Chaska

Ch 1 Princess Chaska

A light giggle echoed around in the grand hallways of the great castle of  Northland , it was the late time of midnight . The chandeliers were brightly guiding the way of a 15 year old princess of Northland , her long raven hair flowing carelessly in midnight air, there were still some silver jewellery pieces hanging in her hair. Her long white satin skirt trailing behind her on the red carpets of  hallways. Her beautiful almond shaped eyes were shining brightly .
Truly she was the light of the castle.
' Chaska, come back honey, don't run like this you will fall down.' Said a womanly voice from behind.
' No way Kathika, I know you are going to explain stupid princess rules to me , what a shame . The warrior of seven mountains can't even catch a girl.' Giggled Chaska loudly as she ran in the corridors.
Kathika smiled at her actions, since Chaska was informed that from now she would be living in the Northland with her elder brother Emir , poor girl couldn' t even breath steadily. Finally King Emir had gone out to meet some foreign dignitaries and delicate Chaska was back to herself . Only God knew why that little Princess was so scared of her elder brother.
'Kathika!' She heard a small whisper from behind. She slowly turned around to see Neville standing there, he was the son of prime minister . He was wearing knight armour and panting heavily. The young man was hardly few years elder than Azalea.
' What is it Neville?' Asked Kathika quietly. Chaska was still dancing and running ahead. He actions her to come closer and grabbed her shoulder to pull her in the corner of corridor.
' How come you are here so early, you had gone for the meeting with King Emir.' Said Kathika worriedly.
' Actually they didnt agreed for the deal.' Said Neville looking around to see if someone was there.
' What ! Are you serious, it was such an important deal.'
' I am not joking Kathika, anyways where is Princess Chaska ,keep her inside the chambers. He's really angry , Princess will die from fear if she saw him today.' Said Neville in a hoarse voice.
' Why they didn't agreed for deal; what went wrong!'
' Kathika I will explain you everything later but please take Chaska to her chambers right now, he will be here by any time .' Said Neville worriedly , he looked really tense. If he was that much worried means something really bad must have happened. She gave him a nervous nod and went to find Chaska.
' Chaska! Come out, I swear I won't scold you.' Shouted Kathika loudly in the corridor.
' No , I know that you are lying .' Said a high - pitched voice from somewhere.
' Chaska, come out, we need to go in your chambers . Neville just informed me that King Emir have just arrived and he's really angry!' Yelled Kathika . She knew that now Chaska could do nothing, King Emir's name was enough to scare her. All of sudden she saw a small figure running towards her from the darkness. Chaska looked terrified , her beautiful almond eyes got crazy huge.
' Are.... y-you ...sure!' Shuttered Chaska , it was hard to believe that how her usually sweet girly voice sounded so low.
' Yes my dear, now c'mon !' It was all she could mutter.
Kathika took her to her chambers and made sure that everything was locked. Chaska was laying down in queen size bed , her face was pale . Kathika was reading a book but her ears were alert. From past few months she was sleeping in Chaska's chambers. Kathika and Emir were close friends from childhood. She knew that Emir was serious and authoritative but why Chaska was so afraid of him. He was such a generous and kind hearted man , his public loved him. They just didn't respected him, they worshipped him.
' Kathika you said that he will come after 16 days, why did he came so early?' Asked Chaska .
She was confused with all the happenings.
' Emir had gone to finalise a deal he's trying to make from years with the kingdom of Salvar. Neville told me that the king of Salvar didn't agreed for the deal, he had put some impossible condition at the front of Emir. He's furious .' Said Kathika quietly.
' What was the condition?' Asked Chaska in a low voice.
' I don't know! I will ask him later; right now he's both angry and exhausted.' Said Kathika , she was hoping to hear some another question but instead heard a sniffle. She took a deep sigh and rose from her chair. She cupped Chaska's cheeks and wiped her tears.
' Why you are crying?' Asked Kathika as she gently rubbed her forehead.
' Does that condition involves me!' Asked Chaska in a hoarse voice. Her words stunned Kathika, she was shocked by her words. She noticed fear evolving in those crazy huge blue orbs.
' Kathika!' She heard a voice from the door.
' Who is there?' Said Chaska peeking her head to the main door.
' Just Neville, sleep princess , I will be back in a minute.'Said Kathika before giving her a small kiss on forehead. She grabbed a shawl and her sword from the corner and went out of the room, leaving Chaska behind.
' Now tell me , what happened? What condition that bull had put now.' Asked Kathika, she was getting impatient with every minute, after at all she was the army chief and no one has told her anything about it.
' First go to the King's chamber, he's calling you.' Said Neville calmly, he was thinking about something.
' okay ! I am going but you have to stay in Chaska chamber until I come back.'
Kathika tightened her shawl around her shoulders and headed towards the king's chamber. There were hundred of things going on in her head, what kind of condition it was that made Emir so angry. She was pretty sure that money won't have been a problem. Northland was the strongest empire ever. Secondly what made Chaska think that she was involved in that condition. She stood at the front of large doors of the king's chamber, she slowly raised her hand to knock on it.
' Come in!' Said a booming voice.
' He's actually furious !' Thought Kathika before entering inside the chambers. The whole room was pitch dark, there were candles everywhere which filled the room with a little yellow light. She took a candle stand behind her and moved forward. She carefully moved forward , there he was: sitting in the balcony of his room . His long and large legs were spread over the small table at the front him. He was massaging his shoulders with his eyes closed, there was a painful expression on his face. She quickly placed the candle stand on a nearby table and stood behind him. All of sudden Emir felt two feminine but strong hands massaging his shoulders, he recognised that touch.
' Kathika, What are you doing ?' Asked Emir in a tired but angry voice.
' I am massaging the shoulders of my best friend.' Replied Kathika cheekily. A small smile curved on his lips. He was always confused , how to tell this girl that friends is not an appropriate word for her. She was more than a friend to him.
' What happened during the deal?' Asked Kathika . She was dying to know what happened.
' King Henry was being ridiculous over the sharing of river water.' Said Emir.
' First he asked us to pay 60,000 gold coins....'
' But didn't he asked for forty .' Interrupted Kathika.
' Yeah , but that is not the problem; do you remember James , his eldest son.'
' That 21year old man!'
' Yeah, he wants to marry our Chaska! Said Emir in a hoarse voice. His words were followed by a dead silence, kathika's lips parted at his words. He would have asked for treasury, cavalry, infantry  or anything else but Chaska . Chaska was a flower , a delicate flower.
' You didn't Said yes to this proposal.' Asked Kathika in a shocked voice. The young beautiful face of Chaska flashed through her eyes, the poor child was already thinking that the condition involved her. What will happen when she will come across to know about this proposal.
' Of course I didn't ; it's unbelievable . That man James is 21, almost of my age, how could he talk about marrying a girl six years younger than him.' Said Kathika , she was puzzled by Emir's words.
' But he said that he will wait till omatum........you know how much this deal is important to us.' Said Emir in a quiet voice.  This time Kathika lost it. She knew it that he was a little serious and stern but how dare is he to do such a cheap act.
' Did you really accepted it ?' Asked Kathika. She was hoping he didn't Said yes .
' No. I didn't , do I look like an idiot to you. That man is six years older than Chaska . I didn't agreed for it.' Kathika looked breathless. Emir's voice was turning heavier by each second, there was a mixture of anger, tiredness and pain in his voice.
' He even offered me 70,000 gold coins when I said no to marriage. He promised me a no of cavalries and army but when I again said no to him for this wedding.............'
if pressed his face into his palms and took a long sigh.
' .... he threatened us with war. He said he will my Chaska anyhow.' He finished with a deep breath. He could feel the heat radiating from Kathika , he could feel her hands going rough.
' What made you think that I agreed for this damned deal!' Said Emir in a hoarse voice. He expected Kathika to say something , her silence was causing him to panic now.
' Nothing !' Said Kathika in a raging tone. She was returning back to her warrior woman nature.
' I would never share my Chaska with someone like him. Say something so I can calm myself Kathika. I feel furious, humiliated, disgusted. How dare is he, that loathsome idiot son of that filthy king tried to trade my sister, my Chaska, my family, my everything.' Said Emir in one breath, his big blue eyes turned glossy because of the so many emotions he could feel. Kathika was just as infuriated as him, her blood pressure was rising by every second now.
' What we are going to do now?' Asked Kathika in dangerous cold voice.
' I met Queen Rosalind there, thank got at least there is someone who has got brain in that bloody palace, she's the second queen to King , she told me that these Salvarians can't marry any girl who's engaged. I will get her engaged as soon as possible.' He said as he rose from his chair. He turned around to see Kathika staring blankly into some space . There was an expression of fury on her face.
' Kathika, I know that you wanted Chaska's engagement to be perfect and believe me I wanted it to be same. But right now I can't afford to have another war and not today but tomorrow Chaska will have to marry someone.'
' I'd rather fight in a war than to get Chaska get married, she's only 15 ; poor girl doesn't even know about this marriage stuff and all, anyways it's a huge responsibility . Do you really think that your delicate flower would be able to go through this all and is there is any guarantee that whoever the boy will marry our Chaska will not try to consummate this marriage and what if he forces her to do so.' Said Kathika in an absurd voice. Her brain was all messed up with the things Emir Said.
' C'mon do you really think any sixteen or seventeen year boy would do that.'
' Oh yeah ! Of course he will. It doesn't matter if your Chaska is over innocent every another teenager would be the same.'
'  James has given us a time of two months, we need to plan things as early as possible.' Said Emir as he removed his black shirt .
' What  about her consent?' Asked Kathika as she adjusted her shawl over her neck.
'Well , you must ask her all about by tomorrow.'
' No Emir you should ask her about this all, you are her elder brother and she respects you.'
' Ok, I will ask her.'
' One more thing, please be a little soft with her; poor child is already terrified of you. Say sweet things to her and make her feel as much as comfortable.' Said Kathika.
Emir felt a little weird , he never knew Chaska was afraid of him. His younger sister was afraid of him. He certainly knew that Chaska always had been a very timid and delicate child but what made her so scared of him. He remembered how Chaska would squirm when he would come near to him, how she would squeeze her eyes tightly shut whenever he would call her. Everything was now making sense to him.
' Are you even listening?' Snapped Kathika as she wrapped herself in shawl.
' I will make sure.' This was all he could manage to say. Kathika came near and gave him a good night kiss on his forehead and left.
' Chaska, My flower' that was the last thing lingering in his mind before he let the darkness of sleep swallow him.
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