"No way!" Sulekha, the queen of Ramapur screeched with annoyance and anger as she spoke pointing her fingers at Chitra, "Chitra, this piece of shit is getting married as soon as possible and that is final-"

"Sulekha!" The king's voice roared in a threatening tone, "REMEMBER! She is a princess and my daughter and I should be the one to make a final decision about her."

"Oh really?" Sulekha rolled her eyes as she spoke in a taunting tone, "Remember once you happened to say that she looks exactly like her mother? I am sure her mother would have definitely taught her the tactics of trapping married men of high status and you know what my dear husband? She is a disgrace to our kingdom!" Sulekha spat those words with hatred. "She is just another power-sucking leech like her mother-"

A loud smacking sound echoed the hall as her words came to a halt. The worse has happened, the king hit the queen. Chitra was now terrified to see what was happening, she couldn't comprehend the situation anymore, should she pity herself about how strong hatred the queen has for her or feel relieved that her father had finally chosen to stand for her.

It was late in the evening by the time she and Meenamma reached the palace yesterday, but to their rotten luck king, Indradas was taking a stroll around the training area with his ministers. They tried their best not to attract any attention but the King has already noticed them.

"Where are you returning from Princess?" The king asked as he stood in front of Chitra. It was actually a shock to her that her father finally acknowledged her presence, his voice was sounding foreign to her now. His voice has changed along with time as his behaviour towards her.

A thought started to bug her, this is a chance. A chance to express how she is not happy about the marriage the queen has decided for her. A chance to fight for herself as Vikram said. He is the king and most important of all he was her father, he should listen to her!

But pushing her thoughts aside she answered, " Temple. "

"Was it that important?" But this time the question was directed towards Meenamma.

Before Meenamma could answer, he noticed that there was no security with them.

"Where are the Guards who accompanied you to the temple?"

Meenamma's silence gave the answer the king needed.

"No guards? How dare you put a princess life in danger! The king's voice came out rough and angry , he motioned to the guards who were standing near the entrance, "Guards! Arrest her-"

"NO!" Chitra almost shouted with fear, when she understood that her father was going to punish Meenamma for taking no security with them.

But the guards did not stop, she had to say something before they got her.

"It was the queen," Chitra whispered, Not believing herself that she was actually speaking against the queen, her step-mother.

"What do you mean?" Her father asked, raising a hand signalling the guards to pause while Meenamma was begging the princess to stop talking.

"The Queen has refused to provide us with any security or transportation facility, Meenakshi is just a handmaid, so how could she afford to hire any guards Outside the palace? " She couldn't believe she was doing this! she wanted to talk about her marriage not to question or have a fight with her father.

After that incident, the king has ordered the Queen and the princess to be present at the royal hall. The king was angry thinking that the queen went overboard by not providing any security for the princess but the situation at the hall got worse when he got to know that the queen had fixed Chitra's Marriage with the minister's son. His male ego burst out after realising that his wife didn't even consider his opinion before making decisions, how dare she, he thought.

The more they argued the conversation got heated and soon resulted in the king slapping her.

Sulekha was speechless, in her life till no one even dared to touch her without her permission and here, her husband hit her for that whore of a princess. She will see to it that this king will suffer to hell for insulting her like this and before she could formulate a plan her dumb daughter jumped forward shouting,

"How dare you hit my mother!" Priyamvada shouted at the king

"Remember princess you are talking to a king!" Roared Indradas unable to tolerate this behaviour, like mother like daughter, he thought.

"Or what? I am soon to be the queen of Abhiras! So don't try something that you might regret later, father!" Priyamvamda spits her words with arrogance shocking the king.

He stood rooted to his place not understanding when his innocent princess turned this cunning and going to an extent of disrespecting his father, disrespecting a king of her country.

At that moment he decided, he will cut these wings of arrogance this mother and daughter are having. At any cost, even if it costs to suppress his love for his daughter Priyamvada.

He just nodded his head and turned back on his heel and just before exiting the hall, he had a full look at his other daughter, Princess Chitra.

Yes, he thought. She can be the bait to bend those arrogant wings of his wife and daughter.

As the king reached his room, his other wife, Chandrakala was waiting for him.

"I was shaken, my king." Chandrakala spoke with deep emotion in her eyes, but her falseness could be seen clearly, "Listening to how the Princess and Queen spoke to you, it's quite a disgrace to see a wife revolting her husband."

She helped the king remove his ornaments and his heavy golden crown.

"So what do we do now my king?" She asked him in a curious tone,

After getting the king to share his plan with her she couldn't help but smirk as was walking down to her chambers.

Poor Chitra, she thought. Everyone in this palace wants to play with her and that thought itself made her laugh as she thought about Chitra's future.

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