Warrior Princess; Her Quest to the throne

Himprayag was showing signs of spring coming in, with the snow melting off the peaks. The royal palace wore an extremely festive look with the best local artisans showcasing their skills in different corners of the entire capital. Inside the royal chambers, a few attendants were dressing up the young lady sitting in the centre of the room. There was a strong aura around the young lady's face, making everyone unable to take their eyes off her.     

"How much longer will this take? The royal priest is ready and the ministers are waiting," Gayatri's impatient voice filtered through the group to reach the new monarch.     

Even though Princess Ahilya had taken the throne three months ago, the official coronation was happening now. There had been too many things to take care of during this period, most important of which had been the culling of the cabinet of ministers. With most royal ministers on the side of Prince Mithilesh early on, it took the combined efforts of Rudradev and Ahilya to come around to the idea of supporting her as the new queen wholeheartedly. Himprayag had just undergone a battle against Saptsindhu and couldn't afford an attempted coup by the ministers. To avoid this scenario, all types of coercive methods were used and finally the blessed day had arrived.     

"Gayatri, why are you so impatient?" Ahilya's teasing voice made the other woman blush.     

Thankfully, the relation between the two was on a mend and even though Ahilya had not initiated intimacy with her, she was back to being her closest confidante.     

"Queen… this is not the time to dither. The representatives from Chandragarh have also arrived by now. You have to hurry," she informed her.     

Ahilya's heart skipped a beat as she heard Chandragarh being mentioned. While she had only being amusing herself with the Chadragarh spy during his stay here, seeing him in action in Saptsindhu's defeat, Ahilya truly became enamoured with him.     

Shauryaveer… had he come today to attend her coronation as well?     

An hour later     

"Felicitations to the new queen of Himprayag! Our queen sends her best wishes embedded in this scroll to you," Prithvi's smooth voice echoed in the room.     

The attendant took the sealed letter from his hand and gave it to Ahilya. Opening it, she smiled as she read through the contents.     

"Please express my gratitude to Rani Samyukta for her generosity. Even though we split the former Saptsindhu region fairly, her gift regarding the hidden mines from her portion of Saptsindhu is much appreciated. Himprayag will surely share the spoils of the same with her," Ahilya told the white robed man in front of her.     

During the exploration of the country, a lot of hidden reserves of minerals were discovered by Chandragarh. Since Himprayag had been expertly dealing with mine excavation over many decades, the queen had decided to hand over these resources to them as a goodwill gesture. Himprayag had been extremely generous in their dealings with Chandragarh in the recent past and this was her way to show her support to this coronation.     

"I hope that we will be able to enjoy your company for a few days. I have a plan to share with you regarding the neighbouring countries which lie on the other side of the river from us. I think Rani Samyukta would be interested in knowing about my proposal as well," she said with a cryptic smile.     

Prithvi understood that the young queen was referring to the reigns which were currently in decline. He bowed deeply to show his agreement and asked to be excused.     

"Before I let you go, I have a request to make. I hope that Chandragarh can oblige me on the same. There is a brilliant strategist in your team. I would like him to come and develop a similar group for Himprayag. Having worked with him in close quarters, I personally find him extremely capable. I wonder if Rani Samyukta would be generous enough to share the 'resource'. Of course, in return, I would be happy to offer the well-guarded military formations which Himprayag is widely known for," she said with a smile.     

At this moment, there was no one in the chamber except for Rudradev, Prithvi and her. Though he was renowned for his composure, Rudradev couldn't stop the shock from spreading on his face. Had she taken leave of her senses? How could she offer the prized secret of the country to attain a guy in return? For someone who had displayed amazing potential as the monarch at such a young age, how was she so dumb when it came to personal matters? He had to handle this infatuation of her immediately before she gave away the entire reign in exchange!!!     

Prithvi didn't react and only said, "I will pass on the message to my queen without fail!"     

In Rudradev's chambers     

"I am honoured that I could see you in person, Guruji!" Rudradev's voice held awe and reverence as he looked at the man in front of him.     

Prithvi gave a small smile and replied, "I think that the honour is mine. At such a young age, you have managed to influence major changes across the entire region. I am sure that Abhaidev would be looking at you benevolently from the heavens. I also wish to offer thanks for your timely help during the time of need. Chandragarh is indebted to you."     

Rudradev shook his head and replied, "I have been studying your methodology for a long time and everything that I do now, has been a manifestation of learning from you."     

Prithvi didn't acknowledge the compliment and instead asked, "Why did you not take the throne yourself? Is it because you are unsure of your capabilities or unwilling to operate in the front?"     

The sip of kesar milk which he had taken in, choked inside Rudradev's mouth. He looked at the calm man sitting in front of him. How could Prithvi have known about his inner struggle? This was something which he hadn't said out loud even to himself.     

Without batting an eyelid at the young minister's stunned expression, Prithvi continued, "We haven't been able to find Prince Mithilesh's body till now. I would like to hope that he was killed while trying to escape but in case he still lives on, you need to be on guard. Also, the assassin who tried to kill Queen Ahilya vanished mysteriously in the chaos that night. I believe that there are a few forces which are still operating in the dark. I urge the minister to be mindful of the same. On a personal note, the day that you decide to come out of the shadows, please look for this humble man. I would be happy to offer assistance, if needed. Lastly, as for the request for the 'brilliant strategist', this is just for your information - I am unwilling to part with him. I leave it up to you how to appease your queen on this matter."     

Rudradev smiled seeing the indifferent gaze of the maestro seated in front of him. He still had a lot to learn!