The Queen's king |✔️

33. A Queen's duty

Helpless and numb is what Chitra can feel. Why? Just why is Meenamma doing this? Hot tears slipped from her eyes as she thought of Ratan. She is the reason for his death, if she were never bumped into him maybe he would be alive joking around Arjuna. Why did someone have to die for her?

Arjuna, she closed her eyes as she tried to picture his face, was he alright? How would he be dealing with the loss of Ratan? Chitra's guilt amplified, he would never see her face. If anything Arjuna valued and loved his dear ones, will he still be the same with her if he finds out the truth that, it was because of her that Ratan died?

Chitra couldn't believe that Meenamma was involved with these bandits. How can she? They destroyed so many villages and killed everyone mercilessly, why will she help them and moreover why would she betray her? 

They tied her hands up with a rope and once again they were leading to a forest. Chitra knew how worse it could get to walk in a forest barefoot and just to add up to the situation she was not feeling well, her legs ached and her head felt light. Stumbling upon a rock she fell down and the head of bandits made a disapproving sound and roughly pulled her up by her hair and Chitra screamed in pain.

"Baldev! Don't do anything which might slow down our pace." Meenakshi scolded him and slowly walked forward and remained shocked, why was he even listening to her? 

"I feel di-dizzy." Chitra said, trying to stand up but failing again making her drop down to the floor. 

"No way bitch! You walk-" 

"Baldev, set up a tent. We will rest for the night here and feed her something so that it would be easy for us to travel tomorrow." 

Chitra breathed in relief and sat down under a tree rubbing her forehead with her fingers trying to ease the pain, maybe if Arjuna's soldiers had started a search they might catch them. 

"Did you alert Indradas?" Baldev asked one of his men as he picked up two stones and made some fire.

"Yes brother! Abhiras will never see another peaceful morning." 

Chitra's eyes widened listening to that, what do they mean by that? Why was her father involved in this? Baldev laughed as he saw Chitra's expression, he took his sword out and started to sharpen it by burning it in fire.

"Oh so your little brain is trying to pick up some hints?" He looked even more creepy as he laughed, "Don't stress yourself, I will break it down for you."

He placed a small knife on her chin and lifted her head up, he was trying to scare her, Chitra understood. Baldev was over six feet with curly hair falling down his shoulders, his face had huge scars while few looked old but the other few looked fresh. Totally, he looked like the boogie man whom you would describe to your kids whenever they throw a tantrum saying that he might kidnap them. He wanted to terrify her, but she won't give in, so she looked straight in his eyes showing that him or his petty knife can't scare her.

"Your father and Aditya are going to ruin your husband, his kingdom will burnt to ashes even before he does anything. A war will break out tomorrow early in the morning when all the kingdom will be past asleep." 

"That's cowardice! If you want to fight, fight like a warrior! You can't attack a kingdom before sunrise or after sunset-" 

A sharp sting on her cheek almost made her face hit the sand. He slapped her, "Look princess, only I do the talking here!" He screamed in her face.

"But what you are doing is-" 

"I don't care. I set the rules for the war I fight. Your husband will die for sure, then what? How will you live? Will you be able to handle this beauty all by yourself?" He asked with a fake concern as he rubbed her cheek with his filthy fingers. Chitra tried to pull her face back in disgust.