8 years ago: Hastinapur: Day of  Vichitravirya's wedding; A week before King Prihas's prophecy of Bhishma's death. 

Queen Satyavati paced the room as tension filled every particle of air. All the prime ministers of Hastinapur were present at that moment. Hastinapur had just gotten the news that their beloved King had died in war. Thankfully Ganga's son Bhishma had prevented their kingdom from loosing the war itself. Now the King had a younger brother; Prince Vichitravirya, and it was announced that he would now take the throne, but the kingdom was still filled with gloom and sadness. It seemed impossible that the kingdom would be filled with strength that it had not longer then a month ago. It would be 3 hours until sunrise and this meeting was about the future of Hastinapur. 

"Call upon my step-son, Bhishma. I have an order that must be carried out immediately." Satyavati finally broke the tension in the room. One of the prime ministers immediately stood to carry out her wish. Satyavati was the Queen mother of Hastinapur, after her husband died, her only purpose was to ensure that the kingdom remain strong. She knew that her son Vichitravirya was the type of person that did not like responsibility  clearly unfit for the throne but she had no choice as her step-son Bhishma was bound by the promise of her father to never become King. It was times like this, that she wish that she was never married to King Shantanu, and that Bhishma was King but alas, fate was fate and no one could beat it. 

Not long after, Bhishma entered the room. "You summoned me mother?", Bhishma politely regarding his step-mom. "Yes I did, Bhishma." She stopped pacing and turned around to face him as she continued. "You and I both know that Vichitravirya is not fit for the throne. And if he sits on it without any protection then our Kingdom will be targeted over and over again until it is conquered. Therefore I ask you again, Will you sit on the throne instead?" Satyavati knew the answer of that question but she dared ask one last time. 

Bhishma sighed, "Mother you know the answer to that question. Then why do you trouble yourself to ask over and over again?"

Now it was Satyavati's time to sigh, "I ask over and over hoping that one day you will say yes, and free me from the burden sitting on my shoulders and the pain in my heart." Satyavati let out silent tears. Bhishma remained silent. 

Satyavati stood strong and wiped her silent tears, "Alright then. I am taking a universal decision for the entire Kingdom. Vichitravirya will be married today. If a King is a pillar then his Queen is the foundation. Vichitrairya is a horrible King but if he has stable Queens then the Kingdom may survive for the next lineage. This morning, is the swayamvar, wedding of the three Kashi Princesses. They will pick their husbands. Everyone knows that the Kashi King is strong and for years their daughters having been marrying with our Kuru lineage. You will go and win the three girls for Vichitravirya because god knows he can't do it himself. The Kashi princesses are smart and trained to lead. Vichitravirya will have great support if he marries the three of them. Hastinapur will finally have stable Queens to look up to, other then me, a broken Queen. The citizens will rejoice again finally feeling their future safe in the hands of the three Princesses. 

Bhishma now spoke, "I can not do that mother. It is the girls right to choose their husbands. If I go there you know that they will not willingly choose Vichitravirya; I will have to take them by force. This could result in something grave happening. Besides how can we just use the girls and not take in their feelings in consideration."

Satyavati found herself angered, "Well then Bhishma you tell me what to do! You don't want to sit on the throne. You know Vichitravirya is a horrible King and you know that kingdoms will target us. I am taking a decision to better the kingdom. Something you should've done considering your promise to be a slave to the throne and whomever sits on it."

Bhishma spoke again, "Mother I-" 

Satyavati cut in, "No as your mother I order you to comply with my wishes." 

Bhishma shook his head, "It can be seen mother how desperate you are to conceal Hastinapur's future in good hands. But patience should have been something you could've kept. Anyways I will follow your order and leave within an hour to head for Kashi. Just know that this order of yours will be the reason for grave destruction."

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Panchal Present day; 4 years later, Wedding of Dhrupad

It was now mid after-noon in the Kingdom of Panchal. Dhrupad had taken over just little over a year ago as the ruler and King Prihas now finally had entered his retirement days. King Prihas sat in his room with his beloved wife both very tired from Dhrupad's birthday celebrations the day before. He had organized a secret party of some sorts as a treat for his son who had been working day and night to improve the military force of Panchal. He was now resting on his bed with his quiet Queen beside him. 

"Dear do you know how amazing it is to be free of all my duties?" King Prihas smilled. The Queen chuckled shaking her head. "Oh trust me. I know. It really is amazing waking up to see you smiling all day as your son know runs from place to place handling the kingdom you've built from ground up."

"Was I really that bad as King?" King Prihas looked surprised. The Queen nodded, laying her head on his shoulder, "You were an amazing King, no doubt. But you rarely smiled. You were always so worried and stressed. It's really good to see you this relaxed!"

King Prihas grabbed his wife's hand. "You know we aren't completely free yet. We have one task left to do that involves the welfare of the kingdom and our job as parents." 

The Queen smiled knowing where this conversation was headed. But she decided to play along for the fun of it. "Oh really. What task has been left now? I don't think there is anything left." She took her head off of her husband's shoulder and looked at him waiting for an answer. 

King Prihas smiled, "Let me ask you something. If you were going to do die right now in this moment, would you be happy?" The queen now was 100% sure that she and her husband were on the same page of thoughts but she didn't want to let go of her playful mood just yet. 

"Yes of course I would be happy. I have lived long enough to see my husband finally relax. To see my home kingdom and this kingdom prosper and I've seen my son grow what more is there left to do?" 

"Honey you are really stupid. Would you not want to see your grandchildren and give them the best of values?" 

The queen shot up abruptly letting a huge smile fill her face. "FINALLY! I've been waiting for the past 2 months for you to ask this question. I've already prepared the wedding choices and already given out orders to prepare the ballroom and find the right decorations and prepare the right welcoming thalli for my daughter in law and god I've already prepared a nursery for Dhrupad's kids and-" Suddenly King Prihas put his hand over his blubbering Queen's mouth. Once she stopped talking, he grabbed her shoulders and led her to gently sit on his bed. He sat on the foot of the bed on her knees, gently taking his Queen's hands in his. 

"Dear, you have planned and prepared so far in the future. But have you thought of who will marry Dhrupad. Just as I tested Dhrupad to know if he was fit for being the King and fulfilled my duty of being the King. You will need to select the best fit Queen; smart and brave, then only will you fulfil your duties as Queen."

The Queen let out a sly smile. King Prihas's eyes widened, "Oh no. What are you hiding from me?" The Queen said, "who said I'm hiding anything from you? Oh I wouldn't dare." The Queen couldn't help but laugh at her last statement. King Prihas let a ghost of a smile play on his face as he questioned his unpredictable Queen. "I know that look anywhere dear. Tell me what you are hiding right now." 

The Queen nodded her head in a firm no. "Nope." She said popping the p. "You called me stupid so go ahead suffer." She stood up and walked to the foot of her bed, facing away from King Prihas. 

King Prihas also stood up and again grabbed the Queen's right hand bringing it to his cheek. "Forgive me for calling you stupid. It was an accident. Please dear. Tell me." 

The Queen sighed. "Well when you look at me with a look like that. I suppose I will. You know how about 3 months ago, I went to visit my father and Dhrupad came with me to discuss with my father how his and my fathers kingdom would work together." She continued as King Prihas nodded remembering the memory. "Well, you see, my brother's wifes brother. So my brother's brother in law's daughter, had just finished her studies. She is very smart and takes care of a lot of her kingdom matters. She had also come to my home kingdom due to matters of Politics. Oh and let me mention she knows how to work a sword really well. I found her and Dhrupad stealing glances at each other and well you know what that means, so I may or may not have already put together a wedding proposal and sent it to her father and took the approval of Dhrupad and madehimpromisenottotellyou."

"YOU DID WHAT!!!! Ok well Dhrupad agrees so when is the wedding? I'm assuming a couple of months from now?" King Prihas guessed. The Queen sent an unknowing smile, "Umm the wedding procession may or may not begin this week... *cough* *cough*". 

King Prihas turned pale with stress. The Queen frowned. "Look this is why I didn't want to tell you until all the preparations we're done. You stress for no reason and then you rarely smile. And then all the maids and soldiers get yelled at for no reason. I'm sorry."

King Prihas relaxed knowing his queen had finished most of the work for him. He now laughed freely but decided to joke around with his wife. "Sorry? Oh YOU ARE SO GETTING IT." The Queen however recognized her husbands mocking tone and she wasn't going down without a fight. She squealed and screamed. "Well YOU'LL HAVE TO CATCH ME FIRST!" She took off from the room. 

King Prihas shook his head and screamed back, "I'M GIVING YOU A 30 SECONDS HEAD START! ONLY BECAUSE YOU'RE WEARING REALLY HEAVY ORNAMENTS AND I CAN'T IMAGINE RUNNING IN THAT." 

30 seconds later King Prihas took off after his Queen. He was getting old but despite his age he was still an impressive runner and warrior. 

To the ignorance of both of the former rulers, King Dhrupad was standing outside of their room listening in to their conversations. He hid himself quickly as his mother and father ran past him, lost in their own worlds. He had never seen his father be this carefree and was so pleased. He only wished that he and the princess who had stolen his heart would have even a fraction of a relationship like his parents. 

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Three Months later, after his wedding, as Dhrupad was standing in the balcony enjoying the company of the moon and his wife, Queen Priya, he knew something was up with his wife. She had been such a great help in leading the kingdom and giving women their own identity apart from their husbands, something that his father had been so pleased upon hearing. His father and mother now lived in the older wing of the palace, giving him and Priya all the space they needed to get to know each other. 

He had learned to recognize her emotions well and he knew something was up. He asked her, "Priya, dear for the millionth time today. I know something is up with you. Will you please tell me?" 

Priya shook her head, "You won't give up will you. You better sit down for this. I intended to tell you in a more surprising way but fine." She sat beside him taking Dhrupad's hands and she leaned her mouth towards his ear. She whispered, "Aarya, the nursery your mother has built will finally be used 9 months from now."

It took a good 5 minutes for Dhrupad to figure out what she meant and when his eyes widened she smirked and laughed, "Aarya you are really slow for a King." 

Dhrupad scoffed, "oh I'll show you how slow I am" He jumped tickling her sides until tears of laughter came from her eyes. She wheezed, "OK OK STOP. YOU'RE NOT SLOW. I'M SORRY!" He stopped tickling her, soaking up the moment and when she finally caught her breath, he spoke, tilting her chin up towards him, "You're not kidding are you?" He asked gently. "Am I really going to be a father." 

Queen Priya said, "yes Aarya you're going to be a father." And Dhrupad finally letting it sink in, gasped in shock and fainted. Queen Priya looked scared for a moment, but being trained very well in first aid quickly found a pulse and relaxed. 

It was that moment a maid came in the room asked, "Forgive me Maharani for disturbing you, but the former King and Queen ask their permission to come in." Queen Priya stood up and spoke, "Oh tell them they not need my permission. They can come in anytime they like." 

She pulled her veil over her head, respecting the old tradition as she knew her father in law was going to be in the room. Mind I tell you, Dhrupad was still fainted as his parents walked in the room. 

King Prihas and his Queen entered and immediately looked at their son's condition. The Queen ran to Priya's side and asked her, "What happened to my son dear. Is he okay?" 

Priya chuckled, "Oh mother you need not worry. Dhrupad just fainted after hearing that I am expecting and he is to be a father." Now she braced herself for her mother in law's reaction. 

The former Queen squealed, "OH MY GOD! FINALLY I'M GONNA BE A GRANDMOTHER!!" She went and started kissing her daughter in law's cheeks and hugging her. 

King Prihas who still stood at the door folding his hands over his chest laughed and spoke, "Oh dear. Do let go of the poor girl, she is going to choke from you hugging her this tight. She already has my fainted son to deal with afterwards." Priya shot him a thankful look as the former Queen let go of her. King Prihas nodded in acknowledgement. Priya walked over, bent down and took the blessings of her father in law. 

King Prihas immediately helped her up by her shoulders and said, "No more bending down in that condition young lady. I want my grand-daughter to be perfectly healthy when she see's the world for the first time." 

Priya chuckled and spoke, "Good to know that my father want's a daughter just as I do." Now it was the former Queen's turn to speak, "Oh I think its going to be a boy. Call it a mother, no a grand mothers instinct."

"I agree with my mother. Call it a father's instinct". Dhrupad took this moment to wake up resting against the head of his bed. 

Priya laughed. King Prihas spoke, "Oh you know it's going to be a girl. The fulfiller of my prophecy. Bhishma's death. She will be a great proud for Panchal. Dear daughter, raise her well and don't differentiate her with your future sons, if you have any." 

Priya nodded her head and said, "Of course. You would know best how I will raise my children to be firm believers of equality. Your prophecy will be completed."

She walked to the centre of the room took a knife, sliced her palm and took a promise, "I, Queen Priya, wife to the King of Panchal promise you my father in law, Former King Prihas, that I will raise my daughter teaching her all she needs to know to lead the kingdom herself. She will know how to work every weapon and will be the future commander in chief of Panchal. She will give you great pride and I will make sure that the minute she comes of maturity. She will know what her life purpose is. To avenge her grandfather's insult. Just as mountain as a peak which is called a Shikha and this Shikha is the goal that mountain climbers want to reach when they climb a mountain. My daughter will always strive towards the Shikha, the goal of her life. Therefore her name will be Shikhandini! "

The clouds rumbled at such a promise made by the strong Queen Priya. Dhrupad looked at her with such a proud look, that no one could mistake was expressing how much he loved her in that moment. 

King Prihas smiled and looked at his wife, "You did right dear. Choosing this strong queen to lead our people."

A/N

ayeeeeeee. GOTTA LOVE PRIYA. ok my lovely readers!!!!! I need your opinion. Do you guys want a birth of Shikhandi, like labour chapter or do you want just a quick time forward to when she is 12-13 years old? 

PLEASE LET ME KNOW SO I CAN WRITE ACCORDINGLY. I am thinking of time forwarding, but let me know what you guys wanttttt!!!!!!!! 

lots of love,

-Krupa