Empire of India: Rise of the Ruthless Prince

Kasim Sultanate, Royal Palace

Sultan Umar al-Kasim was in his study doing his documents for the management of the Empire. The Kasim sultanate was having struggles with the Gajapathis and the Varna Kingdom. There were frequent incursions into their borders by the Varna kingdom.

This was the result of the recent fallout with the Varna kingdom. The incursions could be taken as a war cause since the Gajapathis would join hands with the Varna Kingdom to take the sultanate down.

Kasim Sultanate allied with the Amir sultanate, but this alliance was not that strong. It was built on necessity. The Amir sultanate maintained a good relation with the Varna kingdom since the new Crown prince took charge of the diplomacy.

The crown prince of Varna kingdom made the alliance into a paper wall ready to be broken. Kasim sultanate couldn't trust the Amir sultanate in case of an invasion.

He also had a headache from losing the chance to control the Yadavas. The squad he sent with a good commander was wiped out the moment it set foot in the Yadava kingdom.

The new queen of the Yadavas was a pain as well. Her feats spread across the nobles in the Sultanate. She had defeated Bhishma and took the throne with her own power.

Defeating Bhishma, who was known as one of the strongest commanders in the central subcontinent, was a huge deal.

"Damn that Kafir bitch." He muttered.

He couldn't even risk capturing the Yadava kingdom due to the issues with Gajapathi and Varna. Meanwhile, he tried to dabble into the Vijayanagara Empire civil war, but his effort was quickly thwarted by the Royal Army of Vijayanagara.

His assistant, Iqbal, entered the room with a grim expression on his face. He gave a slight bow as a greeting to the Sultan.

"Sultan, We have some concerning news regarding the Empire."

"What happened now? Did someone die?" The sultan asked, still writing and finishing his documents.

"The civil war has ended."

Sultan Umar paused for a second and glanced up at the man blinking in disbelief.

"Huh?"

"The civil war has ended, Sultan."

The realization settled when he heard it the second time.

"What the hell! How did it happen so soon?"

"We have no idea, Sultan. We have gotten the information that the Nayakas were involved in the Civil War; that's why it ended quickly."

"That old man still holds a lot of influence and power huh?"

"So who was the victor?"

Iqbal looked up at the Sultan with a nervous expression.

"Sultan, it was the youngest prince of the Empire!"

"This is not the time for jokes, Iqbal."

"It is not a joke, Your Majesty. The youngest prince defeated both the first and second princes in the Hampi and ended the Civil War."

Umar leaned back into his chair with a grim expression.

He initially thought the second prince would come out as the victor. He knew of the widespread achievements and feats of both the first and second princes. They were some of the most powerful people not only in the Empire but also in the subcontinent.

"Did that bastard raise another tiger like him? Curse you! Krishna Deva Raya." He muttered.

Gajapathi Royal Palace, Cuttack

The Royal Court of the Gajapathis was a magnificent display of luxury and history. A man seated upon the ornate throne was Pratapendra Deva, the current king of the Gajapathis.

Lokendra Deva stood before him. The crown prince of Gajapathi was tasked with an important mission by the King of Gajapathi.

Pratapendra was visibly furious.

"What happened to our support? I told you to watch over the Shekhars!" He shouted.

"Father, Venkat Shekhar was used as bait to capture the Reddy family region by the Nayakas."

"What the hell!! Curse that bastard." He struck the armrest of his throne in anger.

The anger of Pratapendra stemmed from the loss of the Shekhar. The support they had sent was all in vain due to the schemes of the Nayakas. The Shekhars were used as bait for the Nayakas to weaken the Imperial Faction.

Their large investment in the Shekhar family had gone in vain as both the head and heir were wiped out in the battle of Warangal. The properties of Shekhar were seized by the command of Prince Harsha by the Royal Army.

This was a heavy blow to the Gajapathi, who had invested a lot into the Shekhar to give them considerable influence in the region. Their agents were also killed by the special unit sent by the Nayakas.

"Did the civil war end yet?" He asked.

Lokendra gulped hesitantly. He got the information about the ending of the Civil War just prior to this. The information would further anger his father, but he had to share this. He didn't want to create misunderstandings between them.

He glanced up at his father nervously.

"Yes, Father It has come to an end."

"Who won?"

"Um... Prince Harsha won the battle."

"Huh? WHAT THE HELL!! HOW DID THAT VERMIN TAKE THE THRONE!!"

He was beyond furious at the news. The vermin that killed his daughter had become the most influential figure in the Empire. The worst part was that he had no control over Harsha.

"This is why I told you to monitor the Shekhar's, you fool." He continued.

Lokendra hung his head in shame, unable to answer his father.

Pratapendra clicked his tongue and sat back on the throne. He took a deep breath to calm himself down.

"How about any instability in the Empire?"

"Ugh!!" Lokendra muttered. "The Empire is still working fine due to the diligence of the Butler and Royal Army. There are no riots or incursions that occurred during this period. Although they have lost some trade due to the civil war from the Europeans."

"Any information on that cursed bastard Krishna Deva Raya?"

"None, Father."

"Prepare a delegation to send to the Empire."

"Yes, Father."

Lokendra exited the royal court to go and prepare to dispatch a delegation to the Empire.

"Terrible times are ahead for our kingdom. All the princes of the Empire are monsters, and here I am stuck with a cowardly father." He muttered coldly.

'I might have to take matters into my own hands before Father messes this up.'