Warrior Princess; Her Quest to the throne

Prithvi entered the room where Rani Samyukta had been waiting patiently and apologised immediately.     

"Greetings to the Queen! I am really sorry to have kept you waiting. I arrived back just this morning and apparently time walked faster than me today," he said.     

Prithvi had taken a detour to find the sketch artist whom he usually employed to do his work. By the time he finished giving the description to the person, he was late for his appointment with the queen.     

She waved her hand indicating that she was not displeased and gestured for him to take a seat. Thankfully for him, Rani Samyukta had never been the kind to stand on ceremony. Without waiting a beat, he dived straight into all the happenings of the past few days. He didn't hold back anything except for the conjectures and theories which were swirling in his mind but for which, he had no proof yet.     

"So, how much do you trust this ex-spy and the new trainee?" the queen asked him referring to Bela and Shaurya.     

He gave her a tight smile in return and said, "I would entrust either of them with my most precious thing. You don't need to worry about their ability."     

She didn't say anything to rebut his words and looked pensively at the room which resembled a bunker. This room was technically not supposed to exist as per the design of the structure. One of the most frequented places in the capital, this five storied building had many patrons going in and out of it, none of whom had a clue to the fact that the most important person in the country was currently in a meeting right under their feet.     

"I… I was wondering if under the current circumstances, we should postpone the Queen's selection contest," Prithvi spoke in an uncharacteristically, hesitant manner.     

But even before he finished asking, the queen was shaking her head in negative.     

"Everything will go on as usual. It is most imperative that we continue to do things as per plan and I need you to be at the forefront of the selection as we had discussed previously," her words brooked no argument.     

Prithvi nodded stiffly and bowed his head. Bidding her farewell, he exited from the door which opened into a rundown passage which further opened onto the lane behind the brothel. Rani Samyukta waited for a few moments after his exit before pressing a lever with which a gap yawned open in one of the walls. The dark and dank tunnel echoed her hurried footsteps as she swiftly covered the long distance to her private chambers from there.     

Indrani was waiting for her as she stepped out of her chamber. Finding the queen perspiring, she looked at her, questioningly. Despite the cold weather, her muslin saree looked mussed and damp, as if she had run a marathon just now.     

"Were you secretly training in your chamber?" she asked Rani Samyukta.     

Knowing her best friend, Indrani didn't put it past her. The queen gave her an absentminded nod while her gaze was focused on the response from the Saptsindhu king which Indrani had handed over to her the minute she came out.     

Raja Amrendra had expressed his utter disappointment at the refusal of his son's marriage proposal. He had further written that it would be in the best interest of Chandragarh if the queen would reconsider the proposal at a later date. He hoped that the people of Chandragarh wouldn't live to regret the rejection of such an advantageous alliance.     

"Advantageous alliance, my a**!" How dare he send me such a letter? Maybe I have been too polite to him in the recent past. After the last defense meeting, has the vigilance been increased at the borders and ports?" Rani Samyukta asked her.     

Indrani grinned at her reaction. It was only during the most troublesome times that Samyukta would let her old upbringing surface for a bit before pushing it back under the calm veneer befitting a queen.     

Holding onto her private thought, she confirmed that the queen's orders had been carried out with utmost priority.     

"Good! Now assemble the commerce chamber. I am going to make them all unexpectedly happy today," she instructed.     

"Why does that sentence have an ominous ring to it?" Indrani asked in return.     

"Well, it is time to give the king a little taste of Chandragarh's invisible muscle. Starting midnight tonight, the prices of all goods being exported to Saptsindhu would be raised by 20%, half of which will go to the manufacturer and other half to the Queendom," she said.     

Though Indrani thought that it was the best way to retaliate, Rani Samyukta had never been the kind to seek revenge or make a point in such a confrontational manner ever. She knew that this would further irk the Saptsindhu monarch for sure and what would be the consequences of that!     

Southern zilla     

"There is a letter which has arrived for you," the servant came and hand delivered it to Vindhya's maid and withdrew politely.     

It was early morning and Vindhya was getting ready for her sword fighting session with Yash.     

"It is from brother Vidyut," the old maid said excitedly.     

Vindhya paused in tying the sideways laces of her dress and grabbed the letter from her wrinkly hand.     

With an excited smile, she tore it open and started reading it. After a few minutes into the letter, she frowned and puckered her lips unhappily.     

"Hadn't I convinced him about Yash's suitability the last time they met? Then why is he asking me to not get too attached to the idea of this alliance?" she muttered to herself.