"I am Otanes," he said. "First Prince of the Parthian Empire."
Rajkumar Garuda moved to offer a formal greeting, but Otanes lifted a hand, stopping him gently.
"There is no need for that now, is there?"
Garuda paused, then inclined his head. "You are right. It seems we are well past formalities."
"Regardless of that. There's a place nearby where we can sit," Garuda offered. "Would you like to?"
"That would be welcome."
With that Otanes turned briefly, signaling for his attendant to remain behind. Then the two princes walked a short distance into the gardens until they arrived at an open space with seats below an old neem tree.
They sat.
Above them, the night sky stretched vast and unbroken. The palace lights dimmed into the distance. For a time, neither spoke. The silence between them was not strained — only reflective, like the pause between breaths.
After long, Garuda broke it.
"What brings the First Prince of Parthia so far here?" he asked, his gaze still fixed on the stars.
Otanes exhaled softly. "It had begun to feel suffocating there," he replied. "and when I learned that the Grand Visier would be traveling to Valangar, I took the opportunity to accompany him."
"Is that so?" Garuda said, a trace of quiet understanding in his tone.
After a moment, Otanes turned slightly toward him. "May I ask why you are here instead of your elder brother?"
A flicker of irritation passed through Garuda — brief, contained. Though his voice remained steady.
"My brother fell ill several weeks ago. A severe fever. He is recovering, but not yet fully restored."
"Hmm." Otanes studied the sky again. "I had heard he has been unwell for over two months now. Though perhaps that is unsurprising. Being the youngest in recorded history to awaken with a fully formed mana circuit must carry… complications."
Silence returned, heavier this time.
A servant approached quietly out of nowhere, setting refreshments beside them before withdrawing without a word just as they came.
After a while, Garuda turned.
"You said the capital felt suffocating," he said. "But you are first in line for the throne, are you not?"
Otanes considered the question carefully.
"I am the firstborn son yes," he replied slowly. "But I have an older sister." His lips curved faintly. "She surpasses me in nearly everything. The only distinction I hold is that I awakened at nine… and she at ten."
He leaned back, eyes tracing the constellations.
"I often hear people, 'if only Shirin had been born a man' or 'That fell below expectations'."
The words lingered in the air.
"So I came here," he continued, "under the convenient fiction of being the Grand Visier's illegitimate son. It seemed… easier than carrying the weight of expectation for a while."
"I see," Garuda said quietly.
A pause stretched between them before Otanes spoke again.
"Your elder brother — Rajkumar Hamsa. He is regarded similarly here, is he not?"
Garuda nodded once.
"Yes."
He hesitated, then continued.
"As you know, he is the youngest ever to awaken. And if that were not enough, he excels at nearly everything he attempts. The only fields in which I surpass him are philosophy, languages, and traditional scripture."
A dry laugh escaped him.
"And even that advantage may not last. He has begun revising scripture in ways that astonish even the priests."
The night seemed to deepen around them.
After a moment, Otanes asked, his voice quiet but direct, "Do you hate him?"
Garuda did not hesitate.
"No. I do not."
His gaze remained forward.
"For all his gifts, he carries no arrogance. He may sound and seem to act cold & distant, even harsh, but he cares deeply. That is why he pushes so relentlessly — himself and others."
He turned slightly. "And you? Do you hate your sister?"
Otanes shook his head.
"No. Not hate."
A faint smile touched his lips.
"She is reckless. And she drags me into whatever chaos she chooses to pursue." He paused, the smile fading. "But if I am honest… there are moments when I resent her."
His voice lowered.
"It feels as though everything comes naturally to her. I must struggle for what she grasps without effort." He exhaled. "And sometimes… it feels as though she pities me."
He looked down briefly.
"I know that is not true. Yet the feeling persists. I feel… diminished beside her."
He met Garuda's gaze.
"Do you not feel the same?"
Garuda considered the question carefully.
"No… or at least, that is what I wish to say." A faint, almost embarrassed smile appeared. "But I am not certain how to name what I feel."
"Most people, even my brother have told me many times not to compare myself to him. In his own words, he is 'built weird and is an idiot.'"
Garuda said with a smile remembering.
"So I do not know whether what I feel is resentment… or simply inferiority."
--
The tension eased after that.
Their conversation drifted to smaller things — childhood games, tutors they disliked, embarrassing missteps, minor rebellions. They laughed more freely. Titles faded. Expectations loosened their grip.
For a little while, they were not heirs or rivals to brilliance.
They were merely two navigating the shadows cast by extraordinary siblings.
By the time they rose to leave, the gardens had nearly emptied. Palace attendants were already searching for them, prepared to scold.
But for that stretch of night, beneath the stars, they had spoken without restraint — and without the weight of their blood.
_____________
Hamsa's Chambers
Night settled over the palace, and the glow of magi stones slowly replaced the fading sunlight. Servants moved quietly through the halls, their footsteps soft against the floor. From outside came the distant murmur of voices from the gathering in the gardens.
Hamsa slept soundly, his head resting on Mahadevi Bhadra's lap.
His breathing had finally settled into a steady rhythm, the tension that had gripped his body earlier now gone. Strands of hair fell across his forehead, and every so often his fingers twitched slightly, as if some part of him was still restless even in sleep.
She had arrived only moments before he lost control.
The memory was still fresh — the oppressive weight of mana filling the room, servants stumbling back in fear, the barrier unit barely holding the flow in place. For a brief moment she had thought she was too late. But the instant she entered, Hamsa had turned toward her like a child searching for safety, and the pressure in the air had begun to ease.
Now, seeing him asleep, it was almost hard to believe how close things had come.
Mahadevi Bhadra rested one hand lightly on his shoulder, careful not to wake him. The faint warmth of mana still lingered around him, softer now, no longer threatening. He looked younger like this — far removed from the boy who carried expectations too large for his age.
For a while she simply sat there, listening to the quiet rise and fall of his breathing.
"Lata, is the cub doing alright?" Mahadevi Bhadra asked, gently ruffling Hamsa's hair.
"Yes, Mahadevi," Lata replied. "The cub is sleeping now, though it was difficult to keep him calm."
"What was his name again?" Mahadevi Bhadra asked absently.
"CHOTU," Lata said.
"Ah… Chotu." A small laugh escaped her. "The name is quite adorable. Though I never expected Hamsa to bring back a mountain tiger as a pet."
"Well, it was unexpected," Lata said with a faint smile. "But Rajkumar Hamsa has always been known for doing unexpected things."
"Yes, that's true," Mahadevi Bhadra said softly. Her hand continued moving through Hamsa's hair. "Though I didn't expect him to fall sick with a mana disease again. And this time… he is behaving like a spoiled little child."
She sighed quietly before asking, "Did the physicians or temple agents send any word?"
"Yes, Mahadevi," Lata replied. "They still don't know the exact reason, but they believe his body is undergoing rapid changes due to a sudden increase in the amount of mana he can both hold and generate."
She paused briefly.
"They think his mind is focusing on adapting to those changes, leaving him in a state similar to that of a child."
"I see," Mahadevi Bhadra murmured.
She looked down at Hamsa's sleeping face.
"When he clung to me the moment I arrived…" she said with a faint smile, "I felt happy that he asked for what he needed without hiding it. Perhaps that was wrong of me."
Lata shook her head gently.
"What you said is true, Mahadevi. But perhaps, on some subconscious level, this is what he wishes for."
Mahadevi Bhadra didn't answer right away. She simply continued smoothing Hamsa's hair, her expression softening.
After a while, the two quietly turned their attention to state work while he slept.
Soon, the murmur of the gathering outside faded, and the Raja entered the room.
"How is he?" the Raja asked, his gaze resting on his son.
"He is alright," Mahadevi Bhadra replied with a light laugh. "Though he refuses to let go of me."
The Raja stood for a moment, still watching Hamsa. Then he spoke.
"Then let him sleep. We can talk like this," he said, moving to sit beside Hamsa's bed.
He cleared his throat before continuing.
"The Parthians want an alliance," he said. "More precisely, they seek a treaty of non-aggression."
Mahadevi Bhadra looked surprised.
"That came out of nowhere. From the information we had, I assumed they sent the Grand Visier here to negotiate some kind of trade agreement."
"So did I," the Raja replied. "But it appears their western borders are becoming unstable. They want a non-aggression pact and a defensive alliance against any eastern or steppe threats… along with whatever assistance we can provide."
He paused briefly.
"Things must be serious. They have offered the hand of Princess Shirin in marriage."
Mahadevi Bhadra's expression shifted.
"Then things must truly be dire, for them to offer Shirin's hand."
"Is she really that exceptional?" the Raja asked. "I've heard she is by far the most talented among their royal children."
"From the information and rumors we've collected," Mahadevi Bhadra said, "she seems to be very gifted — perhaps comparable to Hamsa in some ways. Though I highly doubt she stands on the same level as him, given how unique he is. Still, she is exceptional."
She glanced toward the sleeping boy.
"And she is the daughter of the Banshin as well."
The Raja nodded slowly.
"That is good to be reminded of."
He fell silent for a brief moment, thinking, before speaking again.
"So, as his father and as Raja of Valangar, I approve of this," he said. "But I want your opinion on the matter, Bhadra."
"Your decision is my decision," Mahadevi Bhadra replied. "If you believe this is beneficial, then I approve as Mahadevi."
Her gaze fell to Hamsa's sleeping face.
"As a mother… I do think someone like her might suit him. But I worry whether he will truly be alright with it."
"You think he would oppose marrying her?" the Raja asked.
"No," she said at once. "You know as well as I do that Hamsa would agree to arrangements like this."
She paused, choosing her words carefully.
"My fear is that he will accept it only as his duty — because of who he is, and out of concern for the girl. We can be certain she is doing this for her empire, whether it is her choice or not."
The Raja considered her words.
"I understand," he said. "But regardless of how gifted he is, or how he behaves, he is still only ten years old. How can you be so sure he will turn out that way?"
Mahadevi Bhadra did not look up.
"I am his mother," she said quietly.