The grand gates of Nandigram Palace groaned open at noon, their golden hinges echoing through the courtyards. Trumpets blared, but the notes rang strained, as though reluctant to welcome the approaching guests. Dust rose in spirals as Kael's emissaries rode through—six men clad in deep blue cloaks, each embroidered with the serpent sigil of the Western Isles.
At their head sat Envoy Varcos, tall and sharp-featured, his eyes glinting like obsidian under the midday sun. He dismounted slowly, every movement deliberate, designed to claim the ground as though it were his own. Behind him, two scribes unrolled scrolls, their quills ready to inscribe every gesture, every word.
The people had gathered along the palace avenues. Some whispered, others spat on the ground as the serpents passed. Yet others stared with a nervous longing, for they remembered Kael's spices and salt, the wealth that had once flowed freely.
---
Inside the Hall of Banners, the Queen-Mother awaited upon her carved throne, her robes of ivory shimmering faintly. To her right sat Shaurya, posture regal yet calm, his gaze fixed upon the envoys with the patience of a mountain before storm. Ministers lined either side of the hall, their eyes darting between Emperor and emissaries.
Varcos strode forward, bowing—not deeply, but enough to honor the Queen-Mother without yielding pride. His voice cut through the chamber like steel wrapped in silk.
"Great Queen-Mother of Nandigram. Honored Emperor Shaurya. I come bearing the words of Lord Kael, Keeper of the Isles, Master of the Serpent Fleet."
The titles dripped like honeyed venom, filling the chamber with their weight.
"Kael offers peace," Varcos continued, "but only under terms fitting for the balance of power. The Isles will continue trade if Nandigram agrees to three conditions:
First, that your merchants pay double tariffs on salt and spice.
Second, that Kael's fleet has exclusive docking rights in your southern harbors.
And third…" His lips curved faintly. "That Emperor Shaurya acknowledges Kael as Patron and Superior, a friend above whom no loyalty shall rise."
Gasps echoed in the chamber. Ministers shifted uneasily, some pale, others secretly gleaming. For them, this was the easy path—a return to the comfort of Kael's shadow.
The Queen-Mother raised a brow, her smile unreadable. "Strong terms, Envoy Varcos."
Varcos spread his hands.
"Fair terms. Kael does not seek war—merely recognition. Surely Nandigram, new to its throne, understands the wisdom of friendship with strength."
---
All eyes turned to Shaurya. He rose, not hurriedly, but with a stillness that commanded silence. His voice, when it came, was low, deliberate.
"Envoy Varcos. You speak of friendship, yet your words drip chains. Double tariffs would starve our merchants. Exclusive harbors would choke our seas. And as for Kael's superiority…"
His gaze hardened, though his tone never rose.
"Tell your master this: The lion bows to none. Friendship, yes. Trade, yes. But never chains."
Varcos smirked, as though he had expected this. He leaned forward slightly.
"And if your people disagree, Emperor? Already they hunger for salt. Already whispers rise in your streets. Will they still follow you when their bellies gnaw and Kael offers bread?"
The words cut sharper than swords, echoing through the chamber. Shaurya's ministers shifted again, their loyalties wavering like reeds in wind.
But Shaurya only smiled faintly, the calm smile of a man who had already seen through the game.
"You mistake hunger for weakness. Hunger is fuel. My people will learn that Nandigram's soil feeds them better than Kael's crumbs. And when they see the Isles trying to chain us, they will rise taller, not kneel lower."
---
The Queen-Mother tapped her staff lightly, breaking the charged silence.
"You have both spoken. Nandigram's answer will not be given in haste. We will deliberate."
Varcos bowed once more, his expression unreadable. Yet in his eyes flickered a glint of challenge—as though the serpent had found a worthy prey, and now only the game mattered.
As he departed, whispers erupted in the chamber. Some ministers murmured approval of Shaurya's defiance, others hissed warnings of doom. But above them all, the Queen-Mother's gaze lingered on Shaurya, sharp as a blade hidden in silk.
So. You will not bend, boy. Then let us see if you can stand when the storm breaks.
---
That night, as Shaurya stood alone in the moonlit gardens, his loyal minister Raghunath approached.
"Majesty," he whispered, "Kael will not accept refusal lightly. War, blockade, subterfuge—it may all come. Shall we prepare the armies?"
Shaurya clasped his hands behind his back, eyes never leaving the stars.
"Yes. But not only armies. Prepare the farmers, the merchants, the smiths. An empire is not defended by soldiers alone. Let every man and woman know: this is their fight as much as mine."
And in the shadows beyond the garden walls, a spy of Kael slipped into the night, carrying Shaurya's defiance back to the Isles.
The serpent had hissed.
The lion had answered.
Now, the forest itself would choose its side.
To be continued....