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The Dawn of the Purge
The sun had barely crested the horizon when the sound of hooves echoed through the city.
For the first time in Nandigram's history, royal guards marched not against foreign invaders, but through the estates of its own nobility. Shaurya rode at their head, Rajnandini beside him, the crimson banners of the Crown fluttering in the dawn wind.
Crowds followed in awe and disbelief. To see a prince drag nobles from behind their gilded gates—it was unthinkable, yet undeniable.
"The prince hunts serpents."
"May the gods guide his hand."
"But what if the serpents are our lords?"
Fear and hope warred on the people's faces.
---
The First Raid
Their first destination: Lord Dharan's manor, a sprawling palace of marble and peacocks.
Lord Dharan greeted them at the gates, his silken robes fluttering, his jeweled hands shaking with indignation.
"This is an outrage!" he barked. "To storm the house of the king's council without cause—"
Shaurya silenced him with a single glance. Calm, unhurried, unshakable. His voice, low and steady, carried farther than Dharan's shouts.
"Cause enough lies in the serpent's blood. If your heart is clean, then your halls will shine brighter after we have searched them."
At his signal, guards swept into the manor. Scrolls were seized, ledgers unrolled, servants questioned. For hours, the sound of boots and drawers echoed through marble halls.
At last, Rajnandini emerged from the lord's library, holding a book bound in serpent skin. Inside were records of secret shipments—grain and iron funneled to unknown buyers, marked only with a curling sigil: the serpent's eye.
Gasps rippled through the guards. Dharan's face drained of color.
Shaurya's voice cut the silence. "The silk you wear could not hide the poison you fed."
Lord Dharan collapsed to his knees, sputtering protests. But already the guards seized him, chaining gold-ringed wrists with iron.
The people outside roared when Dharan was dragged into daylight, his jewels clattering into the dust. For once, it was not the poor in chains—it was a noble.
---
The Net Tightens
By midday, three more estates had fallen.
In Lord Ashvat's stables, they found barrels of venom hidden beneath hay.
In Lady Kanta's chambers, scrolls of serpent hymns inked in blood.
In Lord Trivikrama's kitchens, a secret cellar filled with masked acolytes.
Each raid spread shockwaves through the city. For centuries, nobles had walked untouchable. Now, their gates cracked open, their secrets spilled into the streets.
Some nobles trembled in fear, sending envoys to the palace, swearing loyalty. Others plotted in shadows, their whispers growing venomous.
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The Council in Panic
That evening, Shaurya convened the ministers in the Hall of Justice. Scrolls and evidence lay piled on the table before him.
The Prime Treasurer, face pale, stammered. "Prince, if you continue, you will tear the council apart. Already, half of them whisper rebellion. The city trembles!"
Shaurya leaned forward, his eyes calm but unyielding.
"Let it tremble. Better the earth quake once than rot forever beneath serpents."
Rajnandini added, her voice sharp as a blade, "Those who fear are those who hide guilt. Let them tremble—it saves us the trouble of digging."
The ministers exchanged uneasy glances. Some nodded, reluctantly emboldened. Others kept silent, their faces unreadable.
---
The Serpent's Countermove
Night fell heavy over Nandigram.
As Shaurya and his guards returned to the fortress, a messenger stumbled through the gates—bloodied, trembling.
He collapsed at Shaurya's feet, clutching a scroll sealed with black wax.
"From the Serpent Circle," he rasped.
Shaurya broke the seal. The scroll unfurled, its letters scrawled in jagged script:
"Prince, you may burn silk and chain lords, but serpents coil where your blade cannot reach. Tonight, one who sits closest to you drinks from our cup. Trust no smile, for even the loyal may hiss."
The words dripped like venom. Around Shaurya, even hardened guards exchanged nervous glances.
Rajnandini's hand drifted to her sword. "They want you paranoid. They want you to suspect even allies."
Shaurya's gaze was steady, calm as ever. He rolled the scroll shut.
"Then let them. A serpent that whispers fear reveals its coil. All we must do… is wait for the hiss."
---
The Silent Watchers
From the rooftops beyond the fortress, shadows moved. Hooded figures watched Shaurya's every step, their eyes glinting like cold steel.
One whispered, "He cuts too deep. If he continues, the Circle will be bared."
Another hissed, "Then strike. Before his fire consumes us."
The serpents were not broken. They were watching. Waiting.
And in the depths of the palace itself, someone very close to Shaurya stirred restlessly… their loyalty no longer certain.
To be continued....