Queen-Mother's quarters:-
"What?" The queen-mother was huffing in anger. "You promised to hand out slaves? on whose orders?" She threw a ceramic cup at Maan who was kneeling in front of her.
It flew past him but the attack wasn't aimed at his body but pride just like every other blow, physical or verbal that he had to endure ever since his father was branded a traitor by the former king and killed right in front of him. The attacks that were aimed at the son of the traitor then still continued to satiate their vengeance and hollow righteousness.
The maids, clerks, ministers even the queen-mother, all of them mocked him and saw him as someone filthy who was there for their entertainment. He tried his best to be a good person, lead a truthful life and work hard but the world didn't let him.
When he was crowned the king he thought it was the blessing of his late parents and a result of his good deeds but his situation became even worse. Previously only a few people bullied him but now the whole country was talking behind his back, making fun of his family and calling him names.
Judging his every move, watching him every time, and despising his every breath, he used to think that he should have died with his father maybe then he would have been spared from this life of endless struggle and suffocation.
"The queen is persistent and has a big army at her disposal. She demands the return of her subjects that were sold in slavery at Hanna slave market otherwise she will wage war, tear down the city walls and find them herself." Maan answered with his head hung low. "I had to agree."
Queen Mother laughed bitterly, "Are some lowly farmers worth waging a war? She is acting like they were her children that were sold…"
"She captured the royal guard and said that she will be sending off his and villagers' heads after a week if her demands aren't fulfilled." Maan's eyes were on the floor.
"And you are repeating her words like a parrot… Is this why I took you in? Who told you to go without the soldiers?" she held her aching head.
"I deserve this for letting you go on your own." She said to herself.
'A king is the nation's father. A guardian, a protector to all, weak, strong, man, woman he should treat everyone equally…' His father's words rang in Maan's ears. If he knew what his future was going to be like he wouldn't have admired his father so much instead he would have told him that he was wrong and no such king exists… not on Hanna soil.
That might have prevented his father from trying to bring equality and eliminate corruption, that his father might still be alive, possibly corrupt like other ministers but alive and with him.
"Still… how can he accept all that without thinking about what it will do to Hanna?" Queen Mother sneered. "I should have chopped off your tongue before crowing you the king. A mute king must have been better than a fool."
Before the queen-mother could scold more her brother, the royal advisor came in with some new information and filled her in. He told her about the size of the Queen's army and their battle history.
They both discussed something for a while occasionally glaring at Maan. They realized it would be best to give in and fulfill her demands.
And since the king had already agreed to it, there was nothing they could do to avoid this without risking a war with Maythene.
"Call the Inspector General." The queen-mother ordered.
A young man dressed in black trousers and a sleeveless black and green half-robe walked in. His robe had his insignia embroidered on it- a roaring tiger with 4 stars underneath, the highest rank for a civil inspector unit.
The king quickly straightened his back, adjusting his posture to hide the humiliation he had just been through.
The young man bowed to the queen-mother and royal advisor and when he saw the king his expression changed when he bowed; his gaze turned cold and his jaws clenched as did his fingers on the sheath of his sword.
"Gather around the slaves sold by the bandits. Maythene slaves… farmers, traders." The royal advisor ordered on queen-mother's behalf, while she was busy tearing the king apart with her glares. "They are to be returned to their kingdom. You have five days."
The general inspector bowed and left to fulfill the orders. Since he was the inspector general in the civil unit, he had the knowledge and information about all the city and state affairs, and what he didn't know was easier to find out given his vast network of civil officers and reach over the public records.
The king was dismissed too. When he got out of the queen-mother's chambers and quarters he found someone waiting for him on the way out.
"Inspector General, do you have something to say?" The king said.
The Inspector General's expression was cold at first then he smiled and said, "I heard a monkey got into the palace and is now pretending to be king. Have you seen it, your highness?"
The king smiled bitterly. It wasn't new for him to hear something like this. But someone being this direct was a first. "Inspector general should focus on the task he was given instead of feeding in the rumors. Hmm…!"
"Brother!" a voice caught both of their attention.
It was a petite woman with soft features. Oval face, round eyes, soft lips her hair was middle parted in a braid and neatly combed. Dressed in a light pink fluffy blouse and skirt, everything about her was feminine and pure.
"Brother, you forgot this." She came to the inspector general and gave him a handkerchief with a flower embroidered on it. Her eyes fell to the floor once she saw the king.
She bowed graciously, "Good morning to the king." She was blushing holding on tightly to the handkerchief.
The king nodded and passed by.
"Haven't I told you to not come this far into the palace? How did you even get here?" the inspector general asked and placed the handkerchief in his pocket.
"I was invited." She chirped.
"By whom?" He wondered. She had no connection in the palace except for him and their father and neither of them had called her.
"queen-mother." She presented a pink silk scroll.
He knew what it was as soon as he saw the pink. It was the invitation for the queen selection interview that had been sent out to the noble families with young daughters suitable to marry the king.
He snatched the scroll to double-check. As he read through the scroll his dragon-like eyes narrowed. "Father knows about this?"
"Yes. he was the one who received it," she said and took away the scroll from her brother's hands.
"Rumi, you are going to fail the test, interview, everything." He said.
She hit his chest with the scroll. "Don't start with your nonsense early in the morning."
"I mean it. Fail the tests. All of it." he said as he raised a hand to caress her head.
She slapped his hand away, "Don't ruin my hair." she checked her hair. "Don't show me your face if you are going to wish bad luck."
"Why did I even bother to meet you?" Rumi cursed her brother and left without looking back.
Sum-in was left there as he tried to think why their father thought that Rumi could be marrying someone like Maan Ji Rei. In his mind, Maan was the last person he would marry his sister off to, even his king's title wasn't enough to let him marry Rumi, his one and only sister.
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"Would you like to try it?" Jwala said offering the cooked fish that she had caught herself to the royal inspector.
He repulsively ignored her words.
It was lunchtime, and Jwala was having her lunch in an open field, closer to the river. The small round table was set for two with 4-5 dishes. Kinn Son, Hanna's royal commander who was held captive was made to sit with Jwala at the lunch table by Mitra.
Jwala took him with her wherever she went, she was treating him like a guest as she had said to Maan but Kinn would have liked being treated as a prisoner better. He was already annoyed at Maan for leaving him and Jwala was adding to that anger.
"You know I could kill you for glaring like that?" she said and took the first bite from her fish. "Be fortunate that I have morals, unlike your people."
"Oh… Hanna's fish tastes soft and sweet, unlike its people." Jwala tore off some and offered it to Mitra.
"What morals would that be?" He said in the calmest way he could at that moment. "taking captive after guarantying safety?"
"You will address the queen with respect," Mitra commanded with a cold gaze aimed at the royal guard.
"Mitra, he is upset that his king left him. Let him be... he must have felt betrayed." Jwala said to Mitra.
"Hmm… Guarantee, right… I delivered my promise. You are safe and well-fed." She gestured at the table full of food. "You sleep in warm beddings under protection."
"Where have you heard that a captive is eating with the queen? Has it ever happened in your kingdom over centuries?"
"Nation. Hanna is a Nation." The royal commander corrected her.
"Nation I see," She smiled at the hostility in his voice, "Kingdoms have kings. Empires have emperors. What do nations have?"
He was uninterested in making small talk with her. He was made to follow her around, he couldn't care any less.
"Ministers?" Her voice was calm as she spoke her next words. "But you have a king … how is it different from the kingdom?"
"Whatever it is your 'nation' isn't doing well… maybe because the king is detached from his people by ministers. Too many leaders will only make a mess."
He still looked disinterested but he was listening. He was a skilled individual in defense with little understanding of politics. But her words had made sense to his hot-headed brain.
"Eat well. You will be leaving in a week." She took another bite. "With or without that head it will depend on your king…"
"Do you think you can trust him?" Jwala asked and waited for his answer.
"yes." He answered but it wasn't quick enough and he lacked conviction.
She nodded and continued eating her food.
The royal commander was pushed into deep thought while Jwala enjoyed her meal. 'Great nation of Hanna, what's so great about it?' he thought.
The king is powerless, the Queen-mother is hungry for power, the ministers are greedy and selfish and the people were suffering.
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