Years had passed since the day little Subhadra had cried in Krishna’s arms, burdened by insecurities. Time had softened her worries, and she had grown into a young girl in her early adolescents years, graceful and full of charm. Though still playful at heart, she had become more poised, more aware of the expectations placed upon her as a princess of Dwarka.

Today, the grand hall of the palace was filled with music and laughter. Subhadra stood in the center, draped in a flowing pink lehenga embroidered with silver threads, her anklets chiming softly with every step.

The scent of fresh jasmine lingered in the air as she swayed gracefully, her movements fluid and precise. She twirled, her long hair cascading like a river behind her, her voice harmonizing with the music as she sang.

Her bhabhis—Rukmini, Satyabhama, and Jambavati—watched with admiration.

"She dances like the river itself," Rukmini whispered, a fond smile gracing her lips.

"Not just dances—her voice is like a songbird’s," Jambavati added.

When Subhadra finished, she was met with a round of applause.

"You’ve become so talented, Gudiya," Satyabhama praised, pulling her into a hug. "You must perform at the next festival."

Subhadra blushed, brushing off the compliment with a shy smile. "It’s nothing, Bhabi. Just something I enjoy."

After a few more talking the bhabhis eventually returned to their duties, leaving Subhadra to her free time.

She wandered into the palace gardens, where a group of her friends—teenage daughters of nobles and ministers—were already gathered under the shade of a large mango tree. They sat on a soft carpet, their laughter mingling with the rustling leaves.

"Ah, finally, you’re here!" one of them, Sharvani, exclaimed. "We were just talking about our favorite colors!"

Subhadra sat beside them, tucking her legs beneath her. "Oh? What’s the most popular color so far?"

"Pink, of course!" another girl, Vedika, chimed in. "It’s the color of love!"

"Pink is nice," Subhadra agreed, "but green is nice too. It reminds me of the fresh leaves in spring."

The conversation drifted to hairstyles, ornaments, and embroidery patterns, each girl excitedly sharing their preferences.

Then, out of nowhere, Sharvani gasped dramatically, clutching her chest as if struck by an arrow.

“Enough about silks and jewelry! Let’s talk about something truly important,” she declared.

Subhadra raised an eyebrow. “More important than silks and jewelry?”

Sharvani nodded gravely. “Love stories.”

The air shifted. A chorus of gasps followed. Some girls clasped their hands over their mouths; others widened their eyes in mock scandal.

Ishani quickly composed herself and scoffed. “We are far too young for such things.”

“Oh, Ishani, please,” Sharvani huffed, rolling her eyes. “That doesn’t mean we can’t imagine.”

“I never think about such things,” Ishani insisted, tossing her head.

Vedika smirked. “Yet here you are, listening very intently.”

The group erupted into giggles as Ishani swatted Vedika’s arm in protest.

Sharvani grinned. “Now, tell me—haven’t you all thought about what kind of man will be the love of your life?”

The giggles turned into squeals.

“I know mine will be a great warrior,” Vedika declared dreamily, twirling a loose strand of hair. “Strong and fearless, like Mahabali Balram!”

“I want mine to be a poet,” another girl swooned, pressing a hand to her chest. “A man who speaks words so sweet, I will melt like ghee in the sun!”

“And mine will be rich,” Sharvani sighed, placing a hand on her forehead. “A man with a hundred elephants and a palace so grand, people will weep from its beauty!”

“A hundred elephants?” Ishani burst into laughter. “What will you even do with a hundred elephants?”

“Ride one each day, obviously,” Sharvani replied smugly.

More laughter.

“Perhaps he will compose verses in my honor!”

“Perhaps he will whisk me away on a white horse!”

“Perhaps he will have eyes so sharp that with one glance, he will know all my secrets!”

Vedika suddenly sat up straight. “Oh! And he must be tall! Very tall! I want a husband who makes me feel tiny next to him, like a little sparrow!”

“A mighty Kshatriya,” Ishani mused, nodding. “With arms strong enough to lift you and a horse at the same time.”

The girls squealed again, giggling and throwing their hands in the air as they each described their dream husbands in more and more ridiculous detail.

Then, as if rehearsed, all eyes suddenly turned to Subhadra.

“And you, Rajkumari?” Sharvani smirked. “What kind of man will steal your heart?”

Subhadra, who had been peacefully plucking at the grass, blinked in confusion. “Me?”

“Yes, you!”

The entire group leaned in, waiting for her answer.

Subhadra hesitated. “I… I don’t know.”

The girls gasped as if she had uttered something unholy.

“You don’t know?” Vedika repeated in horror.

Sharvani clutched her forehead, reeling backward. “Impossible! A Rajkumari who has never imagined her true love?”

Ishani crossed her arms. “You must have some idea.”

Subhadra shook her head. “Truly, I don’t.”

Sharvani let out a dramatic groan and threw herself onto Vedika’s lap. “Oh, what a tragedy! She is broken!”

Vedika patted her head solemnly. “Don’t worry, Sharvani. We can fix her.”

The laughter was endless.

“I refuse to believe this,” Ishani said stubbornly. “Not even a little preference?”

“Not even tall or short?” Vedika added, wiggling her eyebrows.

“Not even handsome or ugly?”

Sharvani sat up, wagging a finger. “What if a man came to you, dressed in golden armor, riding a magnificent chariot, his voice as sweet as sugarcane juice—what then, subhadra?”

Subhadra sighed. “I would probably just stare at him blankly and say, ‘Oh. That’s nice.’”

A beat of silence.

Then—

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!”

The girls screamed in exaggerated despair, throwing themselves onto the grass as if Subhadra’s answer had physically wounded them.

Sharvani shook Ishani’s shoulders. “She is hopeless! She will never fall in love!”

Vedika covered her face. “Her heart is a desert! Dry and empty!”

“Not even one tiny little dream?” Ishani pleaded, grabbing Subhadra’s hands.

Subhadra, laughing too hard to answer, finally took pity on them. “Fine, fine!” She held up her hands. “If not how he looks, then… I suppose I would want someone who makes me feel safe.”

The girls immediately froze, their theatrics vanishing in an instant.

“Oooh…” they cooed in unison.

“Safe…” Vedika repeated dreamily.

“Someone who listens to me,” Subhadra continued. “Who treats me like an equal.”

Sharvani sighed deeply, pressing a hand to her heart. “Oh, my Rajkumari Subhadra! You are not heartless after all!”

Ishani sniffled dramatically. “She wants a love that lasts! Not just golden chariots and elephants!”

Vedika sighed. “Yes, yes, but what about how he looks?”

The girls immediately returned to their antics.

“Ah, yes! He must be handsome, of course!”

“I want mine to be so tall I have to stand on my toes to hug him!”

“And he must have a deep voice—one that makes my heart shiver!”

The giggles returned, the conversation growing wilder.

Finally, they turned back to Subhadra.

“What about you, Subhadra?” Sharvani leaned in. “How should your husband look?”

Subhadra groaned. “I don’t know! I already told you all!”

The girls gasped again.

“Not even a single detail?”

“Not even the color of his eyes?”

Sharvani pointed at her. “You are no fun at all!”

Subhadra threw her hands in the air. “I can’t imagine a man who doesn’t even exist!”

Vedika smirked. “Then maybe you will fall in love without realizing it.”

The girls gasped once more.

“Oh, yes!”

“She won’t even notice until she’s married!”

“She will stare at him one day and think, ‘Oh, so this is my husband? How strange!’”

The teasing continued, the laughter ringing through the garden as the sun began to set.

And yet, despite all the giggling and prodding, Subhadra still couldn’t picture what kind of man she might love one day.

Suddenly a familiar voice interrupted the girls’ giggles.

"Rajkumari Subhadra!"

The girls turned to see Satyaki standing at the edge of the garden, arms crossed, an amused yet firm look on his face.

"Your free time is over," he announced. "It’s time for your next lesson."

Subhadra let out a dramatic sigh, causing her friends to giggle. "Already?"

Satyaki raised an eyebrow. "Would you rather I inform your Dau that his dear little sister is neglecting her military studies?"

That was enough to make Subhadra quickly get up. "No need for such extreme measures!" she huffed and pout.

Her friends chuckled as she bid them farewell. "I’ll see you all later," she said, waving before following Satyaki through the palace corridors.

*****

Unlike her dancing lessons or discussions of royal etiquette, military studies were held in a room full with maps, scrolls, and miniature models of war formations. Subhadra took her seat as Satyaki unrolled a large map before her.

"Today, we will focus on the structure of Dwarka’s military," he began. "As you know, our city is built like a fortress, surrounded by the sea. Our army is one of the strongest in Aryavarta."

Subhadra listened attentively as he explained how the different divisions—infantry, cavalry, elephant corps, and navy—worked in harmony to protect Dwarka. He spoke of strategies used in past battles and how warriors trained daily to perfect their skills.

"War is not just about strength," he reminded her. "It is about discipline, strategy, and unity."

Subhadra nodded. Her desire to wield weapons like Balram or Krishna is quite low, but she understood the importance of this knowledge. As a princess, she needed to be aware of how her kingdom defended itself.

When the lesson ended, Satyaki gathered the scrolls, satisfied with Subhadra’s attentiveness.

“That was interesting,” Subhadra admitted, stretching her arms above her head like a lazy cat.

“I’m glad you think so,” Satyaki said, carefully stacking the scrolls.

Subhadra watched him for a moment, a mischievous glint appearing in her eyes. She tilted her head dramatically. “Bhrata Satyaki, can I ask you something?”

Satyaki, still arranging the scrolls, nodded absently. “Of course, Rajkumari.”

She beamed. “When will you get married?”

Satyaki dropped a scroll.

“What?” he sputtered, whirling around to stare at her.

Subhadra erupted into laughter, clutching her stomach. “Your face! You look like I just asked you to recite the entire Veda backwards!”

Satyaki exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “What kind of question is that?”

“Oh, a very important one!” Subhadra said innocently, batting her lashes. “You see, my friends and I were discussing what kind of men would win our hearts and become our husbands, and that got me wondering—do men ever talk about their future wives? Do you and Bhrata Kritavarma and some of your other friends secretly sit under the moon, sighing about your dream brides?”

Satyaki choked on a laugh. “What—NO! Of course not!”

Subhadra gasped, pressing a hand to her chest. “Truly? Not even once? Not even a little sigh?”

Satyaki pinched the bridge of his nose. “Rajkumari, you and your friends are still little girls. Why are you thinking about marriage already?”

“EXACTLY what I said!” Subhadra threw her hands up in mock exasperation. “But once the question was asked, I couldn’t stop thinking about it! And now you must answer!”

Satyaki folded his arms. “Fine. Then answer me first—when will you get married?”

Subhadra pretended to faint. “Me? Oh, the horror! Why would you curse me with such a question? I am but a child!”

Satyaki laughed. “Ah, but you are so curious about my marriage, shouldn’t you be thinking about your own?”

Subhadra made a face. “Never!”

Satyaki smirked. “Never? So you’ll never marry?”

Subhadra sat up dramatically. “Oh no, of course, one day I probably will! But only if my husband understands my deep, undying love for sweets. Otherwise, our marriage is doomed!”

Satyaki burst into laughter. “Then I shall make sure plenty of sweets are served at my wedding! You will be my guest of honor.”

Subhadra leaned forward, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “Oh, Bhrata Satyaki, you must invite me! But if you dare forget—I will still come! I will sneak into your wedding, disguise myself as a royal cook, and steal all the food!”

Satyaki shook his head, still laughing. “That sounds exactly like something you would do.”

Subhadra giggled uncontrollably, feeling lighthearted. Lessons were important, but moments like these—where she could tease and joke freely—were what she cherished the most.

For now, she was happy to simply dream about the future, knowing that when the time came, she would step into it with laughter and confidence.

To be continued

Notes : longer chapter today yeay✨✨✨ I hope this doesn't cringe you. And about subhadra friends name, how is your thoughts about it? I'm not familiar with Indian name so I just pick random names that I like. If you have better name idea pls let me now I'll fix it ❤