Warrior Princess; Her Quest to the throne

Raghu looked at his daughter to help him get out of the sticky situation where he had landed himself unwittingly.     

"Uh, Maa! Dad only means to say that it would be a tough task for me to come up anywhere close to the perfection that you are and that I may be disappointed. Hence, its a relief that I have taken few of his imperfect traits as well," Mriga tried to divert her attention.     

Giving a glare to her husband, Bela walked away, muttering under her breath. Raghu winked at his daughter and asked her to tidy up the room while he went to tend to his beloved land, located behind their house.     

He had recently laid his hands on a book from a foreign country where the author described how by controlling and regulating the water, nutrients and temperature, the vegetables could be grown in a small covered area. As a member of the national science society, Raghu attended many gatherings which were held every six months. People from many fields gathered together to exchange notes and had the opportunity to meet the travelers from different zillas or countries who came there to exchange new discoveries, knowledge and goods.     

Royal Palace, Central Zilla     

"The finance minister is here to see you," the palace maid informed Rani Samyukta.     

Clad in a pale lavender gown, the queen donned the muted gold coloured royal robe over it before stepping out of her chamber.     

"Thank you for coming so early in the morning. Have you got the information that I had asked for?" she enquired.     

Bowing respectfully, the minister handed over the scroll to her, "as you can see, we have increased the fiscal surplus this year, mainly because of the increase in our foreign trade. The goods sold to neighboring countries have increased by thirty percent. We are also trying to minimize the transport time to reduce the wastage ratio of our fruits and vegetables which we export. The agriculture ministry is collaborating with the science ministry to find a way to make the vegetables and fruits stay fresh for longer so that they can survive the journey."     

Rani Samyukta emitted a satisfied sigh, "I thank you for the effort. When I took over the reign of Chandragarh twenty-four years ago, my sole agenda had been to take the country one step ahead of where my predecessor had left it. From what you have described, it seems that I am close to achieving that. I believe it's time that we start looking for the next queen."     

"But… isn't it too early? The precedent has been to start the search in the twenty fifth year of the current queen's reign. We still have a year before we need to kick off the proceedings," he was surprised.     

"No, I don't want to make a hasty decision, nor do I want to choose the future queen from a restricted pool of 16-year-old girls only, as has been done in the past. I have already asked the Royal Committee to help me modify the rules for the selection process this year. I want to open it up to girls who are fifteen years and above. If we deem them wise enough to marry at the age of 15, we can let them participate in this historic event as well. This time, the competition is going to be tougher and more comprehensive, spanning over a longer period of time. We should not be in a hurry to select the person who will hold the future of the country in her hand," she said in a determined voice.     

The finance minister bowed to the queen and made his way out.     

He had been a regular visitor to the palace in his childhood. His grandfather had been the agriculture minister then. As per the rules of Chandragarh, no family was allowed to hold a position in any of the ministries consecutively for two generations, which meant that no minister could ever see his daughter or son hold a ministerial post. That is why, the finance minister's father despite being a capable candidate, had lived his life as a merchant. This rule existed to stop any family from gaining too much power or influence which eventually could lead to corruption. Though, there were enough loopholes to get through this by inclusion of first cousins or close friends in the ministries.     

The finance minister compared the palace's appearance from what he remembered it as in his childhood to now and found the current state to be much plainer. Rani Samyukta was an austere person, preferring to lead a minimalistic lifestyle. She was the only queen till date who had chosen not to marry. Instead she devoted all of her free time to the orphanage located in the city, which had reared her, as well.     

"It would be really tough to find a queen to match her standard and dedication, not to forget her intelligence," mused the minister, as he left the palace.     

"The Royal Committee has combined their report and sent it through a messenger," Indrani informed the queen.     

Indrani had been Rani Samyukta's junior at school and had been handpicked by the queen to come work at the palace, ever since they both passed out from the Gurukul. As the queen's personal advisor, she was the liaison between the queen and all ministries. She was also Rani Samyukta's most trusted person. Equally dedicated and hardworking, she was the queen's only friend but had a personality vastly different from that of Rani Samyukta.     

The queen had been an orphan and despite all the efforts put in over the years, she could never trace her family's roots. A reserved person, she only spoke when absolutely necessary and rarely laughed. On the other hand, Indrani was gregarious by nature. They had met at the age of nine and ten, respectively, at the Gurukul and were inseparable ever since. In fact, Samyukta had spent every school vacation since then with Indrani's family till she became the queen.     

"Please inform the kitchen to send my breakfast to the office chamber directly. I do not want to waste time going to the dining hall," Rani Samyukta instructed her.     

"Considering that you only eat fruits at this hour, why don't you stop by at the royal gardens on your way to the chamber. You can pluck whichever fruit you like and munch on the way. That shall save you even more time," Indrani said testily.     

Summoning the tiny smile, reserved especially for her, Rani Samyukta replied, "I was only referring to myself. You have enough time to gorge on your favorite delicacies. I want to read the report sent by the Royal Committee, in solitude."