Warrior Princess; Her Quest to the throne

"I want you to train Shaurya for a specific mission in the next few weeks. The module needs to be rigorous and comprehensive, concentrating specifically on the abilities which he will need for this assignment. I have taken the permission from Rani Samyukta for this already. Apart from you me and the Queen, no one else is aware of the plan at this moment. Honestly, I have come to you not only because of your skills but also because you have not been a part of the system for a long time now," he stated bluntly.     

"Isn't Shaurya's identity compromised already?" she asked, not taking offence to his straightforward words.     

"We don't know to what extent is it exposed and honestly, I need him on this mission specifically because he has been exposed," he replied, expressionlessly.     

"So, he is the bait. I am assuming that you suspect a mole in the system," Bela said.     

Prithvi was enjoying the novel feeling where despite having no information, Charulata was already connecting the dots and making patterns. He had learnt this particular skill from her only.     

Nodding his head, he waited for her response.     

"I am happy to help but I honestly don't know what would you like me to teach him which he already hasn't learnt under you. Mriga tells me that he is your favorite student and a really good spy. I am only a police officer for a near peaceful province. I am afraid that you may have come so far for nothing," she said in a pragmatic tone.     

Prithvi was shaking his head even before she finished speaking.     

"Teach him what you taught me. Let him shadow you, observe you. I need him to learn the art of deciphering people's personalities, their weaknesses, strengths. He needs to learn to lie, smoothly and convincingly. He has the potential, just needs the honing and there is no one better than you in this field. Shaurya is going to embark on an assignment which is extremely critical for us. Failure is not an option. I need him to be equipped with every possible weapon in his arsenal to improve his survival chances. Can you help me, please?" his feelings trickled through his words, surprising Bela.     

"Don't tell me that you are this emotional in front of your trainees. Now I am worried about what kind of spies are we producing," her words were sharp, reminding him to compose himself.     

Prithvi drew to his full height and said on a sniff, "Everyone including your precious daughter are scared of me. I am the best spymaster in the history of Chandragarh till date."     

Bela hid her smile and snorted at his words.     

He then went on to tell her a bit about the mission for which he needed Shaurya to prep up. Although he didn't divulge the details, he made sure to tell her about the kind of opponents that he might face or the scenarios that he could find himself in. This was to ensure that she drew an accurate in-depth training program for him.     

"Are you planning to stay the night?" she asked him once they had finished discussing the details.     

Prithvi smiled as he understood that she had agreed to help out.     

"No, I won't be staying. But I do have another request to make," he said, opening the pack of food.     

Bela looked at him in consternation and replied, "For someone whom I haven't seen in more than fifteen years, aren't you being a bit too demanding?"     

Mouth full with food, he ended up choking on his laugh at his senior's words. He knew that she was the kind whose bark was sharper than her bite.     

"Exactly my point. Since I haven't seen you in so many years, you should accommodate as many requests of mine as possible to compensate for those years," he said, sounding like a petulant boy.     

Before she could rebut his point, he was already talking further.     

"Please convince Mrignayani to participate in the competition for the Queen's throne," he said, his countenance showing sincerity.     

Bela's eyes became wide. These were the last set of words which she would have expected out of him.     

"Based on my impartial observation of her still developing competence, I feel that she has all the makings of the Queen which Chandragarh needs in its coming years. She is bold, compassionate, intelligent and humble," he said in all seriousness.     

For a change, Bela was a loss of words. She didn't know how to react to this request. Whenever that she had thought of her daughter's career path, she had only wished for her to be able to contribute to her country's well-being. Which is why she had gently nudged her to work towards being a part of the Suraksha Chakra team. And she said the same to Prithvi now.     

"Isn't sitting on the throne the noblest and one of the toughest ways to contribute towards one's country," he challenged her.     

"I am assuming that you are telling me this because Mriga has declined to participate," she said after a while.     

Prithvi was adept in the art of sidestepping a question. So, he chose to not tell her about the conversation between him and Mrignayani which had taken place in the Gurukul.     

"As of two days ago, she went to the dean's office and procured a form but she hasn't submitted it back yet which means that she is pondering over it. I just want you to help her make the right choice," he informed Bela.     

As per Prithvi's instructions, all the applicants' names were informed to him in real time when they collected the forms from the dean's office. He didn't know the reason for Mriga to have changed her mind since he last spoke with her but atleast she had gone and looked for the form voluntarily. That was reason enough for him to push for her candidature in front of his mentor.