Patrani (The Chief Queen)

The Queen

"You are so intelligent, Your Majesty!" Giggled the Queen Aaryawati as she accepted how her husband, His Majesty managed to defeat her umpteen time in the game of Chess.

"You are so adorable, my Queen." Chuckled King Aaryaveer as bathed into the newfound pleasant phase of his marriage with Aaryawati. Though he never admitted, he always felt that Aaryawati was too simple to run her brains in the complicated and scheming game of chess. However, he loved her deeply and complied to her request of playing chess with her on a daily basis. He didn't mind. He got to see her precious smile whenever she managed to kill his a player or two. And at the end of the game, he basked under the glory of her compliments.

Rather, he found that Aaryawati was delicate lady in general. Too pure, too innocent and too delicate for the cruel world. She was his first wife. And the only one. Where it was a norm to have many wives, Aaryaveer was content with Aaryawati. His Aaryawati. Her sweet disposition, her laughter and her big beautiful eyes would melt all the worries of shouldering the responsibility of the gigantic kingdom that he had to rule.

Aaryaveer looked lovingly at Aaryavati as she played with her bangles that adorned her delicate wrists. Two years had passed since their marriage and their life was blissful. Aarayvati shared his desire to have a child of their own. He didn't care about having a boy or a girl, despite an indirect pressure from his Council and family to produce an heir in general. Though he never confessed, he didn't care if the child would grace their lives after a year or two. It was Aaryawati's womb. She was supposed to carry their baby for nine months. So it must be her choice.

Their marriage was arranged by their parents. But the first time he secretly went to see her in the palace garden of her kingdom, she was laughing with her female friends, holding a rabbit in her lap. And he fell in love with the young charming princess. After their marriage, she proved to be an ideal wife. She respected him and patiently waited to take care for him as he would come to her chamber at the end of the day. He would open his heart and talk about the matters of court and kingdom. He would confide her with the deepest political secrets and his opinions of the controversial topics that went around in the Kingdom. Though she would try to understand whatever he would iterate, she wouldn't always get his point. But Aaryaveer would be content as his worries would be flushed out from his head and he could get a good night's sleep. After all, what could Aaryawati do? 

What could Aaryawati do? Well, she could beat a hell out of anyone in the game of chess or life. She was a highly intelligent scholar who chose to sneak into the palace library for hours when no one would be looking. What could Aaryawati do? She could kill her enemies with a stroke of sword within seconds, not to mention use multiple arrows at the same time to hit her target the point of pin point accuracy. What could Aaryawati do? She could win hearts of the patriarchal In-laws and husband with her heart warming smile and simple quiet gestures.

"We live in a patriarchal society. Women are respected when they are supposed to have lesser intelligence and  docile conduct. But only education and skills can save her at the time of crises. Always wear your innocence as armour and your skills as your secret weapon." He mother had taught her.

Aaryawati had understood in her childhood that being a woman of substance required a high price to pay. She might lose the respect and love from her husband or in laws. To support her, her mother, Queen Jayantidevi taught her all the skills of an able warrior, scholar and businesswoman, albeit in secret, all while maintaining her image as a self-righteous innocent woman.

Aaryawati was able to win the hearts of her in laws and husband in no time. Being hailed as a soft spoken and humble queen, people loved her. No one knew that behind the face of an expert chef and beauty, lied a woman who had power to change the world.

While Aaryaveer slept in his glory, Aaryawati swiftly opened the door of her chamber and tip toed into the closet room. It had a secret door that opened to the palace's old library. The same long forgotten library, whose books would have been subject to the constant pile up of dust, had Aaryawati not taken care of them.

Tonight, Aaryawati had got her hands on a lost map (that lay immobile within the pile of books for years) that had figures and instructions of secret tunnels that were created in the same palace before a few decades. No one knew about them except the architect of the palace. And no one had bothered to explore them till now. Until now...