Royal Palace, Prince Suketu's Chambers
Rani Indumati nodded and said, "Your grandfather also suggested something similar. But it will be hard to execute. Both parties involved in this matter are tough to be removed. And if we can have this thought, that conniving woman would also have realised this hidden threat. So there must be enhanced security measures around the princess. As for the 'prospective groom', touching him in the Northern army base won't be easy. General Chandraveer, his father, is a sly fox as well, who is unbeatable, at least in his own backyard!"
"That's why we need to plan some other measures. Since Father can't make a move openly in the royal court, we will have to think of some other means to prevent Prince Anirudh from inheriting the throne. As for this marriage between the Northern Army heir and the princess, it seems to be a foregone conclusion," she said with a frown.
Prince Suketu picked up a black grape from the fruit platter kept on a high table with a gleaming marble top and put it in his mouth.
"Queen Mother, it is not good to take so much stress at your age. Don't let the wrinkles dim the radiance on your face," he said calmly.
As expected, Rani Indumati's face turned black. Her age-defying beauty was her inverse scale. Anyone touching it would not have a good ending.
In order to maintain her youthful looks, she had willingly sponsored many cutting edge research projects recently. Many new, innovative foods and cosmetic products had been launched during the past decade, all promoting vigour and youth. But that wasn't enough anymore and she was looking for something more 'miraculous'.
While the emperor and her clan had always been supportive and indulged her 'little' hobby, in the entire kingdom, it was probably just this bast@rd son of hers who didn't bother giving her any face.
The truth was that Rani Indumati had no affection for this tramp-born child but due to lack of suitable candidates who had royal blood running in their veins and more importantly, belonging to the right age-group, she had adopted this one to stand against Prince Anirudh.
She gave Prince Suketu a death stare which he pretended not to notice.
Instead, he continued in a nonchalant tone. "Prince Brother Anirudh's destiny has changed. Unfortunately, my poor brother is henceforth not destined to taste fatherhood in this lifetime."
Rani Indumati, who was on the verge of spouting out a mouthful of vengeance filled words, froze.
It took her a moment to digest the implication of Prince Suketu's words.
After a moment, she broke into an incredulous laughter.
"Hahaha… seriously?"
Prince Suketu tilted his head slightly and said, "Prince Brother Anirudh's personal physician obtained a new energy mix two years ago from a highly valued sage. After consuming those herbs over a long period of time, it has gradually helped my dear elder brother gain the strength equivalent to fifty elephants. The prince is extremely happy but this news is being kept under wraps because he doesn't want anyone else to lay their hands on this prescription. What my poor elder brother and his physician couldn't discern from the mix was the presence of a powdered form of Bael* leaves and Papaya seeds. The physician who takes care of Prince Brother Anirudh's harem has confirmed that none of the ladies have managed to get pregnant during this time despite… the prince's extremely active participation."
"Good, good! As long as it can be proven that the prince can't have offspring, how will the throne have an heir? Hahaha… So the Southern kingdom's dream to own the throne of Mandhaar will finally be cut off? My dear son, you are worthy of being the grandson of Prime Minister Vasumant. The years spent nurturing you have not gone to waste! But you are so naughty. You managed to keep this a secret for so long," the queen chided him gently.
Without waiting for him to reply, she tapped his head and said, "We must tell Our father about it right away."
Prince Suketu kept his polite smile intact till the queen left the room.
"Someone come!" At his order, the waiting maids rushed in to help the prince complete his dressing.
After the prince got ready, he commanded everyone to leave the room and called upon his trusted man, Hanuram.
Poker-faced, the young man whose features were as unremarkable as the plain walls of the third prince's chambers, walked in and bowed politely.
"Is everything in place?" Prince Suketu's demeanour was vastly different from a few minutes ago.
His eyes were razor-sharp and gone was all the frivolity from his face.
Hanuram kept his eyes lowered and answered. "The man from Viswa clan, Hiranya, has already picked up the person and is on his way."
The prince nodded his head in satisfaction. He had accumulated his pieces carefully, one at a time. One of the most important pawns for him currently was the Bali clan. Under no circumstances, could he let this piece slip away.
"As for Prince Anirudh's newly reached state of impotence, make sure that our people start spreading rumours about it. Use the brothel as the starting point," he instructed.
The currently famous brothel in Dima city was the property of Prince Suketu. His dead mother had been born there and was brought up by the brothel's madam almost reverently, owing to her beauty.
For fifteen years, the gorgeous girl had been nurtured and pampered, till she was sold to the highest bidder in the market. It was her 'good' luck that the wealthy merchant who bought her, sent to the emperor as a means of appeasement.
A beautiful, young, terrified girl found herself catching the emperor's favour, landing her into the muddy waters of the harem!
As a means of remembering her, Prince Suketu bought the dilapidated brothel last year on this very day, the day when she died.
He reinvented it to become the place where he bought and sold favours to the highest bidders. The vulgar activities in the brothel weren't the worst things there. Instead, it was the changing loyalties, and shifting powers which made that place scary!
Prince Suketu looked at his smiling reflection in the mirror.
'Mother, are you proud of your son yet? The brothel belongs to your son, soon the kingdom will too…'
*Bael - Stone apple
Note: It is unverified whether Bael and Papaya cause infertility in men. This is purely for plot purposes.