he ever say that he had seen it all in Ayodhya? For he had. Sumant was there when Kaikeyi took her two boons angrily, he had seen the slow process of Yama sucking the life out of Dasharath. Death by sorror. Death by separation. Sumant was there when Ram took the final blessings of his father. Sumant was there to see the beautiful Sita, who should be decked out in pearls and peacock feathers and jewels and silks, he was there to see her in modest clothing of commoner women. He had seen Sumitra and her son hugging each other, and he had seen her knowing that perhaps he would not return.

Now he had seen the entire family broken at the news of Sita's kidnapping. "You have seen the birth of my sons, you have seen their marriages, you have seen Ayodhya's lament," sniffled Kaushalya. "You have seen it all, haven't you Sumant?" And the entire family turned their heads to closely observe the man, often forgotten, that had always stood there. Whenever he wasn't there, something felt different. It was just so wrong to have no Sumant.

Sumant was always there, quietly observing. He was always there in case anybody needed anything. He was easily the most experienced courtier. He was never absent, not even for a day, not for his birthday, his daughter's birthday, the best of days. Sumant was steady. Sumant was there. There was no normalcy without him.

"I wouldn't say that so quickly madam," Sumant smiled sadly, his grey mustache curving up. "For every time I do, I see something new. When I first said it, the princes were born. Then they were married. Then I had seen Ram about to be coronated. Then Rani Kaikeyi took her boons. I saw the three of them wearing something I never thought I would see them in, peasant's clothes! People that were born and brought up with gold and jewels, now wearing simple folk's clothing? Well, it was a disgrace that I was the king's adviser, I was incompetent at the moment!"

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and opened them again. "But I know I will see Ayodhya happy again. I know I will see this city from where I have never once stepped foot out of, I will see it prosper again." he took a deep breath, and walked forward. "I know I will see you all young again, back in the good times. I will see the palace lit with lanterns, and none of you will be wearing bleak colors or small amounts of jewelry, and none of you would be crying." he rubbed his hands together as if feeling cold.

"I will see the return of the brave Soumitri." Sumitra took a deep, shuddery breath, her hands trembling again, for she knew that was not guaranteed, though Sumant had said it. "If only in spirit. I will see the return of Sita, beautiful and young as ever. I will see the return of Raja Ram, not Yuvraj, Raja, Ram. And he will be just as handsome, just as able, just as capable, as he was before, only perhaps having killed more demons than before." His hands trembled as he clasped them together. "I will always be here for the family of Ayodhya, through your good and bad. Though the times may be rough and unstable, I will be steady. Standing in the background. Waiting for the good times to come again." His head bowed.

"I will be waiting with you. I will be there with you. I will be watching with you. I will be feeling with you. I will be there to support you, to advise you as I was unable to advise the king in the times of his most difficult. I will be there. Through all your troubles. Always."

A/N-Yay! Thank you to all of the good wishes! I wrote a part 4 Character Drabbles! Again, this one only has 2 characters, but both of the interpretations were quite long, so yay? I don't know your perspective, so I won't say anything. The last one was quite a disappointment (especially for Mandavi). As always, ask for a part 5 if you want one!

Hehe, I do keep my suspense well, don't I? l:) I mean, other authors just don't post! I do, but it's not the chapter that you want! I'd say it's an upgrade, don't you? Besides, I'm not that excited to write about Kaikeyi and Manthara. Frankly, I don't want the playfulness to end. But sadly...it will.