Thirst of Power (Complete)

Part 25: Forlorn

"At last!" Sneered the king.
"At last." Sniggered the courtiers as the queen stopped right in front of the thrown.

"Where's your sister? Wasn't my message clear enough, that I want both of you here?" Sunayna stayed silent, not daring to speak let alone to put forth the fact that it was she who had told her sister to not to show up in court, that she could handle and maneuver it on her own.
'And she will!'

"Send someone to fetch her now and if she dare show any resistance drag her here by her hair, it is an order!" Sunayna's heart skept some beats and some more thereafter as the guard left to follow up the order.
'No!' She wanted to scream but if anything it would make her situation even worse, so downing yet another bitter pill tonight she tried a gentler approach instead.

"My Lord!" She finally spoke. "If I may..."

But none listened. The silence prevailed, getting thicker with every passing moment so much so that it became a tangible presence amongst them.

Devika didn't say anything, in fact she was too frightened by the scenes unfolding to do anything but stand there as a mute bystander clutching to her husband's arm, lending support however less it might be.
And Chandra understood, every emotion that she did not put into words, yet portrayed thorough her ever-expressive beautiful eyes. He understood that she was here more for his sake than her own, to provide him support and he was immensely grateful for that since, it was very first time he had someone standing by his side while he waged war against the world. The king, his father had always been against him and that was the partial reason he had started to hate his elder brother for having their Father's affection like he never did and tonight.....he understood how wrong he was in doing that too!
Because after all he did and said, his brother never stopped protecting him, never held any of his bitterness against him and even now at his darkest hour he found HIM standing beside him.

And tonight after so long, he didn't feel detached and forlorn anymore, he had his brother, yes and then there was his wife, his love on the other side too.

He silently looked into her amber eyes, love brimming his heart as he blinked twice in reassurance.
All of a sudden though the ambiance shifted, weather it was the tension mounting throughout the crowd or it was something about the king, Chandra wasn't sure. But something did change as the young princess made her way inside who had always been sheltered by her parents and then by her elder sister, she wasn't quite prepared for this and unlike her sister who upheld her dignity as always, the younger one was shivering in distress.

But the distress didn't last long, there was no point in prolonging what was bound to happen, the king had already came to a desicion, it had already been proved that Chandra hadn't stepped into Chitrakoot for once and since the letter from the old king of Chitrakoot nowhere mentioned the fact that Prince Chandra had been there or had asked for his daughter's hand in marriage, there was no point in wasting his precious time or sleep. The king stood up.
And so did everyone else.

"Queen Sunayna and her sister had committed a crime against the throne. To lie to our lord and Majesty and shall be condemned and sentenced accordingly."

"Tomorrow!" The king announced.
"The court is adjourned!" The announcer hollered and it was time to leave.

But the night hadn't ended yet, rather the darkness had just started befalling the palace right then,literary.

***

He was a old man now, the king grimaced. Tossing and turning, he spent yet another hour in his bed after returning from court yet there was no sign of sleep when it had been terrorizing him for so long and now it was gone....

'Indeed!' He was getting old, once interrupted, he no longer could go back to sleep and not forget about the slight ache in his left knee joint that starts exactly quarter past midnight.
'Oh! Darn it!' He swore under his breath. 'He needed a distraction, a distraction right now.'

'Should I summon one of the concubines to relieve some this tension?' He contemplated. 'Or....'
'Or why bother?' He mused. 'Why bother with those whores when he can have better? His wife?'
'Perhaps he can even have her younger sister to join them tonight?'

He waited no longer to have his trusted guard send the message to queen Sunayna. A short and clear message it was, conveying more than required, conveying more than he should have dared to.

"His Majesty wants you and your sister to join him in his bed chamber, for the night." The guard even dared to let a skittish smile on his face as a mockery.

And Sunayna knew it had to end; Tonight.

The water had raised over their heads, she had always been summoned and used a common whore by her husband but to talk about her sister this way, no one way getting away with this! Not even the king!

.
.
.
.
The king was restless and immensely so as the minutes passed by. 'Oh! He couldn't wait any longer.... He couldn't wait for the sisters to arrive...' Meanwhile his imaginations were enough to keep him entertained though, 'humm... how would it feel to have them both together in this bed? To have his way with the younger one while the elder one watched....and...?'

"My lord!" Her voice sounded hoarse as she entered, her body trembling with anxiety as she looked at the man in front of her, looked for the last time.

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