A FEW WORDS:
Acha - Okay/ Fine
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❝Insanity is like a beautifully written song that only a few can understand.❞

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THE morning sun was up in sky but it didn't feel bright. Waves and waves of clouds washed over the sun, obscuring the world from its warmth and protection. Akira's hair flowed with the bone-chilling wind and the palace came into view. The question of who was responsible for this clouded her mind.

'I told you to kill him, now, look what you have done. You really think whatever you feel for that boy is worth sacrificing your kingdom?' Her brain seemed to ask her as she closed up on the palace, 'Are these feelings worth your throne? Your people? Wake up before it's too late Akira. He is bad news.'

Her gaze was frozen and she could feel her own heart thumping slowly against the thin stretch of her chest as she looked at the palace in front of her. It didn't look like the place she grew up in. All the royal allure, the ambiance which made it seem powerful felt washed away like someone had stolen the thing which made her home feel like home.

Smoke rose from unknown places and it felt as if shadows had made home in a once bright and lively place. The grim atmosphere frustrated the queen beyond recognition because the grim atmosphere reminded her of her failure - her failure to protect her kingdom and its people.

The palace gates were pulled apart by two guards and Akira got off her horse just as they reached the gates. She led the horse inside and as soon as her eyes fell on the palace place, her heart dropped.

The place looked as if it was a still from hell come to life. The flower gardens which once stood inviting and colorful had been scorched to the ground. The greenery now stood painted in various colors of grays and blacks. The queen mindlessly let go of her horse - which proceeded to stand around - as she walked towards the hallways. The hallways stood silent which glass and marble shards on the ground and small splatters of blood here and there. A few bandaged up soldiers roamed the palatial hallways, guarding it. The queen walked through the halls, her eyes scanning for anyone she trusted enough to tell her the true story.

"Radhika" The queen whispered as the handmaiden rushed through one of the hallways.

"Radhika!" The Queen called out louder, finally catching the handmaiden's attention.

"Maharani?" The handmaiden looked towards Akira in confusion and came rushing towards her.

Akira spit out the first thing that came to her mind, "Where is everyone? How did this happen?" The questions were burning her throat and she wanted answers. Her mind was clouded with confusion. Who was responsible for this? Was it him?

'Of course it was him, who are you kidding Akira.' She found the voice tell her, 'You let a snake live and you are surprised when it bit you? You always said you were wiping off the snakes after your crown? Well you let one just willingly poison you. Ironic, isn't it?'

"I don't know all the details, I was out in the gardens, but a group of people dressed as villagers had come to the royal court and before anyone knew what was going on, the riot began. More people entered the palace during the commotion," The handmaiden casted a sad glance around the shattered marble hallways, "And soon enough fires and sounds of swords against swords filled the palace. Luckily, the soldiers here were enough to hold them off and protect the palace."

Akira looked around too, "And where is everyone?"

"Rajashree ji asked the healers to look after all the injured soldiers and servants and some of handmaidens fled the scene while the ones who stayed are currently resting in the spare rooms. Luckily, most of us are fine."

The queen nodded in understanding, "How many casualties? Where's Shree? Maa?" She paused, not saying the third name that had haunted her nights and days.

'Why do you care for him Akira? He deserves to die, now more than ever.'

"A fraction of us were injured - they are still resting - and a few are... dead. Most of the damage was done to the palace and not the people, our people are hurt but not many serious casualties have occurred." The helper's voice became hesitant, "Mantri Rajashree is in her room. She was hurt-" Radhika paused, her eyes darting around the hallways and not meeting the sovereign's eyes as if not telling her something.

Akira cut her off, feeling impatient by every growing second, "Alright, thank you Radhika."

She bowed, still not meeting the queen's gaze, "Anything for you Maharani."

"You should go get some rest," The queen subtly nodded to the scars that littered the handmaiden's body and her torn and scorched clothing, "And if you want anything, you come straight to me, understood?"

"Maharani," Her eyes widened as she looked at the floor, "How can someone like me bother you-"

"Radhika." Akira put pressure into her words, "You come straight to me."

The handmaiden bowed down, a faint smile on her visage, "Ji Maharani."

Akira gave a curt nod to the handmaiden and made her way to her trusted royal adviser's room.

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The queen pushed back the slightly ajar aurelian doors and walked in. A slumped figure sat on the edge of the bed with her back to the sovereign.

"Shree?" Akira's voice sounded unrecognizable as she walked towards the figure who whipped her head around to look at her.

Shree didn't look like herself either and it shocked the queen to see her friend in such a state. Much like the queen herself, she looked simply drained as if every ounce of energy had been sucked out of her. Her curly hair was in knots, lips were dry, smudged off kohl near her eyes and dark bags under her eyes proved evidence to the fact that she had not been resting. Her face looked stiff and lifeless and Akira noticed the rigid tear lines on her face. A bandage was wrapped around her left arm and right hand along with one on her left foot.

The royal adviser ran as fast as her injured foot would allow her and flung her arms around the sovereign. Resting her face on the crook of Akira's neck, she sobbed harder than ever before. Sobs racked through her body, shaking her. For once the calm and composed girl who always knew what to say and do, who had the smartest ideas and strongest instincts, fell apart.

An incoherent string of words left Shree's mouth which sounded something along the lines of, "You're finally back."

"Yes," Akira started in a soothing tone, "I am back, everything's okay."

Shree mumbled against her shoulder, her arms still having a firm grip against the queen, "No it's not."

"Shree," Akira repeated, "It's fine, it's alright. What's wrong? Tell me how everything happened and we'll figure it out together."

Shree took a step back and tried to wipe her tears away but failed miserably as streams after streams flowed. Akira kept her hands on her friend's shoulders, giving her some support to stand on her feet.

"We are okay. Just tell me what happened, slowly, okay?" Akira asked again, followed by re-assurance, "Shree, it's okay. Breathe in, breathe out."

She was guiding the adviser, telling her to calm down when another figure walked inside the room.

"I heard Akira was back-" Kartik's concerned voice trailed off as he saw the queen calming her friend.

Akira's gaze tangled with Kartik's as they both looked at each other. For a moment, they both just stood dumbfounded. The queen didn't know what to think when she saw him. She assumed that he would have ran away from the palace, considering she held him as the suspect for this attack but he was still here, acting as if he wasn't the one at fault.

"You're actually here." He mumbled slowly, still convincing himself that it wasn't an illusion. Kartik just stood there, looking at her.

He looked at her as if he was in a scorched desert and she was the last drop of water, as if he was dying and she was the only thing that could breathe life back into him, he looked at her with relief in his eyes.

And she looked back at him eyes devoid of any emotions. She didn't know whether to listen to the part of her body that told her that she was happy to see him, that wanted her to throw himself in his embrace or to listen to that rational part that saw him nothing more than what he was - a threat.

'Don't think he is innocent Akira, at the end of the day he's just a spy.'

His expression on his face changed from relief to mild confusion as the sovereign looked away from him - as if disregarding his presence - and focused on Shree's weeping form.

The royal adviser sniffled, trying to contain her tears as Akira started calmly, "It's okay Shree. It's alright, I'm here." She repeated again and the royal adviser freed herself from Akira's touch and backed away.

"I failed you," She managed to say through her silent sobs, "I am so sorry Akira." sniff, "I- I tried," She met Akira's eyes with her pleading ones, "I really really really tried Aki... but I couldn't save her or the palace."

The queen looked at the girl in front of her with utter perplexity, "Shree what in the world are you talking about?"

She caught Shree make eye-contact with the boy that stood at the threshold of the room, still as stone and Akira looked over her shoulder too but all that she found on his face was an expression of utter guilt and sadness.

Why was everyone looking at her with an expression full of guilt, sadness and pity? Was she truly so far gone that she was no longer the one who was in command?

She turned around to the crying girl and asked again, "What's wrong? You seem... like you're hiding something." Akira tried to change the topic, "Acha, tell me where's Maa? I went to her room but she wasn't there so I assumed she would be here, with you. Is... Is she hurt?"

At the mention of the former queen, Shree and Kartik exchanged nervous glances and Akira felt herself getting more confused. If Shree was sharing this supposed 'secret' with Kartik - the one person she wouldn't trust even if someone offered her immortality - then it must be something huge.

Growing more and more frustrated and confused, the queen asked, "I asked where's Maa. Shree?" Akira looked at her friend and then reluctantly to the boy who stood at the threshold of the huge chambers, "Kartik?"

Noticing their lack of answer, Akira fisted her hands, feeling agitated, "Can you both just answer me? I am in total darkness here."

"Shree" Akira looked at her adviser and waited patiently, waiting for the crying girl to stop crying but after no answer came, she said, "Answer me."

Shree swallowed hard and more silent tears ran down her face, "Devmata..." She looked past Akira and at Kartik uncertainly before looking back at Akira, "She..."

"She what?" Akira asked, her voice was coated in irritation, surprising even herself with the tone of her voice, "Just tell me."

Shree closed her eyes as more and more tears fell to the ground and she put a hand over her mouth, silencing her sobs as all three of them stood in silence, a silence laced with a deadliest of poison - secrets.

Finally Kartik answered from behind the Queen, his voice echoing through the chambers.

"She's no more Akira."

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A/N - Be prepared the next chapter is gonna be ✨hectic af✨

Stay vile ♥️
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