The 10th time, the hawk returned empty handed. Shakra sighed loudly.
"What is even on with her?" Shakra asked Karma. She was nicely ironing his dhoti with the pleats and making them look nice. The steam from the iron plate was visible.
"Possibly trying to evade you. Things didn't go as she wished for so obviously she is ignoring you."
"Atleast could have given a courtesy letter..."
Shakra sighed loudly once again. His dreams and wishes were filled with Mayurakshi. Oddly enough, he had been able to go without a burst of temper. Shakra is usually the entitled Prince who gets extremely annoyed and irked when things don't go the way he wants them to.
Karma handed him the dhoti. Shakra wrapped it around himself. Mayurakshi was overtly fond of the colour red. So, Shakra was beginning to wear a lot of red. Karma quickly decorated the jewelery over him with perfection. She tied half of his hair in a bun and left half down. Then placed the crown on his head. His shoes were placed before him.
Rang Bhavan was the official residence of the Crown Prince. It was made near Taarini riverbank. The palace had eight security towers, seven bedrooms, six servant quarters, five balconies, four inner courtyards, three study rooms, two gardens, one kitchen, and one temple room. The bathing kund was made just a little away from the palace. Water was drawn from the river through water wheel. The water was heated in the kund with heating system set below.
Shakra was followed by his advisors towards the Court. Karma stood right behind Shakra, almost like his shadow. His eununch was treated with just as much respect as Shakra himself. Shakra was greeted by the soldiers on the way to the court. He knew most of them by name and even their family members. He greeted them back with a smile.
He reached and saw Ameya and Abhinav. They greeted him with a grin. Right behind him, Kamaljit entered with Saahiti. While most orthodox members of the court didn't like the presence of the girl who was passionately outspoken but they stayed silent knowning the affection the Emperor had for her.
The two, Kamaljit and Saahiti, were great friends. They had similar personalities. Both their interest in arts were a point of friendship between them. They were closer in age too. Both of them were 18 years old, Kamaljit being a season older than her.
Shakra saw Abhijit enter and his eyes fell on the two laughing and animatedly talking about something. Shakra grinned knowingly. His brother could try and hide by things never miss Shakra's eye. Abhijit soon ignored them both and took his place next to Shakra.
"Something itching you, brother?" Shakra asked.
"Nothing is itching me. No idea what made you think that."
Shakra laughed, "Sure. Pretend that you don't know what I am talking about."
"I don't mind their friendship, Anna. If that's what you are thinking."
"She didn't ask your opinion whether you mind it or not."
Abhijit gave him a look. The two friends quickly made their way towards Shakra.
"Anna, Saahiti and I were thinking about going to visit the sea." Kamaljit started, a very hopeful look in his eye.
"Yes. It would be so interesting to see the sea. It has been a long time I have gone there. Rajkumar says that there is a beautiful temple there too. Now, if I can't visit it, this will be a shame." Saahiti added, the excitement peaking within her tone.
"Both of us want to go together, if you don't have a problem. Mahamatya won't send her alone and I won't have a co-artist without her."
"Co-artist?" Abhi asked.
"Oh, both of us want to paint the sea. We were wondering if we can get it right when we paint together." They both laughed in excitement.
"What nonsense? How can both of you paint on the same canvas together?"
"Why not? There have been instances of people riding horses together. Like yesterday you were riding a horse with that girl." Kamajit pointed out. Sometimes Shakra doubted whether his brother Kamaljit was so innocent or masked his teasing as innocence.
"I was just helping her get home. It was late at night. I wasn't frolicking. I was doing work." Abhi intensely disagreed with the equivalency.
"This is also work, brother. Is art not equivalent to work?" Shakra asked. Abhi passed a look to his elder brother.
Shatrujit entered the court and everyone quickly rose for him. He signalled them all to sit. The court proceedings began quickly with the issues unresolved in yesterday's court sessions and Mahamatya Kumarasena giving the minutes on yesterday's decisions.
"How are we proceeding with the expansions?" Shatrujit asked Shakra. He usually handled the battles and expansions.
"We have almost prepared for the expansion on Krishneri. Our plans on Pragvamsa is going well. Based on their reaction as of now, their conversations with our enemy have come to a temporary pause. Depending on your decision, I will make my move on a battle or a ruling change."
"Hmm... What is a better option on Krishneri? If I am not wrong, you have sent four envoys already and they have all come empty-handed. We have extended our graciousness enough, don't you think?" Shatrujit asked picking his nails signalling his disagreement on the policy with Krishneri. "Or is there an incentive you are waiting for?"
Shakra didn't know why he thought that Shatrujit wouldn't notice. The man knows how wooing women works far more than Shakra.
"It isn't much of a secret. I am waiting for the Princess."
"I think that Yuvika might make a great addition to our family." Amritakumari made her move. Shatrujit raised his head and looked at Shakra.
Karma quickly ran up to the Emperor and whispered in his ears from the side, "Maharaj, our Yuvraj is less interested in the elder sister and more in the younger one."
"Less interested and not interested are two different things, Karma. Be clear. Less interesting one can be tolerated but if he is not interested then I can't force them to get along." Karma took a deep breath.
"I wish to marry Rajkumari Mayurakshi." Shakra answered clearly. Everyone in the court whispered among each other.
"Don't be silly, Shakra. Hasn't that childish crush subsided? What does she have to offer? Nothing in comparison to what Rajkumari Yuvika can bring. She is the only daughter of Queen Raashi. You can't have a better lease than the girl over the Queen. Yuvika is trained to be a future Queen. The younger one is trained to be a Princess. A woman trained to be a Princess will only be that. She can't be a Queen." Anvesha sighed, pressing her forehead.
Shakra's face became stoic and Shatrujit knew that his eldest son's buttons were being pressed. The annoyance was beginning to show on his face.
"We can talk about the marriage later. Let us go ahead with other matters." Shatrujit brushed it away and went on.
When the court proceedings were done for the day, Shatrujit signalled Shakra to follow him to the study. Shakra followed him dutifully. Shatrujit took his seat.
"I love Mayurakshi." Shakra made it clear before they began speaking on the matter. Shatrujit sighed.
"Your mother doesn't seem to like that idea."
"My mother doesn't like the idea of you having concubines either. She's tolerating them. What's the issue with tolerating the woman I love?"
Shatrujit raised an eyebow at the backanswer. His son is usually always carefully about his words with him. Shatrujit placed his fingers over his temples and looked at his son. "You can marry anyone when you are the King, Shakra. Your mother will not say anything but till the time she is on the throne of the Queen, she has the right to choose her heir. Suppose she chooses Yuvika, you cannot do anything."
Shakra sighed. "Then why are we having this conversation at all? She doesn't want to listen to me. I want to marry Mayurakshi. Do convey the message to the Maharani of Kalika Empire that she can choose a wife for Abhijit and give the throne to him after me."
"Don't be foolish, Shakra. You know that rules don't allow you to take the throne without a wife next to you."
"What a life this is as the Crown Prince!!! What is the point of being the second most powerful man in this kingdom when I have to chose between the woman I love and the throne I have worked all my life for."
"If not Mayurakshi, you will find another girl, Shakra. Don't be childish."
"No one has been able to replace her for eight years, Maharaj. I don't know about the next but when my marriage with Yuvika fails, let Maharani know that it is all her fault. She can have her way with me but anyone who dares to touch Mayurakshi, they will meet my sword. So, she is making a decisions for not just my life but even Mayurakshi's. May she be wise with her decision."
Shakra got up and left angrily. Shatrujit's assistant, Gowri came in. "Maharaj, Yuvraj left like a storm, is everything all right?"
"I think both of us have miscalculated his obsession with this girl, Gowri. He seems to be very interested in this girl." Shatrujit tapped the armrest of the chair.
"We have an invitation from Krishneri regarding Rajkumar Adhiman's wedding."
"Great. Send Shakra from my side."
Shatrujit was wondering if Shakra may start acting out if this obsession didn't subside. Shakra has always been a dutiful son. Especially towards his mothers. He could tell that this was going to drive a wedge between Shakra and his mothers.
"If I might say something...." Gowri started vageuly, making Shatrujit really doubtful.
"Since when are you acting vague?" He chuckled at her choice of words.
"Maharaj, I think that we should give in this one to Yuvraj. He hasn't acted out much before but if this is where he may start, we should nip it at the bud itself. Mayurakshi is a standoff point here. Maybe we can marry Rajkumari Mayurakshi to him."
"Gowri, Amrita and Anvesha are pretty much decided. They don't seem to like Mayurakshi. They won't let her take the throne in such a case."
"Maharaj, the case is about the throne but Yuvraj never mentions that he wants Rajkumari Mayurakshi to become the Queen. He wants the Princess to be his wife. I don't see a clash in that case. Maharani can choose her heir but Yuvraj can also choose who he wants to marry."
Shatrujit couldn't completely agree with his eununch. Shakra's expression said otherwise to what Gowri was suggesting. It didn't seem like Shakra would marry another woman. It wasn't unusual for a King to marry several women but Shakra wouldn't give Yuvika the light of the day when he had Mayurakshi by his side. If push comes to shove and the situation in his household comes to a stalemate, Shakra will find a way to dispose off Yuvika without making it obvious.
Shatrujit knew his son more than anyone. He looks polished, disciplined, and controlled but with enough push, his violent, aggressive, and cruel tendencies do surface. Shatrujit always kept that part of him in control. Shakra had always been very obedient as a son and a Prince but he knew Shakra's tendencies well. If the question is about what he wants aggressively, Shakra would find a way to go about it.
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