A night without end

In dreams or In reality

Prathama knew she was near .She could sense the water. The king's exit from dungeon will not be an easy one. She knew she had to nimbly get in without disturbing the near by underground spring. She could not hear anyone now but the voice in her mind saying "Rajkumari..is that you.. "

A voice whispered to her mind , " No .. it is me the Queen .. the mother . I came before you, from the other side of the palace , trying to release them. But I did not have adequate time. So I have laid in wait to share with you some tips before I leave this place forever. You know right girl,you will not return. But do not fear I will be with you." 

Her hand was guided from down to infront and she found two door like structure simultaneously. One was correct and the other was a way to the mountain steam. Which one she asked in her mind. The voice replied I do not know. 

This is where instead of entering the dungeon, I entered the well and then I opened a door by instinct and then I have no memory. Prathama took a breath and she listened. There was a strong sound f the mountain stream from one and the other was quiet. But how can it be if both the doors were side by side. She had never believe but now she remembered of her father saying that the voices of the dungeon were actually amplified by the engineer who made it.But it only played towards the villagers or other prisoners and at times to the court. But it never really came towards the Palace though by all calculation the dungeon and the palace was connected. 

Prathama opened the door with the loudest sound. For a second the sound got blurred and then it became a low echo. She knew the moment she closed the door the sound will again blair. There was no mountain stream but as she pressed her ears against the wall she felt a moistness. She heard a thud, her mother was breaking the wrong wall and she will end up flooding both the tunnels. Then there will be no end of the curse. She walked quickly ignoring the presence of the Queen ormother whomshe knew to be the King's wife. 

"No ..not his wife but lived my life as one. But come now. Hurry. I will tell you that tale another day." 

Pratham shouted, "Mother please stop the digging, sister has disappeared.., and I know she is on the right path. Please do not do anything." But there was a forest that absorbed the sound. Softly Pratham felt someone whisper to his ears. "I was my Queen's guard. There was no one as brave as her in this world. She lived for her sister hoping that she lived somewhere when the King removed her and changed the Queen's sister as the Queen over night. He changed her name and made her dress as the Queen. She was barely fifteen, facing a man twice her age. But girls grow. The King forgot. On the day when he was holding a court thinking he had removed everyone he had to fear from his way, his Queen, the young girl of fifteen, who never grew up in his eye, stood camaflouged on the terrace of the Queen chamber, drew her bow and arrow, the one she had never picked up in years and shot the King between his eyes with poison tipped arrow." 

The only issue was that he never knew who brought in his death. The presence said softly, "This forest was mine to preserve. But I never knew the wait would be so long. That the girl we waited for with not be born for a century or more, I forget."

Pratham cried ," Why do you speak like that. She has a chance to make it back." 

Somewhere in the depths of the dungeon , she heard no voice, no one asking for help. Even the presence was puzzled. Where are those spirits that shouted for help or where they all like the sound of the water manufactured by a smart engineer. Slowly Prathama felt them brushing her arm like feathers blessing but staying and she understood.. the moutain stream that flowed underneath , spings into the desert and creates a most beautiful oasis. It used to be the source of all power of the nomadic community till they left and tried settling down and then lost the route to it. 

She asked them, " Should I the other door too.." 

They whispered .. No you will be also swept away! The underground water source to the oasis was cut off my the King. Leaving it to only have small underground streams.. the force is unbelievable. 

She whispered, " Take me to the nomadic King.." 

They all shrunk away. So she walked and led her feet take her to where it led her.

Heavily chained, rusted and decaying stood a figure in the centre of the dungeon. In his feet was something that looked like a human tongue. Logic , time ceased to exist. What existed was only the feeling. The rusted chains fell away as he walked .. a skeleton wounded tortured yet still there since centuries and said," You came.." 

Prathama shook her head and said, " I am not she. I am just.." 

Yet it was she. Her hands glistened as her hair stood up. 

" You chose to be reborn to free us.. but my girl our story cannot end like this. We should have another chance at it.. " Then he crumbled infront of her and dissolved to dust. Some one howled in pain, may be the walls in memory of the most goriest t*****e. She seemed to see blood everywhere and skin.. 

No.... she screamed internally. Then she felt the presence of the Queen. She whispered into her ears. Do you know how the King was killed ? By my hand. He and his cohorts all were taken down by a single woman with a weapon that they had mocked as a coward's ammunition. Ammunition had no cowards and it looked for a stable hand. The spirit of the Queen asked her to live and keep the actual stories alive. But that was not her agenda. She was here to free all from this dirty, cursed place to the Oasis of life. 

She went back and opened the second door.