The chamber was heavy with silence, broken only by the low hiss of torches along the stone walls. I straightened, my voice ringing clear across the long table.
"Alright," I began in an authoritative tone, "now that we have established the royal treasury can support some large undertakings, we ought to begin with them promptly."
They nodded.
I shifted my gaze to Varanth, who was sitting quietly in his chair with eyes full of reverence for, I wondered, whom?
"Varanth, what is the state of our military? Give me a brief overview of our forces and their equipment status." I said with my gaze fixed on him.
"Our military is in a better position than our economy. We have about seven thousand men at our disposal."
"I must say, that is a remarkable number considering our economy is in tatters." I said with a self-depracating laugh.
"My lord, fear of those seven thousand men contained Indivara and the other sabhasad. Our army stands capable of defending our lands against those twice its size. Every man that wears the armor of Aranyavarta would rather die than flee the battlefield," Varanth said proudly.
A wry smile escaped my lips. 'So the old man did leave some positive news behind,' I thought while looking at the ceiling.
"Sire," said Varanth, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Our 4500 infantrymen are the backbone of our land force, with 750 archers and 1750 horsemen, further consolidating our forces."
"Only 1750?" I asked, brows knitting. "Surely that is pitiful for a janapada of half a million souls."
Varanth inclined his head. "Not pitiful, my lord—constrained. Horses eat more than men, and few thrive in our marshes. We must buy from the west, but Indivara's friends strangled the trade. Each mount costs more than a soldier's armor. We keep them alive, barely, on border pastures but every flood season, we lose some to the river. The river takes more than war."
'Keeping the horses near the borders also puts them in a vulnerable spot. The riverbanks could be better suited for the task. The flooding issue needs to be addressed foremost. Addressing it will simultaneously resolve many of our problems.' I pondered while rubbing my temples.
"Brother, you said nothing of elephants. Surely, in Aranyavarta's lands—fertile river plains, forests along the Granges, we should have them. Why does our army lack the beasts our neighbors boast of?"
Varanth stiffened, the barest hesitation betraying him before he spoke. "Brother… elephants are not absent from our lands. The forests near the coast and upriver teem with them. But they are not ours."
"Not ours?" My brows rose.
He exhaled slowly. "We lack the coin to capture and train them, the mahouts to tame them, and the fodder to keep them. An elephant eats more than ten horses in a day. One hundred elephants would devour the harvest of villages. Father knew this and he refused to bleed the people to feed beasts, no matter their glory in battle."
Mother's voice cut in, calm but edged. "And never forget, son, elephants are as treacherous as they are mighty. One arrow in the eye, one panicked cry, and they trample friend and foe alike. Your father learned that lesson when he was younger than you. He buried fifty men crushed beneath tusks bought with gold."
So this was why. Not lack of elephants, but lack of will to bleed our coffers and our peasants dry for them. My old world thought of war as numbers and steel. Here, war ate rice, grain, and forests before it ever saw a battlefield.
"What of the equipment?"
Varanth's voice steadied. "Iron reserves remain plentiful. Our smiths can forge swords and shields without interruption. The archers, however, suffer. Drills and past skirmishes have depleted bows and arrows, and timber is scarce in our lands."
I rubbed my temple. 'Horses dying in floods, arrows lost to rot, bows splintering for want of timber. This army is not measured in swords and shields, but in stomachs, grain, and coin. And grain runs thinner than iron.'
"What about the air force? I assume the absence of coins also impedes the maintainance of flying mounts."
"Forgive my incompetence, my lord. While you are correct regarding the coins, I lack confidence in my knowledge of the other two branches of the military. said Varanth with an apologetic bow.
I shifted my gaze towards Mother. "Mother, who leads the air force and the navy?"
"Dandanayaka Vishvak Dharuna commands the air force," she replied smoothly. "The navy, though, has no commander, for we possess no active battleships. The last rotted in harbor years ago, abandoned when funds bled away."
I see. I shot Varanth a crooked smile. 'So you dodged the question, brother. Clever.'
He returned it in kind, the faintest flicker of sibling rivalry.
"Jayak," I said, turning to the silent figure in the corner, "write a letter to Sir Leon Thornvale. Inform him that I will visit him in three days."
"As you command, my lord," Jayak replied, bowing before striding out with calm, measured steps.
"Forgive me, Samanta, but do you deem it wise to visit him yourself? I assure you that if he receives a summon from you, he would come without deferral," said Varanth with an expression of worry etched into his face.
I smiled faintly. "Perhaps. But I want the soldiers themselves to see me. Let them know I intend to care for them as my father did. Doubt festers in silence. I will not let it."
Seeing the resolve on my face, Varanth calmed down.
"Sire, that is very noble of you," he said.
"Now that I have an unambiguous depiction of the status of our janapada, we shall move on to the remedies."
Everyone straightened up.
"First and foremost, I have decided to centralize the power structure of our janapada. For that, all the aharas present in the janapada shall be merged into two new ones: Vajravati and Jalakunda."
The words struck like a stone in still water. Jayant went pale, Vatsal's hand froze. Whispers flared at the edges of the chamber, servants glancing wide-eyed at one another. In a single sentence, I had erased a dozen kula. For some, justice. For others, a death sentence in all but name.
"My lo—," Jayant tried to interject, but I raised my hand, and that stopped him in his tracks.
Paying them no heed, I continued, "Jalakunda shall cover the entire coastline on both sides of the Granges. As for the nayakas who shall manage the two new aharas, " I looked at Vatsal and Jayant, who were still in shock, probably wondering if they had lost their positions. "Nayaka Vatsal and Nayaka Jayant, both of you displayed exceptional valor and loyalty to the royal family when Indivara and the others were hostile towards us. As recompensation for your unwavering loyalty, I am appointing Vatsal as the nayaka of Vajravati and Jayant as the nayaka of Jalakunda."
The two men surged in unison and bowed deeply, relief plain as dawn.
"Sire, we were only acting in the best interest of our janapada. Samanti Yamvitha and her children are indispensable to Aranyavarta. We owe our lives to her." Vatsal said, glancing at Mother with reverance.
"M...my lord, I... It would have been m..mmy greatest honor to die for the royal family," said Jayant, with his body so stiff that for a moment I worried that I broke his mind.
"Please take your seats," I gestured to them, and they obliged.
I fixed my eyes on Vatsal again. "I also name you the Amatya of Aranyavarta. But..." I let the word hang, "the post is demanding. Age may weigh against you. Will you serve both offices well?"
"My lord, if I may be so bold as to recommend my son, Rudhira Varman, for the seat of Amatya. Although young, the boy is a prodigy among my family. He is well versed in the matters of the janapada and waits for an opportunity to flaunt his skills and knowledge." Vatsal said while bowing down deeply. He knew that refusing an offer for the mantriparishad could cost him his head.
I pondered for a moment and said, "Very well. Ask him to come meet me promptly, and I shall appoint him as the Amatya after a thorough evaluation. Furthermore, I shall hold your family accountable for all, if any, of his indiscretions." I trailed off in a threatening voice.
'He has already proven his loyalty, but I must convey my resolve to rule with a firm hand. Just as Mother taught.'
"Why, of course, sire. I shall make sure the boy acts right while he serves you."
"Good. Now, Jayant!"
"Aye, sir!" said Jayant in a panicked voice.
"Are you married, or do you have any kids?"
Jayant's face turned red, and the others let out a chuckle.
"I...I'm afraid not, s...sire," said Jayant, trying to hide his embarrassment.
"That is unfortunate, but no hindrance. I appoint you the Kosadhyaksha of Aranyavarta. Your duties: to keep our expenses in check, clamp down on corruption, and submit monthly audits to my mother."
Mother inclined her head with a faint, approving smile. Relief warmed my chest—I was not wandering blindly.
Jayant gaped. "M-my lord, are you certain? I am not worthy—"
I cut in. "Nayaka Jayant, you ought to be more confident in your abilities. You possess vast amounts of knowledge about the economy. What you lack, I dare say, is some confidence to back up that knowledge."
He bowed low, trembling. "I… I shall not fail you. I will even take a wife at once, to aid me in the task."
The chamber broke into soft laughter, even Mother smiling gently.
I wonder if that was his loyalty to the Samanta or his excitement about getting married?
"Dandanayaka Varanth, I want you to do something for me." I said while shifting my gaze to him.
"My life is yours to command, sire."
Oh, so dramatic, brother.
I rolled my eyes and continued, "You are no longer a dandanayaka. I name you the Senapati of Aranyavarta. You are to lead our armies in the wars to come."
He blinked, stunned, then sank to one knee.
"You honor me beyond measure, my lord. I swear our army shall surpass even Father's."
Watching him, Mother and Pranvi shed a tear or two, but I had to be strong.
"Rise, Senapati Varanth."
I turned. "Station troops throughout the realm to quell uprisings when word spreads of the aharas merger. Work with Vatsal and Jayant."
"As you command."
"Pranvi!" I barked suddenly.
She jumped. "M m...my lord. I'm here."
I turned my face to the side and let out a chuckle. Mother nudged me slightly, her face a mix of amusement and that 'get your act together' expression.
When I looked at Pranvi, her face was flushed with embarrassment and something else...anger maybe? That sent a shiver down my spine.
'Best not test her patience.' I thought.
I cleared my throat and proceeded, "Pranvi, I want you to go out in the janapada with the guards and deliver this decree to the people." I said, handing over the rolled parchment that I had kept in my pocket all along.
"What is this about, my lord?" Pranvi asked with a puzzled look.
"It states that the janapada of Aranyavarta shall start employing women in the military forces as well as the retinue of the Pratihara herself."
As soon as I said that, the sabha's jaws dropped.
The chamber gasped. A servant dropped a goblet. It shattered across the floor.
"But, sire, will it not cause further resentment within the people?" Objected Varanth.
"It may," I admitted. "But among men only. The women of this land will see it for what it is—justice. And they will stand with us. If there is resistance, the army and guard will uphold the law. My sister commands the guard now, and I will not let her stand alone. Nor shall any woman of this realm."
Pranvi stood up and thumped her chest. Thank you, my lord, for entrusting me with this. I shall not disappoint you."
I rose then, voice ringing through the hall.
"That is enough for now. Prioritize your duties. Let us rebuild this janapada and deliver the prosperity our people deserve."
"All hail the Samanta!" they cried, save Mother, who only watched me with eyes too deep to read.
When the chamber emptied, I turned to her, eager for her recognition.
I turned to her, suddenly a boy again. "Mother… did I make you proud?"
She came forward and kissed me on the forehead. Then, while cupping my cheeks, she said, "I have never been more proud, my son. You possess the benevolence of your father and the cunning of your mother. What more could a mother ask for?"
Her tears wet my shoulder as she embraced me. Her whisper was softer than breath, colder than steel.
'For her, I shall tame the earth and conquer the stars.' With that thought I hugged her back.