Midnight, Dima City
The sky had darkened to the maximum and the moon was completely obliterated by the clouds. There was a frosty sharpness to the air and it felt as if it would start to snow anytime now.
Two masked, black clothed, petite figures leaned against the slanting rooftop of a dome like building. They were panting hard. Despite the cold weather, their bodies were slick with sweat.
They rested their backs against the frosted stone wall which was curved in the shape of a semicircle and looked up at the inky black sky.
This building was the famous and most expensive brothel house in the city of Dima. It had been built just a few months ago and it was rumoured that the owner had links to a royal family member.
The speculation was rife about which prince had fallen so badly and dared to invest in a pleasuring whorehouse. Many scholars and even common people had condemned the royal family for indulging into such blatant form of money-making. But these were mere whispers spoken in their houses and amongst friends. No one had the courage to say it openly, more so since the identity of the proprietor was still unclear till now.
Irrespective, the business of the brothel house had not been affected in the slightest by the negative rumours.
In fact, in the past six months, since its opening, the number of patrons had tripled month-on-month. The pleasuring girls and boys in the brothel catered to all kinds of fetish and demands. It was claimed that no client's demand was ever denied, no matter how outrageous it may be.
Katyayani shifted her gaze and peered down. She could see the open courtyard and a few of the rooms from where she stood. She wrinkled her nose in disgust as she caught a glimpse of a few appalling scenes taking place in some rooms which were still lit.
"Teacher, the weather is turning really cold. Why don't we torch this place tonight for some extra warmth?" Katyayani asked Trini, only half-jokingly.
She was repulsed at the idea of kids half her age being forced to carry out abhorring acts to please the wealthy, repugnant clients.
Trini could sense the fury rise in the girl next to her. It took everything in her to suppress her own anger before she turned towards Katyayani.
She placed her gloved hand on Katyayani's shoulder and said softly, "One should not lose sight of one's true calibre and power at any time. If you can deal with the aftermath of destroying this place, I am happy to help you do it. I heard that even the people with the best resources haven't been able to find out who is behind this place. What capability do you have to be able to escape the repercussions of your proposed action?"
Even though her words were ruthless, her intention was to make Katyayani recognise her current powerless state and motivate her to work towards making herself stronger.
"You are right. I was too impulsive in my thought process." Katyayani responded after a beat.
Her words and tone were as chilly as the weather.
Even though Eka and Chatvari were worried about their young ward becoming more aloof and withdrawn, Trini actually thought that there was nothing wrong in it. Only by being cold-blooded, would Katyayani remain focussed on her long term goal and not be swayed by unnecessary emotions.
"I think we should return now. Let's go and visit Dai Maa tomorrow," said Katyayani and stood up.
She flexed her gloved fingers which had frozen by now and started scaling down the building's darkened side without giving another glance towards the 'lively' courtyard.
Few kilometers away, Royal Palace of Mandhaar
The empress's chamber was elegantly decorated and more than a few priceless paintings hung on different walls. One corner of the room had a colorful riot of flowers put in an ornate tall vase while the opposite side had various strange looking items hung on it.
These were the 'memorabilia' which Maharani* Vaijayanti had snatched from the bodies of her opponents whom she had defeated or killed in various contests in her younger days!
This 'wall of honor' had come along with her as part of her dowry from the Southern kingdom of Bharani. The kingdom of Bharani was a vassal nation of Mandhaar and was famously known for their extremely strong army. The Southern army was loyal to Mandhaar and had aided in winning many battles to help Mandhaar become the strongest nation in the continent.
But the unique thing about Bharani was not their army but their royal princesses. For the past many generations, the kingdom of Bharani had produced the empresses for the Mandhaar rulers. The current empress dowager of Mandhaar, Rajmata* Gayatri was the paternal aunt of Maharani Vaijayanti who was the current Mandhaar empress.
Even though Raja Indraneel wasn't the biological son of the empress dowager, Rajmata Gayatri, she had chosen him to be the next emperor after the deaths of her three sons.
Raja Indraneel had been filial to her all these years and had married the then Southern Princess Vaijayanti upon her recommendation.
"Empress Mother, what is the point of this swayamvar if you have already chosen a groom for me? Why go through the farce? Just marry me like you did in the case of my elder sister, Anira," Princess Anara's dissatisfaction was apparent in her tone.
Except for Prince Anara, probably no one in the entire palace could speak in this manner to Maharani Vaijayanti, the empress of Mandhaar.
At the age of 40, Maharani Vaijayanti was the epitome of grace and dignity. Her regal bearing took the attention away from her wheatish complexion and slightly ordinary features.
Dressed in a deep burgundy skirt made from raw silk along with a beige top which had precious gemstones at the neck and sleeves, every inch of her looked like the perfect image of a powerful empress. Her satin clad feet were surrounded by a pair of slim gold anklets and her hair had been coiled in a severe bun, held together by a ruby studded hairpin.
"You are seventeen years old now. This childish behaviour doesn't suit you. In order for your elder brother to ascend to the throne successfully, it is the duty of his family, including you, to aid him in the best manner possible. General Chandraveer holds the entire Northern army in his palm. We* need that army behind us to fortify your brother's strength. Unfortunately, the general doesn't want to join our faction despite many coercive hints. Hence, we have no choice but to bind him through marriage between his eldest son, Agastya and you," Maharani Vaijayanti explained it to her patiently.
*Before the rains, repair the cloth - Plan ahead, be prepared
*Maharani - Empress title which appears before the first name
*Rajmata - Empress Dowager title which appears before the first name
*We - The royal we, majestic plural, or royal plural, is the use of a plural pronoun to refer to a single person who is a monarch or a high status royal person