She was as numb as an old wound, as new as a fresh scar itching to spill blood if it meant to stand victorious on the mangled carcasses of her miscreants. Vahnijaa ceased her hazy sight momentarily, a chant reverberating in the walls of her inner self as her fingers clenched together. An almost eerie poise edged her stance as her bronze irises moved to the aperture once, a pink smile curling her lips which baffled the spectators of the trial. Her lord would never let any harm befall her, this was the third and the last blood moon and the fyrgebraece were freed from the last shreds of manacles at last.
Her soul reveled in the pride of the fates cowering before her. The air was swamped in tension. The court then welcomed a servant who read out a foxing scroll with a foreign stamp pressed upon a corner of it. "May the gods bless Dvaraka with milk and honey." He bowed to the elders of the Vrishni clan who settled high above on the regal settees, acknowledging the intervention with urgency. "Arya Yuyudhana and Arya Kritavarma demand the delay of Her Majesty's retribution for they claim to possess evidence in her favor. They shall present themselves soon."
"Indeed, Her Majesty did not present anything in her favor and while she does today it's her right, like every side of a case does," the elderly Satyaka opined as a few of the courtiers scowled, but remained shrouded in impassivity nonetheless. "Granted," announced Anakadundubhi with a curt nod, his demeanor speaking of his faith in his daughter-in-law. "I had promised Maharaja Yajnasena that I shall look after his child like my own," he had whispered, immiserated, to an equally distraught Devaki who put ample faith in her family. "We know she won't do anything as such, but her silence in the first trial has encouraged pretty much gallimaufry."
"Greetings to the Sudharma!" Satyaki and the man of the Andhaka race barged in in haste, mechanical steps practiced to flawless ease faltering nowhere as they threw the accused queen's way a curtsey who smiled wider. "Pranaam Shri Maharani."
"Be glorious, brave ones."
A mighty shaft crafted with chisel impressions of lotus blooms and was then advanced by a determined Satyaki who addressed the sabha. "To put it mildly, we have been bamboozled to believe that the arrow shot at the Prince is hers- Maharani's. She does not make use of those designs in any of her arrows, nor is this particular poison found to be lacing her armaments." He slipped another arrow from his grasp to be visible to the naked eye. "This is the other one, with remnants of the prince's blood in it. We found it on the exact opposite of the arsenal, plunged in an oak tree."
On Halayudha's decree, the other weapons of Kamalnayani were fetched and as per the Varshneya's statement, were cross-checked to reveal the obvious difference. He grimaced to himself, the soldiers had been immensely negligent. Kamalnayani merely shook her head in approval with a rather monotonous look when the assembly turned to her for an explanation. "The flag of Panchala bears the auspicious flower, as do my weapons for identification," she expounded, her voice sounding foreign to her own ears from the sore throat as Vasudeva nodded. "You may send for Pita Maharaja to confirm my statement, Your Majesty."
Kritavarma sought permission to continue and he did, pointing at the other bolt, "This one, kind sir, is the one which lost the first half of its body when it was shot at Prince Bhanu's shoulder, the head was caught in a wood as proven by my comrade." Strikingly dissimilar to the other sort of arrows, this one stood out with serpentine carvings. "This one is of the intruder who raided. Her Majesty was delayed in her calculations when she intended on countering this very shaft, but managed to break it into two."
"Shouldn't have grown hysteric," Krisha murmured sourly, pursing her lips. "I wouldn't have been late then."
"Who is the prowler?" The mother of Balarama fumed as Kritavarma sighed to himself. "Long story, queen mother. We had an escapade to Anupa for this cause and we can, indeed prove that this blasphemy was conducted by the self-declared emperor's closest ally, King Vikral." Chanchalaa's nail dug into her palms as crimson dripped onto the marble floors, jaw taut with ire.
Minister Ayobahu sharply cried, raising himself from his eminence, "Objection my lord! These are but fatuous attempts at concealing the dam of Yagyasaini's sins for we know of King Vikral's archaic animosity with her and what had followed not so long ago. How did she not even attempt to defend herself in the first trial if she is faultless? This seems like a poor makeshift arrangement to excuse her crime!"
"Refrain from personal remarks in the assemblage or else I shall be compelled to make sure you are expelled, Mahamantri," The first Dvarakaeshvari brusquely asserted, the admonishment in her ever compassionate eyes was an anomaly. "Decorum. We are not compromising on it. Do not humiliate the court and the body of justice," Rukmini completed, well reminding him of the power she held through her expertise and diligence. No one should be patronizing the womenfolk when the pinnacle is sitting between them authoritatively.
An antagonized Kanha continued, "Prime minister, your foolishness in not believing the truth won't change it. Remember we cannot penalize any innocent even if a wrong-doer is spared in the process. Let us prove the evidence and then we can analyze the situations from all dimensions. What hindrance is it posing to you?"
"Oh, of course! Why would Dvarakadheesha now of all people, speak against his beloved wife?" Ayobahu let out a scoff, astonishing every entity present with his gall. The temperatures of the formal ambience had risen up several degrees while the prisoner herself smoldered in the flames of ignominy. "Everyone is aware of your clandestine love affairs Dvarakadheesha and Dvarakaeshwari! How many men do you have wrapped around your fingers, Panchala Princess? Let us count- Angaraja Karna, Ahichchhatra naresha Ashwatthama, oh and how can I forget Rajakumara Dushasana fancying you back in the reception? 'Twas you who ruptured the relations of the Yadavas and the Kurus! I am sure even Anupa Naresha had been your-"
"Hold your tongue revered one!" Kamalnayani snapped finally, the reins of her self control lost somewhere as she stared at the Sudharma Sabha with disdain. Is this the justice of the Yadavas they so boast of?
"My taciturnity might just be the doors of your doom for beware, I am a scion of the flames and I have known adverse rage even before I have known myself. I know where to put my boundaries and enough! Enough of your transgressions against me and my lord."
Ayobahu glowered in disgust, "A murderer will not proceed to tell me what I must do."
"Sit. Back. Down. Ayobahu." Keshava bit out every word in annoyance. "Vahnijaa is the queen of Dvaraka and you will regard her with suitable deference. We have valid proof of her innocence along with reasoning, unlike your existence which seems to be causeless since the moment we are heeding the frivolous arguments you offer." The vanity driven prime minister settled back, glaring daggers at Krisha who squared her shoulders back with a stolid look. "Satyaki and Kritavarma, we dictate you to narrate the whole incident," Vasudeva nudged briskly as Yuyudhana braced himself.
F L A S H B A C K
one day ago.
She sat in the tenebrous dungeons with little awareness of her present. Her head was still in the happenstances, reeling and spinning around them with manipulations she could think of to fend away these blows aimed at her. Alas, nothing would be possible unless she gets to follow the shadow that adumbrated the arsenal when the Satyabhamanandana practiced there. Nothing would be possible unless she gets to venture out of the jails, and it was an arduous task for now. Kamalnayani sighed to herself, dragging a palm across her face as two figures approached her corner of the prison with pressed steps.
"Greetings to the fortune of Dvaravati! We are ashamed by the act of laxity and possible conspiracy, Lady," Satyaki started off as the former thanked her stars, rising to her feet. "It is to apprise you that our eyes have witnessed just as what you did. A trespasser lurking into corners and everything that followed," he explained with devastation written across him.
"You did? What else did you see, noble ones? Pray, would you be so kind as to help?"
Kritavarma folded his hands to apologize for his absence during the arrest. The minister in charge of dealing with the debacle was not an honest man. "Please we would be damned to let any harm befall on you, Devi. You are our sister-in-law by extension and like any woman, an embodiment of vitality. We shall rebel against the council of those foul ministers who dared to question you if you desire so, that is our word." He trembled in indignation, clasping the iron bars. The woman who rose from the flames shook her head instead, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"You must not do that, Mahodaya. We won't tarnish the infallible justice of Maharaja Yadu's clan. This won't be the righteous way. We must think of something else, a mutiny may cause anarchy."
"What use is this jurisdiction either way if the people at the very top of the hierarchy are suffering incessantly because of a nefarious one's deeds? Have you seen Vaasudeva? Do you know how he is?"
The rest of the colors from her countenance drained down, "He is . . . he is alright isn't he? Is he being gentle to himself?" Her kohl lined eyes bled a silver tear, a knot forming in the chest which slowly smothered her mettle. "Does he too hold me accountable for what has come to pass? O Raghava, why do my loved ones suffer for my cause? How shall I stand undeterred when the one who makes up my heart is in grief? What use is my existence if it is weighed down by my bygone malfeasance alone? I shall renounce this material self this instant-"
Satyaki gasped, "You mustn't do so, Devi. Grief only destroys one. Command us, we wish to serve you."
Kamalnayani brushed off her tears, nodding vehemently. This would only grow worse if she'd be doltish enough to lament so. "Did any of you two, take a prolonged gander upon the crook to catch any of their extraordinary traits? It can be anything . . . the style of donning the robes or for that matter any specific guard." Kritavarma strained his wits, "An alligator . . . an alligator upon the nape, Sakhi."
"Oh . . . " Krisha grimaced, a steely gleam in her eyes. She knew the insignia all too well, and everything that she needed to connect began to unfold before her eyes. "It is crystal clear from now. Sakha, I know what we are to do."
"Then we shall leave now itself," Kritavarma promptly spoke as soon as the former was done explaining her wittily conjured plan. "We don't have much time on our hands. Make haste, Yuyudhana." But Kamalnayani paled in agony yet again, "Haste makes waste, sirs, remember that we do not have any backup plan for this and- and in the worst case scenario, I shall live in this darkness all my life. You two may lose yours. Be sure that you will return, and do not sacrifice yourself for me. I am not so worthy, and the Yadavas need you."
Satyaki smiled, "You are worthy, you will always be. You are the bridge that shall either sustain or scorch the future of the Panchalas and the Yadavas. We should not be wasting time in such pointless debates, Your Majesty. Kindly provide us with the final key so that we can set off. We vow to return well, Sakhi."
A cataclysm swirled in her honey eyes such that they almost appeared akin to a void, scintillating and haunting in the line of a dead star. An energy burnt her core when she subtly tilted her head to the side and when she spoke it wasn't the queen but the one who resided in the cosmos in her primordial form. "The emptiest of vessels make the most sounds," she hummed as the two men stayed perplexed by the light that illuminated their vicinity, then was gone in a flash. "Eyes can hornswoggle us. In a foreign lake the reflection is but an illusion. Trust no one, but trust without reason."
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