Chương 44: Thy sister Thy saviour ( Part 1 )
In the royal enclosure, the west wing houses the palaces of the princesses born of the first queen. Historically, this palace complex known as the Tri-Shakti Palace Complex had always housed the first queen and her children, especially princesses. There are eight palaces in this complex and one lotus seat in the center than belongs to the queen. Thus the princesses will be known as the Eight Devis or the Eight Princesses when they begin to reside here. Even if there is just one princess, she will still be referred to as Eight Princesses. Meanwhile, the collective term for the first queen as well as her daughters and sometimes infant sons is what is known as Tri-Shakti. Tri-Shakti is the triple personified form of Shakti, the primal feminine which forms the energy of the entire universe. Tri-Shakti is the religious basis for all the gods and goddesses worshipped by the citizens of Rtadhara. Peculiarly enough, it is not the deities collectively known as Adityas, their ruling lords!
The Tri-Shakti Palace Complex in aerial view is shaped like a bell, with expansive gardens starting from the waist and spreading all the way to the mouth. The eight palaces are intertwined with each other in much of their infrastructure, but are also independent structures, situated on the top part of this bell, extending up to the waist. At the apex of these buildings where the gardens start, a large lotus was situated. The lotus was extremely beautiful, carved out of red sandstone and white marble which brings out a pink flush to the structure when seen from a distance. Gold and silver embellished the pillars and footholds used within the structure, whereas precious gems were used like raindrops to cover the interiors in dazzling lights, making it look quite different from the pure exterior. This was meant to symbolize the nectar that lays hidden inside the solemn flower. The lotus seat wasn't large. It was merely ten feet high and twenty feet wide. But when the queen was alive, the Indra and herself spent nearly every night there. But once she was gone, the king was not even allowed in there. In Rtadhara, this was the one place even the king had no access to. On the other hand, his daughters and his infant son who were also what composed the Tri-Shakti could still access the place, albeit with restrictions. Vajradandaka, even though he has grown now was still considered an infant in reference to Tri-Shakti because the queen died during his infancy. Similarly, another class of people who could enter the place were the Brahmin vaids (doctors) who were in charge of the queen's wellbeing.
Currently, a boy lay here quietly, in the most restricted zone of Rtadhara. His face was pale as paper, eyes were shut tightly, his body was completely still without even a tremor. If one wasn't seeking it on purpose, one would find no obvious sign of life on him. The small building was gloomy and quiet. It's dazzling jewels had long since been covered in white veils. Light entered haltingly through the crystal pathways that demarcated the zones between each lotus petal. It was suffused thoroughly by the time it made it inside. Without the gemstones to reflect this diffused light and make it shine again, the room felt dark and unwelcoming. Air flowed in narrow currents as though its voice had been curtailed. The sun's warmth didn't reach inside, the polished floors seeming cold, heartless.
A soft and lovely girl lay beside the boy's bed, using a sponge to clean his body. A dense and pungent smell assaulted her nostrils. The little body had been caked in blood, dirt and excrement for a long time, making the girl shudder as she performed her task.
"Princess, let me…" A servant girl knelt beside her mistress begging gently.
The beautiful girl shook her head side to side. Her eyes were dry and dim. Lifeless, one might say, but resolute still. "Bhu will take care of little brother," she murmured in a small, lilting voice, wiping the boy's legs one after another. She didn't flinch when she saw the number of cuts and half healed scars on them, but she did count and remember each one.
The servant girl's eyes welled with tears. "Princess, the Eight Princesses will not be happy seeing you like this…" she implored in a trembling voice. "Please let this servant take over this messy job." As she watched the wounds on the boy's legs begin to bleed again, she knew the delicate princess was holding really tight to avoid passing out.
"No you're wrong. The Eight Princesses are one," said the small voice. "The Eight Princesses want this. Tri-Shakti revives her own son. I am not doing anything. She is doing it through me…"
With each word, her strength grew and her actions became more efficient. By the time the doctors rushed over, the prince was already lying on clean sheets, his body rid of all the external filth. Though he still had no color, his face looked serene as though he was finally relieved.
The canon portion of the bell-shaped complex at the top connected to the royal enclosure's Sunset Palace where the king spent his evenings with his family. The various wives, the multitude of children and other relatives and friends socialized here. But after his first wife died, Nihapriya, the Indra reverted to his introverted personality and did not take many guests here. The family only met here on festive occasions or when there are important events going on that required them to meet each other.
Presently, a short girl dressed in bright red angrily pushed a giant vase to the floor, angrily screaming, "How could you father?!"
Her eyes burned with fury, her lips were trembling and her cheeks were flushed with the most violent red. She was Agnipriya, the third princess of Rtadhara. When she stamped her feet, a blazing lotus emerged from earth.
These were real flames. A divine manifestation not uncommon in the divine family of the Adityas. However, Agnipriya's flames didn't burn. They only made the matter so excited that flames became visible wherever she went.
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