The Emperor's Journey

28. Power of Destiny.

As he continued his walk,  his mind drifted back to the time,  when he went to offer his Thank you to the young girl. "Rajkumari Parvati,  this is a emerald necklace,  crafted by the best jeweller of Magadh. This was my gift for accompanying father to Magadh. I present it to you for helping me convince father the other day." The young princess stared at him for a few seconds before faking a smile. She was sitting in a relaxed position but didn't try moving. This angered the young prince a bit as he was always respected but he knew better than to raise a objection. She was intelligent and manipulative, he needed her. He made himself comfortable without being asked to.

"Hmm..... So you already guessed that I won't accept this... Haan?" she asked, too much arrogance oozed out of her for a 8 year old.  "Yes, this is emerald,  how would you like, maybe if I would have brought something in Ruby, you would have been interested?" the informed Prince diged. That caught the princess off guard. She sat up straight. "How did you know?" she asked shocked. "Well.... That's none of your concern. But that's too a big price for a small favour." he stood up and turned with a smirk in his lips.

"Who said I am going to stop favouring you. I like you, even father believes in you only. You know my mother is no more,  so I will support you. Anyway,  I am a girl,  one day I have to favour either you or Bhargav for the final fight. I decide now,  it's you. You have my support." The smirk widened and he turned, the beautiful Manik Mahal made 4 generations before by his great great grandmother for her bahu, his great grandmother was traded by him for a little manipulative yet loyal sister. But she on the other hand had pledged her lifelong loyalty just for a palace. They were still young though back then. "Then the Manik Mahal is yours." he had promised with confidence.  Promises were not always kept in politics but in that Royal children,  brought up in the lap of luxury though there was insatiable greed and over the normal aspirations but unethicalness was still foreign. Then in later years when that promise of loyalty turned to actual unlimited loyalty was a tale lost in times.

Standing before Manik Mahal,  which looked like any other palace at night but during day glowed red,  like a Ruby,  which was originally called Yuvrani Mahal thought the young prince.  He till date hadn't said his sister that each night he had a passion for roaming in palace in disguise. Little did he knew at that moment that the childhood hobby would continue only instead of palace it would be his Praja. He had seen her staring at the Manik Mahal. He realised that she loved it. Manik Mahal as well as Yuvraj Mahal had been empty for years as there was no Yuvraj or Yuvrani, since the time Maharaj and Maharani  had succeeded his grandparents. At that time it was a very big sacrifice he had made. Because he was sacrificing his future wife's living place. But he really liked her company and the way she could manipulate almost all. He didn't take long to persuade  his dad as he was already half convinced by her. He just had to convey that he was ready to sacrifice. Now staring at Manik Mahal,  he could again feel the power of destiny.

Now he was married to a woman with whom even if Manik Mahal was empty he would insist on staying together. He grinned as he remembered the time his mother was insisting on having a palace made for her. But that reminded to him that she must be waiting, so he returned to his palace. Unlike the earlier day,  where there was absolutely no one in the entrance, today his beloved herself was standing there awaiting him. Smiling he went towards her...

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Tell me what you think about Manik Mahal.... Can you sense the mystery of the Red beauty....??

Did he do right by sacrificing that actually didn't belong to him?

What do you think about the manipulative yet admirably intelligent Princess Parvati..??

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