✓ Fearless - Book 1 of The Rajkumari Trilogy

Chapter 8

Chapter 8
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Revati gathered her papers, laid them on the table, and smoothened the creases on her dress. Her elbows were propped on the table, her fingers interlocked and her expression betrayed nothing. She then spoke, "Father, as summer is fast approaching, we need to recruit and train new soldiers. I suggest it to be a change of procedure."

"We have always done the same thing for years, why change it now, princess?" one of the courtiers questioned.

"Yes, sir. We have. But over the past few months, the armies of some of our allies have been growing as gathered from our spies since the kings made sure to keep it out of our notice. They have been distant with us lately, leaving us with suspicion if they are turning their back on us. So, the king and I came to a conclusion that stricter measures were necessary to avoid any upcoming conflicts or possibly... war."

Oh princess, princess. If only you knew what a fool you are. As the proverb goes, 'Closing the fort gates when the enemy is already in', She thought suppressing an evil laugh as she stood quietly in the corner of the room, her face hidden beneath the cloak.

"So I propose, that the newly recruited soldiers are spied upon without them knowing," she held up a hand to one man who opened his mouth to speak. "I know what you're thinking, We cannot afford to waste a spy on each soldier. But we can alert the generals to mark the attendance of all the soldiers, at any time of the day. Or night.

"The chieftains can speak to a few trusted soldiers to keep an eye on the new recruits and to report any suspicious behavior. But they must not know whom the spying task has been assigned to. Then we can easily find out and catch hold of moles in the army. Not just that, this provides more discipline to already employed soldiers."

Several courtiers nodded their heads. The King had his elbow propped on the table, his hands interlocked and under his chin as he asked, "Good. I think you still have more to say?"

"Yes, your highness," she confirmed. "This method is to get rid of possible spies already in our army. To prevent spies from entering, I think that each soldier's background must be checked and approved. Make sure that their information is original. And that is all for the military security. Do you all accept my proposal, gentlemen?"

Murmurs of agreement passed through the council members. The King proudly smiled once more at his daughter. She smiled back in return.

"Alright men. Now that's passed, I want to know the latest additions to the numbers of the army. General Neelkant." The king said with a dip of his chin.

"Yes, your majesty!" he said in a surprisingly squeaky voice. Well, only squeaky when compared to his build. 'She' strained her ears to listen.

"We have one lakh ten thousand army men, sixteen thousand ashwāha, eighteen thousand five hundred chariots, two hundred seventy war gajāha, seventy thousand cavalries and that is only Vaibhavgarh's strength. Excluding our allies," he reported.

The King nodded. "By the end of summer, our numbers should increase by a few hundred at the least. See to that, Senapati."

"Yes sir!"

After some more light discussion on political matters, the courtiers stood up to leave but were stopped by the princess. "Nuh-uh-uh gentlemen, not so fast. We still have to settle your tax payment."

She could see a wave of annoyance passing over their faces but they kept their mouths shut and reluctantly sat back down.

My task is over, time to leave. 'She' thought and was about to make a move for it when Revati called out.