Empire of India: Rise of the Ruthless Prince

The former capital city of the Cochin kingdom was a hub of commerce and one of the biggest cities in the Empire. It sprawled tall and wide with fortifications similar to the capital of the Empire. The stalls were filled with wares and goods from afar that reach the harbour of Cochin from many other kingdoms.

Merchants from different parts swarmed the markets in the early morning as the sun rose from the horizon and cast a golden hue onto the vibrant city. A beautiful young lady walked through the vast city with two guards beside her. She looked exquisite, her long black hair cascading like rare black silk, her saree clung to her curves and her eyes were like gemstones carefully crafted to fit her features.

She was the daughter of Vikrama, Shraddha. She moved to the city a few months ago with the help of her father and Bhairava. She was adjusting to city life quite well after months had passed.

When she first stumbled into the vast city of Cochin. She was mesmerized by the amount of different people and the beautiful streets filled with vibrant atmosphere. She explored many parts of the city during her stay and went to different festivals in the temple.

Shraddha saw the temple elephants for the first time in a temple and the different dances and festive activities.

"Hello, grandma." Shraddha greeted an old stall owner and bought some fresh flowers for herself.

"Ah!" the grandmother exclaimed. "Shraddha daughter, I put some good flowers for you."

"Here." She hands over freshly bloomed flowers to her. It smelled nice.

"Thank you." Shraddha smiled.

"Young lady Shraddha. We have new sarees for you," said a merchant with a warm smile. "These just came in today," he pointed at a pile of sarees.

Shraddha looked at the pile of saris. It was made of fine materials sourced from the subcontinent and each one was carefully made by the skilled craftsmen.

"It looks so expensive." She exclaimed, inspecting the saree.

"It came all the way from the capital." The merchant laughed. "Since the roads have come. It has been very easy to transport everything."

"I see."

"Thanks to the Emperor. The roads have been expanding a lot." He praised the Emperor confidently.

"Yeah, the toll isn't even that high compared to the people we had to recruit before just to transport through the bad roads," another merchant chimed in.

'I guess the Emperor is a visionary, as Bhairava said.'

She thought.

"Uncle, I will buy this later." She told the merchant. "Keep it for me."

"Alright, young miss."

"I will be off then. Thank you, Uncle." She said with a bright smile

She chatted with other merchants and stall owners that had been visiting since she moved into the city. Her bright smile lit up the day for the people. She also had guards because her appearance garnered too much attention.

Bhairava assigned guards to her out of his concern.

She returned home after a while; her father was a rich man and had a huge mansion in the city. It was too huge for just two people and she couldn't really get used to the massive size.

"Haaa. I am bored." She whined.

'Wish he was here.'

Shraddha learned a lot about Bhairava during her travels back to Cochin. She was shocked to learn that he was the feared second prince of the Empire. But unlike the rumors, he was a gentleman and he didn't look at her with a bad gaze.

He was also not that scary after bonding for a while. He was very gentle and caring towards her. Bhairava spoke of her father with a lot of respect and told her stories of him.

'I miss him.'

She thought.

'Well, it can't be helped. He is a prince after all.'

She pouted and kicked her feet in a small pond in her home.

Unlike the other men she met in the village and city. They all looked at her differently than Bhairava; she could be open to him.

She learned many things about Bhairava during their time together. He looked scary on the outside and was trying very hard to change that perception. He was well-versed in martial arts and warfare.

Shraddha learned that he lost to his young brother in the throne fight and cut off his hand as per the agreement. She got angry after listening to that.

'How could a brother do such a cruel thing?'

She thought.

But Bhairava explained the stakes of the throne. Harsha wasn't in a position to spare him either. He survived because of his whim. That day she learnt the Emperor was a dangerous man.

After bonding with him and learning more about Bhairava, Shraddha longed to spend more time with him. She liked the time they spent reading books, singing songs, and exploring the city under his watchful guidance. She was enjoying their time together more as the days passed by.

Suddenly Bhairava got a message one day and it seemed urgent. He told her father he had to return to the capital as soon as possible. It was an urgent matter.

Shraddha didn't want to hold him back and so she hid her feelings. She let him go with a smile. He never told her when he would be returning. She didn't even know if she was ever going to meet the man again.

But even after 2 weeks. Her heart longed for him. She didn't understand this feeling. Her moments with Bhairava were the only thing on her mind in the past two weeks.

She missed his presence to the core.

'My heart is pounding!'

Shraddha sang her heart out on the new songs that she learned in the city. She let her feelings out in the form of songs. Every verse of the songs contained her heartfelt feelings and longing for Bhairava.

She looked up at the sky with a tinge of sadness in her eyes.

'I miss him. Please come back safe and sound.'