Suryavanshi Yuvrani To Empress Of Aryavrat

24: Enigma

A/N: here's the chapter. Enjoy.

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As everyone waited for the news to came back, Kathiravani served her in laws well, the news about the sons of Gandhari being taken as prisoner by Panchal Naresh Drupada shocked them all, but they were rescued by sons of Kunti made everyone sighed. Kathiravani aware that Dhritarashtra had the mind of making his son a Crown Prince.

But she knew that Pitamah Bhisma nor Mahamantri Vidur would let him succeed, and forgive Kathiravani for being frank, but she also would not let Duryodhana became Crown Prince.

Maharaj Pandu was being crowned with all the rituals of the Maharaj, his firstborn son should be the next heir, while Dhritarashtra, despite occupied the throne for years, never be crowned as a King with rituals befitted of a King, and Kathiravani married Yudhistira with the intention of  being Maharani of Hastinapur then she would guided him to do an Rajasuya Yajna, after that they would sent out an Asvhameda Horse, then he would be a Cakravartin Samrat and she would be his Samragyi.

Kathiravani was an enigma. She was kind, tolerant and everything espected from a Putravadhu and Kulvadhu, but her ambitions knew no limits because she understood her own power.

She may looked innocent and she may be really innocent in some aspects, but her mind was shrewd with politics and ambitions. Only her closest people understood what kind of her beneath those soft smile and kind looks.

Isha would say, Kathiravani was selfish, shrewd, cunning and unforgiving but she was also ambitious enough, that proven by how she could take control over Ramaprashta in short times. Her decision, nine out of ten would exactly hit the point. She also would give you whatever she wanted you to see,  but other than that? Even the Gods would never knew what her next move was.

That was the exact reason why she could smell those conspiracies of Mamashree Shakuni since she came here. She was unable to tell what was it at first, but seeing those look when she entered Maharaj Dhritarashtra's chamber, she knew exactly what was that. He wanted to make his own nephew the ruler of Hastinapur, he wanted to had that position but he forgot there was her. Kathiravani chuckled inside, she loved cunning people like herself, she felt it was more fun this way, the look she gave Mamashree a look that made him shudder.

"why are you looking at me like that, Putri Kaushalya?" he asked after calmed himself down, Kathiravani feigned innocence as she looked over Mamashree Shakuni with those big doe eyes,

"see you like what, Mamashree? I only want to ask if you want to eat more,"

Kathiravani had great assets, one was her brain the other was her looks. She looked innocent, harmless and easy going, that was the reason why Mahamahim Bhisma frowned,

"what happened?" he asked, Kathiravani shook her head,

"nothing, Piatamah," she answered softly,

"then, Putri, you should sit and eat too, dear,"

"but, Pitamah, i need to serve everyone,"

Bhisma smiled, he glad his dynasty got her as it Kulvadhu, she was filial, soft spoken and kind, she served everyone well, and helping with administration. She would wake up before anyone else, then went to her morning pooja in the bank of river Gangaa, then she would help with states administration, talked with ministers, gave them ideas, and overall everything was good.

"our family is not strict with etiquette like that, dear, just sit and eat, let the maids serve us,"

Kathiravani reluctantly sat down beside Pitamah Bhisma, who smiled at her.

She ate quietly, but before she could finish the food, a footman came and knelt,

"what is it?" Pitamah Bhisma asked, the footman bowed,

"the news from the war zone, Kuru Kumar Duryodhan made mistake and a hundred of them were captured by Panchal Naresh Drupad and his army,  Kuru Kumar Yudhistira and the others were trying to rescued them!"

"what?!" Dhritarashtra got up quickly, while Maharani Gandhari already cried, "how are the conditions of my sons?!"

"the whereabout is unknown, but the five Kaunteyas were trying to rescued them, Maharaj,"

"how can the others can be captured? What was the strategy?" Kathiravani inquired quickly, she felt something went wrong, because if these Kuru Princes could work together, it was unlikely for a hundred sons of Gandhari to be captured like that.

"Kumar Duryodhan said that no one older than him should entered the war zone, so Kumar Yudhistira and Kumar Bhima were crossed, and Kumar Duryodhan also said that he would be the commander, but unknowingly entered Panchal Naresh's trap,"

Kathiravani raised her eyebrows, she scolded 'foolish' several times in her heart, Kuru Kingdom had potential of being the strongest Kingdom in the whole Aryavrat, but sadly couldn't unite.

"what kind of strategy is that?" she couldn't even think any sane reason of it. These disciples of Dronacharya were the best among the best if she could say so, but they were foolish to the extreme. Pitamah Bhisma heard her, he stroke his beard, then he waved his hand, that footman went away.

No one had any desire to continue eat after that, they were too concerned for the safety of the Princes. All of them got up and went to their respective chambers , while Kathiravani directed the maids to brought all the foods back to the kitchen.

"Kaushalya, dear, follow me," Pitamah Bhisma along with Kakashree Vidura waited for her, she quickly walked with them to Pitamah Bhisma's large chamber. "sit down, dear, we just want to know your opinion about the war between Kuru Princes and Panchal Naresh Drupad."

"i'm just thinking about the logic strategy Panchal Naresh made so he could capture a hundred Kuru Princes," 

"tell us, dear, we want to hear your opinion about this,"

Kathiravani took the peacock brush, and paper in front of her, and began to draw,

"it's either he surrounded them... Or use a Vyuh to capture them. The first one was despicable and not in ways of who Panchal Naresh, i believe it's the former, but what Vyuh? I should be there to know, but since i'm not then i can't know," she said, she was annoyed for sure, if she wasn't married yet, she probably dragged Isha to that battlefield and watched them, then she would make strategy about that.
"but after think about it again, i will be more agreed if Panchal Naresh did surround them, not to mention, Panchala Army is large, and Panchal Naresh is a brilliant kshatriya, their Senapati is his daughter, Shikandini, no? She is also one of the best fighter."

"so, what is it?" Mahamantri Vidur askes, clearly impressed with how she could understood the war strategy like that,

"in conclusion, Duryodhan and his ninety-nine brothers are brash and egoistical a bit, he overestimated his power and underestimated Panchal Naresh Drupad and his armies. Panchal Naresh Drupad is also the disciple of Rishi Bharatwaja and Rishi Agnivesha, such a mighty warrior, and they underestimated him? They're just searching for death at this point," she quickly scribbled that in the paper, "but worry not, the Kaunteya were there, they will emerged victorious."

Bhisma smiled, "how do you know?"  Kathiravani lifted her eyebrows a bit, then chuckled,

"intuition, Pitamah, women's intuition never wrong. You want my Natha as Yuvraj of Hastinapur, certainly you will have him as Yuvraj."

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A/N: Thank You for reading!!!