Lilavati was simply wandering the gardens of her palace when three figures strode into the area she was in, as she sat and caressed the red leaves of a plant.

As soon as she recognised the women, she rose and bowed.

The queens Satyabhama, Mitravinda and Nagnajiti had come to her.

"Come, we have no time to waste!" There was laughter in the voice of Satyabhama that reminded Lilavati of the rumbling of the earth.

Mitravinda tossed Lilavati a colourful blur, and she caught it, nearly missing it. When she looked questioningly at the women, Nagnajiti laughed as well.

"Lilavati may have been forbidden from leaving this palace, but Arunaa is not! Hurry! Go change and meet us here!"

Still confused by the turn of events, she obeyed Nagnajiti and rushed into a room. Unfolding the bundle that the princess of Avanti had tossed to her, she saw a red cloth, of a coarser texture than what she was used to wearing in the palace but was quite used to during her previous years. Quickly changing into a saari, she then came out.

The wives of Krishna gave her a quick once-over, and then Nagnajiti pulled a cloth over her head, hiding Lilavati's features from direct view.

While she was doing this, she must have noticed the confusion on Lilavati's face, and she whispered, "We're taking you out to see Dvaravati properly, Lila. We sisters thought it would be a nice experience for you to see how the kingdom is run."

Lilavati nodded then, and followed the three queens as they began walking. She adjusted the makeshift hood around until it was comfortable enough but did not let others recognise her unless they got upfront into her line of view.

Her awe that filled her to the brim was just the same every single time she saw the city of gates, as they passed by temples, fields, buildings and people walking by. She noticed the people recognising their queens and joining their hands to greet them, some merchants calling out their fares in the background. She also noticed the curious gazes of the people on her form, but Lilavati kept her head down so as to not let others know of who she truly was.

"Maharaaniyon!" They were stopped by the call of a man who sat on a bullock cart.

"Yes?" Mitravinda asked, even as Nagnajiti drew Lilavati closer to her by her hand as though she was a child, but Lilavati found that she did not mind it, but rather the opposite.

"I know my bullock cart may not be as fine as the palanquins you travel in, my queens, but I still wish to be able to serve your lotus feet by you travelling in my cart, wherever you wish to go," said the man humbly, head bowed and hands folded.

Satyabhama smiled gently as a mother would to their child, and raised the man from his bowed position.

"We thank you for the offer, Arya, but where we travel is not too far from here. We will manage."

The man bowed, slight disappointment glimmering in his eyes but his devotion to the queens shone more prominently.

Lilavati did not know what to think of the gesture, stunned as she was at the devotion the queens—her elder sisters—commanded. And yet they were so modest.

Just like Natha, said a voice in the back of her head.

Of course they'd be just like him, they are his Sahadharminis, and they are one.

They continued on, and soon, amidst the reddening rays of the sky and the sun as he lowered to the other horizon, they walked a few secret paths to enter a clearing.

Lilavati raised her head to take in the sight.

Twelve thrones were placed in such a way that they appeared in a semi-circular formation around a raised platform. The trees waved in the wind in the dying rays of the sun, and a few torches burned, women who appeared to have been trained as soldiers standing behind the thrones, a sword sitting proudly in its scabbard on their hips. There was a vast gathering of women.

Three of her husband's other wives were already seated on the thrones, and through the firelight flickering on their faces, she made out that they were Kalindi, Lakshmanaa and Bhadra.

Bhadra looked up to them, and a smile graced her golden countenance.

"Come, come, Bhaginyaha!"

As they walked towards the thrones, Lilavati whispered to Nagnajiti, "Jiji, where are we?"

Nagnajiti smiled, a slight mischievous tint to it. "You look around and tell me, Lila."

The other queens sat on their seats, and Lilavati remained standing near Nagnajiti, refusing to leave her side even when she was offered a seat.

Her keen eyes took in the scene.

"Who's next?" called Satyabhama.

A woman with a trembling frame slowly walked forward, after a lot of coaxing from the crowd. As she came into the firelight and Lilavati could observe her properly, she was shocked to notice bruises—some a few days old—blossoming on the woman's arms.

It was clear that the queens noticed this, as their gazes darted to one another.

The woman remained silent, clearly having put in a huge effort to remain there and not fall to her knees or flee from the spotlight.

"Aryae, what is the matter?" Lakshmanaa asked, her voice soft with noticed effort.

The woman opened her mouth, but then her gaze darted from side to side and her head dropped as she dabbed furiously at her eyes.

"Aryae, we cannot help you unless you tell us what the matter is." The gentle but firm voice of Kalindi cut through the silence.

After a few minutes wherein the woman fought to control her tears and speak properly, she took a deep unsteady breath and spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Maharaani, a couple days ago... I was—I was going to the market, when I heard a couple of men catcalling—catcalling me. They were yelling obscene comments, and I turned to them to yell at them but then they—"

As the woman described the event in a shaky voice, often having to pause because she was running out of breath or to stop her voice from getting too choked with her tears, a different kind of anger rose within Lilavati. It felt almost... righteous and indignant.

It was evident that she was not the only one unaffected by the woman's tale. Angry murmurs were breaking out amongst the crowd of women, and her husband's wives were too sharing furious glances, occasionally having one to lay a calming hand on the other's, as some sort of aura flared around them.

The earth rumbled.

"Bhama Jiji..." soothed Bhadra.

The woman fell silent.

When they had collected themselves, Lakshmanaa rose to her feet and stopped a short distance in front of the woman. Seeking permission to touch her, and with a shaky nod from the woman, Lakshmanaa rested a hand on her arm.

"This... this is why we started the women's council, my ladies," Lakshmanaa's voice shook with suppressed anger. "So that if any of us women were wronged, we would be able to support you in any manner. We women face more injustices than the men, and here in Dvaravati it is imperative that you receive justice for what you have been wronged."

She addressed the woman, her demeanour changing instantly to a motherly one.

"You have done a brave deed, my dear. I promise you, your perpetrators will be punished. Even if I have to speak to Kanha about it. And you need not fear, we will ensure your justice."

As the proceedings continued, it dawned on Lilavati what this council truly was. She knew that in most kingdoms—not only of Aryavarta but even the other empires—women were often looked down upon and ill-treated. And she herself had experienced it a couple of times.

She knew her husband was a major supporter of women's rights, but she could also see how women sometimes might have been afraid to approach Krishna about any injustice done to them. That must have been why her husband's wives started this women's only council, apparently unknown to most of the men in the kingdom, only known to the highest-ranking royals and then only those that could be trusted.

But it was common knowledge to all the women and girl children in Dvaraka. It truly was an ingenious system.

Nagnajiti was regarding her with a knowing smile.

"Every single woman who approaches the council is always ensured their justice or whatever they ask of us. If the men will not stand up for us, then we must do so ourselves, Lila, and who better than us queens to start it?"

Lilavati nodded in affirmation.

Her mind went back to the anger she had felt on behalf of the woman. It was different from whatever she was used to that lived under her skin—the anger that made her kill. Maybe one day she too could help the other women—those less fortunate than her, and give back to the society that she had wronged so badly.

That emotion made a feeling of hope flutter within her.

Perhaps she could still live a worthwhile life.

Perhaps she could still be redeemed.