The darkness that filled the room held an air of evil, one that promised destruction tonight.

Maybe an end, but whose? That remained to be known.

Sehdev could feel it in the heaviness that cloaked the room tonight, something was amiss.

No, not amiss.

Something was horribly wrong.

His skin felt to tight on his frame, there was tension in his body that hadn't been an hour ago.

Restlessness seeped in his bones.

He didn't know how to explain it, but there was really heavy feeling in his gut.

"Sehdev."

His oldest brother's concerned voice had the youngest prince turning, like always Yudhisthir didn't need to see his face or words to know that something was wrong with his siblings.

The man was more intuned with his brothers, than anybody else.

Like a parent always checking in on them.

"What is it?"

Sehdev looked at him for a minute, uncertain how to answer.

A thousand emotions flickering through him, he found almost impossible to keep up with.

Because realistically nothing was out of order. And yet, everything felt horribly wrong.

"I don't know. But there is a restlessness in my heart. Maybe it's nothing. . ."

"In past years if I have learned something, than it is to always trust your intuitions."

The trust that his brothers had in him, always made the youngest prince a bit nervous and today was no different.

He gazed at his oldest sibling uncertain how to word the emotions roiling in his heart.

"But everything seems fine."

The youngest born of Pandu added.

"For now." Yudhisthir's words settled like a heavy weight in the pit of his stomach.

That feeling of foreboding squeezed his heart sharply. Sinking its ugly talons deep enough to bleed.

"Where is Drau?"

The panic that rang through Yudhisthir's words, had Sehdev's heart beating rapidly with anxiety.

They marched out of the armory where they had been planning their next move.

But at this moment, getting to the woman they love was momentous.

Two minutes had never seemed so long, as they had in that one walk.

Dear punched their stomach, knocking the air out.

But when her smiling face greeted the duo in the art room, their hearts eased.

The anxiety that circled like dark clouds over their heads vanished.

There she sat with Arjun and Bheem painting a swan, her beautiful eyes tracing the lines of the peacock quill, while she drew.

She was too lost in her art to notice their arrival.

Nakul leaned into her, whispering in her ear as he guided her hand, helping her draw.

Her cheeks were flushed in a beautiful shade of pink.

Across the room the second and the third prince of Hastinapur looked up, their gazes locking with their brothers.

They stood, leaving the first son Madri with Drau, before walking across the room to the duo.

"What is it?"

The second and third sons of Kunti asked, their voices barely above whisper, not wishing to disturb their beautiful girl and brother.

"I am not certain-"

A startled scream pierced through Draupadi's lips, their head snapped towards her.

Protectiveness roaring through the five, like a sharp thunder that struck their heart.

Terrified eyes gazed at the arrow that was embedded in the painting.

Nakul's arms were tightly wrapped around his wife, hugging her close to his chest as soldiers marched in the room.

Their hackles rose, the Pandavas gazed at each other. Their years of training as soldiers kicked in, as they stood taller, and surrounded Drau, who looked utterly confused and scared.

Their heart gave a sharp thump, while they gazed at the danger ahead.

"What is the meaning of this?!"

Yudhishthir's words were unnaturally calm, gazing at the men around, who stood pointing their weapons at them.

At their wife.

And that was unacceptable.

There were a lot of things Yudhisthir could tolerate, but putting his wife in danger was not one of those.

His hands fisted at his sides, jaws clenched. As his gaze swung from first person to the next, calculating their next move.

Fury thrummed in his veins, like a mighty storm of fire that threatened to burn down every last one of the men who had dared endanger his girl.

"Traitors have no right to ask questions here."

The thunderous voice of the Prince of Viratgadh filled the place, just as the man himself walked in.

His usually calm face was morphed into something ugly. There was a glint of malicious glee in his usually dull orbs that had the oldest pandav turning to him.

"Bhraata, I think there is some misunderstanding." Fear traced every word that uttered his wife, he could feel her confusion.

Yudhishthir wanted to pull her in his arms, away from all the hell that he knew was about to break loose.

The prince had found who they were, he wasn't sure how. But it was clear from the hostile expressions and fury that charged through the air.

"Dhriti, come here." Druveda growled, not answering her question, his fingers tightened on his rich purple angvastra, giving away the anger that burned with a vengeance in his heart.

"But bhraata-" "Drag her here!' The prince's patience snapped, his loud voice roaring through the place. A soldier prowled ahead, his features morphing into something disgusting.

He reached out to wrap his fingers around Yudhisthir's wife, ready to tug her.

The frail thread of patience that Bheem was holding onto snapped, his hand wrapped around the man's neck, who dared to reach for his wife, he lifted the man high up in his arms like he was nothing but a frail stick, and brought him to his eye level.

The soldier struggled, kicking his feet in air, his face turned at least three shades of purple, as his oxygen supply was cut.

"Don't you dare touch her." Menace laced through his words, his rumbling growl sounded animalistic and nothing like the soft man who cooed to Drau.

The princess looked at the man ahead of her, the one whom she had assumed was her friend, her soft spoken friend who always cracked silly jokes and made her laugh. But this wasn't him.

He looked feral, seconds away from slaughtering her people and her brother.

Her heart thrummed with terror as she took a step back.

The innocent soldier who had just been listening to her older brother's command, was turning unnaturally pale.

"Let him go!"

She whimpered, confusion weaving with each of her words. There has been a mistake.

A horrible misunderstanding between her brother and her friends.

Bheem's head snapped towards her, and his fingers went lax, letting the man drop on the floor in the fits of cough, the man shuddered breathing in greedily.

But, all she could see were the eyes of the third son of Kunti, that suddenly had a pain and fear.

She was confused, why did he look like that? What had he ever done?

"This is what I'm trying to tell you, you trusting fool." Her brother growled, his hate filled dark orbs gazing at her, like she was nothing but dirt under his feet.

"This are the princes of Hastinapur and not your damn bodyguards. They have infiltrated our palace."

She staggered back, her sibling's accusatory words knocking the breath out of her chest.

Her eyes flicked from one face to another, pleading to them silently, to deny every accusations.

But there was stony silence on the ends of the five.

Her heart thrummed with a deep pain, betrayal flayed down to her soul.

"Is this true?" She whispered, her throat clogging with all sorts of emotions, as she looked Yudhisthir straight in the eyes.

He never lied.

She knew that.

"Yes." The prince replied, combating her heart in a blaze.

She staggered back, just as a hand wrapped around her elbow pulling her back.

"Now if you are done, I would like to take these bastards in my custody."

Hissed her brother, before tugging her back roughly, just as men swarmed the five, locking heavy shackles around their wrists.

The five gazed at her, they wanted to shout their truth at her, but currently they were surrounded by enemy, and their heart was literally in the enemy's hand, looking so lost and broken.

The fact that she thought that they had betrayed her, pained their heart, but it was for her good.

As long as they believed she was harmless, she was safe.

They would find a way to escape and get their bride back.

Now, the situation demanded they lay low and calm.

"You take care."

Arjun whispered softly, just as they were tugged out of the room, and dragged them down the corridors.

The cogs in their minds worked, trying to find a way out of the soup that they have found themselves in.

What worried them the most was their wife and her safety. Now that she didn't have them, what would happen to her?

Their instincts sharpened, they noted that they were not being taken to the lock ups, but were being forced in a carriage.

The five didn't speak a word.

"The mighty five soldiers are going to have such pathetic death, who knew."

One soldier jested as he took the reigns of the horses, jostling the carriage.

"They did mess with the wrong people after all. Plus, it's sad that one of their family member wants them dead so desperately." Another added candidly.

The five exchanged glances, their hackles suddenly rising, eager to know the name of the bastard who had betrayed them.

Who could it be?

One of the Kauravas?

Tatshree Dhritarashtra?

Or someone else?

Names whirled in their mind, betrayal and fury thrumming through their veins, like storms ready to destroy every last of their carefully laid plans.

What felt like after forever the carriage halted. The doors were tugged open to reveal a dark forest.

The five were tugged out. Their sharp calculated gazes scanned the opening that was nestled between the forests.

Five slabs of concrete were held on the ground. There was a assurance and confidence as the five walked to the slabs, and kneeled on the ground behind it.

Tiny pebbles bit in their knees, as they rested their head over the stone slabs.

The soldiers smirked arrogantly, as five huge men stood behind the Pandavas with a huge hunting sword, its sharp blade glinted wickedly, thirsty for some blood.

The five shut their eyes and they took a deep breath in.

Just as a swishing sound filled the air, bones crunch and snapped, the coppery scent of blood filled the air, and five heads rolled on the ground free from their necks.

Death danced in the forest stealing away five lives. . .

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