Deceptive Queen

Ch 10

SHIV

I noticed Keshav had slipped out in between the gifts giving charade.

I was supposed to give her my gift too as I was told and I even prepared it but I totally forgot to bring it with me.

I'll do that later. First, I need to talk with my dear brother.

I go after him, excusing myself from the hall.

No one can find him easily, but I have assigned people to keep an eye on him.

I did that when he started to show his bizarre behaviour a few years ago but since he had not done anything very damaging, I had stopped.

But after he skipped out on the wedding, I had had it.

I again assigned people to tail him.

He's in the back garden today.

Probably engrossed in his hookah and alcohol again.

He has lost the sense of day and night.

And the empress wants me to make him the next emperor.

How can such an irresistible alcoholic become the nurturer of the kingdom?

She didn't come and tell me that directly, she asked my father.

And he told me.

He refused of course.

He is also aware of his delinquent behaviour.

How am I supposed to do that?

As father's health keeps deteriorating day by day, this topic of discussion becomes more intense.

He is barely able to walk now.

I don't know what to do.

I find Keshav shouting at a maid as she won't bring out the hookah.

"What are you shouting at her for? She's just following orders." I stand behind him and speak.

He gets up and turns to me.

"And let me guess brother; it was you who gave such orders." He stepped closer to me.

"You are not allowed to smoke in the palace, you are well aware of it."

There was no such rule before I made it.

My father is a great rural, he cares for his people and is kind towards them.

He is just not that good at administration....inside the palace.

If he had been more observant and strict with him, he wouldn't have turned out this way.

"And you wouldn't even let me through the palace gates without your permission, which you just. won't. give."  He gritted his teeth.

He is fast at anger. And that's one of his weak points.

To take care of a kingdom, you need to be patient and eliminate anger.

Another one of his weak points is, ladies.

I know my little brother, he sleeps with multiple women every other night.

And that's the thing that disgusts me the most.

There is no rule that a man cannot have multiple partners or wives in Sihn, but that's what the royal men have always believed in. Marrying only once.

My father had no intentions of getting married again if the circumstances didn't compel him to.