"The guards cannot be provided luxuries. They will feel entitled. The most I can do is to increase the quantity of food for them." Vaishali announced her decision.

"Maharani, this is not luxury. What we are discussing is a basic necessity." Samarjit tried to reason with her. "Princess Mayanshi agrees with me."

The mention of Mayanshi enraged her. "So, we are going to take orders from that child now. Are we?" She roared.

Samarjit said nothing. Mahamantri Susharma walked ahead and spoke cautiously. "Maharani, I agree that the guards don't need additional comforts. But if we refuse now, it is more of our loss than theirs."

"Speak clearly, Mahamantri. I don't have time for your riddles." Vaishali snapped.

"What Mahamantri garu meant to say is that," Agastya intervened, "if we do not pass this order, the princess will waste no time in spreading the news that our Queen is not concerned about the welfare of our guards."

"Maharani, please do not let Princess Mayanshi be their hero." Susharma added.

Vaishali thought for a long time. "Alright. Provide dining halls for them. Make the announcement. Also, don't forget to mention who suggested this to the council. Our Prince Samarjit."

"But Maharani--"

"That will be all." She held her hand up, to stop Samarjit from speaking further. The council of ministers dispersed from the hall. "You disappoint me, Samarjit. Under any circumstances you are not supposed to support any of her decisions. She is your rival."

"Amma, she proposed a very good solution. How could I not agree?"

Vaishali scanned him from head to toe. She knew he needed convincing. She drew in a deep breath. "Don't you understand? She is pretending to be benevolent just to win hearts. And we, like fools are believing that her mask is her true face. Remember. She can't return after fifteen years and expect us to kneel and swear loyalty to her. Try to think. Will she make a good ruler when she didn't even reside here for maximum of her life?"

Samarjit sat down, sighing. He knew Mayanshi was an able administrator. He witnessed it in the week they had spent together. Yet, he couldn't disregard the fact that she was new to the empire. She would require a lot of external help, which in his opinion, would make her dependent. And a dependent ruler could be misled easily. "You are right, mother. You are right."

---***---

Abhimanyu entered Mayanshi's bed chambers before the maid servant could announce his arrival. "Brother, this is not Srimukha. What will they think? Wait until they make announcement." Mayanshi was busy checking her ornaments along with Devika.

"Now is not the time to follow all courtesies." Abhimanyu settled down next to her. "I am sorry to say, we are on the losing side. We have to act now."

"What makes you say that?"

"Queen Vaishali ordered for dining halls to be provided for the palace guards. She, for once, agreed to your suggestion."

"And why is that bothering you? Isn't that a welcome change?"

Abhimanyu looked at her with eyes full of pity. "That's not all. She made it look like it was Samarjit, who proposed this solution. Not you."

"Abhimanyu, they cannot fool the guards. Their beloved prince never thought of this idea until I arrived. They will eventually figure out who did this." Mayanshi spoke, more to herself than to him.

"That's the thing. Do you think they are wise enough to understand? They are mere palace guards. For them, the one who passes the order is worthy of worship. In this case, the dowager Queen and her elephant son."

Mayanshi stayed silent for a long time. "Now is not the time to stay silent." Abhimanyu spoke again. "Remember who you are. You are Mahamaya. Whatever you do, please do not stay in the background. Let everyone see what you are. Win hearts. Speak to everyone. Manipulate people. Bring them on our side."

"You are right, Abhimanyu. We need to intensify our efforts." Mayanshi agreed.

"Yuvarani, the Queen has requested your presence." A maid-servant informed her.

"Me?" Mayanshi frowned. She dismissed the servant. Abhimanyu armed himself with his bow and arrows. "Stop it, Abhimanyu. Do not let her think that we are scared of her. This is my home." She ordered her brother to put the weapons aside.

She exited her bed chambers to see Manikantha standing there. "Just going to meet the Dowager Queen. I don't think I require a bodyguard."

"Forgive me, Yuvarani. I have been given strict instructions to not trust anyone. And that includes the Queen." Manikantha answered very politely.

"You are very sincere with your duties." Mayanshi was impressed.

They walked towards their destination. "Devi, you requested for my presence? How can I help you?"

"Welcome, child. Let me introduce you to Senapati Jayendra." Vaishali pointed at a tall and well-built man.

Mayanshi's face immediately broke into a smile. Except for grey hairs and few battle scars, he hadn't changed much in fifteen years. She walked towards him excitedly and touched his feet to seek his blessings. "May you prosper in life, Yuvarani." He blessed her.

"Please call me Maya like you used to." She smiled happily. "I hope your wife and children are doing good. I would like to meet them sometime."

"It would be an honour to host you, Yuvarani. This young man must be Prince Abhimanyu." Jayendra said, looking at him.

Abhimanyu greeted him politely. He figured out the person was close to his sister by the way she spoke to him.

Before they could enquire about each other's health, Vaishali interrupted their reunion. "Yuvarani, now that you have settled down in our palace, I would like to arrange a feast in your honour."

"Feast?"

"Yes. All the nobility will be invited and introduced to you. It is customary for the royalty to host them on such occasions. It would be followed by few entertainment programmes planned for you" said Vaishali. "Senapati garu will supervise the arrangements."

Mayanshi scanned the surroundings carefully. Except for Jayendra and Samarjit, there was no one in the hall. She gave a faint nod in the direction of her brother, before speaking. "Devi, I am extremely delighted to know that you have planned such a big feast upon my arrival. I really am grateful to you. But, I am afraid, I cannot give my approval."

"Your approval?" asked Samarjit. "Do you not hear the Queen? Perhaps you have difficulty in understanding her words."

"I understand her words and noble intentions very well, Yuvaraja. Thank you very much. What I wish to bring to your notice is that, this is not the correct time to feast merrily. There has been a death in the family. My revered substitute ruler, King Vashishtha, will not thus be disrespected. We will mourn him until the customary mourning period is over for us." Mayanshi spoke with a finality in her tone.

"That's a very good thought, Yuvarani" said Jayendra. "I'm sure the noblity will understand. I would send a word to them that the feast has been cancelled."

"Wait. What about the food? Should it be wasted because of our lack of proper planning and communication?" asked Samarjit.

"Yes. Wasting food is equal to insulting the Goddess." Jayendra agreed with Samarjit.

"Might I suggest an alternative?" asked Mayanshi. "We could take the food to the Lord Hanuman temple and serve it to the poor. We will also pray for King Vashishtha's soul to rest in peace."

Vaishali couldn't refuse. Not when she mentioned her late husband. She gave her permission.

"Thank you, Devi. Senapati garu, would you be so kind to help me supervise this prayer? You know the city better than me." Mayanshi requested Jayendra, who readily agreed.

Mayanshi touched Vaishali's feet and walked out of the hall. "Wine!" Vaishali commanded her maid-servant. "Did you see that, Samarjit?"

"Yes, amma. I never thought she would politicize Father's death. Nevertheless, she succeeded. Senapati Jayendra seems impressed." Samarjit replied.

"And now perhaps you understood why I want you to accompany her everywhere" said Vaishali.

Though Samarjit was still against spying on Mayanshi, he could see Vaishali's point.

---***---

The Hanuman temple was tidy and spacious. Just like she remembered. She used to offer prayers there, along with her parents. "Quickly. I want to pluck Lotus flowers from the pond." She used to urge her father.

The memory brought a smile to her lips and tears to her eyes. 'If only they were alive. My family would have been complete.' She thought to herself.

She wasn't even allowed to pay final respects to her father's dead body. She had been informed that it was very disturbing to look at, for a six-year-old. She still couldn't believe that his own brother had him murdered.

"Akka, the prince wishes to speak to you." She was jolted to the present by Abhimanyu's words.

"Forgive me, Yuvaraja. I was lost in thought." She apologized.

"The temple premises are small to accommodate so many people. There is a ground few streets away from here, where the dinner will be served. Will that be fine?" asked Samarjit.

"As you say." She agreed. She refused to ascend the chariot. She wanted to relive her childhood memories. She preferred to walk. Samarjit, who was bound by duty, walked along. Manikantha maintained a respectable distance from them.

"I must thank you for delivering my message to your mother and convincing her. The guards must be happy" said Mayanshi.

"You don't need to thank me, Yuvarani. Their well-being is my responsibility." Samarjit answered without looking at her.

"It's a pity that it took you so long to come up with this solution." Mayanshi clearly indicated that he cannot be given the credit for something she did.

"It's not the question of who proposed it. What matters is who implemented it. In this case, my mother."

Mayanshi was outraged by that remark. "At least my administration doesn't include taking advantage of my current situation and gaining sympathy."

"I don't understand you." Samarjit lowered his pace.

"You are one of the cleverest men I have ever met. I refuse to believe that you haven't noticed how your mother is taking advantage of your father's death to acquire power. I must say, very well played."

"Yes. Indeed very well played. Just like you."

It was Mayanshi's turn to lower the pace. "Like me?"

"Yes. Not very unlike my mother, you are also taking advantage of my father's death."

"What made you reach that conclusion?"

"The simple fact that you never felt the need to visit the place you call your motherland, for fifteen years. If you really cared, you would have returned much earlier and served the people. But no. You came back to demand your birthright. That too when my family is in the most vulnerable state due to my father's demise. Do you deny that?" Samarjit stopped walking and looked into her eyes.

Mayanshi tried hard to come up with a counter argument. It seemed, she who could silence an entire kingdom with a glance, was rendered speechless.

"From where I stand, Yuvarani, you and my mother are not very different. You both are implementing the same strategy. You are just the younger and wiser version of Maharani Vaishali. Which makes me tilt towards her in support. Because unlike you, she has been living in Virata her entire life. She knows the land better than you." He resumed walking.

Mayanshi didn't utter a word until they reached the ground. Samarjit introduced her to her subjects along with her all her titles. She joined her palms in a cordial Namaste and joined the servants to serve the food. The public was impressed. Abhimanyu and Jayendra followed her lead.

Once they started dining, Mayanshi walked to a corner, wondering whether what Samarjit spoke was true. For the first time since she arrived, she felt guilty. She shut her eyes tightly. Manikantha stood behind her, unable to decide whether he should say something or stay silent.

"You crushed my lotus flowers! You are a bad boy." Mayanshi heard a little girl shout at a boy and start crying.

"What happened, child?" She approached the children.

"Akka, I accidentally sat on her lotus flowers. I will get flowers for her from the pond behind the temple. Please don't punish me." The boy replied timidly.

"No. It's getting dark. You can't go. Take these roses instead." Mayanshi offered roses to the girl, who refused to take them. She cried bitterly. "Please don't cry. I will get the flowers from the pond." Mayanshi promised the girl.

She looked at her brother, who was dining with the subjects. It would be rude to interrupt him. She decided to go alone, with Manikantha following her.

They reached the pond behind the temple. She plucked several blue lotus flowers. Manikantha sprinted towards her. A moment later he pushed her out of the way, roughly. She turned around to see two masked assassins, who would have struck her, had her bodyguard not acted on time. "Yuvarani! Run!" Manikantha was engaged in combat.

Mayanshi rushed towards the exit only to come face to face with three more assassins.

There stood the two of them surrounded by five. And she was only armed with a dagger. She cursed herself for not informing Abhimanyu and Jayendra.

---***---

Fight sequence ahead. Will try to make it less violent.

By the way, who are your favourite characters from the Mahabharata? Mine are Krishna and Draupadi followed by Abhimanyu.