Veer ~ Rise Of The Sisodia's [#YourStoryIndia]

Chapter 3

Kannauj

The emperor of Kannauj, Vijaypal, grunted as he scratched an insect bite on his arm. Kannauj previously ruled from the Himalayan foothills in the north to the Narmada river in the south, from the Sutlej river in the northwest to Bengal in the east, under the great emperor Mihira Bhoj. In the not-too-distant past, his capital had been the gleaming jewel of a vast empire.

The kingdom had been reduced to a shell of its former glory; however, Vijaypal still clung to the title of emperor, which his ancestors had rightfully claimed. As a result, many people already referred to him as a king, considering his much-diminished social standing in private.

The whispers had grown louder a few years ago when he tried to resist the Ghur army and was humiliated, leaving him with no choice but to recognize Mahmud as his monarch.

Vijaypal locked his gaze on his minister.

'This commoner upstart dares to meet with me as if we are equals. And I let you persuade me to do it.' scowled Vijaypal.

His minister, Agnimitra, bit back a sigh that threatened to erupt. Agnimitra was a slender old aged man with an unnaturally youthful face that belied his mainly grey hair. The hair on his crown was long and tied in a knot, signifying his Brahmin background. His neatly trimmed beard was predominantly white, with only occasional strands of black. He had a dignified air around him and his brown eyes usually sparkled with wit and humour. At the moment, though, he was struggling to conceal his irritation. It had taken weeks of negotiations to set up the clandestine meeting in a remote forest clearing.

The rendezvous point was close to Kannauj's border with the neighbouring kingdom of Hardoi. Vijaypal had arrived at the location under the guise of a hunting trip, keeping his meeting with Vikramaditya a carefully guarded secret. But that hadn't stopped him from complaining about it. So, Agnimitra attempted to calm him down once more.

Vijaypal had utilized the pretext of a hunting excursion to reach the destination, keeping his rendezvous with Vikramaditya a carefully disguised secret. But it hadn't prevented him from whining continuously about it. Agnimitra attempted, once again, to calm him down. 'Your Highness, the message was explicit. King Vikramaditya—'

Don't use his fabricated title when referring to him, yelled Vijaypal.

'Forgive me, great emperor. Vikramaditya proposed a meeting and stated it might be of mutual benefit. One does not normally send such a proposal unless it is of considerable importance. What risk is there in at least hearing out what he has to say?'

'All right, I'll listen, even if breathing the same air as him makes me sick.' Vijaypal felt a chill run through him, almost as though his spirit was horrified with what he had let himself be led into. He slapped his wrist yet again. 'These bugs. They're devouring me alive. 'How in the world did I agree to come to this hellhole?'

Agnimitra remained silent but couldn't help but gaze around. Vijaypal was sitting luxuriously on a throne on a platform. Soft rugs filled every inch of the vast area covered by the big velvet tent embroidered with gold thread.

The king was once a young man of good build and attractive appearance. His sturdy figure, however, had long ago faded, and the person sitting in the tent was a jowly man bordering on corpulence. Vijaypal's sallow complexion and bloodshot eyes contributed to the overall sense of decadence.

An attendant fanned Vijaypal vigorously while others rushed to serve him food and wine and cater to his every desire. Two armed soldiers stood at the platform's base and another at the tent's entrance. Outside, a unit of twenty soldiers created a perimeter around the entire tent, ensuring that no intruder could enter from any direction.