05-04-2026, 11:16 PM
This is a tale from long, long ago. During the end of 9th century, there was a kingdom on the banks of river Jhelum in the plains of north western India. The Shinokya Kingdom stood tall, proud of its warriors and its learned men. The King was a shrewd and just ruler, Ranvijay, and his Queen was Amrita, a woman of few words but with a mind sharper than any talwar in the region.
Shinokya was one of the oldest dynasty in the region, its roots dating back to 500 BC. This is a tale about the royal family of this kingdom, the secrets they kept, and the price they paid for it.
The sun was slowly setting, watched by the sharp eyes of Princess Maya as she leaned against the cool marble balcony. The cool evening air was a welcome respite after a hot summer afternoon. The fresh smell of jasmine and marigold floated in the air, carried by the gentle breeze. She watched the guards light the torches along the courtyard, their orange glow flickering to life against the deepening twilight.
One of the guards, a middle age man, caught a glimpse of Princess Maya standing above the courtyard in the balcony and froze midway. The dying rays of the setting sun lit up her perfect, milky white face and made her dark, cascading hair shine. She was wearing a purple sari, her favorite color. The sari was made of the finest silk, with gold embroidery that caught the light in a way that made her look even more radiant. One of the straps of her blouse had slipped down her shoulder, revealing a hint of the delicate collarbone beneath. She didn't bother to fix it.
The princess was a sight to behold. The guard couldn’t help but stand there for a few seconds, transfixed. The 20 year old Maya looked like an apsara brought down straight from the heavens. Maya's eyes flicked down to the guard, catching him staring. The beauty from moment ago vanished, replaced by the most repulsing, disgusting look on her face. The guard quickly averted his eyes, feeling the heat rise to his face. He coughed, trying to hide his embarrassment.
Maya averted her gaze as if her eyes would be polluted by staring at him any longer. She turned back to the courtyard, her fingers tracing the cool marble balustrade. The guard hurried away, his sandals slapping against the stone. She turned back to the courtyard, her fingers tracing the cool marble balustrade. The guard hurried away, his sandals slapping against the stone.
The past few months had been a series of unfortunate incidents happening with the royal family. Maya looked at a path on the far end from the balcony, the one in royal gardens. Her elder brother, Prince Ranjith and the heir apparent, had suddenly collapsed while on his morning walk. It all started from that day. The royal doctors were called upon but none could diagnose the illness. Ranjith was a picture of health, strong and vigorous, but within hours he was reduced to a shadow of himself. His skin had turned pale, almost translucent, and his eyes, once bright with intelligence and chivalry, were now hollowed out. Currently he was bedridden, slowly wasting away in the royal chambers.
This incident was the first in a series of strange occurrences that beguiled the palace. In the next couple of weeks, there were many reports from the royal servants about seeing a ghostly figure roaming the palace corridors in the night. It was almost every night that screams of terror would be heard from the servants' quarters. The guards would rush in with their torches, only to find nothing but empty rooms. The servants would swear that they had seen a woman in torn red sari, her long hair covering her face and her bare feet turned backwards as she glided around the palace.
Similar incidents happened around the same time where royal guards had spotted strange, unknown men walking inside the palace in a strange way but they would vanish into thin air as soon as they were approached.
Then came the most troubling incident of all. Yesterday night, Maya's elder sister, Queen Kaveri of Sindh, who was currently resting in the palace during pregnancy, woke up the entire palace with eerie screams that seemed to come from the depths of her soul. Maya along with her parents, the king and the queen, and a dozen guards rushed to her chambers. Kaveri was lying on her bed, screaming in a language no one could understand. Her eyes were wide open, staring at something that wasn’t there. Her hands were clutching her swollen belly, her face twisted in terror.
There was a bone-chilling hissing emanating from within her womb, like the sound of a serpent coiled tight. But the sight of her swollen belly was what made everyone present tremble with sheer terror and fear. Her belly had gone dark, in an unnatural shade of green. The sight sent shivers down everyone's spine.
Maya vividly recalled the scene. Kaveri, her face contorted in a mask of terror, huddled on the floor, clutching her distended belly. "Maya," she had gasped, her voice barely a whisper, "something is wrong. It feels… wrong."
Maya had rushed to her side, her heart pounding in her chest. She could almost see the baby thrashing violently within Kaveri's womb. Then the outline become more clearer and Maya could see something from the womb pushing against Kaveri's skin, stretching out her belly further. The sight was horrifying. The baby was moving unnaturally from within her sister's belly, forming what looked like limbs against the stretched skin. Kaveri’s screams pierced the night as the shape inside her shifted again. The sight was both terrifying and utterly bewildering. Hours had passed, filled with the frantic ministrations of the palace physicians. Finally, the baby's movements had subsided, but the unsettling green hue remained for a while longer, a chilling reminder of the unseen forces at play.
Maya stood on the balcony wondering what had happened to her family. Why was this happening? What was happening? She had never believed in the supernatural, never given any credence to the whispers of curses and ghosts that the servants murmured about in the dark corners of the palace. But now, after everything she had seen, she wasn't sure what to believe.
Maya noticed a sudden commotion down in the courtyard below. Servants and guards hurried toward the palace gates, their voices rising in a mix of urgency and confusion. She leaned forward, her fingers tightening around the railing. A short while after, the guards came back surrounding a very old looking women and few other people dressed in dark blue clothing. The old women in the center looked like she had sunken eyes with a long white hair. She also had a long scar running from her forehead to her neck on the left side of her face. She wore a long necklace. Maya couldn't make out from distance what it was made of but it definitely looked like tiny skulls.
Maya figured out what was going on. Her nostrils flared and her blood started to boil. She turned around and sprinted towards her mother's chambers. The sound of her anklets echoed in the palace hallway as she arrived outside the queen's chambers. Maya didn't bother knocking. She pushed the heavy wooden door open with enough force that it swung back and hit the wall.
Queen Amrita sat at her desk, quill in her hand documenting something which seemed important. She lifted her head slowly, her sharp eyes locked onto Maya as she entered. She looked as elegant as ever. Dressed in dark red saree, she didn't look like she had aged a day since Maya was a child. Her hair appeared from within the pallu dbangd over her head.
"Maya my child, what brings you to my chambers"
"I know what you are doing mother. Calling some old hag to come and perform her witchcraft here in the palace. Have you lost your mind?"
Queen Amrita looked outside for a fleeting second before she turned her head back to Maya. "Oh it appears that she has arrived. Great!"
Maya's nostrils flared again.
"You can't be serious. That woman looks like she crawled out of a grave. What is she supposed to do? Wave some incense and chant some gibberish to make everything better? We need doctors, not some—"
"Maya," Amrita cut in, her voice as smooth as silk but with an edge that made the princess stop mid-sentence. "Sit down."
Maya hesitated, her fingers curling into fists. She hated when her mother used that tone, the one that made it clear she wasn’t asking. With a huff, she crossed the room and dropped into the chair across from the queen’s desk, her sari swishing around her like a storm cloud.
"Listen child," the Queen said in a measured tone, "I understand your skepticism. But Chakor is a experience priestess from the Temple of Rheekha, and is from a long line of shamans who have served the royal family in secret for generations now."
Maya scoffed, rolling her eyes so hard it should have hurt. "Oh please mother, must you always resort to these childish tales? We love in the modern world mother, there are astrologers, mathematicians and various other scholars advancing our civilization, making new discoveries in Nalanda and all over the land. Meanwhile you call upon some ancient witch woman to wave her cursed bones and incense at shadows that are not even there. We are the royal family, we should be promoting science and logic, not superstition and fear. What if the nobles see this? What will they think of us? That we have lost our minds to fear and have started believing in ghosts and curses? That we are weak?
Amrita leaned back in her chair, the faintest hint of a smile touching her lips. "You are so quick to dismiss what you do not understand, Maya. But tell me, what do you propose we do instead? The royal physicians have examined Ranjith and Kaveri, and none of them have any answers. The best they can offer is that it is some kind of illness, but they cannot even name it. What would you have us do?"
Maya’s jaw tightened.
She leaned forward, her fingers pressing into the polished wood of the chair’s arms. "Then we find better physicians. Send messengers to Nalanda, to Taxila. There are scholars there who understand the body, who can diagnose diseases no one else can. We don’t need some scarred woman muttering over bones to tell us what’s wrong with Ranjith or Kaveri."
Amrita’s gaze didn’t waver. She just opened her mouth to reply when two guards appeared at the door , bowing deeply. "Your Majesty, our King wants your audience. The priestess has arrived. They are currently seated in the pavilion in royal gardens. Please allow us to escort you there.
Queen Amrita stood up, her movements fluid and deliberate. "We will continue this conversation later, Maya. For now, you can follow me to meet Chakor or retire to your chambers if you so wish." Queen Amrita stated as she dbangd the pallu of her saree over her head, which was the telltale sign that her patience had run out. Maya watched as her mother walked towards the door, her back straight and regal as ever, the guards quietly following her.
Maya's grip on the armrests of the chair tightened until her knuckles turned white. She hated being brushed aside so casually, especially when what she said was logical and reasonable. But she also knew when it was time to concede defeat, at least temporarily. She stood up, the sound of her anklets ringing out in the chamber as she followed her mother out of the room.
Both of them reached the pavilion where the king and the priestess were seated. Queen bowed before the King and took a seat next to him. Maya stood behind her mother, arms crossed. The pavilion was open on three sides, letting in the cool evening breeze. The scent of jasmine and damp earth filled the air. Maya’s eyes flicked to the priestess sitting across from them. Up close, Chakor looked even more unsettling. Her scar was a jagged line, pale against her dark skin, running from her temple down to her jaw. Her eyes were sharp, almost predatory, like a hawk watching its prey. She wore a necklace of tiny skulls, each one no bigger than a thumb, their hollow sockets seeming to stare right back at Maya.
King Ranvijay cleared his throat, his voice steady but weary. "Priestess Chakor, I have already filled you on everything, but I suppose you already know much of it."
Chakor did not nod, did not blink. She simply stared at the royal family with those unsettling eyes. Then she spoke, her voice low and rough. "Your majesty, I know everything."
"Yeah of course she does" Maya muttered under her breath, but loud enough for everyone to hear. She didn't bother to hide her skepticism. The priestess's eyes flicked to Maya, lingering for a moment before returning to the king.
"To tell you what's is going on in the royal family, I have to tell you a tale from a long time ago, time where the Shinokya dynasty first took over the land."
"Here we go" Maya shook her head , rolling her eyes as she crossed her arms tighter. She didn't care about some old story.
King Ranvijay gave Maya a warning look before he spoke.
"Please proceed Chakor."
Chakor adjusted her position on the silk cushions and began.
"About 600 years ago, this land was ruled by a fierce tyrant named Mihirandra. He was son of once famous ruler Jayendra who was loved by the his population. Mihirandra was just 16 when he grew tired of the old king's generosity and decided to take the throne for himself. He poisoned his father and took over the kingdom. Years passed and Mihirandra now was a firm Maharaja who conquered all the land around the fiver rivers. The population suffered under his rule but none could dare to do anything about it, such was his fearsome reputation."
Everyone's eyes were on her now, even Maya's reluctant curiosity was piqued. "Then one day, two young men from far east, from the land where the river Ganga flows, travelled here. These were no ordinary boys. These two young lads had travelled all the way over here in search of a place to settle down. These boys were young, so young that even the moustache hadn't yet grown on their faces. They were named Shaurya and Virendra. They were thrown out of their warrior tribe and were now looking for a land to call their own. After arriving, they quickly got to know of Mihirendra's tyranny and decided to rally the people against him. The people were afraid, but they were desperate. They had nothing to lose. So they joined the two young men. They were just boys, but they had a fire in their eyes that the people hadn’t seen in years. The boys trained the normal folks and soon turned them into a hardened army. They ran the rebellion and after a tough battle, they won. Mihirendra escaped, and the land was free from his tyranny."
"What does all of these have to do with us?" Maya interrupted, her voice laced with impatience. "Some old story of rebels overthrowing a villain. I fail to see the—"
King Ranvijay raised his hand slightly, silencing her. "Let her finish."
"Quite a feisty one, isn't she?" Chakor said, her voice a dry whisper without a hint of emotion. She looked at Maya with those unsettling eyes before continuing with her tale. "Shaurya and Virendra. There full name was Shaurya and Virendra Shinokya. The two founding fathers of your dynasty and your bloodline. Shaurya and Virenra took over the throne and ruled the land in a diarchy. They were just and fair and the land prospered under their rule. The people loved them, and the land flourished. Year passed and they now had children the age of Princess Maya here. Shaurya, the older one, had a daughter named Princess Maithili. She was beautiful and kind, beloved by all. And Virendra, the younger one, had a brave and chivalrous son named Prince Lokesh. These two were the two heirs destined to carry on their fathers' legecy. The royal priest had already predicted that their union would be blessed by the gods, and their child would bring prosperity to the kingdom like never seen before. Everyone was overjoyed. And now when they were of age, the royal priest announced that the wedding of Maithili and Lokesh would be held in the next full moon. The entire kingdom was preparing for the grandest celebration in its history. Both Maithili and Lokesh loved each other."
"Then what happened?" Queen Amrita asked, her voice calm but her fingers tightening slightly around the arm of her chair. Chakor exhaled slowly and continued. "Just before the royal wedding, the kingdom was attacked by the very ruler who was once defeated by Shaurya and Virendra. Mihirandra had not forgotten his humiliation. He had spent years in exile, harbouring a bitter hatred for the men and the lust for their blood. He had silently gathered a small yet loyal army and with the support of a neighbouring ruler, they launched a surprise attack on the kingdom. Your ancestors fought bravely. In the battle, Prince Lokesh was matched against the son of Mihirendra, Chirayu, who hated Lokesh with all his being. He believed that everything Lokesh had was stolen from him—his father’s legacy, the throne, the kingdom. The duel between the two princes was fierce, sword clashed against sword under the hot sun. But in the end, Prince Lokesh was young and his inexperience cost him. He was fatally wounded but managed to end Chirayu's life before succumbing to his injuries. The battle was won and Mihirendra once again escaped but this time fighting shelter in a cave inhabited by tribe of tantriks, sorcerers who were known for their dark arts. The kingdom was saved but the cost was too high. Prince Lokesh was dead. The entire kingdom mourned the loss of their young prince who had fought bravely in the battle."
"Mihirendra on the other hand, practiced dark arts under the tantriks and emerged from the cave a changed man. His hair had turned white, his eyes now burned with a sinister yellow light, and his skin was marred with dark scars that pulsed with an unnatural energy. Through his twisted ways, he managed to put a devastating curse on the royal family and before the royal priests could do anything, the curse had already claimed the life of King Shaurya. King Vijendra sent out a search for kingdom's best priests and shamans and it was then that the Temple of Rheekha was established. My predecessors found that the curse had no cure. But as predicted by the royal priest earlier, the union between Maithili and Lokesh was supposed to be blessed by the gods. Such union would eliminate any curse no matter how old and strong it was. But with Lokesh gone, the union would never happen. The royal family was doomed to suffer the curse for generations. But my predecessors were no ordinary shamans, your majesties. They deviced a way to keep the curse at bay temporarily. King Virendra adopted an royal orphan and named him Princess Lokesh. Maithili was married to him and the curse was temporarily averted. The princess gave birth to a male heir, and generations later your own royal bloodline descends from that union. This is still practiced unknowingly to this day. This is the only way to keep the curse burried. Answer me Queen, what happened to your father?"
Queen Amrita's fingers stilled on the armrest. Her gaze flickered to the priestess, then back to Maya. "My parents were killed in a coup, and I was left as a royal orphan. My uncle who succeeded the thrown adopted me out of pity and years later I was specifically asked to marry King Ranvijay by his royal priests."
"Exactly," Chakor said, her voice low and deliberate. "And tell me about the marriage of your eldest daughter, Kaveri."
"The royal astrologer suggested that Princess Kaveri should marry Prince Kalyan of the Sindh"
"And can you tell me about Prince Kalyan?" Chakor asked.
The King replied. "Prince Kalyan was orphaned as a child when his parents succumbed to an illness. He was adopted by the regent and was later crowned the King of Sindh. Princess Kaveri was married to him and now they are expecting a child."
"You see the pattern here?" Chakor asked.
Maya who was silent this whole time, her arms still crossed, finally spoke up. "So what you are saying is that we are all doomed to suffer because some ancient tyrant cursed our bloodline? And the only way to avoid this curse is to marry an orphaned royal?"
"Precisely" Chakor said, her voice low and deliberate. "The curse can only be averted by the union of Shinokya's eldest child and an royal orphan who was adopted into royal family. But that is not the solution. It is only
a temporary fix."
"If we married Princess Kaveri to King Kalyan, why did the curse return?" Queen Amrita asked.
"That's what's bothering me. I can't answer your question yet," Chakor said as she looked into the distance. Her scarred face remained impassive. The breeze stilled for a moment. Somewhere above them, an owl screeched, its cry echoing through the empty courtyard like a warning. "I need to access the spirit realm to seek answers."
"Ok I have had enough. I tolerated you up until the point you started talking about curses and spirits. I am not going to sit here and listen to this nonsense any longer." Maya said as she stood up abruptly, her sari swishing around her. "This is ridiculous. We are not some superstitious villagers who believe—"
"Enough!" King Ranvijay's voice cut through the air like a blade. He looked at the servant waiting on the sides. "Nandini, escort Princess Maya back to her chambers. Her presence is no longer needed here."
Maya opened her mouth to protest, but the look on her father's face made her close it again. She let out a loud scream in tantrum and walked back towards her chambers, stomping her feet hard against the marble floors. Nandini, the servant who was standing beside, walked behind her, bowing deeply, not daring to look straight into Maya’s face.
King turned his attention to other group of servants and commanded. "Ask Priestess Chakor of what she needs and commence the preparation immediately. We need to perform the ritual as soon as possible."
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This was a new concept I thought of. Please bare with me as there are few more chapters to establish the plot before the spicy action. Please comment if you like this kind of story and would like to see me continue. I have written two more chapters and would surely love to continue if people like the idea. Thank you
Shinokya was one of the oldest dynasty in the region, its roots dating back to 500 BC. This is a tale about the royal family of this kingdom, the secrets they kept, and the price they paid for it.
The sun was slowly setting, watched by the sharp eyes of Princess Maya as she leaned against the cool marble balcony. The cool evening air was a welcome respite after a hot summer afternoon. The fresh smell of jasmine and marigold floated in the air, carried by the gentle breeze. She watched the guards light the torches along the courtyard, their orange glow flickering to life against the deepening twilight.
One of the guards, a middle age man, caught a glimpse of Princess Maya standing above the courtyard in the balcony and froze midway. The dying rays of the setting sun lit up her perfect, milky white face and made her dark, cascading hair shine. She was wearing a purple sari, her favorite color. The sari was made of the finest silk, with gold embroidery that caught the light in a way that made her look even more radiant. One of the straps of her blouse had slipped down her shoulder, revealing a hint of the delicate collarbone beneath. She didn't bother to fix it.
The princess was a sight to behold. The guard couldn’t help but stand there for a few seconds, transfixed. The 20 year old Maya looked like an apsara brought down straight from the heavens. Maya's eyes flicked down to the guard, catching him staring. The beauty from moment ago vanished, replaced by the most repulsing, disgusting look on her face. The guard quickly averted his eyes, feeling the heat rise to his face. He coughed, trying to hide his embarrassment.
Maya averted her gaze as if her eyes would be polluted by staring at him any longer. She turned back to the courtyard, her fingers tracing the cool marble balustrade. The guard hurried away, his sandals slapping against the stone. She turned back to the courtyard, her fingers tracing the cool marble balustrade. The guard hurried away, his sandals slapping against the stone.
The past few months had been a series of unfortunate incidents happening with the royal family. Maya looked at a path on the far end from the balcony, the one in royal gardens. Her elder brother, Prince Ranjith and the heir apparent, had suddenly collapsed while on his morning walk. It all started from that day. The royal doctors were called upon but none could diagnose the illness. Ranjith was a picture of health, strong and vigorous, but within hours he was reduced to a shadow of himself. His skin had turned pale, almost translucent, and his eyes, once bright with intelligence and chivalry, were now hollowed out. Currently he was bedridden, slowly wasting away in the royal chambers.
This incident was the first in a series of strange occurrences that beguiled the palace. In the next couple of weeks, there were many reports from the royal servants about seeing a ghostly figure roaming the palace corridors in the night. It was almost every night that screams of terror would be heard from the servants' quarters. The guards would rush in with their torches, only to find nothing but empty rooms. The servants would swear that they had seen a woman in torn red sari, her long hair covering her face and her bare feet turned backwards as she glided around the palace.
Similar incidents happened around the same time where royal guards had spotted strange, unknown men walking inside the palace in a strange way but they would vanish into thin air as soon as they were approached.
Then came the most troubling incident of all. Yesterday night, Maya's elder sister, Queen Kaveri of Sindh, who was currently resting in the palace during pregnancy, woke up the entire palace with eerie screams that seemed to come from the depths of her soul. Maya along with her parents, the king and the queen, and a dozen guards rushed to her chambers. Kaveri was lying on her bed, screaming in a language no one could understand. Her eyes were wide open, staring at something that wasn’t there. Her hands were clutching her swollen belly, her face twisted in terror.
There was a bone-chilling hissing emanating from within her womb, like the sound of a serpent coiled tight. But the sight of her swollen belly was what made everyone present tremble with sheer terror and fear. Her belly had gone dark, in an unnatural shade of green. The sight sent shivers down everyone's spine.
Maya vividly recalled the scene. Kaveri, her face contorted in a mask of terror, huddled on the floor, clutching her distended belly. "Maya," she had gasped, her voice barely a whisper, "something is wrong. It feels… wrong."
Maya had rushed to her side, her heart pounding in her chest. She could almost see the baby thrashing violently within Kaveri's womb. Then the outline become more clearer and Maya could see something from the womb pushing against Kaveri's skin, stretching out her belly further. The sight was horrifying. The baby was moving unnaturally from within her sister's belly, forming what looked like limbs against the stretched skin. Kaveri’s screams pierced the night as the shape inside her shifted again. The sight was both terrifying and utterly bewildering. Hours had passed, filled with the frantic ministrations of the palace physicians. Finally, the baby's movements had subsided, but the unsettling green hue remained for a while longer, a chilling reminder of the unseen forces at play.
Maya stood on the balcony wondering what had happened to her family. Why was this happening? What was happening? She had never believed in the supernatural, never given any credence to the whispers of curses and ghosts that the servants murmured about in the dark corners of the palace. But now, after everything she had seen, she wasn't sure what to believe.
Maya noticed a sudden commotion down in the courtyard below. Servants and guards hurried toward the palace gates, their voices rising in a mix of urgency and confusion. She leaned forward, her fingers tightening around the railing. A short while after, the guards came back surrounding a very old looking women and few other people dressed in dark blue clothing. The old women in the center looked like she had sunken eyes with a long white hair. She also had a long scar running from her forehead to her neck on the left side of her face. She wore a long necklace. Maya couldn't make out from distance what it was made of but it definitely looked like tiny skulls.
Maya figured out what was going on. Her nostrils flared and her blood started to boil. She turned around and sprinted towards her mother's chambers. The sound of her anklets echoed in the palace hallway as she arrived outside the queen's chambers. Maya didn't bother knocking. She pushed the heavy wooden door open with enough force that it swung back and hit the wall.
Queen Amrita sat at her desk, quill in her hand documenting something which seemed important. She lifted her head slowly, her sharp eyes locked onto Maya as she entered. She looked as elegant as ever. Dressed in dark red saree, she didn't look like she had aged a day since Maya was a child. Her hair appeared from within the pallu dbangd over her head.
"Maya my child, what brings you to my chambers"
"I know what you are doing mother. Calling some old hag to come and perform her witchcraft here in the palace. Have you lost your mind?"
Queen Amrita looked outside for a fleeting second before she turned her head back to Maya. "Oh it appears that she has arrived. Great!"
Maya's nostrils flared again.
"You can't be serious. That woman looks like she crawled out of a grave. What is she supposed to do? Wave some incense and chant some gibberish to make everything better? We need doctors, not some—"
"Maya," Amrita cut in, her voice as smooth as silk but with an edge that made the princess stop mid-sentence. "Sit down."
Maya hesitated, her fingers curling into fists. She hated when her mother used that tone, the one that made it clear she wasn’t asking. With a huff, she crossed the room and dropped into the chair across from the queen’s desk, her sari swishing around her like a storm cloud.
"Listen child," the Queen said in a measured tone, "I understand your skepticism. But Chakor is a experience priestess from the Temple of Rheekha, and is from a long line of shamans who have served the royal family in secret for generations now."
Maya scoffed, rolling her eyes so hard it should have hurt. "Oh please mother, must you always resort to these childish tales? We love in the modern world mother, there are astrologers, mathematicians and various other scholars advancing our civilization, making new discoveries in Nalanda and all over the land. Meanwhile you call upon some ancient witch woman to wave her cursed bones and incense at shadows that are not even there. We are the royal family, we should be promoting science and logic, not superstition and fear. What if the nobles see this? What will they think of us? That we have lost our minds to fear and have started believing in ghosts and curses? That we are weak?
Amrita leaned back in her chair, the faintest hint of a smile touching her lips. "You are so quick to dismiss what you do not understand, Maya. But tell me, what do you propose we do instead? The royal physicians have examined Ranjith and Kaveri, and none of them have any answers. The best they can offer is that it is some kind of illness, but they cannot even name it. What would you have us do?"
Maya’s jaw tightened.
She leaned forward, her fingers pressing into the polished wood of the chair’s arms. "Then we find better physicians. Send messengers to Nalanda, to Taxila. There are scholars there who understand the body, who can diagnose diseases no one else can. We don’t need some scarred woman muttering over bones to tell us what’s wrong with Ranjith or Kaveri."
Amrita’s gaze didn’t waver. She just opened her mouth to reply when two guards appeared at the door , bowing deeply. "Your Majesty, our King wants your audience. The priestess has arrived. They are currently seated in the pavilion in royal gardens. Please allow us to escort you there.
Queen Amrita stood up, her movements fluid and deliberate. "We will continue this conversation later, Maya. For now, you can follow me to meet Chakor or retire to your chambers if you so wish." Queen Amrita stated as she dbangd the pallu of her saree over her head, which was the telltale sign that her patience had run out. Maya watched as her mother walked towards the door, her back straight and regal as ever, the guards quietly following her.
Maya's grip on the armrests of the chair tightened until her knuckles turned white. She hated being brushed aside so casually, especially when what she said was logical and reasonable. But she also knew when it was time to concede defeat, at least temporarily. She stood up, the sound of her anklets ringing out in the chamber as she followed her mother out of the room.
Both of them reached the pavilion where the king and the priestess were seated. Queen bowed before the King and took a seat next to him. Maya stood behind her mother, arms crossed. The pavilion was open on three sides, letting in the cool evening breeze. The scent of jasmine and damp earth filled the air. Maya’s eyes flicked to the priestess sitting across from them. Up close, Chakor looked even more unsettling. Her scar was a jagged line, pale against her dark skin, running from her temple down to her jaw. Her eyes were sharp, almost predatory, like a hawk watching its prey. She wore a necklace of tiny skulls, each one no bigger than a thumb, their hollow sockets seeming to stare right back at Maya.
King Ranvijay cleared his throat, his voice steady but weary. "Priestess Chakor, I have already filled you on everything, but I suppose you already know much of it."
Chakor did not nod, did not blink. She simply stared at the royal family with those unsettling eyes. Then she spoke, her voice low and rough. "Your majesty, I know everything."
"Yeah of course she does" Maya muttered under her breath, but loud enough for everyone to hear. She didn't bother to hide her skepticism. The priestess's eyes flicked to Maya, lingering for a moment before returning to the king.
"To tell you what's is going on in the royal family, I have to tell you a tale from a long time ago, time where the Shinokya dynasty first took over the land."
"Here we go" Maya shook her head , rolling her eyes as she crossed her arms tighter. She didn't care about some old story.
King Ranvijay gave Maya a warning look before he spoke.
"Please proceed Chakor."
Chakor adjusted her position on the silk cushions and began.
"About 600 years ago, this land was ruled by a fierce tyrant named Mihirandra. He was son of once famous ruler Jayendra who was loved by the his population. Mihirandra was just 16 when he grew tired of the old king's generosity and decided to take the throne for himself. He poisoned his father and took over the kingdom. Years passed and Mihirandra now was a firm Maharaja who conquered all the land around the fiver rivers. The population suffered under his rule but none could dare to do anything about it, such was his fearsome reputation."
Everyone's eyes were on her now, even Maya's reluctant curiosity was piqued. "Then one day, two young men from far east, from the land where the river Ganga flows, travelled here. These were no ordinary boys. These two young lads had travelled all the way over here in search of a place to settle down. These boys were young, so young that even the moustache hadn't yet grown on their faces. They were named Shaurya and Virendra. They were thrown out of their warrior tribe and were now looking for a land to call their own. After arriving, they quickly got to know of Mihirendra's tyranny and decided to rally the people against him. The people were afraid, but they were desperate. They had nothing to lose. So they joined the two young men. They were just boys, but they had a fire in their eyes that the people hadn’t seen in years. The boys trained the normal folks and soon turned them into a hardened army. They ran the rebellion and after a tough battle, they won. Mihirendra escaped, and the land was free from his tyranny."
"What does all of these have to do with us?" Maya interrupted, her voice laced with impatience. "Some old story of rebels overthrowing a villain. I fail to see the—"
King Ranvijay raised his hand slightly, silencing her. "Let her finish."
"Quite a feisty one, isn't she?" Chakor said, her voice a dry whisper without a hint of emotion. She looked at Maya with those unsettling eyes before continuing with her tale. "Shaurya and Virendra. There full name was Shaurya and Virendra Shinokya. The two founding fathers of your dynasty and your bloodline. Shaurya and Virenra took over the throne and ruled the land in a diarchy. They were just and fair and the land prospered under their rule. The people loved them, and the land flourished. Year passed and they now had children the age of Princess Maya here. Shaurya, the older one, had a daughter named Princess Maithili. She was beautiful and kind, beloved by all. And Virendra, the younger one, had a brave and chivalrous son named Prince Lokesh. These two were the two heirs destined to carry on their fathers' legecy. The royal priest had already predicted that their union would be blessed by the gods, and their child would bring prosperity to the kingdom like never seen before. Everyone was overjoyed. And now when they were of age, the royal priest announced that the wedding of Maithili and Lokesh would be held in the next full moon. The entire kingdom was preparing for the grandest celebration in its history. Both Maithili and Lokesh loved each other."
"Then what happened?" Queen Amrita asked, her voice calm but her fingers tightening slightly around the arm of her chair. Chakor exhaled slowly and continued. "Just before the royal wedding, the kingdom was attacked by the very ruler who was once defeated by Shaurya and Virendra. Mihirandra had not forgotten his humiliation. He had spent years in exile, harbouring a bitter hatred for the men and the lust for their blood. He had silently gathered a small yet loyal army and with the support of a neighbouring ruler, they launched a surprise attack on the kingdom. Your ancestors fought bravely. In the battle, Prince Lokesh was matched against the son of Mihirendra, Chirayu, who hated Lokesh with all his being. He believed that everything Lokesh had was stolen from him—his father’s legacy, the throne, the kingdom. The duel between the two princes was fierce, sword clashed against sword under the hot sun. But in the end, Prince Lokesh was young and his inexperience cost him. He was fatally wounded but managed to end Chirayu's life before succumbing to his injuries. The battle was won and Mihirendra once again escaped but this time fighting shelter in a cave inhabited by tribe of tantriks, sorcerers who were known for their dark arts. The kingdom was saved but the cost was too high. Prince Lokesh was dead. The entire kingdom mourned the loss of their young prince who had fought bravely in the battle."
"Mihirendra on the other hand, practiced dark arts under the tantriks and emerged from the cave a changed man. His hair had turned white, his eyes now burned with a sinister yellow light, and his skin was marred with dark scars that pulsed with an unnatural energy. Through his twisted ways, he managed to put a devastating curse on the royal family and before the royal priests could do anything, the curse had already claimed the life of King Shaurya. King Vijendra sent out a search for kingdom's best priests and shamans and it was then that the Temple of Rheekha was established. My predecessors found that the curse had no cure. But as predicted by the royal priest earlier, the union between Maithili and Lokesh was supposed to be blessed by the gods. Such union would eliminate any curse no matter how old and strong it was. But with Lokesh gone, the union would never happen. The royal family was doomed to suffer the curse for generations. But my predecessors were no ordinary shamans, your majesties. They deviced a way to keep the curse at bay temporarily. King Virendra adopted an royal orphan and named him Princess Lokesh. Maithili was married to him and the curse was temporarily averted. The princess gave birth to a male heir, and generations later your own royal bloodline descends from that union. This is still practiced unknowingly to this day. This is the only way to keep the curse burried. Answer me Queen, what happened to your father?"
Queen Amrita's fingers stilled on the armrest. Her gaze flickered to the priestess, then back to Maya. "My parents were killed in a coup, and I was left as a royal orphan. My uncle who succeeded the thrown adopted me out of pity and years later I was specifically asked to marry King Ranvijay by his royal priests."
"Exactly," Chakor said, her voice low and deliberate. "And tell me about the marriage of your eldest daughter, Kaveri."
"The royal astrologer suggested that Princess Kaveri should marry Prince Kalyan of the Sindh"
"And can you tell me about Prince Kalyan?" Chakor asked.
The King replied. "Prince Kalyan was orphaned as a child when his parents succumbed to an illness. He was adopted by the regent and was later crowned the King of Sindh. Princess Kaveri was married to him and now they are expecting a child."
"You see the pattern here?" Chakor asked.
Maya who was silent this whole time, her arms still crossed, finally spoke up. "So what you are saying is that we are all doomed to suffer because some ancient tyrant cursed our bloodline? And the only way to avoid this curse is to marry an orphaned royal?"
"Precisely" Chakor said, her voice low and deliberate. "The curse can only be averted by the union of Shinokya's eldest child and an royal orphan who was adopted into royal family. But that is not the solution. It is only
a temporary fix."
"If we married Princess Kaveri to King Kalyan, why did the curse return?" Queen Amrita asked.
"That's what's bothering me. I can't answer your question yet," Chakor said as she looked into the distance. Her scarred face remained impassive. The breeze stilled for a moment. Somewhere above them, an owl screeched, its cry echoing through the empty courtyard like a warning. "I need to access the spirit realm to seek answers."
"Ok I have had enough. I tolerated you up until the point you started talking about curses and spirits. I am not going to sit here and listen to this nonsense any longer." Maya said as she stood up abruptly, her sari swishing around her. "This is ridiculous. We are not some superstitious villagers who believe—"
"Enough!" King Ranvijay's voice cut through the air like a blade. He looked at the servant waiting on the sides. "Nandini, escort Princess Maya back to her chambers. Her presence is no longer needed here."
Maya opened her mouth to protest, but the look on her father's face made her close it again. She let out a loud scream in tantrum and walked back towards her chambers, stomping her feet hard against the marble floors. Nandini, the servant who was standing beside, walked behind her, bowing deeply, not daring to look straight into Maya’s face.
King turned his attention to other group of servants and commanded. "Ask Priestess Chakor of what she needs and commence the preparation immediately. We need to perform the ritual as soon as possible."
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This was a new concept I thought of. Please bare with me as there are few more chapters to establish the plot before the spicy action. Please comment if you like this kind of story and would like to see me continue. I have written two more chapters and would surely love to continue if people like the idea. Thank you
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