The Queen-Mother's Aftermath
The grand court had ended in uneasy silence, but the ripples lingered. Nobles dispersed with guarded faces, some whispering, others clutching at their cloaks as if the very air stank of treachery.
The Queen-Mother reclined in her private chamber, attendants massaging her wrists with sandalwood oil. Prince Rajendra stood beside her, brows furrowed.
"You did not strike when you had the chance, Mata," he pressed. "The letters could have ended him."
The Queen-Mother's eyes, sharp and cunning, glimmered in the lamplight.
"And what then, Rajendra? If we had stripped Shaurya down tonight, who would guard the roads? You?"
Rajendra stiffened, jaw tightening.
"No. Better to let him stand," she continued softly, "and wait. A falcon tires faster when it circles too long. Shaurya builds and builds, but every stone is a burden. Soon, his own weight will pull him down."
---
Shaurya's Silent Resolve
Meanwhile, Shaurya sat within a guest chamber of the palace. The torches along the carved marble walls flickered in rhythm with his thoughts. Ananta and Lalitha stood before him, both tense from the night's ordeal.
Lalitha spoke first, her voice unsteady but resolute.
"Maharaj, those forgeries… they were not the work of a fool. The wax, the script — it had the hands of someone inside this palace."
Shaurya nodded slowly, his gaze unwavering.
"Agreed. A serpent in the court, not merely outside. Mahadevan's hand guided it, but his knife was wielded by one of Nandigram's own."
Ananta's fists clenched.
"Then let us drag them out. One by one, until they confess."
But Shaurya lifted a hand. His calm, commanding presence pressed the air flat.
"No. Rage reveals nothing. We must be precise. Serpents must be caught in silence, before they coil again."
At that, Adhipatya stirred before his eyes:
[New Trial Sub-Quest Initiated]
"Chamber of Shadows"
Objective: Unmask Mahadevan's agents in Nandigram's court. Method: Infiltration, diplomacy, exposure.
Shaurya rose, his robe whispering against the floor.
"Tonight, we hunt not with swords. We hunt with shadows."
---
The Chamber of Records
The first step lay in the palace's Chamber of Records — a vaulted hall where every missive, alliance, and treaty was kept under guard. Only scribes and senior ministers entered freely.
At midnight, Shaurya strode through its carved doors with Ananta at his side. Two elderly scribes scrambled to bow, their faces etched with suspicion at the late intrusion.
"Fear not," Shaurya said calmly. "We seek only truth."
Scrolls lay stacked upon lacquered shelves, their ends marked with seals of wax. Shaurya examined them, eyes moving like a falcon across prey.
Ananta muttered, "How will we find one false snake among so many?"
Shaurya touched a half-burned candle, placed oddly close to a sealed ledger. Wax had dripped onto the table. He pressed his thumb against it.
"Because liars always leave haste in their wake," he murmured.
The ledger revealed a set of copied seals — including his own Ashval lotus. The forgery was born here.
---
The First Interrogation
Morning broke, and Shaurya summoned the ministers to a private audience. Each file of scribes, merchants, and junior lords shuffled nervously under his quiet scrutiny.
"Last night," Shaurya began, his voice even, "I uncovered a forgery within this palace. Seals copied, wax melted, hands unclean. Such crimes are not mere treason. They are poison in the heart of a kingdom."
He paused, his dark gaze sweeping the chamber.
"Speak now, and mercy remains. Hide, and only ruin follows."
The ministers exchanged glances, sweat beading. Finally, one man broke — a minor guild-clerk named Harinarayan, pale and quivering.
"I— I was ordered!" he blurted. "I only melted wax, nothing more! Please, Maharaj, it was not my will!"
"By whom?" Shaurya asked, still calm.
Harinarayan's eyes darted toward the floor.
"A noble's manservant. Lord Samudra's."
Gasps rose. Lord Samudra, a wealthy noble famed for his shipping fleets, sat stiff in the corner, his jaw tightening like a steel trap.
---
The Serpent's Coil Tightens
Samudra stood abruptly, his silken robes brushing the marble.
"Lies! A clerk's babbling cannot condemn a lord of Nandigram. Maharaj, this is slander — a trick to discredit the Queen-Mother's court."
Shaurya's calm expression did not waver. He turned to the guards.
"Bring Samudra's ledgers. If his hands are clean, his records will prove it."
Samudra froze. The hall filled with murmurs. He could not refuse without condemning himself.
Ananta smirked at his side, whispering, "Cornered rats bite hardest."
---
The Queen-Mother Intervenes
Before the guards could move, the Queen-Mother entered, her voice carrying like steel wrapped in silk.
"Enough. This inquiry dishonors the court. Maharaj Shaurya, do not mistake zeal for justice. My ministers are not pawns to be toyed with."
Her bangles clinked as she raised a hand. "If Samudra is guilty, I shall judge him. Not you."
The tension thickened. It was the Queen-Mother's gambit: to shield her nobles and preserve her authority, even at the risk of harboring traitors.
Shaurya bowed slightly, though his gaze remained piercing.
"Then, Rajmata, let us judge together. For truth binds kingdoms tighter than pride."
The Queen-Mother's lips tightened, but she did not refuse. The council would reconvene — and Samudra's fate would be decided under both their eyes.
---
Mahadevan's Shadow
Far from the palace, in the serpent's camp, Mahadevan laughed when the report reached him.
"So, Samudra falters. Good. Let Shaurya pull at the threads of the court. The more he unmasks, the more the Queen-Mother will resist. And when suspicion turns inward…"
He raised his serpent-banner.
"…the kingdom will strangle itself."
---
Shaurya's Resolve
That night, Shaurya stood again upon the balcony. Ananta at his side, Lalitha behind.
"Do you trust the Queen-Mother to yield?" Ananta asked.
Shaurya's gaze lingered on the city's oil-lamp glow.
"No. But I trust her to value survival. Mahadevan pushes serpents into her court. If she does not strike with me, they will devour her throne."
Adhipatya glowed before his eyes:
[Chamber of Shadows: Progress 40%]
Expose: 1 agent of Mahadevan (Harinarayan).
Next Step: Unmask the noble patron (Samudra).
Shaurya's calm voice hardened into steel.
"The serpent's head hides behind silks and titles. Tomorrow, I tear the veil."
To be continued....