"And this is our famous main bazaar. It covers an area which is almost as big as the Vasant Mahal itself. Traders from far and wide assemble at different times of the year with the locals to set up their shops. You can find anything you require from any part of the country."

Devasena gestured around, with her arms spread wide, a proud smile on her face as if she were a beaming mother listing the achievements of her children. The Princess of Chittorgarh had to smile at that. She had heard much about the Queen's prowess and involvement in booming the trade relations of Mahishmati. She has handled the commerce of the Empire pretty well which was pretty evident from the sheer glamour of the wealth which the capital city itself boasted of. 

They have been roaming around the city since morning, followed by a diligent platoon of the infamous Queen's Guard and a few attendants. 

The Queen's Guard was a squadron of some of the meanest looking women, Mrignayani has ever seen. They stood taller than the average female, were built like tigresses and their faces seemed to be set in permanent ice. Their uniform was the usual breastplate armour, coarse silk dhoti and the turban. The only difference was that the colour they sported was a deep river blue instead of the crimson red which the Royal Guards and the army wore. Each had a spear which looked like it could skewer ten men together, a short knife and a sword tied to their hips. 

These ladies were not to be trifled with. 

Back in Chittorgarh, Mrignayani had a special group of trained women acting like her personal platoon of spies and they were formidable enough but pitted against these perpetually angry feminine warriors, she doubted whether they would be able to last in front of them for more than a minute. 

"Don't tell him I said this but I believe the Commander tends to go overboard with the security detail sometimes. I understand that the pressure to keep the Royal family alive might be taxing but I swear to God, that man is hyper paranoid."

Devasena had confided in her conspiratorially when she had first seen her own protection detail adding with the normal squadron listed for the Queen. They had all bowed to her sharply in a frightening synchrony and she couldn't help but feel a stab of admiration for these majestic women. 

Apparently according to her sister in law, her husband had fired all the previous personal guards they all had, once been appointed as the General and filled in with his own people in place.

Some suicidal courtiers had raised a query in court about the credibility of doing so and whether the Commander was just securing his own position in case he wants to raise a coup against the Emperor.

After all, having his own men as their closest security detail will make the job of murdering them infinitely easy.

"Fret not ministers. Had I wanted to raise a coup, you all would have been dead in your beds by this morning, before I changed the posts. Or perhaps, the best time would have been during the Mahashivratri puja last week when most of you were inebriated and the palace almost deserted."

"I have control of the armies, information about each and every living creature working in the palace, a hold of all the hidden assets and spies of the empire and a complete list of Mahismati's allies, her rivals and their personal weak spots and pressure points. I also know about all the entry, exit points and secret passages of the Vasant Mahal. So rest assured, if its a mutiny you fear, I can guarantee...you won't even see it coming."

Devasena had narrated the tale with such an amused glee while they had been strolling by the banks of the Southern river, that Nayani was half assured that the Queen took as much pleasure in the occasional impropriety as the General did. Amarendra on the other hand, had quietened that incident down with much force.

The Emperor wouldn't hear a word against his brother.

It is needless to say that she found his behaviour sweet but also foolhardy.

But she was wise enough not to mention it to the Queen.

"The courtiers had blanched grey. Oh! What a sight that was... your husband has the most wicked sense of humour. For a second I was sure not even the King or the Queen Mother herself, could guess whether he was truly jesting in his usual scathing way or not. That deadpan face I tell you..."

Nayani had fervently wished then that she had been present in court that day, just to see the evident golden reactions of the normally uptight Mahishmati noblemen. She didn't like the Court very much even if she has somewhere started to admire the subtle power play in everyone's body language. Everyone here had secrets of their own and masks over their faces galore.

She would enjoy ripping them off one by one. 

Her reverie had been broken then by a strong voice. 

"My name is Malati, Your Highness and I have been appointed as your Chief Bodyguard."

A swarthy, tall and athletic woman with eyes the colour of mud and cheekbones so high that it rivalled the edge of the blade in her hip, had come in front and spoken whisper soft, giving her bow. Mrignayani had oddly raised an eyebrow at that but had acknowledged her with a nod before smiling disarmingly. 

"A platoon of bodyguards for the General's wife? I thought his name itself would have invoked security enough in these parts... wouldn't it?"

Her words had seemingly thrown all of them into a quandary, not knowing how to react. 

Was the Princess jesting or being sarcastic? 

It was impossible to gauge with that benign almost amused smile. Malati to her credit had recovered quick enough and had given her another sweeping bow, dangerously tilting towards slight mockery which didn't go unnoticed by the Queen or the other soldiers who squirmed in their places. 

"We have been assigned for extra security M'Lady and because one can never be too careful. Or else, the Commander's name is enough to keep away the enemies of the entire Empire, a hundred leagues away."

Devasena had expected her sister in law to be at least offended if not angry at the outright scathing tone her so called bodyguard had displayed but she only smirked, her doe eyes sparkling incomprehensively. 

"Forgive my ignorance Lady Malati, I was only seeing how loyal you are to my husband and in turn how much loyal you can be to me."

Malati looked abashed at the almost humble answer and turned a brick red in embarrassment, the slow ascending admiration for her new mistress spreading candidly on her face. 

"Not at all M'Lady, the mistake was mine, allow me to apologise. I had misunderstood greatly. I assure you on my blood and that of my ancestors that I shall be forever loyal to you and the Commander."

Devasena had to give it to Nayani, the latter was as sharp as a fox. Rarely has she seen the Queen's Guard being so openly admiring to anyone including her, maybe except Bhallaladeva but then he was their leader. Her sister in law's next words though shocked her greatly.

"And if ever time comes, to whom will you comply? My husband or me?"

The Queen's Guard looked discomfited and Malati was gaping at the Princess with open shock. 

"But.. but.. My La.."

"I need an answer Malati.  If hesitance is your response then I will be doubtful how much loyal you are to either of us."

Her voice was hard now making some of them break a sweat simultaneously.

"You M'Lady. I have pledged fealty to you and your words will be the last."

Malati bowed again and Mrignayani allowed a genuine smile to appear on her smile. She had turned towards a slightly stunned Devasena then and her eyes had held a note of victory. 

"Looks like all of the General's men are not so completely blindly loyal to him now, are they?"

Devasena had blinked, the dots connecting in her brain swiftly till she had to swallow a gasp to maintain decorum more than dignity. So with a few words which has turned the loyalty of the Chief of her Guards in a very public setting. And in doing so she has effectively dispelled any future apprehension about the General having unanimous support of the palace security troops.. at least not all of them. 

It was a start, a small one but a very powerful one. 

She was one smart cookie, her sister in law. Devasena had already liked her. 

--------------------------------------

"Oh! Look at that! It is beautiful.."

Nayani couldn't help the soft exclaim as she spotted one of the most delicately crafted figurine of the Mother Goddess kept unassumingly on the shelf of a makeshift shop as they walked through the street. People would be stopping to gawk at them in intervals till the Queens Guard would level them with a glare strong enough which would scatter them off immediately like ants from a crumbling anthill. 

"It is.. isn't it? Metallurgy is our craftsmen's one of the most sought after talents. Mahishmati has gotten the bulk of the trade benefits due to this."

Devasena informed, while Nayani touched the figurine with reverence. It was a typically regional depiction of the Goddess Durga. Very different from the Goddess Bhavani, she was used to worshipping back home.  

"But of course! Wasn't it because of your steel that you managed to convince the undefeated warrior tribe of Parashar to join your battle against the Ruler of Mandwa some years back? It was a massacre from what I heard. Mandwa was crushed and the King removed from position. Reports came that the youngest Prince was reinstated as the Ruler and they are now a vasal state to the Empire."

Devasena looked at her critically, cocking her head at a side while her sister in law kept looking at the other things available in the shop with a feigned interest. The air had mercifully become cooler than what it had been in the mid afternoon heat. 

"Interesting... how easily Prince Varha agreed to open the sea link for the silk trade to Mahishmati. Mandwa had been monopolizing on that route since centuries before the war. Now, they have to not only share it with us but also pay a hefty export tax."

She continued casually. 

"You seem to know a lot about that conquest, Yuvarani."

"I have done my homework, Maharani."

They shared a considering look before starting to walk back to the palace. 

Devasena for the first time since she had seen the Desert Princess started to get a nagging feeling at the back of her mind that this time, they might have bitten off more than they can chew. 

As they entered through the main gates of the Palace compound, the Queen turned once to level the Princess with an inexplicable look. Nayani didn't stop walking though, going comfortably with her sister in law's gentle pace, seemingly oblivious to her contemplation. 

"I think you may know it already yet... the General was in complete control of that conquest. The King or the Court hadn't been given any details of what went through at the ground level."

She smiled slowly at that and looked up to glance at the majestic flag pole bearing the official insigne of the Empire fluttering in the wind. The sun rising in an orange backdrop, it's rays spilled over the silken fabric like inky blood. 

"Oh, but had they ever asked for it, My Queen?"

Her voice was deliberate yet nonchalant. As if she was mentioning the weather and nothing else. Now that she said it, Devasena could not remember the Court wanting the minute details of that expedition. Everyone had only been too ecstatic to care perhaps, jubilant with a long sought after victory. And the Commander hadn't seemed to be bothered enough to volunteer. 

Only the darkness under his eyes seemed to be unnaturally wide when he had relayed the major details in front of Amarendra and her in full attendance of the court. Bijlaldeva had been insufferable, gloating over the triumph as if his son had single handed-ly done it. Sivagami Devi had looked inadvertly pleased and her own husband looked cheered by the news enough. She had obviously been the most thrilled considering it had helped her increase the treasury holdings by a tenfold margin. 

But now thinking back reminded her of the long shadows playing with the slight sparks of lights on Bhallaladeva's visibly tired face. The General had exuded an exhaustion like never before, going almost far enough to sway slightly as he had excused himself, a faint stain of blood still hanging like a ghost on his dhoti. 

Her sister in law's words broke through that trip down the memory lane almost as if she could telepathically hear all her jumbled thoughts and knew exactly when to speak and rattle her. 

"Gods have never dirtied their own hands while going through with their purpose dear sister. They have always used us mortals to carry it out by weaving it in our fate. Or sometimes... employed monsters to do the same. After all, it will only shift the blood and the blame on us to wallow and self destruct in their repressed regrets and guilts leaving them free to reap the benefits of glory won by our very blood and tears, seated on their golden thrones."

Devasena had no idea whether the slight shiver which assaulted her skin which made gooseflesh rise over it was because of the fast ascending evening breeze or the sudden icy shift her sister in law's tone had taken. Is she reading into her words a bit too much or is there something else which is making her feel slightly uneasy about this enigmatic Princess. 

The Queen made a mental note to keep an eye out.

The General's wife seems to have much more to her than what is meeting the eye at the moment. After all even with all the apparent virtues Princess Mrignayani has displayed till now, including her admirable grace and convenient acceptance of the changes made to their proposal, they shouldn't completely write out the fact that this marriage has been committed in shaky grounds. 

It was after all a business transaction, a political fail safe, if anything. 

As they crossed the foyer to enter the Vasant Mahal and as if on cue a crow screeched from above, Devasena felt a keen sense of foreboding 

She glanced at her companion again and saw her looking curiously at the training grounds, a picture of perfect innocence. 

Too perfect.

Almost artificial. 

Something was wrong. And damn her if she doesn't get to the bottom of it. 

-----------------------------------------------

"That woman is a disgrace! How can you laugh at the sheer level of impudence she has displayed. She humiliated you! In front of your own soldiers! And that chit of a lowly guard decided it prudent to pledge her loyalty to that wh--"

Bhallaladeva who had been chortling till now, hearing the happenings of the morning seated at the round table at his war room, accompanied by the King, Kattappa and few of his most trusted subordinate generals, looking more openly amused than any of his compatriots or family members have ever seen gave his father such a piercing death glare that Bijlaladeva felt the rest of his venomous words dry up at his tongue. 

"Careful Father. Measure your next words very carefully."

Bijlaladeva visibly swallowed but spoke through nastily, knowing that he was safe in a public setting anyways. 

"Or what! Are you threatening me now? Your own father for that chit of a girl who.."

The Commander's voice was dangerously quiet. 

"Is my wife and your daughter in law. I will not tolerate anyone insulting her. Not even you."

His eyes had turned hard like black diamonds and the Amarendra thought if he concentrated enough he could hear his most feared men, his toughest warriors almost shiver in their battle hardened combat boots. His uncle though, fool that he was thought none of it and ploughed through uncaringly. 

"I think you are forgetting that she is the result of a political alliance with a weakling for a Kingdom only because our good King is afraid of a little bloodshed. She doesn't deserve to be your wife!"

He spat and Bhallaladeva closed his eyes for a second looking like he was pleading the Holy Trinity for patience and levelled his father with such an exasperated look that Amarendra felt pity for his elder brother for the first time in his life. 

Who would want to deal with a father like this?

"As far as worth goes, I am sure we all are aware that this Empire has a habit of employing people in it's governance who doesn't even deserve to step on its soil let alone the court. And in addition, I think it best father that you of all people desist from giving relationship advice to anyone, especially me."

Amarendra was sure he could see smoke rising from his Uncle's ears though he wasn't very certain whether the mottling crimson on his contorted face was fury or shame at the very clear and humiliatingly merciless jab his own son had delivered with a ruthless aplomb. His brother can shame the very viper with the intensity of an acerbic whiplashing that he can deliver. 

But he being the most matured amongst them all, as he liked to believe, had to bring the situation at hand to some semblance of control before someone gets murdered. 

"Can we all come back to the matter at hand please? Sethupati, you were telling us that you have tried to extend the hand of friendship with the State to the Sakthayeyas and they have refused to accept it?"

The leader of their cavalry troops jumped to the foray immediately, happy to stop whatever impending incineration was about to happen courtesy of the Prince Regent and his dolt of a father. 

"Ah yes My Lord. I had read out your missive, the exact way the Commander had explained to me but the Sakhtayeya Chief refused to accept an alliance."

The meeting went for another hour before Amarendra dismissed them having found no concrete solution to this constant problem of the rebel uprisings from the south west regions. He had good relations with the ruler of their neighbouring south western border state but for some reason a rouge tribal group known by the name of the Sakhtayeyas have been carrying out incessant hostile interventions with the Mahishmati troops posted at that front.

They were too small in number to pose too great a threat but because of this heated situation their trade with the south western states were being affected. The merchant association had lodged several complaints to the administration by then. 

"I believe the Sakhtayeyas are being funded by that pansy Gopikrishnan. The Malayali monarch might be our ally on paper but he doesn't harbour any good feelings about Mahishmati in general and we know it."

Bhallaladeva said quietly striding in a long practised rhythm beside his brother as they exited the war room. Bahubali gave him an unconvinced look. 

"That is a very serious allegation." 

He answered worriedly but his elder brother looked so dead serious that he was inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt. Bhallaladeva had some experience in dealing with both the Sakhtayeyas and King Gopikrishnan in a somewhat personal level. As the Commander General of the Mahishmati troops, he had engaged in quite a fair bit of political arm twisting as far as annexation goes while they had invaded the south western states. 

"But not completely unfounded. I have fought with those weasels who think throwing serpentine blades in the air from their canoes in those god-awful swamps will stop my boys from burying them in their own seas. I have seen the steel they use. It is not exactly as good as ours but definitely better than what they alone can afford. Somebody is providing them with resources to continue this nuisance of a revolution against us."

"That is worrying indeed. But we should not be so quick to judge or point fingers. You understand this kind of strategizing much better than me brother. We will only end up angering Gopikrishnan needlessly and that might translate into a general discontent amongst our other allies."

Bhallaladeva rolled his eyes in his usual manner and Amarendra cracked a smile seeing his predictable reaction. The setting sun was casting a strangely bewitching pattern on the carpeted corridor as they walked in an odd comfort. This was perhaps the longest time they have spent together in relative peace since he had ascended the throne and their mother had thrown his brother out of the family so to speak. 

" See I understand being wary and careful but if we cannot trust anyone Bhalla... not even our own friends then what is the point? Sometimes we need to take a leap of faith."

The General seemed to ruminate on his gentle words for some time and the King drew an internal sigh of relief at not being immediately skewered by the former's scathing sarcasm as a result of his impulse control or rather, lack thereof.

"So what happens if you fall into an abyss as a result of that? Will you be still willing to jump off the proverbial cliff then?"

"Of course!", he said immediately.

Bhallaldeva gave him a look and he grinned in response, his curly hair falling free over his sparkling eyes making him resemble more of his teenage self than a grown man who has his own family by then. 

"Why pray tell."

"Because I know you will be there standing behind me to let me flay in the air before catching hold of a lump of my beautiful hair intentionally so hard that half of it gets ripped off, pulling me back from certain death. Like you have always done. How many assassinations and conspiracies have you stopped till date? A hundred?"

His elder brother didn't even stop for a breath before replying, his voice so salty that it could have dried the seven seas together. 

"A hundred and thirteen to be precise including last week's whose report is still pending. I hate you."

"Yet you keep saving me."

"It is my duty."

"Is it?"

They had stopped right at the corner and Bhallaladeva could have sworn he had felt his nerves grate together and a headache starting to bloom beneath his eyes. Any conservation beyond the usual professional exchange he had with any of his family members threatened to make him feel immediately sick. Everyone maybe except his sister in law and nephew. 

If you can call one sided long drawn out half illegible juvenile ramblings as conservation as far as the latter one is considered. 

He was too tired to deal with his mountain range full of issues with his so called cousin. 

And as if the Universe had deigned to listen to him this one time, his brother was interrupted right at the moment as he had opened his mouth to speak again. But it was an interruption no one could have predicted for the life of them. 

He felt the wind leave his chest painfully as he was thrown back on the floor with the staggering impact of another person ramming into him with full force. There was a yelp and a wince and then a chorus of sharp gasps followed him as found himself sprawled unceremoniously on the floor with the slight weight of another human body over him, an armful of Prussian blue silk and jasmine scented hair.

As the purple spots cleared from his confused vision, Bhallaladeva found himself staring into his wife's wide equally shocked earth brown hazel speckled eyes.