---
Morning in Nandigram
The city awoke under a different rhythm that morning. No bells of worship rang, no drums of celebration thundered. Instead, the streets whispered with nervous anticipation.
"Today, the pledges are tested."
Merchants prepared wagons loaded with wares, soldiers polished their arms, and nobles' retainers hurried about with scrolls, weights, and scales.
The Queen-Mother's decree had shifted the mood of the Rite from ceremony to contest.
And everyone knew — if Shaurya failed in these tests, his carefully balanced pledge might collapse under scorn.
---
The Arena of Proof
The great courtyard of Nandigram had been transformed overnight into a place of trial. Long tables were erected, bearing ledgers, balances, and scales of copper and steel. On one side, soldiers stood in neat rows, prepared to demonstrate their strength. On another, artisans sharpened blades and weighed iron ingots.
Above it all, a platform had been built where the Queen-Mother and her ministers sat.
Today, wealth, arms, and provisions would be tested before the entire court.
A herald's voice rang out as the nobles gathered.
"Lords and ladies of Nandigram! The Queen-Mother decrees — your pledges shall be weighed not by words, but by proof. Gold must buy bread, jewels must command loyalty, and swords must not rust in their scabbards!"
---
The Test of Jewels
Lady Devyani of the House of Sapphire was called first. With theatrical grace, her servants carried out the crates of jewels she had pledged. Diamonds glittered like shards of frozen light, pearls spilled like rivers of moonlight, and saffron's scent filled the courtyard.
The Queen-Mother gestured to her ministers.
"Test their worth."
Merchants brought scales, weighing each stone, measuring each crate. Jewelers cut into sapphires, inspecting their quality.
"All pure," one merchant declared. "Enough to purchase grain for ten thousand mouths for a season."
The court applauded, voices rising in approval. Devyani smiled, basking in the glow of her triumph.
But Shaurya, seated among the observing nobles, noticed the merchants' hesitation — jewels could indeed buy grain, but they could not feed soldiers directly, nor forge weapons. Luxury before necessity.
---
The Test of Soldiers
Next strode Bhaskar Rao, chest out, voice booming.
"I pledged three hundred soldiers of Nandigram's blood! Let them prove their worth!"
His men marched into the courtyard, armor clattering. At his signal, they performed drills, their spears thrusting in perfect rhythm, their shields locking into an unbreakable wall.
The crowd roared approval. The Queen-Mother's lips curved faintly.
But Shaurya noted something else — their armor shone, but their boots were thin, and their packs nearly empty. Three hundred soldiers looked impressive, but they required grain, cloth, and coin to last. Strength without sustenance crumbles like dry clay.
---
The Test of Shaurya's Pledge
Finally, the herald's voice rose.
"Shaurya of Ashval, step forth with your offering!"
All eyes turned as Shaurya rose. Calm, unhurried, he walked to the dais. At his signal, Varun's voice carried across the courtyard.
"From Ashval, we bring grain — millet and wheat, harvested by farmers who bled in the soil. Enough to feed one thousand men for a year."
Carts rolled forward, sacks of grain stacked high. Ministers ordered them opened. The smell of clean, fresh harvest wafted into the air. Birds descended eagerly, pecking at spilled kernels.
The ministers recorded the weight, their quills scratching fast.
"This is true provision," one admitted reluctantly.
Varun continued, his tone steady.
"And here, iron ore from the veins of Ashval's hills. Ore already smelted into ingots, tested for purity."
Men brought forward bars of iron, black and heavy. Smiths tested them, striking hammer on steel. The clang rang deep, unbreaking.
"This is good metal," a smith declared. "Strong. Fit for weapons, not trinkets."
The court grew quieter. Nobles who had scoffed earlier leaned forward now, thoughtful.
---
The Queen-Mother's Question
The Queen-Mother raised her hand. Silence fell.
"Your grain is wholesome, your iron strong. But tell me, Ashval king — when jewels can buy food, and soldiers can win battles, why pledge grain and ore instead of wealth and arms?"
Her voice was silk over steel, a challenge laid bare.
Shaurya looked at her, his gaze steady, calm.
"Because jewels do not fill a stomach. Because an army without grain becomes a mob. Because a sword without iron is only wood in a sheath. I do not pledge appearances, Rajmata. I pledge the roots that sustain the tree."
His words fell into the silence like stones into deep water.
Some nobles frowned. Others nodded slowly, unwilling but unable to deny the truth.
---
The Hidden Trap
But the Queen-Mother's smile sharpened.
"Then let us test the grain itself. Feed the poor of Nandigram today, Ashval king. If your pledge sustains them, then your word shall stand."
A wave of surprise rippled through the crowd. Feeding the poor — not nobles, not soldiers. It was a political trap.
If Shaurya failed to satisfy the hungry masses, the people themselves would turn against him.
---
The Trial of the Poor
By the Queen-Mother's order, hundreds of peasants and beggars were gathered at the palace gates. Thin, hollow-eyed men and women shuffled in, children clinging to their arms. They looked not at the Queen-Mother, nor the nobles, but at Shaurya.
Would this foreign king truly feed them?
Shaurya stepped forward, his voice quiet but resolute.
"Open the sacks. Cook the food. Let none leave hungry."
Varun and Ashval's men set to work swiftly. Fires were lit, pots filled, grain boiled into porridge thick with ghee and salt.
Hours passed, and bowls were carried to the people. Children ate first, then women, then men.
And when the last bowl was emptied, the crowd of peasants bowed not to the Queen-Mother, but to Shaurya.
"Blessings upon the Ashval king," one old woman murmured, tears in her eyes.
The nobles watched, shaken. What had been meant as a trap had turned into a moment of triumph.
---
Adhipatya's Whisper
The System of Adhipatya flickered in Shaurya's vision.
[Public Favor +30]
[Hidden Achievement Unlocked: Bread Before Gold]
When feeding people directly, your influence doubles in courts that value dharma.
[Noble Opinion Shift: 5 Respect, 2 Envy, 2 Resentful]
Shaurya let the numbers fade. He needed none of them to know the truth: the people's loyalty is worth more than the nobles' applause.
---
Closing Scene
The Queen-Mother's expression remained serene, but her eyes glittered like sharpened glass. Her first trap had failed — Shaurya had not only survived but turned her test into a display of strength.
Still, she leaned forward, her voice cool.
"The first trial is complete. Tomorrow, the second trial shall test not coin nor food, but the strength of arms. Let us see then if the Ashval king's iron can hold as well as his words."
The drums rolled, ending the trial. Nobles departed, their minds racing. Some now whispered of Shaurya with respect, others with fear.
But above all, one truth had settled over the court:
The Ashval king had not come to Nandigram to kneel. He had come to stand.
To be continued....