Page 94 of Rudra Nandani: The Saga of Control And Seduction

“Bhabhisa!” I was startled at the voice and immediately turned to find Agastya standing behind me.

“Devarsa, you scared me in the daylight,” I breathed heavily, keeping my hand on my chest to calm myself.

“Aap yahaan kya kar rahin hain?”(What are you doing here?)He inquired, and I turned back to observe my surroundings.

The dead, leafless trees, the ruined quarters, the creeping silence around, as if it were left never to be occupied again.

“Hum yaahan aas paas ke kshetra ka nireekshan karne aaye the. Kintu yahaan to koi bhi nahi hai. Kya Suryagarh mein koi aisa nahi jisko raj gharaane se sahaayata ki Aawashyakta hai?”(I paid a visit here to inspect the area around. But there’s no one here. Is there no one in Suryagarh who needs support from the royal privileges?) I asked.

He turned around, folding his hands behind him and raking his eyes around the vast land.

Taking a deep breath, he looked back at me and said,“Bhabhisa, Suryagarh ki cchavi maatra dekhne mein vishal va sundar hai. Iski bhavyata aur iska prataap to Daadosake shaasan kaal mein ucch tha, unnati ki pad par tha. Kintu jabse Tausa ne rajgaddi sambhaali, iska tej aur gaurav dhundhla ho gaya. Suryagarh ki praja ko to ab na raj gharaane par vishwaas na hi Raja par,”(Bhabhisa, Suryagarh’s image as a beautiful, gigantic empire is just a facade. Its grandeur and glory were at their peak during the reign of our grandfather and were on the path of advancement. But since Uncle took over the throne, its magnificence and pride began fading away. People of our kingdom have no faith in the royal family or the king anymore.)

“But this is not right. Our people need us. The king needs his subjects. Can anyone tell us anything about what’s happening with our people?” I asked, and he shook his head sadly.

“Bhabhisa, it hasn’t even been a week since Bhaisa took over the kingdom. A new reign system in the empire implies facing challenges, specifically, challenges in terms of finance and security. For now, the matter of greatest importance is to prepare ourselves, strengthen our roots, refill the royal treasury, increase our wealth, and, most importantly, ensure the royal army is completely on our side. Only then will we be able to support our subjects,” he clarified in detail.

“Are we out of wealth?” I immediately asked.

He pursed his lips, looking at the ground.“We are, indeed. In the uncle’s reign, he added solely to his comforts, while the nobles surrounding him stacked their coffers. But since we now have complete dominion over the royal treasury, the assessment of available resources has begun.

Coins, jewellery, gemstones, and artifacts have all been enumerated under Bhai sa’s guidance, and detailed records have been kept. However, the counting of tax collections from previous decades, revenue from agriculture and land, and overall wealth is still underway. We are yet to find a new income stream, which will only be possible when we have a complete overview of our resources. Only after this will we be able to outline a new construction plan for Suryagarh’s territory,” He elaborated. I nodded, comprehending the whole situation.

Yet, a part of me remained unconvinced. I was eager to learn about people’s conditions without further delay. Knowing that the evaluation of assets, the plans, and everything else would definitely take time, I wanted to understand under what circumstances the people of Suryagarh were living, what they were experiencing, and where they were located.

“But I want to meet people,” I said, and he looked at me, confused.“I mean, this is necessary. What if they are in some dire situation? What if the women need our help? What if something cruel is happening to them and we don’t know about it?” I tried to describe the possibilities, and he nodded in agreement.

“Yes, you might be right, Bhabhisa. But Bhaisa will never allow it,” He said.

“Why? Doesn’t being a queen and a prince give us the authority to make such decisions?” I questioned, and he nodded curtly.

“Bhabhisa, it's only been a week since Bhaisa took over, and that was through a revolt. Many soldiers were martyred, resulting in so many families losing their loved ones. People might be infuriated with us,”

“Yes!” I shook my head in urgency.“Yes, that’s exactly why our people need us. We have to reconstruct the outskirts of the Kingdom as soon as possible and relocate the people who are below the poverty line and need our immediate support,”

He inhaled a sharp breath and countered,“Bhabhisa, we don’t have as many resources, and in addition to that, we cannot expect people to trust us so quickly. Gaining people’s rapport is a gradual process.”

“And so, it is necessary to interact with people to build that trust,” I spoke with an insistent tone.“The subjects can only trust the royals if they have consistent communication flowing between them. The more we delay, the bigger the cracks get,” I said.

“Bhaisa will never allow it,” he stated, and I replied,“So don’t tell him.”

He was taken aback. Gaping at me with wide eyes, his mouth slightly open yet closed, he seemed to want to say something but couldn't.

“No, he’ll get so angry,” he finally voiced after a calculated pause.

I folded my hands in front of me and said,“He’s always angry. And, I cannot stop myself from performing my duties just because he’ll get angry."

He took a step back and uttered in a serious tone,“This is a risky attempt. You know, people might get angry at us,”

I shook my head, trying to assure him.“I’ll talk to them. I’m sure they will listen to me,”

“People, like the old king, are just waiting for an opportunity to get back at us. If this news gets to our enemies, Bhaisa would be done for,” He said, and I took a step forward.

“So you accompany me,” he stumbled back, covering his mouth and shaking his head in absolute terror.“Bhaisa will kill me.” He said.

Narrowing my eyes, I scrutinised him up and down, with my hands on my hips.“Devarsa, are you a kid?” His jaw hung open, and he scoffed at me in displeasure.

“Bhabhisa, I’m taller and healthier than you. In what sense do I seem like a kid to you?” He tried to maintain his gait, but failed miserably, the way he complained, moving his hands up and down to flaunt his physique. I could notice that slight tinge of aggression on his face.

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