OF COURSE..I DID IT!
I was the one who poisoned both sides–under the disguise of funding.
While princes of both factions were mourning their dead,I and Dannyal marched in with our soldiers.
The attack fell upon them sooner than their inheritance ever could.
They were cornered and executed in the most less painful way possible.Mercy,after all,is also a weapon.
We wiped out both sides at the speed of light with our army of ten thousand.We did suffer losses– one-fifth of our soldiers–but the result was absolute.
Finally,the throne is within our reach.
The monarchy would soon fall.
Birbal also sided with us.He hesitated at first,but my ideas–my morals–convinced him.
No more obstacles.
No more resistances.
Just as we allowed ourselves to breathe–
a red scarf lay in a dark corner,soaked in blood.
Flashing eyes.
It was ADRIAN.
He had come for vengeance,his heart turned to stone.He cut through the security in silence,every move precise,merciless.
I stepped forward and spoke softly,"Look,we won,the kingdom that didn't value your love is no more.They are gone."
He screamed,veins bulging,
"LIAR,YOU ARE THE KINGDOM!"
"What are you saying?"I spoke fearfully.
"Don't pretend you don't understand anything!"
"Adrian,calm do–"
"Do you think I don't know who pushed my mother?"
"Ama–"
"Oh,don't LIE to me!"
Dannyal intervened sharply saying loudly,"Enough!It was your mother who attacked first.She merely protected herself!"
"Protected?"Adrian spat."Or killed?"
Birbal stepped forward,"Do you think everyone kills for petty reasons like you?"
Adrian widened his eyes in hatred as he walked toward Birbal.He grabbed his collar ,"Amara isn't a petty reason!"
Among this chaos–
Raja Chander
The man whom everyone had forgotten.
marched in with a huge army and attacked.
I shouted at Adrian,"He is the one who killed Amara!Take what ever revenge you want!"
The pieces aligned in his mind.He agreed.
He charged into the enemy ranks alone,went at the middle surrounded by soldiers.
He turned into a killing machine fueled not by logic or battery but wrath and hatred.
It was only thanks to Adrian's hate, Dannyal's strategy and Birbal's hidden soldiers that we were able to defeat the huge army.But in doing so,we lost our entire forces and energy.
We at first cornered them in four sides.Then the four of us followed by some of our soldiers slashed them.
Spears drove into chests,sheilds shattered,bodies fell before screams could be heard.
Arrows flew.One grazed my shoulder,another destroyed a man's eyes,he instantly fell.
Blood filled the marble which once held the steps of the privileged.
Seeing Adrian I realized maybe my sword's magic wasn't that over powered after all.A sword was charged at him,he flipped backwards.Then threw arrows– three at once.
Three soldiers rushed towards him together from behind.He let the first blade scrape his arms just to get a bit closer,then cut through the second's throat and used the fallen bodies as sheilds.
Chander's man fought with desperation but as we all know desperation dulls skills.
Dannyal screamed commands mid chaos.This constant reposition changed the wave of the battle.
Birbal got surrounded by soldiers.For a moment,he disappeared beneath them–but then bodies started falling.
At one point,my body gave up.For the first time,the sword felt heavier than decisions.
Birbal noticed it faster.He came to protect me.But the sudden change in positions,gave the opponent an opportunity.
Outnumbered us from beside.While Birbal was slaying the left side–one from the right side came and cut his two fingers.
I stared at disbelief, fingers trembling.He smiled faintly at me.
Tears almost started falling my eyes,"Don't look at my hand like that,Nisa.
Look at me.
I'm still here."
That gave me strength I never felt before.After finishing the opponent's,I took him in a corner.While I was tying his fingers to stop bleeding.He said,"If I had to choose again..I'd still reach out."My eyes widened.
Together,the four of us along with five thousand soldiers,pushed ahead–killing.
At one point,silence prevailed.
Raja Chander stood there proudly,believing that what he had done was right.I let him get imprisoned even though I wished to make him an ally.
After all these ended,these killing and devastations powered by humans' mediocre lust for power and control,
Adrian said with a proud voice," In the name of God, I now declare myself the King."
I,Dannyal and Birbal just stared at him questioning his audacity.
But we didn't actually have anything to say cause we didn't have the army or power to fight with him.Not even the courage after seeing how he slashed those soldiers.
But then the King, Akbar,arrives,"Who is taking my throne while I'm still standing alive?"
Adrian looked with sharp eyes.Birbal let off a smile of relief,the biggest problem for me.
Dannyal and I were disappointed at first but Akbar was a better king than Adrian. But maybe our only chance went away.
Only then did Adrian lunged towards the King to kill him.The weak King was protected by Birbal,the only one who truly cared for him.
An intense sword battle was seen among them.Adrian attacked first,Birbal charged in with his sword.Taking charge of Adrian's sword,Birbal threw it high on the air.Adrian fell back.
The sword fell broken just like Adrian's wish of being the King.
Birbal moved his sword in a symbolic way to remove the blood from it.He then looked at Dannyal with a serious look,one none had seen before in a jolly guy like Birbal.
Dannyal and I,drained of energy,had no way but to accept what was happening.But then an idea kicked inside me...
The harem ladies?Wouldn't they like a taste of freedom?
I told Dannyal to keep them distracted for a while.I rushed to the harem and told them how much power they had.A lot of them actually controlled under curtains...secretly..but–
Now it's their time to sit on the throne based on their power not gender.Some questioned,their religion doesn't allow.
I replied,"Check the book.If we aren't equally capable,then why would God give us equal prayers?"
Their eyes opened realizing the fact.Plus,lust for power,control and wealth attracts everyone after all.
They all followed me with whatever they had .
Defeating the remaining soldiers,Birbal, Adrian and even the King was nothing for them.
They beat them with all their frustration stored for ages.The Kingdom was now theirs but the throne would still be mine.
I took Birbal on a side.He said with anger,"What are you doing?"
"I'm doing what I had to."
"You had this planned all along?"He said with raised eyebrows with anger.
"I planned it for survival not power."
"You were never of the court.You just used us and disposed when needed."
"Birbal,please don't make it any harder than it already is...move,please."
"So..this was all a lie?Laughing,sharing,protecting? Did I lose my fingers for a...lie?"
"This is all for a reason,the King was bad."
"He believed you..like I did"
"He didn't believe me.He just liked an idea of me.Please,move.You know I won't hesitate."
"YES,you won't and that's what cuts deeper than blades.It hurts..you know?"
I went away with sadness in my heart.Birbal sat down clinging to a pillar due to both pain in heart and body.
While in shackles,Adrian whispered to his father,"She was the main destroyer,we should have never given her power."
I said to Adrian while cleaning my hand,"Your mom thought I aimed for influencing her family.You thought I aimed for the Cheif Minister but you both were—
WRONG,I aimed for the King's chair,stupid boi."
Akbar looked hopeless,"Are you gonna now kill us?"
"Of course not.I'm a mere revolutioner not a butcher."
From one side,the advisor whom we met on our first day at the court said,"I had told you they were dangerous,Majesty...more like Akbar now."
Akbar gruffed.
Dannyal said placing a hand on my shoulder,"You all should see how common people rule better that nobles."
I walked ahead to the balcony.Everyone was standing outside,waiting to know what's happening in the palace.I announced,
"From now on,there will be no Kings to rule you.You rule yourselves.People choose will choose who rules not God. "
Some people started murmuring.Dannyal came forward,"This is your land.Do you believe an outsider for ruling you over your ownselves?"
One commoner came forward,"What are you all thinking?They are right!Why do we work hard to feed nobles' greed?"
Everyone understood and cheered for us.Birbal looked up at me with eyes of disbelief but this time with admiration.I smiled.
But deep down,Birbal still believed this system would fall.
Then,programmes for mass education was taken.After all democracy is useless when people are uneducated.The system of voting and campaigns was established.
After some years a voting took place,I didn't participate.Amazingly,Birbal won.
Adrian and Akbar were ministers sitting beside common people.To make sure,the system works without further intervention by civil wars,I kept a lot of spies in every sector.
Why I didn't participate? It's because,Mughal Empire isn't the only empire which needs democracy.And if not me,then who will teach them?
I and Dannyal again started a new adventure,to a new empire,this time it was in China.
On the way.I asked Dannyal,"Do you know what I learnt from here?"
"What?"
"None of these people were bad but slaves of the system."
"Adrian revolted because he didn't get Amara and same for Helena.Raja Chander killed for the same reason we did."
"Yes.."
"Let's forget the tragedies.I'm interested for Chinese food!"
"Same!"