Kingdom of Hunters
Castle of Solar Dynasty
The silence was eerie, frightening and unnerving. Not even the shivering of dried leaves was detected as the cold wind blew past them. The full moon glowed high in the night sky, scattering its light all over, drinking the darkness and illuminating the mountainous figure of Castle.
A diamond, similar to the size of an egg of an ostrich, glinted hard under the moonlight. It was craved at the top of the highest minaret. A traveler lost amid thick forest could easily point it from miles and reach the destination without going missing. It could be easily said that the kingdom was glorified and had edible resources to stand without support. If not the diamond then the golden pillars at the entrance and many other parts of the castle could justify the magnificent rule of a proud king.
The richest and most powerful clan of the world resided in this area.
No supernatural can ever touch the heights of esteem and reverence these hunters hold. The ultimate balance keepers and peace holders reside in this clan. But this golden kingdom has somehow managed to catch an evil eye.
The chaos rang hard along with screams and wails of a woman, who was being dragged mercilessly by the bunch of soldiers. KirtiRaje was the name of the woman. She struggled hard and kicked as the soldiers dragged her through heavy iron chains that were tied around her wrist. A worried Prince Surya ran after them, feeling utterly helpless. The crime his wife committed was heinous and unforgivable. His dear wife, whom he loved more than anything, gave poison to the Queen of Hunters. Unfortunately, the queen was pregnant. Behind Surya, a 10-year-old boy ran wearing his white cotton nightdress. Horror was coated on his features replacing the once cheerful persona. He was called Indra, firstborn of the next generation of King and only child of Surya. He was the expected heir of the throne as King Raghav and Queen Vasundhara wasn’t gifted with a child for 10 years until now.
Driven in greed and jealousy, Kirti poisoned the pregnant queen, fearing to lose the throne. She has always dreamed of her son sitting on it one day.
As the soldiers neared the grand courtroom, the struggles of the woman increased and screams were released in a high-pitched sonnet. She resembled a rabid animal at the moment with her once tied hair sticking out in all directions, forming knots and clothes were poorly holding the grip on the body. Her foot wares were long-lost in the fights and struggles and so was her gold jewelry.
For the first time in the history of hunters, the High Queen- GayatriRaje, mother of King Raghav and Prince Surya, called this court at 1 am.
The moment warning bells were ranged, the entire army of high officials jumped out of their sleep and rushed to see the emergency. Now they all were settled in the courtroom completely shocked and taken aback. It was hard for them to decipher, what has gone wrong that the princess of the kingdom is being dragged like a criminal.
In no time King Raghav entered the courtroom dominating the air that strolled across the pillars. Walking gracefully, with his head high and chest puffed out, he reached the throne and settled elegantly. The king was a buff man with heavily packed muscles. His height was 6’5. Cherry red hairs covered his head and brought out his fair features. His eyes were grey rounded by silver rings. They were bloodshot and swollen tonight. No matter how charming he looked, the deadly aura surrounding him immediately made the onlookers downcast their gaze. Under his menacing glare, they felt small and powerless. He was the king. King of Hunters, the ultimate peacemaker among supernatural and most powerful species. They were graced by great strength and senses to have the upper hand on creatures of the night. The human nature was never a weakness but posed as a great strength. They were all skilled warriors, in front of whom no vampire or werewolf could stand more than a minute without losing a huge piece of a chunk. The supernatural feared them and called them the reapers, that could pull the very soul out of their chest without breaking the sweat. This was the clan of hunters, the protectors, the humans, and the best warriors.
As King Raghav settled on his throne his stormy eyes immediately focused on the crying woman at the center of the grand hall. His nostrils flared in anger recalling how his beloved wife was struggling to even breathe and was vomiting blood. He remembered the face of healers and qualified doctors when they wore a grimacing expression and shook their heads telling no hope was left. The pleading eyes of his wife, Vasundhara, got imprinted in his mind for forever when she held his hand tight and clutched her bulging belly. She was scared, so scared. It has broken his heart. And in return, he wanted to do nothing but kill the woman who has managed to destroy his love for her stupid greed. But this was a female who has committed a crime, and as a king, he can’t punish her. Only the queens have the right to hear the cases with such crimes according to the hunter’s laws.
Everybody stood in respect as the old queen entered the courtroom wearing her white gown. She had big brown hair with a hint of grey near her ears. Her pale complexion made her look like a goddess descending from heaven. Her hands were joined in front of she walked down the grand courtroom with a commanding vibe. As she neared the throne of King Raghav, the warriors settled back on their place.
A small minute of silence was passed as the old queen stood over the stairs and swept her eyes over the power-hungry and cunning woman who once Gayatri called her younger daughter-in-law.
As the moments passed, Princess Chanda, the only daughter of Queen Gayatri and sister of Prince Surya and King Raghav entered the courtroom with her 7-year-old son Rudra and a year-old daughter Shakti. She occupied the empty chair beside her husband, Commander Bhanu C. Thakur and looked at her mother with sharp eyes. A storm was brewing among the family after watching the Queen Vasundhara of hunters slowly fading in nothingness.