Dhruva Nakshathra - The Game of Alliance ✔

T W E L V E

Pavalanageri, capital city of Shoolin

Days in Shoolin have been rather a vacation than an independent diplomacy visit for Ranganathan. Given the days in Durja, he often busied himself in administrative duty as the Minister of Housing and Local Govern. While in Shoolin, he luxuriated in the hospitality of the palace, liberated from duties and orders, away from confidential affairs and being him for the first time in many years in a palace surrounding.

Despite enjoying the temporary freedom, his mind flew back to Durja. He would always be thankful to Alli for getting him the respectable position in Durja's household. Gaining her allegiance and trust had been the most difficult task and he succeeded in tactfully instilling the fact of her father's death was not an accident as claim but a planned murder. He used her vulnerable state to inculcate the idea of revenge against the royals of Kavish and instigated her to pressure the king of Durja to wage a war. With Ranganathan's constant push, Alli with her wits and cunningness, she had used the opportunity and made herself a strong part of the royal household of Durja.

Through Ranganathan's manipulation, he turned her into a vengeance seeking woman on Kavish. He fed her mind to revenge the kingdom to ashes and he successively made Alli to take the lead for his own hidden agenda. Nevertheless, her own need and desire to achieve higher and powerful status had only been an added strength in their plan of revenge.

A corner of his lips stretched, does she know he hails from the land she hates the most or does she know his history? Neither. The clever plan of Chitramala and fine execution of Ranganathan had been spotless for many years. It has been the shrewd mind of Chitramala to pick the right person to make their next move stronger. Alli, the daughter of the royal advisor of Durja fitted the role perfectly. Her rise as a member of the royal household and her personal grief elevated to solidify and amplify Durja as Kavish's sole enemy and hid Ranganathan in their plain side.

As complicated as their method of revenge goes, Ranganathan sees to it that they should launch their attack with the help of Shoolin's army soon before Alli. "I have waited long enough," he muttered. Regarding Alli and her revenge for her father's death, he puffed at the thought. Alli's very own plight had been their calculation and planned execution. Thus, having her plan go out of hand or fail would not concern him.

Ranganathan observed the training took place in one of the training grounds allocated for the armies he had paid for. The particular ground was said to accommodate hundred thousand infantry soldiers however, he had been supervising the training of the cavalry units of forty thousand that afternoon. Proud of his brilliant tactic to have earn him huge troop of army for his battle, he marched with his chest puffed out.

"Kavish would be ruined as quick as the battle begins," he murmured as he set his greying hair back from flying on his face. The blowing wind in Pavalanageri had been exceptionally heavy for the past few days, he noted glancing the rather gloomy sky.

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Use the opportunity to gain Shijay's trust and friendship...

Chitramala's advice continued to ring at the back of his mind at all times since he reached Pavalanageri. Ten days had gone by and he was yet to make an attempt to find something from the place Chitramala had told him about. He knew this was the only opportunity and the day's heavy pour would make the best reason to reach the palace late without being doubted by the guards.

Ranganathan took cover under a small pottery shed from the rain that seemed to pour non-stop. After a long hour of wait and small chats with the potter, finally the rain reduced to drizzles. He carefully navigated himself to where it resembles Chitramala's information of the places and reached to a secluded part in Pavalanageri.