Her Love

The proposal

Author's POV

Her lawyer was waiting for her in the conference room. She composed herself and greeted him with a smile. "Rajkumari, I'm here about a prospective groom. I think you should meet today." They had been looking for a month, but most of the men in positions of power were, well, not the best, to put it kindly. She needed someone in power to make her claim on the throne valid. The council wouldn't accept just anyone. He had to be of royal blood, and there weren't many princes who she thought would treat her equally. "You should meet the King of Madhavgarh. I think he would be a good match. And moreover, we got a proposal from them." She looked at her lawyer and nodded.

She knew the King of Madhavgarh. He was the only one in these meetings who treated her with respect. He was her contemporary and a very eligible bachelor. She didn't know why he remained unmarried for so long. She also knew that he, too, had lost his parents at a young age and taken over the throne. His success stories were widespread. She had exchanged pleasantries with him but didn't know him personally. Just as she was thinking about the prospect, the staff had notified her of the arrival of the guests. She moved towards the main door to welcome them. She was greeting all the kings and queens walking in, many of whom, she knew, were plotting against her to help her cousin get the throne. They were very interested in exploiting Mewar, which she and her parents had successfully avoided till now.

Just as she was gauging their plotting looks, he walked in. "Maharaj of Madhavgarh, Raghav Rajvansh," the announcer announced. Raghav was a very handsome man. He exuded power. His aura was dominating. She greeted him with a smile, and he smiled back. "Welcome to Mewar, Maharaj," Jaanki said. "Mewar is a very beautiful kingdom, Rajkumari. I look forward to the stay," he said with a smile. She welcomed him in and got to greet the other guests. Raghav looked at her once before proceeding towards the conference room. He knew his court had sent a marriage proposal her way. He had seen her before at various conferences of the princely states. She was a very confident and articulate woman. She would make a great queen, he thought. He wasn't sure about marriage, though. Nothing was wrong with her, but he wasn't ready. It had been 2 years since the woman he loved married the man she loved. He was trying his best to get over it. He knew he had responsibilities towards his people. But he needed more time. His council had other opinions, though. They wanted him to marry at the earliest. He had turned 29 this year and had to be married before he turned 30. They needed an heir. He hated these rules that snatched away his freedom to choose. But he had to decide to get at least engaged to buy himself some time.

He was seated in the conference room. Jaanki walked in and took to the center of the room. "I welcome you all to the kingdom of Mewar. We are delighted to host you all. I hope this session is successful for all the kingdoms. Enjoy your stay." She concluded and walked to her seat. The conference began with a discussion of the inter-kingdom trade of minerals between all the kingdoms. This required the cooperation of all the kingdoms. Mewar wasn't rich in many natural minerals but was a hub of technology. The kings were trying to give Mewar the shorter end of the deal. 

"I am aware Mewar is not very rich in mineral deposits. But I remind you all that most of your military technology and intelligence runs out of Mewar. Hence, I think the terms you have put forth are not something Mewar is willing to accede to," Jaanki declared. Raghav, too, was aware the kings were trying to play her. He liked how she took her stand but was intrigued to know how she would turn this in her favor. The kings were unwilling to budge. "I can accept these terms but on few conditions. The money that the kingdoms pay for our technology would be increased 3 fold, and we would withdraw all drone operations. The missile technology, too, would be made more expensive. It's either this or Mewar gets a fair share of resources. If you are not willing to give a fair share of minerals, Mewar will be forced to charge you guys the actual rates instead of the subsidies we give since we would need that money to buy these minerals from elsewhere."

That shut everyone up, and a fair deal was struck. Raghav was impressed. She managed to get a very great and fair deal. He always respected her as a fellow statesman, but today, he had a newfound respect for her diplomacy. He knew she never let Mewar get bad deals, but this was the first time he observed her. Jaanki, too, observed that he was the only king who was against this unfair deal they were trying to impose on Mewar. She respected that. She also observed how he struck his deals with great wit. She knew he was a great king. She also observed that he knew how to deal with the cunningness of the kings. He had everything she was looking for so for. She had yet to talk to him, though. 

The session for the first day ended, and the kings were to move to their quarters for rest. Raghav and Jaanki were yet to talk to each other. But they would meet one-on-one tomorrow to discuss the skill development deal between their kingdoms. Both of them hoped to discuss the marriage proposal then. Both left for their rooms with that thought. They had a lot to think about. They were aware that they had to make this decision for themselves as well. They couldn't get married just for the sake of their kingdoms. They needed to be sure they were at least compatible.