•INTRODUCTION || (Necessary)

INTRODUCTION || (necessary)

The royal chamber, once a sanctuary of love and resilience, was now filled with venomous words and threatening tones. The king's greedy and unreasonable relatives barged in, their faces twisted with malice and greed. They brought with them news, dripping with assumption and ill-intent: the king and queen were dead, they proclaimed, though it was no more than a presumption born of their hunger for power.

Advika stood by the grand bed, her posture calm, her face an unreadable mask of composure. Behind her, the new born princess, slumbered peacefully, blissfully unaware of the turmoil. The second princess, Veer, only three but already perceptive, clutched her older sister's lehenga. Her wide eyes scanning the room, alert but fearful.

"Step aside, child," one of the relatives sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. "That cursed one"—he pointed toward the sleeping youngest princess—"has brought misfortune upon this palace. The kingdom will never flourish with her alive. We demand justice."

Advika did not move. Her small frame radiated an unshakable authority that silenced even the boldest of accusations. Slowly, deliberately, her hand rested on the hilt of her sword, the same blade that had seen her through many nights of practice and was now her shield against treachery.

"You come here with baseless accusations and threats, assuming the worst of my parents without proof," she said, her voice cold as steel. "Do not mistake my youth for weakness. If you think I will allow you to harm my sisters, you are sorely mistaken."

The relatives exchanged uneasy glances, their bravado faltering under the weight of her unwavering gaze. But one, more brazen than the rest, stepped forward. "Do you think you can stand against us all, little girl? You are just a child."

Advika unsheathed her sword with deliberate precision, the blade gleaming in the torchlight as it caught the eyes of all present. She pointed it toward the group, her grip steady and unflinching. "A child I may be, but I carry the strength of the king and the wisdom of the queen. Leave now, or you will regret underestimating me."

Her words hung in the air, sharp and final. Veer, sensing the change in her sister's tone, straightened her posture, drawing courage from her sibling's strength. She placed a protective hand on the bed, near the sleeping youngest princess, ready to follow her elder sister's lead.

The atmosphere in the royal chamber grew colder as the eldest uncle, Rudra's elder brother, stepped forward. His face was set in a scowl, his tone harsh and biting. "You're just a child," he spat, pointing a trembling finger at Advika. "What right do you have to defy me? The kingdom needs a man to lead, not an unseasoned girl with a sword she can barely lift."

Advika stood still, her chin held high and her gaze as sharp as the blade that hung at her side. She did not flinch, nor did her composure crack under his accusations. "The kingdom needs a ruler with a mind of reason, not one driven by greed," she replied, her voice cold as winter frost. "Your words are empty, Uncle, and your desires are transparent."

The eldest aunt, draped in jewels and finery, scoffed from her place by the door. "Such insolence," she sneered, her lips curling in disdain. "Who taught you to speak this way to your elders? Your father and mother must be ashamed—oh, wait, they're not here, are they?" Her words were laced with venom, but Advika did not waver.

The youngest aunt, always quick to echo her sister, smirked. "And what of the cursed child?" she hissed, nodding toward the sleeping third princess. "Bad luck follows her like a shadow. She should not even be allowed to stay in this palace. She's a jinx."

At this, Veer clutch at Advika's lehenga tighten, her wide eyes darting fearfully but stubbornly between the adults. Suddenly Advika raised a hand, gently reassuring her younger sister without looking away from their adversaries. Her voice remained steady as she spoke. "If you think for one moment that I will allow harm to come to my sisters, you are gravely mistaken. Your words will not break me, and your schemes will not succeed."

Her uncle sneered, his voice growing louder. "What do you know of ruling a kingdom? You're just a girl playing at being strong."

Advika finally moved, taking a single deliberate step forward, her sword gleaming in its sheath. "And yet here I stand," she said, her tone unwavering. "I have more strength than all of you combined, not because I wield a blade, but because I know the difference between power and greed. You, Uncle, cannot say the same."

The room fell silent. The relatives, for all their bluster and venom, found themselves unable to meet her piercing gaze. The males faltered, their confidence waning as the weight of her words pressed upon them. The youngest aunt fidgeted nervously, while the eldest aunt pursed her lips, angered but subdued. The tension in the chamber thickened as the eldest uncle's voice rang out, his command slicing through the air like a blade. "Guards!" he roared, summoning the royal protectors into the room. But the moment their faces appeared through the doorway, it was clear—they were no longer loyal to the crown. Greed had twisted their hearts, and they now stood as traitors, their allegiance sold to those who promised them power. The traitors were promised and the loyal ones were long dead as they were outnumbered.

Advika's hand tightened around the hilt of her sword. Her young eyes scanned the room as a wave of realization struck her—those who had been loyal to the king and queen were long gone, their lives extinguished by those they once called comrades. Now, the remaining guards stood before her, their weapons drawn, their loyalty a mockery of the honor they once upheld.

The eldest uncle smirked, stepping back as his pawns began to close in. "Do you see now, little girl?" he sneered. "Even your precious guards have abandoned you. Stand down, and perhaps I'll allow your cursed sister a quick end."

Advika's face remained cold, her composure unbroken. Her voice cut through his taunts like steel. "You speak of honor, yet you betray the very hands that fed you in your time of need. Funny how greed makes cowards of even the strongest men."

Without waiting for a reply, she weild her sword, the blade gleaming fiercely as she raised it in defense. The youngest princess still slept soundly, unaware of the brewing storm, while Veer left her sister's lehenga, her small hands trembling but her faith unwavering.

The guards advanced, their movements coordinated and menacing. The crown princess moved like a whirlwind, her strikes swift and deliberate, her focus unwavering as she fought to protect her sisters. Though only six years old, her training and sharp mind shone through with every motion. She parried blows with precision, her small frame darting like a flame in the wind. Each clash of steel against steel echoed with the echoes of her parents' courage.

But her limits were soon tested. The guards circled her, their numbers overwhelming, and her attention was torn between defending herself and shielding her sisters. Veer stood behind her, arms stretched protectively over the youngest, her eyes wide with terror. Advika fought valiantly, her blade slashing through the air, but for every attacker she drove back, another closed in.

Exhaustion began to weigh on her small frame, her movements slowing as the sheer number of opponents overwhelmed her. A glancing blow struck her arm, forcing her to falter. The eldest uncle sneered triumphantly, watching as the crown princess was finally subdued, her sword clattering to the ground. She dropped to her knees, her arms outstretched to shield her sisters even as her strength waned.

The betrayal in the chamber was a cruel reflection of the world's greed and thirst for power, a tragedy that tested the resolve of a child forced to grow up too soon. Yet, even as she was overpowered, Advika's spirit burned bright—unbroken and defiant in the face of treachery.

Advika knelt on the cold marble floor, her small frame battered, her sword lying just out of reach. Her arms stretched protectively over her sisters—one sleeping innocently, the other standing behind her with tearful eyes. The betrayal that filled the room suffocated her like a storm, but it could not extinguish the fire in her soul.

The eldest uncle sneered, his voice filled with mockery as he approached. "Look at you now, little girl," he spat. "Your mother and father are gone, and you are powerless. Surrender, and perhaps we shall grant mercy to your cursed sibling."

"हम टूट सकते हैं, हम संख्या में कम हो सकते हैं, लेकिन हम अपने माता-पिता के खून की कसम खाते है, उस सिंहासन की कसम खाते है जो उन्होंने हमे सौंपा है, हम आपको हमारे साथ नरक में ले जाएंगे, इससे पहले कि आप हमारी बहनों को हाथ भी लगा पाए।"

(I may be broken, I may be outnumbered, but I swear by the blood of my parents, by the throne that they entrusted to me, I will take you to hell with me before you lay a hand on my sisters.)

Advika pressed a trembling hand to the hilt of her sword, her grip steady despite the weight of exhaustion. "हम इन्हें सुरक्षित रखेंगे |"

(I will protect them) she continued, her voice now softer but no less powerful. "अगर इसके लिए हमारी जान भी चली जाए तो भी जाने दे। हमारी आत्मा तब तक चैन से नहीं बैठेगी जब तक उन लोगों को न्याय नहीं मिल जाता जिन्होंने हमारे खून के रिश्ते को धोखा देने की हिम्मत की।" (If it costs me my life, so be it. My soul will not rest until justice is delivered to those who dared to betray the bloodline.)

The air grew heavy with her oath, as though the very walls of the chamber bore witness to her vow. For a moment, even the flames in the torches seemed to flicker brighter, as if ignited by her unwavering spirit. The youngest princess stirred slightly in her sleep, as though sensing the strength of her sister's promise.

The crown princess, though surrounded by enemies, stood as an unyielding beacon of hope and defiance. The sound of her oath lingered in the chamber long after it was spoken—a haunting testament to her courage, and a promise of vengeance that would one day shake the kingdom to its core.