Dhruva Nakshathra - The Game of Alliance ✔

E I G H T E E N

Sikva, the capital city of Kavish

Nakshathra made her way back to the palace with her guards following her in a distant. The visit to Rishi Bhadra's vacant ashram ended swiftly, Sikva's new guests instantly liked the house and confirmed to move in by sunset.

Her encounter with them was like a breath of fresh air. While they were touring the house, Nakshathra took the opportunity to observe them. Dhruva emitted a warmness in his approach, charming and observant too. Arasu and Dhandapani were a pair of light-hearted men and Viswa, a joyful man whose appearance takes the opposite of his nature.

When she asked "What's being in Haridra be like?"

"A beautiful country with cold weather and filled with warm people. We have huge snowcapped mountains, we get to see beautiful northern light in the sky, pansies flowers everywhere and Haridra makes the best lotus root soup especially when my grandmother makes it, secretly," answered Dhruva. His eyes twinkled with his love for Haridra under the afternoon sun, captivating her interest.

The minimal detail of Haridra compelled her to make a wish list to visit Haridra someday. The only thing she didn't know was when will the someday come for her and her people to be able to travel outside the country freely without fear.

The heavy marching footsteps of the changing guards brought her back to present. Her four guards closed their distance as soon as they neared the palace gate. Something about the palace ambience looked different, she took note.

In the usually quiet and calm courtyard, now bustled with workers festooning all nooks and corners. They were not only in the courtyard but in every section of the palace. The regular yellow drapes hung between pillars were replaced with blue ones with strings of mirror ornaments hung with it. Oil lamps dangling from the ceiling were taken out for a clean-up while a few servants dusted the corners and cervices of the ceilings.

"What's going on?" she asked to the guards.

"I'll go find out," replied one of them and asked a worker nearby.

"I wonder what?" she muttered when the guard came back with no solid answer for the makeover. "Are we expecting some festival in these coming days?" She asked overwhelmed by the curiosity of the sudden activity in the palace.

"There is still about few months for Chitirai and Pongal had just got over. I don't see any festival coming soon unless the palace decided to decorate for the new year ahead of its time, Your Highness," answered another guard mentioning of the coming new year and the celebrated harvest festival a month back.

"Maybe it's your birthday celebration?" guessed another guard.

Nakshathra denied the latter's guess with a shake of her head. "No, the palace never celebrated anyone's birthday lavishly in here. It has always been for the public, a fete. The arrangement definitely did not sound birthday but something else." Nakshathra watched quizzically unable to put a finger on it as she marched her way to her room.

She stumbled at what greeted in her section of the palace. The change of appearance wasn't limited to the main palace, she derived. More blue drapes replaced the white drapes, new lamps and ornaments hung in the place of the old ones. Was this arrangement made for me? But why? What's going on?

At her next stop, Nakshathra halted by the door frame of her chamber, her cold grim gaze followed the figure inside her room moving about setting things right or perhaps changing it to fit the new look for the room. A fresh swell of anger rose in her, first her order was ignored and second her room had a changeover without her knowledge. Under whose order was all this being done?